Dr. Turner cleared her throat bringing Joy's attention back into the room. Joy twisted in her seat as the piercing blue eyes stared at her with an unreadable expression. Dr. Turner was as good at hiding her thoughts as Joy was. In fact, she didn't even look like what Joy imagined a therapist would. She was dressed casually -- a pair of black leggings, an oversized flowing top, and comfortable tennis shoes. But in spite of the environment and Dr. Turner's wardrobe being much less sterile than Joy had imagined, Joy still felt a looming sense of dread.
For a moment Joy imagined Dr. Turner was sitting behind a big cardboard booth like the one Lucy -- the Charlie Brown cartoon character -- sat behind to dispensed useless advice. No doubt Dr. Turner's sign wouldn't say Psychiatric Help 5¢. Joy's insurance was covering these sessions but she knew even her co-pay was more than the cost of a session with the 1960's cartoon therapist.
"So, what would you like to talk about, Joy?" Dr. Turner finally asked in a pleasant tone.
Joy sat silently thinking about the question. Honestly, she didn't have a corner of a clue what she wanted to talk about. Did she want to talk about the pain she felt when the tendons in her shoulder tore only two games into the softball season? Did she want to talk about the fear she felt at the thought of possibly not being able to return to the sport she loved? Or maybe, she wanted to talk about how lonely she felt sometimes, having to make a living so far away from home?
Home. Something about that word made Joy's stomach clench. No, she definitely didn't want to talk about that!
"I guess I'm supposed to tell you I'm an alcoholic or something," Joy finally said.
Dr. Turner's expression didn't change and her voice remained pleasantly nonjudgemental. "What makes you think you're an alcoholic?"
Joy almost laughed out loud even though the subject really wasn't funny.
"I doubt I'd be here if I wasn't," she responded sarcastically.
Dr. Turner just smiled and tilted her head ever so slightly. Clearly, Joy wasn't going to be able to use her usual avoidance tactics with this woman. "Well, that's what everyone in my family thinks," Joy said. "That I'm an alcoholic."
Joy mentally went down the list of questions written on the piece of paper her mother handed her during the surprise family intervention she and Joy's brother staged two weeks ago.
Do you try to avoid family or close friends while you are drinking? Yes. But no more than I do when I'm not drinking. Do you drink heavily when you are a) disappointed, b) under pressure or c) have had a quarrel with someone? What about d) all of the above? Can you handle more alcohol now than when you first started to drink? Probably! Like most, things I get better with practice. Have you ever been unable to remember part of the previous evening, even though your friends say you didn't pass out?
Joy couldn't come up with a snarky answer to that question. Her mind just wandered back to the gap in time between when she got the call from Carla and when she woke up in the hospital.
"Look, Joy. I'm not saying that there isn't a possibility that you may be an alcoholic," Dr. Turner said interrupting Joy's thoughts. "But before I'm able to make a diagnosis like that I think it would be helpful to understand a little more about what brought you here."
Joy sank even deeper into her chair and her leg began to vibrate like it was a sledgehammer drilling an escape tunnel into the floor beneath her feet. She looked up at her therapist. She had a pad and pen but both were currently resting on her still knee. Unlike Joy, Dr. Turner had nothing to be nervous about. Her whole life wasn't on the line. Her whole family wasn't sitting in Richmond waiting to find out if Dr. Turner could cure whatever problem was swimming around inside Joy's head so their lives could return to normal again.
"I'm sure you already know the whole story." Joy let out a sigh and turned her head toward the window wishing she was back out in the fresh mountain air rather than sitting in this confined space.
"Well, I was given an overview of the events that brought us together but I think it would be helpful to hear the details from you. Most of our work for the next three weeks is going to be about you hearing your own story."
Joy started to open her mouth and say something smart but before any sound even made it across her lips tears started streaming down her face. Dr. Turner calmly leaned forward and pushed the box of Kleenex sitting on the table between them closer to Joy. When Joy pulled a sheet out of the box the first thing she noticed was the feel of the tissue in her hands. It was the moisturized kind -- popular with allergy sufferers and other people who had to blow their noses a lot. It was an eerie omen for what was in store for Joy during her time in this space.
Joy dabbed at her eyes and after a few deep breaths, was finally able to get the words out. "I had an accident," she stuttered. The words hung in the air like lead weights and Joy's next breath was as labored as the first one she remembered taking when she opened her eyes at Ferguson Memorial Hospital. "I wrecked my mom's car and almost killed my nephew Garrett."
Chapter 5
"Mom, did you know that Joy has one of the fastest pitches in the whole league?" Dana asked as she spooned yogurt into her mouth Tuesday morning. "At least she did before her injury."
Kate had read all about Joy's shoulder injury. She'd spent the better part of the past two nights scanning the internet learning about her new house guest -- but it wasn't her shoulder injury that preoccupied Kate's mind. Her curiosity was a bit more personal. There were dozens of articles about Joy's college softball career and all of the professional teams that sought after her once she graduated. Joy's decision to sign with a team in Japan seemed to be a really big deal. Apparently, there were some teams in the U.S. who were willing to pay her a salary far above the norm for female athletes in the sport.
Kate couldn't help but wonder why Joy decided to move to Japan. None of the articles mentioned anything about her family -- or any romantic relationships -- so maybe there just wasn't anything or anyone worth staying stateside for.
"Do you think she's really okay, Mom?" Dana asked. The worry in her voice was evident.
"I'm sure she's going to be fine," Kate said as she prepared lunches for Dana and her father. "And it was nice of her to offer to come to one of your games, but remember Joy is here on vacation so don't bug her too much."
Kate kissed the top of Dana's head -- which she could only reach because her daughter was still sitting at the kitchen table instead of standing. Last year's growth spurt had left Dana a full four inches taller than her mother.
"Now, go grab your gym bag. Coach Thompson will be here to pick you up any minute now. Your grandfather has already taken the riding mower up the hill and Elaine is going to pick me up for work after you leave for practice."
Dana put down her iPad, which seemed perpetually connected to the teen like an extra extremity, and headed to her room to get her bag. Kate glanced down at the device. There staring back at her was a full-screen image of Joy standing with a softball and glove in hand smiling at Kate. Kate couldn't make heads or tails of the stats in the text box next to the full body photo but she did notice how nice Joy looked in her snug softball pants.
"She's a pretty good player, huh?" Kate asked when Dana walked back into the room.
"She's the best!" Dana said before scooping the device into her gym bag. "I can't believe how lucky I am to meet her!" the teen said excitedly.
"Yeah," Kate agreed as she silently wondered if Joy's appearance would bring any luck into her own life.
***
"That lasagna was the best I've ever tasted!" Mr. Jones said as he handed his empty plate to Kate.
Kate smiled down at the elderly man sitting at one of the round tables in the middle of the Glenmore Assisted Living Center cafeteria. She always liked to come out and check with the residents whenever she got a chance to try something new on the menu -- which wasn't as often as she'd like. Even though the lasagna appeared to be a hit, Marco Peterson, the head chef at the center, probably wouldn't add it to the permanent menu. He had som
e antiquated notion that just because the residents needed a little help with their daily activities they somehow liked bland, colorless, monotonous meals.
"They need a diet that's not going to upset their systems," Marco said every time Kate asked if she could try something new.
The only reason she'd gotten away with making the lasagna was because Marco was out of town for the day and the kitchen staff was as eager to make something new as Kate was. Who cared if Marco was the one with the fancy culinary degree? He certainly didn't exhibit any of that knowledge in his menu choices at the center.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mr. Jones," Kate said as she took his empty plate and placed it in the bin she was using to collect the dirty dishes.
"But, don't think you fooled me," the older man said as he leaned over toward Kate. "I know there wasn't a speck of meat in there," he said with a chuckle. "But don't worry, I won't tell just as long as you don't bring any of that tofu stuff in here!"
Kate was on a mission not only to give the residents more flavorful options but to also help them lose some weight and cut down their cholesterol numbers. Cutting back on meat in their diet was a good way to do that.
"I'll make a note of that," Kate said as if she was taking his recommendation seriously. Little did he know, the meatballs in the spaghetti she'd made last week were made of the popular meat substitute.
Kate chatted with a few of the other residents as she collected the rest of the lunchtime dishes. She really loved this part of her job -- interacting with the people she cooked for -- she just wished she had the opportunity to plan their meals herself more often.
Kate took the dirty dishes into the kitchen and placed them next to the sink for the cleanup crew to handle. She took off her apron and hung it on the hook next to the door.
"I think we're done for the day, Elaine!" she shouted to the woman spraying the dishes before she placed them in the industrial-sized dishwasher. "All the evening crew will need to do is put the meatloaf in the oven and steam the veggies we prepared."
"Great! I'm ready when you are," Elaine said as she wiped the water from her hands.
Kate and her father still hadn't figured out exactly what they were going to do about replacing Betsy. In the meantime, Kate was grateful that her co-worker didn't mind giving her a ride home in the afternoon.
As usual, Kate packed up enough of the ingredients she'd prepared for the center to take home for her family. That was one of the benefits of working there although she rarely took advantage of the perk when it was Marco preparing the meals. Tonight she'd packed a little bit more than usual. In the back of her mind, she was hoping maybe her new house guest might join them for dinner. She'd thought about extending the invitation yesterday when she got home but when she looked up at the apartment window the curtains were drawn and even after the sunset Kate didn't see any light peeking out from the room.
She's probably exhausted from her trip, Kate thought every time she passed her living room window and peered up at the apartment. Kate still wasn't sure if she was putting too much into her brief interaction with Joy. Maybe the woman complimented everyone the way she'd done with Kate? At any rate, it wouldn't hurt just to be nice to their temporary guest. She knew she wouldn't get any objections from Dana and Kate's father wasn't the kind of person to ever turn anyone way from their dinner table.
"Wow! I can't believe how tall Dana is getting," Elaine said as they drove up to Kate's house. "Mike is still a good foot shorter than she is," Elaine said referring to her son with a giggle. "But at the rate he's growing this summer, they might start the school year at the same height. Who's the woman with her?" Elaine asked curiously.
Kate looked over at the batting cage now assembled in an open patch of grass on the side of the garage. That must have been what was in the large box that was delivered for Joy the day before.
"She's an Airbnb guest who's staying with us for a few weeks," Kate explained.
Elaine squinted through the car window. "Good arm on her," Elaine noted as she watched Joy pitch a ball toward Dana.
The speed of the pitch startled Kate. She'd read quite a bit online about Joy's fastpitch and even watched a few videos of her in action but it wasn't the same as seeing it up close and personal.
"Yeah. She's pretty impressive," Kate admitted. She watched as Joy signaled for Dana to join her at the open end of the cage.
Joy began modeling slow arm movements and adjusting Dana's body as she imitated the instructions she was given. Seeing Joy work with her daughter made Kate's heart expand in her chest. She was already hopelessly attracted to the woman but watching Joy take time with her kid was almost more than she could take.
"Thanks for the lift, Elaine," Kate said as she grabbed the grocery bags from the back seat. Now she had a reason to invite Joy over for dinner.
"Hey, Mom!" Dana yelled out from the cage as Kate drew near. "Check this out!"
Kate watched as her daughter positioned her body the way Joy had instructed just a moment before. When Dana released her pitch, Kate could already tell that the speed of the ball was faster than what she'd witnessed when she picked Dana up from practice on Saturday. It wasn't as fast as Joy's pitch but it was still pretty impressive.
"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!" Joy yelled as she pulled off her catcher's mask and jogged over to where Dana was standing.
Dana's face was beaming under the praise.
"You might want to take out an insurance policy on this arm, Kate," Joy said as she held Dana's arm in the air. "This is a canon in the making."
A wide grin spread across Kate's face. "Thanks for helping her out," Kate said as she walked closer to the pair. I know you can't put a dollar amount on coaching from someone with your expertise but can we thank you with a free meal?" Kate lifted the bags she was holding in the air.
"Are you kidding? A home-cooked meal? Name the time and I'm there."
"Alright, give me about forty-five minutes," Kate said. She almost skipped into the house.
"Dana's looking pretty good out there," Kate's father commented as she walked through the door.
"Yeah. How lucky are we to have a professional softball player as a house guest."
Kate's father took the bags from her and carried them into the kitchen.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked as he unpacked the things in the bag.
Normally, Kate liked to be in the kitchen alone but she was feeling a little jittery about Joy joining them for dinner. Maybe some company would help her stay focused?
"You can dice up the onions to add to the meatloaf?" Kate said. Her father's help was going to assure that she still had all ten fingers once dinner was ready.
"So, Joy seems nice," Mr. Warner commented as he started peeling an onion.
"Yeah. She does."
Kate thought it was better to keep her answers short. At the rate her heart was fluttering she didn't trust herself to keep her growing attraction a secret. Not that she needed to keep secrets from her dad. Sure, they'd never had a conversation about Kate's orientation. Kate figured her dad -- like everyone else -- just thought of her as a mom and not as a woman who might be interested in dating.
"Maybe you two could go out one night," he continued. "You know, to show Joy around town?"
Kate glanced over at her dad but his eyes were focused on the cutting board in front of him.
"Yeah. That might be cool if she has the time." Kate hadn't allowed her thoughts to venture beyond dinner at her house. Now images of something much more like a date flooded Kate's mind.
Christmas All Around Us ; The Perfect Time for Love ; Playing for Keeps Page 38