Free Handle With Care by Patrice Wilton

“But maybe next year you’ll leave. You got your college degree online, and spent the past year doing pre-med courses at UCLA. No matter how good your grades, this might not be enough to get into med school. They are highly selective, and you’ll need to accept whatever offer comes your way. Very few people can pick and choose.”
    “True, but we will face that when the time comes. For now this is my home, and that’s very important to me. Unless you’ve been in an Iraqi terrorist camp, you can’t possibly imagine what that means.”
    Her eyes widened. “Of course, I don’t know what you’ve been through. How could I?”
    He gave her a sheepish smile. “I can’t believe I just said that.” He could feel heat flooding up from his collar, seeping into his face. “That was really pathetic, playing on your emotions like that.” He chuckled at himself. “I can’t guarantee what will happen in the future, but who can? Don’t worry so much.”
    “As a mother, it’s a full-time job. I have Josh to protect. Nothing matters more than his safety and his happiness. Nothing.”
    “Lauren, you can’t close yourself, or him, off from people on the far chance that one of you’ll be hurt.”
    “Yes, I can. I have to.”
    “No, you don’t. You can trust me. You should trust me.”
    They stared at each other for a few long seconds. Without realizing it, Shane leaned closer to her, feeling as though he could stare into her blue eyes all night. They weren’t ice cold any longer. They were warm and inviting, like the blue water of a lake. Or maybe like the blue of a fire, that hot blue that could burn .…
    “Are you guys fighting?”
    Startled, Shane looked down and saw Josh staring at them with a worried look in his eyes.
    Lauren straightened, cleared her throat, and pulled open the cutlery drawer. “No, we’re not fighting, honey. We’re having a discussion.” She collected knives and forks and handed them to Josh. “Why don’t you set the table?”
    Josh left the room, and Shane turned back to Lauren. “I’m not going anywhere for at least a year. It’ll take that long to finish up my course work.”
    “Thank you,” she said and quickly turned away again.
    They sat down to dinner, and Josh gave his mother a blow-by-blow description of their day’s activities, helped on occasion by Shane. Lauren nodded and laughed at all the right moments, but Shane could see her mind was elsewhere.
    Once they were done, Shane cleaned up while Lauren bathed Josh and got him into his pajamas. When she joined him at the table again, Shane didn’t immediately open his books.
    “Before we get started,” he said, “I just want to say that I don’t want to leave you and Josh or my home either. But, yes it could happen. Nothing in life comes with guarantees. All anyone has is one day at a time.”
    “I know that. But I don’t have to like it.”
    “Nobody likes it, but it’s just one of those nasty facts of life.” He eased back in his chair, fiddling with his pen. “Since we can’t do anything to change it, let’s talk about something we do have control over.” He glanced at her, wanting to ease her worry and hoping to coax a smile. “Like what’s going on at the hospital? Does everyone still think you and I have something going on?”
    “Of course.” Her face didn’t lighten up. “It’s a little awkward, that’s for sure.”
    “Why? It shouldn’t be.”
    “It is. You’re no longer just a guy delivering me a patient in the ER. We have a personal connection now.” Her voice was flat, and she was speaking clearly and concisely, as if reporting to an ethics committee. “Because of Josh. And my tutoring you.”
    “It won’t get in the way. We’re both professionals and know what we’re doing.”
    “Do we?” She glanced away, and when she looked back, she seemed confused. “Margaret thinks I’ve been distracted lately.”
    “That’s ridiculous,” he scoffed. “It’s not like we’re having an