Can You See Me?

by Nikki Vale

  “In here dear,” I hear a woman call from the next room. It must be a kitchen. I hobble over to the room to see an old style kitchen with dark wood paneling on the walls and yellow vinyl with abstract designs on the kitchen floors. It’s sparkling clean but absolutely hideous. The petite brunette is fixing food at the stove.

  “Hello dear. I’m Shirley Talbott and this is my husband Harold,” she introduces herself and her husband.

  “Hi, Mrs. Talbott, and Mr. Talbott. I’m Skye Williams,” I say in response.

  “I’m whipping up some dinner here just pull up a seat. Harold don’t just sit there help the poor girl,” she instructs him. Harold quickly jumps up from his seat and takes my crutches from me as I maneuver into a chair leaving myself enough room for my cast. My leg was broken in two places and I’m wearing a cast that extends from above my knee down to my toes.

  “Really Harold?” Cooper’s mother scolds seeing my predicament. She leaves the food simmering on the stove and pulls another chair around to me and gently props my injured leg on it.

  “Oh, thank you so much,” I say gratefully.

  “You’re welcome dear. These men I tell you, they can’t do anything without detailed instructions,” she clicks her tongue, shaking her head in disgust.

  Cooper walks into the kitchen and goes straight to his mother kissing her on the cheek. “Hey, Ma. Dinner smells delicious,” he says to her. He nods at his father in greeting then he gently lifts my leg out of the chair, sits down and places my foot in his lap. I look at him and his mother raises an eyebrow.

  “What? There are only four chairs,” he explains.

  “To what do I owe this surprise visit?” he asks cutting straight to the chase. His mother ignores him as she sets a roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls on the table. Shirley sits down at the table silently passes us each a plate.

  “Let us pray,” she says and we all bow our heads. “Thank you, Lord, for waking us up this morning to this beautiful day. Thank you for our families and friends and the many blessings we receive daily. Please bless this food we’re about to receive, in Jesus name. Amen.” She concludes. And we follow with our ‘Amen’ in unison.

  “So, imagine my surprise when I hear it through the grapevine that a woman was moving in with my son. I said, no couldn’t be. Not, my Cooper, he would have told me. Well I heard it just one too many times to keep ignoring it so we decided to drop by and see for ourselves didn’t we Harold?” she says, her bright blue eyes landing on Cooper in accusation. I see where Cooper got his gorgeous eyes.

  Harold mumbles, not in agreement or disagreement with what his wife just said. He just focuses his attention on the meal before him and I see where Cooper gets his quiet side from.

  “How long have you two been dating? Where did you meet?” she interrogates. I practically spit out the water I just took a sip of.

  “Sorry,” I mumble, quickly shoveling food into my mouth. This is definitely a Twix moment. “This is great Mrs. Talbott,” I say with a mouth full of food, giving her a thumbs-up. I just gave his mother a thumbs-up. What was I thinking? I look at Cooper in expectation. I want to laugh. This has got to be uncomfortable for him. It would be uncomfortable for me too if it weren’t so funny.

  “This just seems so sudden,” Shirley continues since Cooper has yet to answer her question. “I mean I get it. You’re absolutely gorgeous,” she says to me. “Isn’t she gorgeous Harold?”

  “Definitely exotic looking,” he says derisively.

  Every muscle in my body tenses. I’ve heard that many times before. It’s code for being too ethnic. This is what I was afraid of, why I didn’t want to entertain the idea of becoming involved with Cooper. His rich white parents wouldn’t want an interracial daughter-in-law. Not that every relationship has to end in marriage, but isn’t that usually the end goal? Why even begin a relationship that you know can never go past a certain level. Unless all your only looking for friends with benefits?

  This is what Summer was referring to. She calls it a hangup. I call it my reality. I don’t want to worry about people seeing past the color of my skin to see my inner beauty. It’s easier to date someone like Jon. I know if his parents reject me it has nothing to do with my heritage.

  I’ve completely lost my appetite. Nothing about this is funny anymore. “Excuse me, I’m exhausted. I think I’ll retire for the night. Thank you for the food Mrs. Talbott, it was truly delicious,” I say to his mother as I remove my leg from Cooper’s lap to get up from my chair. I’m not angry with her. She’s been nothing but kind to me.

  The room descends into uncomfortable silence, but I don’t care I need to get out of here. I don’t know if he sensed my distress or what, but Cooper jumps up grabs my crutches and hands them to me. He doesn’t say a word just walks out in front of me and I follow behind him.

  He opens the door to a beautiful beige room with a queen sized sleigh bed with a matching nightstand and dresser with mirror. There’s no T.V. in the room which is perfect because I don’t like them in the bedroom. I go to my bedroom for sleep or other extracurricular activities but not to watch T.V.

  “I hope you like it. Let me know if you need anything,” Cooper says to me. I look around and see my luggage sitting on a bench at the foot of the bed. The bed is covered with a white down comforter and pillows. It doesn’t look like he missed anything

  “No this is perfect. Thank you, Cooper,” I say in response.

  “Good night Skye,” he says in departure as he leaves closing the bedroom door behind him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cooper

  I tell Skye good night and close the door gently behind me. I’m pissed, and my father is about to feel my wrath. I storm back into the kitchen.

  “How dare you!” I accuse my father. “How dare you make that beautiful creature feel so small? Do you even know what she’s just been through? That woman is a military veteran that just returned home to a sister that is jealous of her and a mother who keeps secrets from her. She saved her sister’s life at the risk of her own. Surviving a car accident where someone ran her off the road trying to kill her! She’s recovering from broken ribs, a punctured lung and a leg broken in two places and yet she sits here and eats a meal with you and talks to you when I know she must be exhausted and in pain. And you have the nerve to insult her to her face!” I practically shout.

  “Dad you need to leave and you need to leave now,” I say vehemently. “When you get home you need to pray that you didn’t just ruin any chance I have with that woman. I know Skye will forgive you because that’s the type of person she is, but I don’t know if I will.”

  “Harold you’re an ass,” my mother chimes in. “Cooper you know your father and I could care less if Skye was purple. Your father has a problem with the girl’s mother, not Skye’s heritage. Your father can say idiotic things out of spite sometimes. But I understand that he upset her and now you’re upset, and rightfully so. So we’ll go,” Mom says standing up from the kitchen table.

  I hate to punish her for what my father did, but I can’t help but think he just ruined any chances I had with Skye and I’m devastated. I watch as my parents silently gather their things and I walk them to the front door. My mother is already out the front door on her way to their truck when my father turns to me.

  “Your mother’s right. I meant to upset Skye with my comment, but it had nothing to do with her personally and for that I’m sorry. I’ll make it right,” he promises and then turns around following my mother out to their truck parked in my driveway.

  I walk back into the kitchen and start cleaning the mess that was left behind after this fiasco of a dinner. I can’t believe what just happened. My parents ruined a perfectly wonderful day. Skye and I were laughing, teasing and getting along. Now she thinks my father is a racist. And to top it all off, my father admits he said it to upset her. Have I fallen into some parallel universe where the fates are all against me?

  I’ll do what I can to s
mooth things over tomorrow. I took today off to pick up Skye and get her settled in, but Saturday and Sunday are my regular days off so I have two days to convince her to forgive me.

  *************

  It’s ten o’clock in the morning. I figure Skye should have gotten enough rest by now and I knock on her bedroom door.

  “Come in,” I hear her say from the other side of the door. I open it slowly with one hand while balancing a tray precariously in the other.

  “What have you got there?” she asks me. Her hair is tousled and her voice is husky from sleep. She’s got her leg in the cast propped up on three pillows and she’s wearing a modest pink nightgown.

  I set the tray on the nightstand and then sit down on the bed next to her helping her into a sitting position with some pillows propped behind her. Then I place the tray in her lap.

  “Tah dah. It’s breakfast,” I say.

  “You made smiley faced pancakes for me? And is this hot chocolate?” she asks seemingly astonished, with a smile on her face. Then she sobers up and I know she’s recalling last night. “You didn’t have to do all this,” she says quietly.

  “I know,” I say, surprising her. “I didn’t do anything wrong, but my father did. I can’t apologize for him, only he can do that but, I want to address the elephant in the room,” I tell her honestly. She looks down at her food and I continue addressing her.

  “I find you absolutely stunning. Do I see your color when I look at you? Of course I do, but it only enhances your beauty. I’ve never met anyone I’ve felt such a strong connection to so quickly. I would be devastated if you let what my father said to come between what could possibly become the most beautiful thing either one of us has ever experienced,” I tell her. I’ve shocked myself with how much I’ve revealed to her about my feelings and I think that I’ve shocked her a little bit too. She’s quiet for a long time.

  “I can’t do it, Cooper. I despise conflict. I won’t enter into a relationship with a man whose family can only see the color of my skin, or is just willing to look past it in order to accept me. They have to accept all of me or nothing at all,” she remarks emphatically.

  I have nothing to say to that. What can I say? I wouldn’t want to enter a family who didn’t accept me as I am. My father had ulterior motives for his rude comment but Skye doesn’t know that and I myself don’t even know what those motives were.

  I need to cheer Skye up so I do the unthinkable and call Jon.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Skye

  I feel guilty about eating this smiley-faced pancake breakfast after what I said to Cooper, but I can’t lie to him or myself about how I feel. I also can’t help it that I’m starving. The food is delicious and I feel bad for enjoying it so much. I’ve not had a meal brought to me in bed, outside of the hospital, since I was sick as a kid and my mother would feed me chicken noodle soup.

  I have a dilemma. I need to wash up and I have no idea how I’m going to accomplish that feat. I decide to throw my toiletries and a change of clothes into a duffel bag and sling it over my shoulder. I grab my crutches and hobble to the hallway bathroom. Once inside I close the door. I push the lid down on the toilet seat and sit down on it. I’m already out of breath, this is absolutely ridiculous.

  Cooper has one of those over the toilet caddies with towels and washcloths. Thank goodness because I didn’t think to ask for any. I look down at my leg. Hmmm. A shower is out of the question. Definitely, can’t take a bath without help. A bird bath it is then.

  I finish washing up and I know I can’t keep this up for very long. I’m going to need a full bath eventually. I might have to have Summer come over to help me. I practically jump out of my skin when I hear a knock at the door.

  “Everything alright in there?” Cooper inquires.

  “Fine,” I lie, I am so not telling him that I need help.

  “Good. I hope you don’t mind but Jon is coming by to take you to lunch around noon today,” Cooper informs me through the door.

  What the hell is going on here? Cooper all but confesses that he wants me to be his girl, and then he’s telling me that another man is taking me out to lunch. He’s either the most selfless man I know or else he’s absolutely nutter butter.

  I put on my underwear, bra and then my sweater. I look at my pants and realize I didn’t think this through. It’s too cold to wear shorts and my jeans aren’t going to fit over my cast. I need a pair of sweats. I can either ask Cooper to go through my stuff to look for a pair of sweat pants. In that scenario, he might stumble across the vibrator in my suitcase. Or I hobble out of the bathroom in my sweatshirt and panties and hope he’s not within viewing distance.

  “Cooper?” I call to him.

  “Yes, darlin?” he drawls. Why does the way he says that give me goosebumps?

  “Where are you?” I cautiously ask.

  “In the family room. Why?” he responds curiously. I sigh.

  “Because there’s no way I can fit my jeans over my cast so I need to hobble back to my room in my panties to get some sweat pants,” I inform him candidly.

  “Why don’t I just get the pants for you, Skye?” Cooper reasons.

  “Uh, um. Because ” I finish lamely.

  “Listen if you’re worried about me finding your toy, I’m sorry but I already saw it when I packed you bags to move you here. I can easily get your sweatpants if you want,” he says casually.

  I’m mortified. He saw my vibrator and is acting like it’s something he sees every day. He packed my things? Why didn’t Summer pack my things? “Why didn’t Summer pack my things?” I ask, stating what’s on my mind.

  “She was busy working. I told her I didn’t mind. Please don’t be embarrassed. It’s normal,” he assures me.

  I know it’s normal. He doesn’t have to tell me it’s normal. It’s also normal to not want anyone else to know you have one or use one. Damn it. Fuck him. I open the bathroom door and hobble on my crutches back to my room in my sweatshirt and lacy black underwear. I hope he dreams about that at night when he’s stroking himself. I don’t mean that. I’m not mad at him. I’m mad at this whole damn situation.

  By the time, I get back to my room and pull on a pair of baggy sweat pants I’m fatigued. I lie down on the bed and doze off.

  Hours later, I wake to the sound of knocking at my door. “Hey Skye, are you awake?” Cooper asks through the door.

  “I am now,” I say crankily. I could swear I hear him chuckle.

  “It’s already noon. Jon’s here and he’s ready to take you to lunch,” he informs me.

  “He’s here already? I need to brush my teeth and do my hair. Please tell him to give me a minute,” I say to Cooper.

  “Do you need help with anything?” he kindly inquires.

  “If you could install a bathroom in this room that would be great,” I comment with rancor, as I get ready to hobble to the bathroom to freshen up. I open the door and Cooper’s still standing there.

  “Look, I’m sorry. I’m being extra moody. I’m not used to be an invalid. It’s hard to get around and everything hurts,” I sigh. “See look there I go whining again.”

  “Do you need your pain medication, Skye?” he asks with concern in his eyes.

  “No. I can’t allow myself to depend on that stuff to get me through the day. I’ll be alright,” I move past him and into the bathroom. I brush my teeth then brush the tangles out of my hair and put it in a ponytail. The look goes great with my sweats.

  I walk into the family room to see Jon waiting patiently on the couch. “Hey Jon, I’m ready if you are.”

  “You look great Skye. Let me help you with your coat,” Jon offers, grabbing one of my jackets from the coat rack by the front door. Cooper watches the exchange leaning in the doorway of the kitchen with his hands jammed into his jean pockets.

  “Alright you’re all set, let’s go. Don’t wait up Cooper,” Jon throws over his shoulder as we walk out the door. I follow Jon outside to his vehicle. I stop dead in my tracks
and start to shake.

  “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he asks, putting his arms around me.

  I slowly get a hold of my emotions enough to answer him. “A black SUV ran me off the road,” I explain quietly, eyeing his black SUV with trepidation.

  “Oh, baby I’m sorry. I didn’t know. We don’t have to go anywhere. I’ll completely understand,” he remarks compassionately.

  “No, I can do this. I have to overcome this. I won’t let them make me live in fear,” I say with more courage than I feel. The sight of the vehicle makes me want to run screaming back into the safety of the house. But if I do that my antagonist wins. They didn’t take my life but they’ll have taken my freedom. I slowly but surely make it to the passenger’s side of the vehicle and like a gentlemen Jon opens my door for me.

  “Can you please put the seat back farther so I can fit my leg in?” I inquire.

  “Sure thing,” he says leaning into the vehicle to adjust the seat for me. He offers his arm to help me in the SUV and takes my crutches placing them in the back seat. He comes back to my side grabs my seat belt and reaches across me to fasten it.

  “You didn’t have to so that, my arms aren’t broken,” I say to him.

  “I know. I just wanted to do that,” he replies with a wicked grin. He closes my door and walks around the vehicle and gets in behind the wheel. “We’re just going to have lunch at the local diner. I thought we could go wherever else you’d like after that,” Jon informs me as he starts the vehicle and backs up.

  A comfortable silence falls between us as we drive the five minutes to a local Diner called The Grove. I see that they’re really original with the names of their businesses around here. Jon parks the car near the entrance and jumps out walking around to my side of the vehicle. I hate being helpless but it forces the men around me to act like gentlemen. He grabs my crutches from the back seat then opens my door handing them to me.