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Grant met Mindy at the park and they’ve made plans to go
out Saturday night. Is their budding romance hitting it’s perfect stride?
Mindy wasn't at the park on Friday. I didn't know whether
to take that as a good sign or not. I mean, I didn't even have the girl's phone
number or anything. I didn't know for sure if she was even going to show up. I
had hoped to finalize plans with her tonight, but she wasn't here, so now what?
I only biked five laps and then headed back to the parking lot where I could see
Mindy walking back and forth scanning for someone.
"Grant!" she called out as I approached.
"Hey, Mindy. What's going on?"
"I had to work late tonight, so I couldn't go walking.
I've still got to go pick up Tyler, but I had to stop by just to make sure
everything was still on for tomorrow."
"Yeah, of course." My heart and spirit lightened.
"Seven-thirty at Angelo's."
"Great," she sighed, looking as relieved as I
felt. "I went ahead and wrote down my home information on the back of my
business card in case you would need to get a hold of me. Why don't you write
down your number on this card?" She handed a card and pen to me and, after
I wrote my number down, we traded cards. "I've got to go, but I'll see you
tomorrow night."
"See you!" I called out and waved as she dashed
back to her car. I waited until she was out of the parking lot before I pumped
my fist and spun wheelies in my bike.
It seemed like seven-thirty would never arrive. I called
that morning to make reservations and then tried to find non-messy things to do
to kill time until it was time to get ready. I still got to the restaurant about
five after seven and sat waiting until she arrived.
She wore a black sundress with white polka dots. Her walks
had lightly tanned her arms and legs and she had curled her light brown hair.
"Mindy? You look great. I almost didn't recognize you
without your sunglasses on."
She looked slightly embarrassed. "Thank you. I almost
didn't recognize you without your bike."
I laughed and then the maitre d' led us to our table. He
helped her into her chair and presented the menus to us before leaving.
"I hear the salmon is really good, but I can never
come here without eating the Chicken linguine," I told her as we scanned
the menus.
"I haven't been here in so long...everything sounds
delicious," she remarked. The server soon brought some water and we ordered
our meals and drinks. While waiting for our food, we munched on some bread and
oil.
"I have to admit," she began, "I was really
surprised that you asked me out."
"You were? Why?"
"Well, I know I'm not the prettiest girl at the park
and when any guy finds out that I have a deaf eighteen-month-old, they're off
running in the other direction in a hurry."
"I happen to think you're quite pretty and I like
kids, so we're ok there. I never thought you would agree, considering..." I
patted the side of my chair.
"It's not a problem. My grandfather was the same way
after he came back from the war. His greatest accomplishment was finishing the
Chicago marathon one year."
"I actually competed in my first mini-marathon last
year in Indianapolis. It's great--part of the race is actually run on the Indy
five hundred raceway."
"Wow! That sounds really neat. Are you going to do it
again?"
"I'd like to. If I keep going, I'd like to try for the
Boston or New York marathons someday."
"I could never do that," she admitted as she
dipped another piece of bread into the oil and I looked at her blue-grey eyes.
"The only time I run is to the bathroom or to the store."
I chuckled. "I don't know about that. I think you
could do just about anything you put your mind to." I looked at her and she
seemed slightly embarrassed again. It was obvious that no one had given her
compliments in quite a while, so I took it upon myself to make up for lost time.
"Tyler's going to be a runner, I think. He runs all
over the house--I'm going to have to put glue or Velcro down on the floors to
slow him down."
We laughed. "Quite active, is he?"
"Oh yeah. He's starting to explore anything and
everything, which is wonderful but he wears me out! Yesterday, he found out how
to open and shut the dryer, so I'm going to have to be extra careful, lest he
decide that's a new hiding place."
The server brought our meals out to us and we began eating
in silence. I desperately wanted to ask about Tyler's father, but couldn't
figure out a tactful way to bring it up.
As if reading my mind, she started again. "Tyler's
father always had a ton of energy. I guess that's one of the things that
attracted me to him. He was always on the go, always doing something."
"What happened?" I asked, as gently as possible.
"He couldn't be bothered with a pregnant girlfriend. I
got his number from his parents and told him about Tyler but he wasn't
interested in the least. Good riddance, really. Tyler and I do ok on our own and
I don't want someone to be with me just out of obligation or pity."
"I can't imagine anyone looking on you with
pity."
"Oh, you'd be surprised. That's why I won't put Tyler
in a normal daycare. Everyone thinks, when they hear the word 'deaf', that it
means 'incapable'. Tyler is amazing and smart and funny and he's learning signs
and he's going to be just fine. We both are. But just mention the word
disability, and people get all weird."
"People just don't understand and they fear what they
don't understand."
"Well, I'm not going to deny Tyler any opportunities
just because people 'don't understand'. The sitter I have for Tyler used to be a
deaf education teacher until she had children of her own. She's been an absolute
Godsend. She even helps me with my sign language."
"How did you learn to sign?"
"I'm taking a class one night a week at the community
college. If I keep going, by the time Tyler's in first grade, I'll have a degree
in interpreting."
"Are you going to continue?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Might as well. I need to
learn all I can to help me be the best mom that I can be to him."
"He's a pretty lucky guy," I said and winked at
her, which caused her to blush again.
We had a wonderful dinner and agreed to see each other at
the park on Monday. Kevin came over on Sunday to watch baseball and I told him
about the date and that I thought things went well.
"So, are you going to see her again?"
"I'd like to, but we haven't talked about it
yet."
"Sounds like you've got yourself a winner there,
buddy. So, when do we get to meet her?"
"Not so fast. I don't want to scare her off just
yet." We both laughed and Kevin threw a pillow at me.
That night, I awoke to the telephone ringing. I looked at
the clock next to the phone and it read 3:20.
"Hello?"
"Grant, this is Mindy. I'm sorry to be calling so
late, but Tyler's got a 103-degree fever and I can't get it down. I'm taking him
to Dawson Hospital. Can you meet us there?"
"I'll be there in about ten minutes."
"Thank you." She then hung up the phone.
I arrived at the hospital and immediately went into the
emergency room. Mindy was there holding a crying Tyler. She looked shaken and
scared.
"Mindy, what can I do for you?" I asked, once I
reached where they are sitting.
"Grant! I'm so glad you're here. I'm trying to fill
out these forms, but it's impossible holding Tyler. Would you hold him for a
minute, please?"
I stuck out my arms and took the boy from her. His face was
flaming and I could feel the sweat through his thin tee-shirt. I reached over to
the table and grabbed a magazine to begin fanning him. He began to quiet down as
the cool air soothed him. Mindy turned in the forms and soon the nurse called
them back.
"I'll just wait here," I told her.
"Nonsense. You're coming with us," she ordered
and I was happy to oblige. The doctor did some examining of Tyler and gave him a
shot of antibiotics and told her to go home and lay cool cloths on him. She
thanked the doctor and he left. Tyler began to yawn as the virus and crying
finally wore him out.
"Thank you for being here for me. You'll never know
how much it means to me."
"I'm happy to do it. I think he's going to be ok
now."
"I'll see you tomorrow at the park, ok?"
"I'll be there."
She paused and leaned down to kiss me on my cheek before
leaving the examination room. Suddenly, I felt alive and energized--I knew I
wasn't getting to sleep anytime soon.
At the park on Monday, Mindy was waiting for me when I
pulled up. "Hey, Grant," she greeted, "How are you?"
"I'm great, thanks. How's Tyler?"
"Much better. His fever's gone down some and my mom
came over to watch him for a little bit while I came up here to de-stress."
I got my bike ready and rolled out to the pavement.
"Looks like things are looking up?" I said as I waited for her.
She stood beside me and reached for my left hand as my
right nudged the wheel of my Racer--my wheelchair bicycle. "I'd say we're
just hitting our stride."
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