Free Lost Soul by Kellie McAllen Page B

She scolded herself for not doing a very good job of maintaining the friendship.
    “Time to go, boys,” Karen announced, fully expecting their response.
    “Just a minute, Mom, I’m beating my high score!” Christopher replied, eyes glued to the screen.   Karen was used to waiting for Pac-Man to die, and sure enough, a few minutes later the tell-tale wha-wha-wha-wha-waaaa sound announced a brief release from the aggressive hold of her son’s video game obsession.
    “Turn it off, boys, and get in the car,” Karen insisted, scooping up her youngest and balancing his undersized body on her hip.   Sometimes she worried about what she would do when Colby was too big to lift.   Maybe if I just keep lifting him every day I’ll be strong enough to carry him even when he’s full grown, Karen thought with a chuckle and grunted as she readjusted her load.   She already felt like she had a permanent curve in her spine from thirteen years of lugging children around on her waist.
    Squeezing the whole family in one vehicle was always a challenge, especially with accoutrement in tow, so Karen was grateful it was only a short ride to the home of their new friends, Tim and Susan Walker.   The Walkers had three daughters whose ages fell right in-between those of the Conrad boys, and their youngest child, Derrick, had CP.   The two families had met in a support group meeting and their commonalities quickly drew them together, but this was the first time they had planned a get-together outside the walls of the hospital.
    The boys were excited for the opportunity to swim in the Walker’s pool, Calvin was looking forward to a game of driveway basketball with Tim, and Karen was anxious for some girl time with someone who understood exactly what her life was like.   Michael, of course, was ecstatic to get out of the house and go somewhere other than the hospital.   With sunny skies and warm, summer weather, it was shaping up to be a perfect afternoon.
    Tim and Susan met them at the door when they arrived and ushered them out to the back patio where they were greeted by an expanse of sparkling blue water, a cacophony of screaming children, and the smell of hamburgers sizzling on the grill.
    “Mom, can we go swimming now?” the younger boys begged, jumping up and down in their matching red, white, and blue striped swim trunks, their skinny little chests still white compared to their tanned limbs.
    The oldest Walker daughter, Heather, a sassy twelve year old in a neon, color block two piece, climbed out of the water and made her way towards Casey who covered his scrawny chest with his arms self-consciously but offered her a shy smile.
    “Let’s put some sunblock on you first,” Karen insisted, digging out the Coppertone and squirting a generous gob on each boy’s back.   “Help each other rub it in,” she encouraged, wiping the excess from her fingers onto Colby’s cheeks and nose.
    When the kids were sufficiently slathered, Karen plopped down on a lounge chair next to Susan and her son, Derrick, and signed in relief.   It wasn’t often she got time just to relax and enjoy herself.   Soon, the kids would be clamoring for something to eat and there would be plates to fill and messes to clean, but for the next few minutes she planned to prop up her feet and bask in the sunshine.   Susan smiled in understanding at the look of bliss on Karen’s face and raised her can of soda in a toast.
    Michael was pretty excited himself about the day’s activities.   He’d never been to a pool party before, but it was fascinating and terrifying at the same time.   He loved the smell of the chlorine and the colorful beach balls floating on the clear blue water, but all the kids were jumping and splashing and diving without a care in the world and Michael was petrified something bad was going to happen to one of them.   For once he was actually glad that Colby was confined to his stroller and wasn’t at risk of slipping on the wet