No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology by Elizabeth Knox (black authors fiction TXT) 📕

“I don’t know. Can I think about it?” Cooking sounds like fun and I do miss it.

“Sure. I’ll pick you up tomorrow for some physical therapy.” Darren walks out of the bedroom. My mouth is hanging wide open as Adam walks in.

“What did I miss?” He looks back to Darren’s retreating back and me. I shake my head laughing. I’m not even sure he’d believe me.

Chapter Four

Darren

It’s nine o’clock in the morning and I’m standing in the kitchen at the Edwards’ house. Mr. Edwards let me in and offered me a cup of coffee that I took him up on. I’m tapping my foot waiting on Mia to get her ass into the kitchen. She knew that I was coming here at nine to get her. Mr. Edwards comes back into the kitchen alone. He shrugs.

“She’s not a morning person. She is going to try everything to get out of this.” He tells me something I don’t already know.

“Oh, I know. Is her room still upstairs next to Adam’s?” Mr. Edwards shakes his head.

“She’s in the study.” I nod putting the cup down. Walking towards the study, I look around the downstairs there’s a bathroom with a shower across from the study, but I’m taken aback from what I see when I finally get to the study.

Mia is sleeping on the couch, a potty chair near her feet, wheelchair closest to the door, and a recliner across from me. The TV is on the opposite wall of Mia’s makeshift bed.

“Oh, hell no. This is not going to work for me.” I start moving things around. The wheelchair and potty chair are now in the living room. Her leg and crutches are now leaning up against the bottom of the bed. I pull out my phone to bring Spotify up. I search for an annoying song and find it. I turn up the volume on my phone before placing it next to her ear. I hit play and “Baby Shark” comes through the speakers.

“What the fuck,” Mia yells as she’s literally startled out of bed. She lands on the floor face first. “Son of a bitch,” she yells. Mia looks like she’s doing a push up as she looks around the room.

“Morning, sunshine. I’m glad to see you are out of the couch.” I laugh at my own stupid joke. “Get up. Let’s go. We have a lot to do.”

“I need some help,” Mia whines. This is not a good look on her. I sigh as I grab her from behind placing her on the couch. I point to her leg and crutches.

“It’s warm out there so wear shorts so you’re comfortable.”

“Am I allowed to use the crutches?”

“For now, but at some point, they’re gone.” Mia flips me off.

“You’re an asshole.”

“I’m an adorable asshole. Move. I’ll give you twenty minutes and if you’re not ready then you go as you are.” I walk back into the kitchen to finish my coffee.

“Why are you doing this?” Mr. Edwards questions me. He’s not happy with me. He’s scowling at me. Mia’s facial expressions are a lot like his. I know his heart is in a good place when it comes to Mia. He’s always been protective of her and now more so than ever.

“When my dad had his stroke, he laid there feeling sorry for himself. He actually wished he had died instead of the partial paralysis. I saw the same look in Mia’s eyes as my dad. You are her family, the ones to take care of her. You can’t be the mean one who makes her do what she needs to do without being bothered by her whining and crying. My dad had an occupational therapist who came in tough as nails, no nonsense kind of guy. He got my dad up and moving. I’m the guy for Mia.”

“I can understand that but go easy on her. She’s not the same Mia,” Mr. Edwards comments. He has a sadness in his demeanor. They are coddling Mia. She’s never going to get strong enough for her to be on her own if they keep this up.

“She is the same Mia. I see her in there when she talks but she’s letting this broken-down Mia take over.” I sigh. He’s not going to listen to me. “She’s going to cook for me part time at the bar as well. It’s one of the reasons that I’m here. I’m helping her get her sea legs back.”

“Take it easy on her is all I ask.” Mr. Edwards is like a broken record about Mia. He’s probably worse than Mrs. Edwards and Adam. I nod not wanting to argue with him.

“I’m up. What now?” Mia seems less than thrilled to be doing this.

“Breakfast. Let’s go.” We both say goodbye to Mr. Edwards who looks like a nervous parent dropping his child off for the first day of daycare. He’s peeking out of the curtains in the living room. Mia starts walking over to my truck. “Where are you going? We’re walking.”

“Really? Can’t we do drive-thru or something?” Mia whines again and it’s starting to grate on my nerves.

“I don’t remember you being such a whiner even during your whining phase. Come, let’s go. Hop to it.” I smile as I clap my hands at her. “We’re going at your pace. I was thinking waffles at the diner.”

“That’s half a mile away. Are you sure?” Mia opens her mouth and when I look at her, she tells me that it sounds good. “I think I can do it.” Mia swallows hard. She already has in her mind that she can’t do it. “I overheard what you said to my dad. You’re not going to baby me, are you?”

“Nope.” I pop my lips. “I’m not going to be a drill sergeant either. I’m here to encourage and push you to be better, to get yourself healthy.”

“Thank you.” Mia stumbles a couple of