Free Wings of Love by Jeanette Skutinik

him. 
    “We’re going to head for home
now.”  Mr. and Mrs. LaPointe rose.  He helped
her with her jacket.  “Amy, we can give you a ride
home.”  They gave Adam a hug and kiss then waited for her
in the hallway.
    “I’ll see you in the morning
Adam.”  Amy leaned over and kissed him on the
forehead.  “Oh, I almost forgot.”  She picked
up the gift bag and handed it to him.
    He lifted the stuffed lion out of the bag and
moved his lips as he mouthed the words to himself.  He
looked up at Amy with misty warmth in his eyes.  “I love
you too, babe.”  He squeezed her hand then kissed
it. 
    The last thing Amy wanted to do was leave
him, but his parents had already waited over five
minutes.  She kissed him again and left the room with
tears in her eyes. 
    Amy sat in the back seat staring out the
window into the darkness of the night.  She tried to
remember the exact moment she had fallen in love with
Adam.  It really didn’t matter she
decided.  All that mattered was that he loved her
back.
     
    ***
    Adam was in the operating room for four
hours.  Two hundred and forty of the longest minutes Amy
had ever endured.  Mr. LaPointe sat with Joey as they
watched The Phil Donahue Show.  Mrs. LaPointe sat across
from Amy crocheting an afghan.  She chatted with all of
them but her heart just wasn’t in it today.  She was
worried about all the things that could go
wrong.   Please God let everything be alright .
    “The family of Adam LaPointe,” Dr. Perry said
loudly into the waiting room.  He noticed them as they
stood up and walked over towards them.  He still had his
scrubs on and a surgical mask around his neck. “Adam is doing
great.  He is a real trooper.  The surgery was
a success.  He should be able to go home in about a
week.  He is still under the anesthesia so he may not be
alert yet.  You’ll be able to see him in a couple
minutes.”
    “Thank you.”  They all said at
once, relieved that all had turned out so well.
    “I’m going to take off now,” Joey announced
as he looked at the clock on the wall.  “I promised Angie
I’d give her a lift home.  Her shift ends in ten
minutes.”
    “Okay Joey.”  Amy gave him a big
hug.
    “It was nice to see you again,” Mrs. LaPointe
said as she put away her afghan and yarn.
    “Nice to see you both again
too.”  Joey shook Mr. LaPointe’s hand and walked out of
the waiting room.
    Amy watched some television while Adam was
still asleep.  Her favorite show Little House
on the Prairie was on.  Mr. and Mrs. LaPointe
went home a few hours earlier to do all the chores on the
farm.  Amy sat next to Adam holding his
hand.  She was glad she could be here for him when he
needed her the most.  Amy was determined to give him all
the love, support and help he would need to make a full
recovery.  She wanted nothing more for him than to
fulfill his dream of playing hockey professionally.
    Adam lifted his eyes slowly.  “Amy,
how did the operation go?”  His voice was raspy from the
anesthesia.
    “It went great,” she said
enthusiastically.  “You’ll be back to normal before you
know it.”
     
    ***
    Adam woke up the next morning to the sound of
Dr. Perry’s voice.  He stood by the end of the bed as he
talked to Amy.  He could only hear bits and pieces of the
conversation.
    “He will need crutches…he won’t be able to
get it wet……need stitches removed in ten days…take pain reliever as
needed….keep leg elevated and apply ice …..needs someone to assist
him for a couple weeks….cannot drive.”
    Adam woke up again this time to the pain of
his knee.  He looked through his eyes groggily and
noticed Amy sitting in the chair reading a book.  A nurse
came in and gave him a couple pain pills and he dozed back off
again.
    Adam awoke a third time as a tall, dark
skinned man examined his knee.  “Good afternoon Mr.
LaPointe.  My name is Reggie and I will be your