Free The Riches of Mercy by C. E. Case Page B

basket.
    The bashful boy--slightly leaner than his brother--giggled. He took the basket carefully from her and clutched the handle with both hands. He wobbled carrying it to the stoop.
    "Do you like dogs?" Beau asked, trying not to stare at her legs.
    She kicked at him with her bad leg. He leapt away. She grinned. He grinned back, showing his teeth. The spell of her appearance seemed broken. She wondered if it would be so easy with everyone else. She would just have to kick them, too.
    "I like dogs," she said.
    "Good. I want a dog, but Mommy won't let me. See, Mommy? She says we can have a dog!"
    Natalie blushed and glanced helplessly at Meredith. She tried to remember how she'd gotten herself into this situation. She'd been driving east. She'd been driving, and it was dark--
    Meredith waved her off. "You know why we can't have a dog, Beau."
    Merritt stopped in the front door and put down his basket.
    "In the corner, Merry," Meredith said.
    Merritt picked up the basket again.
    "Because you're going away." Beau said. He stomped inside the house.
    "You're going away?" Natalie asked.
    Meredith frowned and shook her head.
    The wheelchair's front wheels bumped against the stoop.
    "Here we are," Harold said.
    "And now what?" Natalie asked. Surely he didn't expect her to get up and stroll over the threshold.
    "Watch," Meredith said. "Well, I guess you won't be able to watch, per se, but observe."
    Harold headed back down the driveway. Natalie watched over her shoulder. He got in his van. She waved. He didn't wave back. He just drove away, like she'd never see him again.
    Meredith took the wheelchair handles.
    Natalie started. "Merry, you're not strong enough--Please don't hurt yourself."
    "Hush, I know what I'm doing." Meredith pulled her back and tilted the smaller front wheels over the stoop. Then she rolled forward, and with a heave, the chair rolled up onto the stoop.
    "Holy crap," Natalie said.
    Meredith smacked the back of Natalie's head.
    Natalie ducked her head.
    "Sorry. That's what I do with the boys when they use bad language." She pushed Natalie into the foyer.
    "Your boys use bad language?"
    "You wouldn't imagine what they learn from the neighborhood. Anyway. The boys'll want to push you around some, but you're going to learn to do all that on your own." She let go of the wheels, and Natalie rolled to a stop.
    "Do what?"
    "Up the curb, down the curb. Easier than you think."
    "And then what, enroll me in the basketball league?"
    Meredith frowned.
    "I'm sorry."
    "You've got a right to be bitter, I guess. Let me show you around." She walked in front of Natalie and into a room on her right.
    Natalie rubbed her hands together and then pushed the wheels. The wheels moved. "Hey, cool."
    Meredith chuckled.
    Natalie, emboldened by being able to roll herself, tried intermediate wheelchair maneuvering. She held one wheel still and rolled the other to turn. Physics 101. She spun around and ended up facing Meredith.
    "We converted the dining room into a guest room. Vince put in the doors himself."
    "It's nice," Natalie said.
    The front windows let in light. Through the glass she saw the road she'd come from and other houses along the street. The room was filled completely by one hospital bed, metal arms and all.
    "I'll have to help you in and out for a couple days, probably. I couldn't get one of those bars installed, since you're here temporarily. But the rest is from your insurance company."
    "Amazing."
    "Sure is. Now, there's a full bathroom down here, so you won't have to worry about the stairs. Unfortunately, the kids use it too. They sleep in the den a lot. The kitchen's in the back. There's a porch out there, too. Not too big, but we've got a grill."
    Natalie settled her arms on the armrests and tried to get comfortable. She wasn't. The room was nicer than the hospital's--richly polished hardwood floor, a dresser with a mirror and candles and figurines--A Jesus, a Mary, a clown with balloons, a horse rearing. The windows had