Reflecting On Wishes (The Wishes Series) Read online

  “Ms. Lola, I can’t think about Dakota right now. My entire life has changed and I have to find my way—by myself.” Angel pulled the sheet off her lap and lifted her legs one at a time, scooting her body so she was sitting with her legs dangling off the side of the bed again.

  “Honey child, you don’t need to find your way on your own. You have so many people that love you and would move heaven and earth for you. You’ll see. Now, do you need to go to the restroom before you rest or would you like to take a warm bath?”

  Angel’s eyes began to tear up at Ms. Lola’s thoughtfulness. Her bladder was full and she felt like she stunk of the medicinal hospital smell. She wanted to bathe in her own soap and shampoo.

  “I’d really like to take a bath after I use the restroom, Ms. Lola. Can you ask my dad to come in here please? My chair doesn’t fit in the bathroom so…” her face was flushed in embarrassment. It was humbling to have someone carry you to do your business, especially your father, but it was better than having her brother do it.

  “I’ll be right back darlin. Don’t you fret none. I have an idea.” Ms. Lola left the room but returned quickly with Angel’s dad in tow.

  “Okay, Vito, you just carry her and sit her on the toilet and I’ve got her from there.”

  “Are you sure, Ms. Lola?” Vito looked concerned.

  “Honey child, I’ve raised five children that were always gettin’ themselves into a fix. I can lift her into the tub, I was just afraid to try to wedge my rear-end through that door while holding her, without whackin’ her legs on the door frame. You really need to get that fixed so’s she can get around better,” she chided, patting his shoulder as he lifted Angel and carried her to the bathroom, setting her on the stool.

  “Rage and I are gonna work on that this weekend, Ms. Lola.” Vito kissed his daughter’s forehead and left the room.

  “God, I didn’t think he would ever leave. I’ve got to go.” Angel wiggled from side to side scooting her pants down so she could relieve her aching bladder.

  Ms. Lola chuckled and leaned down to put the plug in the tub and turn on the water. She poured a generous dollop of bubble bath under the flow of the water. While it frothed up she grabbed a washcloth and towel off the shelf.

  “All done, darlin’?”

  Angel nodded her head and started unbuttoning her blouse, thankful that Ms. Lola held up a towel in front of her and tucked it around her as soon as she was done undressing. “Are you sure you can lift me Ms. Lola?”

  “Oh please, I lift sacks of flour that are heavier than you. I bet you barely weigh in at a hundred pounds soakin’ wet right now.” She proved it when she scooped her hand beneath her knees and one around her back lifting her and setting her into the warm bubble bath with ease.

  “There now, let’s wring that towel out that’s around you,” Lola took it from Angel’s hands and wrung it out before setting it in the sink. “You just relax and enjoy your bath sweet darlin. I’ll come back and check on you in a few minutes okay?”

  Angel reached out and clasped her damp hand in Ms. Lola’s, “Thank you Ms. Lola. Not everyone understands when I get frustrated over feeling like I have no dignity anymore.”

  She held Angel’s hand in both of hers. “It’s my pleasure, honey child. Don’t you worry bout a thing. I got you.”

  Chapter 8

  Dakota

  Dakota was beyond frustrated when Angel called for her dad to take her to her room to avoid talking to him. Didn’t she realize he only wanted to help her? To have the chance to love her and take care of her? He stood on her dad’s back porch, tense, fighting the burn of tears that were on the verge of spilling down his cheeks. That woman didn’t even realize how she turned him inside out. He jammed his hands into his pockets and paced back and forth. He wanted to go to her and kiss her until she forgot for just a few moments that she was injured and remember the heat and passion between them. He needed to simply hold her and run his fingers through her hair. All he wanted was for her to need him as much as he needed her.

  The patio door slid open and a rush of cool air came out with Rage.

  “You doin’ alright, man?” Rage clapped him on the back and squeezed his shoulder.

  “I’m at a loss, Rage. I have no clue how to handle what’s going on between your sister and me. We started something so good, so damn special, and now she looks at me as if I’m the plague and she can’t get away from me fast enough. I don’t get it. It’s tearing me up inside.” He shook his head, looking down at the ground.

  “Give her some time,” Rage replied, stretching his arms up above his head and groaning. “Papá and I are gonna widen the door frames to her room and bathroom this weekend. Maybe you should bring your tool belt and lend a hand like you did with the ramp and the front door. If she doesn’t want to talk to you, go about your business and don’t try to force it. Just let her see you aren’t going anywhere.”

  “I’m glad to help. Is that what you think it is? I’m pushing it too fast?” Dakota leaned back against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “She’s always been independent. Losing that, even if it’s only for a while, is really hard on her. She feels like a burden to everyone. I talked to Sally, the counselor at the hospital, and she said Angel applied for handicap housing in Savannah. I haven’t told the family yet and she doesn’t know I know. We all gotta ban together and figure out how to make her feel more independent and less of a burden. I don’t want her to up and go somewhere hours away and be alone.” Rage sat down in the porch swing and sighed, leaning his head back as he rocked.

  “That’s it, bruh. That’s what I can help with. Damn, why didn’t I think of that already?” Dakota had a smile on his face now as he sat in the rocking chair across from his friend.

  “We have an open room at Reconstructing Warriors. It would be perfect for Angel. She would be right there at the rehab clinic with all the resources she would need to do her physical therapy, including me. She would have her own room that’s handicap assessable including a lift to get in and out of the bathtub or shower. She’d have access to the therapy pool and sauna, plus she would have other people around her that are going through physical difficulties similar to hers. We have counseling there three times a week and activities too.” The more he explained to Rage, the more excited he got.

  “The trick is going to be getting her there Dakota. She has this whole vibe about not wanting to be a charity case. How do you propose we overcome that?” Rage stopped swinging when his wife, Nahni, came outside to join them and sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Propose what? What are you two scheming over?” Nahni smiled when Rage placed his hand on her belly, rubbing it as he started swinging again.

  “We’re discussing how to get Angel to come live at the Reconstructing Warriors Rehab Center, instead of taking off to Savannah to live in a handicap housing.” Rage kissed the top of her head and cradled her against him.

  “Wait, what? She wants to move away from us? Rage we can’t let her do that.” Nahni’s eyes welled up with tears. Angel wasn’t just her best friend; she was the sister she had always wanted.

  “I know, baby. Like Dakota was just saying, he works at the best place for Angel to do her therapy. We just need to figure out how to get her to go.” Rage draped his arm across her shoulders and tucked her head under his chin as she rested her head against his chest.

  Dakota watched the comforting embrace between Rage and Nahni, wishing he had that bond with Angel. If only she would let her guard down and allow him to be there for her. It was the kind of relationship his adoptive parents had, just like his birth parents also had, before they passed away. It was ingrained in him to desire a loving wife and to make a life-long bond with her. His adoptive mom, Mikayla, had been there for Noah when he returned home from Afghanistan and helped him heal from losing his leg from the knee down when his vehicle was hit with an IED, killing two of his soldiers and injuring another.

 
The journey they had together was how the idea bloomed for them to open Reconstructing Warriors, a rehab center for wounded vets that had some kind of injury from combat. In the last year, they had started taking in clients that had severe injuries from firemen to law enforcement, giving them a place to recover and rebuild their lives. The services Reconstructing Warriors provided were limitless. Counseling, prosthetics, physical therapy, and training classes to teach them to either adapt to their limitations or overcome them were just some of the things available to them. There were also living quarters for some of the more severe cases. They offered a grant program through the local community college to assist in retraining individuals that needed to find a new career. These services were given free of charge through the non-profit charity his mom and baby sister, Delilah, had started not long after being placed in their care as a foster family. A Million Wishes had granted wishes both large and small in its six years of being an active charity.

  “Your sister approached Angel last fall about coming and visiting some of the soldiers that were big fans of hers last year. Maybe she would be able to influence Angel enough to give it a try?” Nahni looked hopeful but still had the shine of unshed tears in her eyes.

  “Oh, that’s right, Nahni. I had forgotten about that. Angel brought them tickets to come see her race and her and Vito brought her bike up for the guys to check out. Man did she ever light up the faces of those men.” Dakota laughed, shaking his head side to side. “Myself included!”

  “Damn, bruh, you got it so bad for my sister,” Rage shook his head and laughed.

  “I’m not ashamed to admit it. She’s a catch for sure. I guess I’m going to head on over to my parents since Angel isn’t okay with seeing me today. I’ll see what I can set up and see if Lilah will come over and try to encourage Angel to give the rehab center a try.” He stood up and shook hands with Rage and gave Nahni a gentle hug.

  “We appreciate what you’re trying to do to help Angel. She’ll come around. She’s a level headed girl most of the time.”

  ***

  When Dakota left, he headed over to his parents’ house. If anyone could gently sway Angel into moving into the rehab center, it was Delilah. She may be young in years at only twenty-one, but she had a mature sense about her like she had an older soul. Lilah had blossomed under the care of their adoptive parents. In the last few years she had really come into her own. Not only did she go to school full-time, but she was also on the Board of Directors for A Million Wishes. With only one more year of college to go, Lilah still lived at home with their parents. As he entered the house, the scent of his mom’s lasagna set his stomach to rumbling. It appeared he was just in time for dinner. Music was playing, early eighties rock and roll which was her favorite. He couldn’t help but grin when he rounded the corner to the kitchen to find her singing along with the music.

  “Hey, Momma,” Dakota greeted her with a big bear hug, lifting her off her feet.

  “Hi, darlin’! I didn’t even hear you come in. How are you doing?” Miki gave him a squeeze, turned to pick up her potholders and opened the oven door to pull out a pan of lasagna with cheese toasted to perfection on top. The sides were bubbling, letting loose the fragrant aroma of Italian spices, tomatoes and sausage. As she walked towards the dining table she nodded her head, “Grab those potholders and take the garlic bread out for me would you, hon? Your dad should be here anytime.”

  “I’m okay, Mom.” He grabbed the potholders and pulled out the fragrant loaf of bread, shutting the oven before following her to the dining table.

  “Just okay? What’s wrong, sugar? Did you get to see Angel?” She went to the refrigerator and pulled out the salad and dressing, along with a pitcher of sweet tea.

  He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he got a glass from the cabinet and poured a glass of tea, taking a long drink. He leaned against the counter while she puttered around the kitchen. “I saw her, only for a few minutes before she practically begged her dad to take her to her room to get away from me.”

  “Oh, honey.” Miki stopped what she was doing and walked over to him to press her hands against his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I know this is hard for you, but try to remember she’s feeling like her life was just ripped out from under her. Give her some time.”

  Dakota turned his head away when he felt the familiar burn of tears threatening to fall. “I want to help her, to take care of her, Mom, but she won’t even take a phone call from me or be in the same room with me. I don’t get it. Before her wreck we were getting so close, you know?”

  Miki wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him close. “I know—you fell for her. I can see the love in your eyes every time you speak her name. I can’t explain what’s going through her mind or why she feels like she needs to push you away right now, but I can say if you believe she is the one for you, Dakota, you have to fight for her. She’s worth it right?”

  “She’s worth it. I love her. That’s why I feel so torn up inside. When she had her accident and we didn’t know if she would even make it, I felt a part of me dying. I can’t imagine my life without her in it.”

  “Then don’t let her push you away. Make a nuisance of yourself like your father did with me when I tried to push him away and go through life alone. I swear that man drove me nuts, but I love him like crazy for not letting me go. At the time I was so afraid to depend on someone after all I had been through. But when he came back from war injured and I really realized I could have lost him…well, I’m just thankful for second chances.”

  “Are you guys having a love fest without me?” Lilah walked in wearing a flowing, orange strapless dress that brushed the tops of her bare feet. Her long, curly, dark brown hair was wrapped in a matching scarf that had pink and purple flowers embroidered on it just as the bodice of her dress did. She looked like a stunning African goddess. With a bright smile on her face, she opened her arms wide and wrapped them around her mom and brother.

  “Just the girl I needed to see,” Dakota kissed her forehead.

  “Whatcha need, D?” Lilah moved to grab the tea pitcher, filling the remaining glasses on the table and setting another place for Dakota to eat with them.

  “Looks like family night! Is Dom going to be home for dinner too?” Noah greeted them as he walked into the kitchen and scooped up his wife, giving her a kiss.

  “No, Daddy. He has classes tonight.” Lilah squeaked out a laugh when her dad picked her up in a hug and twirled her around.

  “Too bad, he’s going to miss out on lasagna night. How’s everyone doing?” Noah hugged his son before going to the sink and washing his hands, wiping them dry on the dishtowel that was sitting on the counter. He sat at the head of the table, smiling at his family.

  “I needed to talk to everyone about something, that’s why I stopped by.” Dakota held his plate out to his mom for a slice of gooey lasagna, filling his plate with a helping of salad and a thick slice of buttery garlic bread. Now that he was here, he was glad he hadn’t bothered to eat at Vito’s house. This was one of his favorite meals that his mom made from scratch.

  “Sure, son, what’s going on?” Noah handed his plate to his daughter so she could let Miki put a slice of heaven on his plate.

  Once everyone’s plate was full Dakota started explaining the situation with Angel between bites. The worry that was etched on his face did not go unnoticed. In fact, Lilah had tears in her eyes by the time he was done spilling his heart out. She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. The bond between them had only grown stronger over the years and the mere touch of her hand gave him comfort.

  “You don’t worry about a thing, D. I’ll go visit her tomorrow and see what I can do to help.” Lilah gave him an encouraging smile.

  “Do you want me to go with you, sugar?” Miki put her fork down and put her napkin on her plate.

  “I think if we both went, she might feel bombarded, Momma. Let me handle it, I think I have an idea how to coax her out of the dark place she’s in righ
t now. She needs a friend, someone that’s not her family. Sometimes it’s easier to hear things from an outsider than someone close to your heart.” Lilah had a confident smile on her face and that alone both soothed Dakota’s nerves and added a smile to his face. He knew he could count on his baby sister.

  Chapter 9

  Angel woke to sunshine on her face and the sweet, but loud voice of Ms. Lola as she flung open the curtains.

  “Rise and shine, baby girl. I decided to swing by here on my way in to work and make my favorite girl some buttermilk pancakes!”

  With a groan Angel rubbed her eyes and stretched, yawning instead of answering her.

  “I bet you need to go to the restroom dontcha, darlin’? Sit on up now and I’ll get that handsome brother of yours in here to carry you in there. I’m gon’ make sure those men get this door fixed so you ain’t waitin’ on them all the time.” Ms. Lola went right back out the door, hollering for Rage.

  Angel turned her head to look at the clock, wincing when she saw it was only seven. With a sigh she tossed her covers back and gingerly pulled herself up, lifting her legs, one by one so they hung off the bed. Her wrist was getting stronger every day, the pain not nearly as bad from one day to the next. If only her legs would improve as well.

  “Hey, beautiful. Your chariot awaits!” Her brother gave her a huge grin and ever so gently scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom.

  “Thanks, Rage.” She waved him out with a flick of her wrist.

  She quickly did her business and righted her clothes just as he knocked, asking her if she was okay. “I’m fine. I need to wash my face, give me a minute.” She was thankful for the help, but the thought of needing help all the time grated on her nerves and tended to put her in a surly mood. Now she wished she would have appreciated her mobility more before the accident. She wished that the things she didn’t fully appreciate before were back to normal, but she knew that fate had handed her a messed up deck of cards and wishes never came true anyways. Not for people like her. Angel reached for a washcloth that was stacked on a shelf under the vanity, glad the sink was right next to the toilet. All she had to do was turn where she was seated and she could easily wet her cloth under the warm water so she could wash the sleep from her eyes and brush her hair. She hollered for her brother once she was done and he came in with a smile. He easily carried her back to her room and sat her in her wheelchair.