Page 65 of Dear Future Husband

She entered the kitchen, placing her purse on the counter as she targeted Trey with a look. “You remember Mrs. Jacobs?”

Nodding, he shoved another bite into his mouth. “The neighbor three doors down?”

“Yes,” she answered as she filled a cup of water from the fridge. “I thought she and her husband were visiting their son in Arizona for the next few months, but I think he came to visit them instead. I keep seeing the same man, about my age, hanging out in their driveway.”

“Oh,” Trey grunted around a mouthful of food as he shot me a look. “That’s interesting, Mom. If you want, I can go down and check on them?”

She shook her head. “No, no. I don’t want to bother their family time. I just thought it was strange. I also think I need some sleep. I’m always paranoid over the weirdest things when I’m tired.”

With that, Chelsea came up to Trey, placing a kiss in his curls. “I am going to bed, have a wonderful week and drive safe, please.”

“I will, Mom.”

Around midday, Trey left back for school and this time, both me and Chelsea got a text when he made it back safely.

***

“Chickadee, I am so proud of you. It’s only your third week of PT and you are killing it. By next month, I bet you’ll be running laps,” Annalise pronounced, elated, as we finished the session.

Dripping with sweat, I was feeling like a twisted pretzel.

I wiped my damp forehead with the back of my sleeve, then took a swig of water before responding, “Thanks, Anna. It’s all thanks to you and your lack of empathy for my weak, sleepy bones. I’ll have you know, there were days that I thought for sure you were going to break me in two.”

Her snorting laughter echoed through the Turnerhome as she packed up her equipment.

“Well, I couldn’t just let you sit around, being a lazy bag of bones, sleeping your life away now, could I?”

She gathered the remainder of her things, then placed them in a pile near the front door before she turned back to me, hands on her hips. The humor was gone from her mouth but still playing in her big brown eyes.

“What?” I asked, suddenly feeling like I did something wrong.

Annalise approached a few steps, an accusatory finger pointing at me. “What have you been doing to get so good in a short amount of time? You couldn’t have gotten this good in just the little time I have to work with you, so, spill. What’s the secret?”

My mouth went a little dry, but I took a quick, inconspicuous glance around the room, down the hall and in the kitchen to make sure Chelsea was out of earshot.

“I’ve been going on walks. Not a big deal.”

The southern belle quirked a brow at me, urging me to continue.

I heaved a long-irritated sigh. “I’ve been walking the neighborhood at night after Chelsea goes to bed or to work. It’s really not a big deal, though. I’ve been walking great.”

She didn’t look convinced.

Instead, she grabbed my hand and sat with me on the small sofa against the wall.

“I noticed you wincing a bit more than usual today.”

I grimaced, remembering the spill I took the other night when I couldn’t catch my footing in time after tripping over a curb. My knees were all scuffed up and joints a little sore, but how was I going to get better if I didn’t push myself?

“I’m fine. I tripped over a curb. That’s all.”

Annalise shook her head, intensity filling her movements and eyes. “No, no, sis. That’s not okay.You’re healing, you’re growing. You cannot do this alone, especially out on the streets of San Francisco at night. Do you have any self-preservation instincts? What if you fell and hit your head? You’re not in the most peak condition to come out on top of an injury like that.” She paused, took a deep breath. “You are incredible for pushing yourself so hard. I’m seriously impressed. But there is a difference between pushing your limits and just being stupidly reckless.”

I looked away. I wanted to throw my hands in the air and yell, but she didn’t deserve that.

“I won’t spend another second confined to a bed or house because I can’t function on my own, Anna.”

“I’m not expecting you to but give yourself time. If you don’t, you’ll end up doing something else that’s gonna take away all that progress you’ve worked so hard for, or worse. Take away the ability to ever do things on your own ever again.”