Mina

Canes & Stairs

"Turn left." Owen instructed from the passenger seat of my car.

I did as he said, putting on my blinker and turning left moments later. It put me in the entrance of a street lined with massive houses and expansive lawns.

This was where I had expected Owen to live all that time ago when I had made the first trek to his home. Not the small, humble home where I was accepted as family even though I wasn't.

"Just keep going straight until it ends and then turn left again."

His fingers squeezed mine, our hands together as I navigated the streets one handed. I was a little nervous I had to admit. I'd never been to Alec's house and I wasn't sure what to expect.

I didn't fit in, that much was for sure.

"Did Drew live near here?" I asked, regretting it almost as soon as I said it.

I felt Owen's eyes glance over at me but I stared straight ahead, taking the left turn like he had said.

I'd never been to one of Drew's party but I knew his parents had money, so a place like this only made sense. It took Owen a moment before he blew out a breath, his hand that wasn't holding mine reaching across to point at one of those sprawling homes.

"Yeah that one." He said. "If we would have turned right we would have been at Jaelyn's."

I couldn't tell if he was still angry over it, if he still felt something for her, his voice flat.

Thankfully before another second passed he pointed to another house. "That's Alec's."

Nodding slightly in acknowledgment I turned into the driveway, looking up at the massive brick structure in front of us.

I definitely didn't fit in.

And there was already a line of cars parked around the circle drive.

"I think this is as close as I can get." I told Owen, my car getting stuck in the congestion.

"It'll be fine." But I could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"Chair or canes?"

"Canes."

"Are you sure?" Apprehension flooding me.

I didn't want to give Owen false confidence. Terrified I might end up hurting him.

His brown eyes met mine as I cut the engine. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"That's a lot of stairs." My gaze wandered to the front entrance of Alec's home.

There was a wide berth of cement steps that crawled up to the French doors underneath the stone archway. I would have told Owen he could do it beforehand but now I could see all the ways that it could go wrong. 

"I just texted Alec. He said he'd be out in a minute." Owen said.

I stared up at the house, nerves clenching in my stomach. I had been trying to tell myself that it was okay that this seemed like a very "together" thing to do. Because we were. Together. But I still felt a little panicky and trapped.

"Mina." Owen's voice rumbled from beside me, his fingers curling tight around mine. "I'm right here."

He smiled that soft sweet smile at me. I was still nervous, still felt a little trapped but I smiled back at him.

"I know." I said just before something caught my eye approaching the car. "Alec's here."

Owen followed my gaze waving his hand at Alec as he reached the car. Alec pulled the door open, leaning his towering frame down so he could poke his head in.

"Hey!" He greeted.

Owen and Alec slapped hands, both of them grinning as they talked back and forth.

"Oh buddy, I just wanted to give you a heads up. My parents invited Drew and Jae and their parents." He grimaced. "I told them not too but they didn't listen to me."

I watched Owen carefully, looking for any sort of hesitation or frustration but he just shrugged shoulders.

"No big deal man." He said.

"Yeah?" Owen nodded. "Let's get ya in the house then."

Alec stepped back and I climbed out, grabbing Owen's canes from the backseat before I came around to his open door.

"Are you sure you don't want your chair instead?" I asked him one more time.

This time when he smiled at me, he gave me that big heart stopping one so even though I wanted to argue with him. Insist that he shouldn't push it, I closed my mouth and focused on the pounding of my heart.

"So what do I need to do?" Alec asked.

"I can get to the steps but then I'll definitely need help." Owen said.

"He hasn't even tried to do steps yet at therapy." I clarified. "This is dangerous Owen."

He chuckled, still smiling at me. "It'll be okay Mina."

"I can probably still pick you up man." Alec offered.

"No." Owen snapped. "That was one time. Never again."

Alec raised his hands in mock surrender, Owen's words registering in my mind. A smile tugged at my face as my eyes met Alec's. I know it didn't mean anything coming from me but I was so thankful that Owen had Alec.

"Alright alright. After you." Alec waved his hand, bowing slightly while Owen started walking toward his house.

We followed behind him, I studied the way he moved, the shift of his weight, the way his right side didn't swing through as much as his left. But he had improved, he had found a rhythm, his strength increasing little by little.

He stopped when he reached the base of the steps. There was six and then a step into the house. But that was seven more than he had ever done, at least as far as I knew.

"Owen." I whispered nervously.

"It'll be okay." He repeated. "Alec can you just stand behind me. My right sides a piece of shit." Alec instantly did as he asked as Owen looked at me. "Will you stand in front?"

Of course I would but I nodded anyway, shifting myself into position.

Owen looked up at me. For a second I thought I saw a sliver of doubt in them but then he smirked.

"Count of three." He said.

I smiled back, my heart stampeding in my chest all because of this brown eyed boy in front of me who was far more amazing than I ever think he realized. So I nodded my head and said, "Count of three".

———————

I think I finally got over my writer's block bullshit that I was going through with this story. So hopefully even though I only have like a one chapter buffer I can keep the daily updates going.

Also my oldest kid starts kindergarten on Wednesday and I'm super excited but also freaking out. Like how did he get so old already!? What happened to my baby? Why is he so sassy?