Charlotte McCartney He caught me before I fell.“Are you alright?" Josh asked me.“I'm fine”, I said, successfully standing up. “You caught me”, I said, surprised. Before I could continue Lydia and Kelcie had hurried to meet us.“Mom, we saw what happened, are you okay?” Kelcie asked, looking worried in her childlike sort of way.“I'm alright, lucky for me Josh was able to reach me on time”, I answered smiling at my little girl.“You can stand too!” Kelcie pointed accusingly at Josh. “Only for a couple seconds Josh”, replied , waving it off.Lydia just stood there completely silent and shocked.“Josh, that was a lot of energy, you shouldn't be putting such strain on yourself, you're just beginning to heal", she said rather frantically.“It's alright Lydia, it was no problem at all. The whole thing felt more like an exercise”, Josh replied.“Charlotte are you alright as well, I didn't agree to this game in the first place because I thought it was going to go bad for you as much as hi
Charlotte McCartney Josh's question took me by surprise. When he said he wanted to ask me a question, I did not think it would be such a serious question. “I wasn't expecting that” I thought, then I turned to him, “What would you want to know Josh?” I asked.“I would want to know what sort of man would leave such an adorable child alone with her mother and run off”. He said to me, sounding angry.“I don't know Josh” I said, and looked away.“Tell me who he is, Charlotte”, he said firmly.“What do you mean Josh?” I asked, surprised at why this became important.“I have lawyers, Charlotte”, he said, wheeling toward me. “The best I must add. We have everything to bring whoever this asshole is down at least we could get him to pay alimony. So please tell me who he is”, he went on.I said nothing, just stood there and turned my back to him.“Did he rape you?” Josh asked, looking more concerned than angry now. “Is that why you seem so hurt talking about this? Come on talk to me”, he encour
Charlotte McCartney “You sure do have a thing for barging into my privacy, don't you?” he said, sounding more embarrassed than angry.“That's because you always seem to be doing what you're not supposed to do. Before you fired your doctor, I remember him warning you again and again about pushing yourself too far”, I said, coming close to him.He growled in response.“What do you want? You want to go to the bathroom or…?” I inquired as he tried to reach his wheelchair.“I don't want to go anywhere”, he cut me short.“So what then Josh? What's all the fuss about ? I'm not even a doctor and yet I know that constantly pushing yourself the way you do is going to make your healing a whole lot slower than expected. Don't you know?” I asked, trying hard to ignore the fact that he was almost naked wearing only his underpants. It wasn't exactly an exciting sight, seeing him sprawled in such an uncomfortable position. The same Josh Xavier who earlier in the day had been joyful a good percent
Charlotte McCartney My words got the effect I had intended. Josh was obviously terrified by the facts I had just stated.“That's not true”, he said but it was obvious that he didn't seem so sure this time. “But how do you know all this? You're not even a nurse let alone a Doctor”, he said, mockingly but still with fear.His question was precise. “Really, how did I know all this?” I asked myself in surprise. Even to myself I was sounding like some medical practitioner, I didn't even know how I had come to amass quite a load of information all at once and even in the first place to begin with. In truth I researched it all,every single information. When I had Kelcie, I was completely clueless on how to go about my new found responsibility as a mother, it wasn't that I was left to cater for her alone, mother helped when she could and Whitney well she did what she felt was her best. The Internet was the only personal aid I had during this time. I literally phished every information I cou
Charlotte McCartney “Josh!” I heard Kelcie exclaim“There's our man!” Lydia said as soon as Josh wheeled into the dining table. She, Kelcie, Edward, her husband as well as I, had settled that morning to have breakfast together.“Oh enough with the excessive flattery” Josh replied waving her off. He seemed his usual tired self, even more tired apparently because of his outing and the whole processes of the session but he seemed okay nonetheless, he even wheeled his chair over to where Kelcie who was evidently elated to see him sat and ruffled her hair a little, the growing bond between the two of them had really become an exciting spectacle to me as well as the rest of them. After last night's elaborate persuasion, he finally agreed to go for his physiotherapy examination. So the first thing he did as day broke was to call up his Doctor who I realized was named Leonard, Josh had refused to address him by his name in his attempt to annoy and exasperate him and simply called him doctor
Charlotte McCartney “Why do you stand there looking all sulked up? Lydia asked, turning to face her son, George.“I'm sorry to have interrupted your meal”, George said, modestly. He was usually very jovial and playful but today he wore this look that I was sure even Kelcie would have been shocked to see.“You sure did”, Lydia replied. “You better sit down and get some food into that stomach of yours”, she added and made to go back to the kitchen to get more before George stopped her.“It's okay mom I'm not hungry”, he said, pulling her back. As Josh read through the letter George had handed to him, his grasp tightened the more he read through it until he got to the final point at which he tore the whole thing altogether in a very furious manner. “What does it say?” Lydia asked, looking horrified. Everyone was horrified even Kelcie did not look so comfortable and she obviously wasn't old enough to understand what seemed to be going on.“This obviously is no one's doing other than t
Charlotte McCartney “You are just going to let her win? Just like that” I heard myself say as Josh wheeled off to his gloom. He paused as I spoke.“What in hell do you expect me to do?” he answered, almost yelling. “Do you know the caliber of men that come to these conferences? These board of directors are considered amongst the most powerful men in the world and they match it in all ramifications. These people feast on the weak, that's what they do. Not comfort them like you're trying to do right now”, he said angrily.“I'm not trying to comfort you or do anything of such”, I replied, calmly. “I just feel our situations are just very similar that's all”.“And how is that so? How are our situations the same? How Charlotte? Tell me!” he said, looking at me pointedly.Everyone was still and quietly staring and equally surprised at how and why I would choose to make myself the centre of attraction especially at a time like this.“My sister Whitney”, I said, “used to do about the same th
Charlotte McCartney “Come on Kelcie, let's go get you some chocolates”, I told Kelcie as I lifted her off the bed we shared. “No mommy I can get down by myself, I'm a big girl now”, Kelcie said protesting and I laughed.“Okay my big baby girl. Do you want chocolate or not? Because mommy is going to get some”, I said, smiling broadly. “I want, I want. Mommy I want some too. Can I have some chocolates mommy?” She asked, jumping excitedly and hugging my legs. “Alright , alright. You can have some too”, I said smiling and she screamed, “yayy!!!” almost immediately.“But only if you agree that you're mommy's little baby girl”, I said, smiling cunningly.“Mommy that's not fair”, she said laughing and I immediately carried her back to the bed and began tickling her making her laugh uncontrollably.“Who is mommy's little baby girl?” I asked as I tickled her. “Who is mommy's baby?” I asked again, still tickling her.“Stop mommy… mommy…”, she said laughing and at the same time fighting to f
Charlotte McCartney Everyone seemed to pause as Josh wheeled into the room, as though they were all expecting what he had to say, everyone including me.He seemed to be looking around until he caught sight of me and paused. He looked flustered and confused as though the person who stood in front of him was someone he could not exactly recognize.“Josh it's mommy”, Kelcie called out from where she was as though she noticed his confusion. “She looks so beautiful doesn't she?”Kelcie sai“It's me”, I said, feeling somehow elated by his obvious surprise.“Yes I see”, he said regaining his composure “You look… well absolutely amazing, I literally almost thought it was someone else”, Josh said smiling broadly.“I must say Maria really did a good Job”, Lydia added clapping.“Oh I did nothing, trust me, my usual clients take three hours or more to style but she, right here, did not even take that much time. That's because she's a beauty. In this field we create beauty but we also need beauty
Charlotte McCartney “Mommy the blue one it matches with your eyes”, Kelcie called out like a hungry spectator.“That's nice honey, but let the stylist do her job, I'm sure she knows this better than we all do”, I answered. “Actually she's absolutely correct”, the stylist replied to me. “I was going to go for the blue one, but hearing her say it made it even more sensible. “How old is she?” She asked turning to have a look at Kelcie.“I'm five years old," Kelcie replied.“Wow… hi Kelcie”, the stylist said, acknowledging her name. “She sure is a smart one”, she said. “Very sharp and observant”.“Oh she is”, I confessed, smiling proudly. “A little too observant for her age”, I added with a frown.“No it's a good thing, very artistic in my opinion”, she argued.This morning I had awoken to incessant knocks on my room door when I finally managed to get up and open the door, Lydia and Kelcie rushed past me into the room.“Mommy you're awake!” Kelcie said in excitement “You're even still
Charlotte McCartney Finding the shaving kit wasn't as difficult as I had expected. It seemed as though he kept them where he could easily reach like he had prepared to do this all along; it was at the top drawer in his room.“You found it?” he asked where he sat waiting for me. Yes it wasn't hidden at all.“I remember the first time I ever shaved my grandfather, I was eleven at the time. I had watched him do this frequently until this particular day he seemed to not be getting it right and then he called me and asked for my help. This was extremely exceptional. He may as well have just gone out to a barber or something but he never did except when he went to cut his hair. To him shaving had become more like a personal ritual, something that only he could do for himself. He used to say his father always warned him”, I told Josh.“Never let another man shave you when you can do it yourself. It could be maiming. That's what Grandfather said his father used to say to him. So it was part
Charlotte McCartney “You want to shave?” I asked, surprised. One thing I had not mentioned earlier probably as a result of the fact that I had not exactly considered this man worth reminiscing about in the first place was Josh's beards. They weren't exactly beautiful nor ugly, there were just aspects that had overtime defined his features. It didn't make him ugly and I did not know what ugly in this respect would mean so it's safe to take it out of the conversation. It just made him look like him.he wore it so well with his misery, it almost became attractive and had a thing to it and now hearing him say he's wanting to trim it had something transfiguring about it as well as something very unfamiliar.“You sound as though you're not particularly happy about that”, he said, seeming quite surprised himself.“No it's nothing…it…it's good you cut.. “ , I stuttered, feeling quite embarrassed. “It's just that I don't know what you'll look like underneath”, I said, smiling shyly.He smile
Charlotte McCartney “Two rooms, don't you think that's too much Josh?" I asked, as I walked him out of our room while Kelcie slept. “I am happy with the gifts and all but still being someone who has learned the hard way to accept things one at a time, I am still rather skeptical with why and what the intentions behind these gifts could be”, I said.“What do you mean Charlotte? What is so strange about me giving Kelcie gifts?” He asked, obviously confused.“It’s not at all strange Josh that you have done this for Kelcie aside from your new found relationship, you are best friends with her great grandfather making you more like a great god father if we choose to see it that way. So in the real sense of it everything seems completely normal. But I still have to be sure, I still need some level of certainty that I haven't been able to wrap my hands around”, I replied defensively.“Charlotte please! it's my property I'll do whatever I want to do with it”, he said, waving me off again. “Pl
Charlotte McCartney “Come on Kelcie, let's go get you some chocolates”, I told Kelcie as I lifted her off the bed we shared. “No mommy I can get down by myself, I'm a big girl now”, Kelcie said protesting and I laughed.“Okay my big baby girl. Do you want chocolate or not? Because mommy is going to get some”, I said, smiling broadly. “I want, I want. Mommy I want some too. Can I have some chocolates mommy?” She asked, jumping excitedly and hugging my legs. “Alright , alright. You can have some too”, I said smiling and she screamed, “yayy!!!” almost immediately.“But only if you agree that you're mommy's little baby girl”, I said, smiling cunningly.“Mommy that's not fair”, she said laughing and I immediately carried her back to the bed and began tickling her making her laugh uncontrollably.“Who is mommy's little baby girl?” I asked as I tickled her. “Who is mommy's baby?” I asked again, still tickling her.“Stop mommy… mommy…”, she said laughing and at the same time fighting to f
Charlotte McCartney “You are just going to let her win? Just like that” I heard myself say as Josh wheeled off to his gloom. He paused as I spoke.“What in hell do you expect me to do?” he answered, almost yelling. “Do you know the caliber of men that come to these conferences? These board of directors are considered amongst the most powerful men in the world and they match it in all ramifications. These people feast on the weak, that's what they do. Not comfort them like you're trying to do right now”, he said angrily.“I'm not trying to comfort you or do anything of such”, I replied, calmly. “I just feel our situations are just very similar that's all”.“And how is that so? How are our situations the same? How Charlotte? Tell me!” he said, looking at me pointedly.Everyone was still and quietly staring and equally surprised at how and why I would choose to make myself the centre of attraction especially at a time like this.“My sister Whitney”, I said, “used to do about the same th
Charlotte McCartney “Why do you stand there looking all sulked up? Lydia asked, turning to face her son, George.“I'm sorry to have interrupted your meal”, George said, modestly. He was usually very jovial and playful but today he wore this look that I was sure even Kelcie would have been shocked to see.“You sure did”, Lydia replied. “You better sit down and get some food into that stomach of yours”, she added and made to go back to the kitchen to get more before George stopped her.“It's okay mom I'm not hungry”, he said, pulling her back. As Josh read through the letter George had handed to him, his grasp tightened the more he read through it until he got to the final point at which he tore the whole thing altogether in a very furious manner. “What does it say?” Lydia asked, looking horrified. Everyone was horrified even Kelcie did not look so comfortable and she obviously wasn't old enough to understand what seemed to be going on.“This obviously is no one's doing other than t
Charlotte McCartney “Josh!” I heard Kelcie exclaim“There's our man!” Lydia said as soon as Josh wheeled into the dining table. She, Kelcie, Edward, her husband as well as I, had settled that morning to have breakfast together.“Oh enough with the excessive flattery” Josh replied waving her off. He seemed his usual tired self, even more tired apparently because of his outing and the whole processes of the session but he seemed okay nonetheless, he even wheeled his chair over to where Kelcie who was evidently elated to see him sat and ruffled her hair a little, the growing bond between the two of them had really become an exciting spectacle to me as well as the rest of them. After last night's elaborate persuasion, he finally agreed to go for his physiotherapy examination. So the first thing he did as day broke was to call up his Doctor who I realized was named Leonard, Josh had refused to address him by his name in his attempt to annoy and exasperate him and simply called him doctor