Nothing Lasts Forever

Adam watched Genevieve from across the room struggle through physical therapy. Gary didn’t seem to be helping her at all, but instead, seemed to be making things worse as he yelled things out to her when she was having trouble. “If that’s all you can do, then you might as well give up now. If this is how you’re going to rehab your wrist, then you might as well give up on your leg. You’ll never be able to walk again!” Gary told her.

Genevieve looked over at Adam, and she appeared as if she was about ready to cry. Adam started to get up when he saw Genevieve shake her head at him, indicating she wanted him to stay where he was. He nodded his head, reluctantly sitting back down.

All of a sudden, Adam’s phone began buzzing, indicating he had a text message. He flipped his phone open and read the message from his sister. Hey, how’s the appointment going?

Adam glanced in Genevieve’s direction to see Gary once again yelling at her about how she wasn’t doing the exercises properly, and if she continued doing it that way, she would never get full use of her wrist back.

Not so good. The physical therapist’s a little insane, Adam texted back before flipping his phone shut and watching Genevieve again.

Gary was telling Genevieve how poorly she was doing, and Adam couldn’t stand it any longer. “Hey man,” he said, standing up and walking over towards Genevieve. “How much longer are you going to be?”

“What? You don’t want your girlfriend to get better?” Gary quipped.

“Of course I want Genevieve to get better,” Adam told him, not bothering to correct him. “I just don’t see how she’s going to get better with you yelling at her every fifteen seconds.”

“And, that’s why I’m the physical therapist, and you are the boyfriend,” Gary said, turning back around to Genevieve. “Well, since your boyfriend is in such a hurry to go, we’ll quickly finish up. I want you to do these exercises at least three times a day. I want you to come back next week, and I’m hoping that we’ll have made at least some progress,” he said with a bit of arrogance in his voice.

Adam rolled his eyes as Genevieve got back into her wheelchair. “You ready?” Adam asked, leaning down so that Genevieve could hear him. Genevieve simply nodded her head, and Adam wheeled her outside and to her car. She was grateful that she had injured her left leg, and she could still drive.

“Thanks,” she squeaked out as she hopped into the car, and Adam put the wheelchair in her car for her.

“Hey, are you okay?” Adam asked, noticing she was awfully quiet.

“I’ll be fine,” Genevieve assured him with a fake smile.

“Hey, are you heading straight home?” he asked her.

“Yeah, why?” Genevieve asked curiously.

“Oh, I was just planning on heading over there to talk to Nikki,” Adam told her.

“Okay, well I’ll see you there in a few minutes,” she told him, shutting the driver’s side door and starting her car up. Adam proceeded to get into his own car, turning it on.

Fifteen minutes later, Adam pulled into a parking space next to Genevieve, instantly getting out and grabbing her wheelchair for her. “Thanks,” she told him quietly.

Adam gave her a questioning look, wondering if she was okay or not, but when she didn’t look over at him, he tried shrugging it off. Genevieve wheeled herself up to her apartment door, and she tried the door handle, finding it locked. She dug through her purse, trying to find her key, and she finally unlocked it.

She turned around to Adam and said, “You might as well come in. I don’t know how long Nikki’s going to be, but you can come in and wait if you’d like.”

“Thanks,” Adam said, walking in and shutting the door behind him. After a few minutes of silence, Adam looked over at Genevieve, asking, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” she answered unconvincingly.

“I know Gary was kind of hard on you at physical therapy,” Adam said.

“What? No joke about Gary? You’re always joking!” Genevieve exclaimed, surprised.

“This is serious,” Adam told her, and for the first time that Genevieve could remember, he wasn’t smiling. “Are you okay?” he repeated.

Genevieve looked down at the floor and then back up at Adam. “No,” she confessed quietly.

“Talk to me,” Adam ordered, and when Genevieve looked over at him questioningly, he explained. “I might be able to help you. I think you keep forgetting that I was in your place a few years ago. Granted, I didn’t have a hippie Doogie Howser physical therapist, but still,” he added, giving Genevieve the joke she was asking for.

Genevieve gave him a small smile before she said, “I’m scared.”

“You’re scared?” Adam repeated.

Genevieve nodded her head. “Yeah, what if Gary’s right? What if I never walk again?”

“You can’t think like that,” Adam said, moving to the end of the couch so he was closer to her. “They told me the same thing, that I might not ever be able to walk again, and look at me now. I’m playing for the freaking Blackhawks right now!” he told her.

“That’s all I want to do right now,” she confessed. “I just want to be able to skate on the ice again.”

“You will,” Adam told her. “I promise you will.”

“How can you promise me that if even the doctor doesn’t know if I’m going to be able to walk again?” Genevieve questioned.

“Because, I’m going to be with you every step of the way, making sure that you reach your goals,” Adam said with a smile. “You’re going to skate again, and I’ll be skating right by your side the first time.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely as she looked into his eyes. Both of their stares became more intense, and they slowly began leaning towards each other. Adam put one hand on the arm of her wheelchair and his other hand grasping the back of her head, as their lips met in the middle.

All of a sudden, the front door opened, and Nikki walked through, looking straight at the couch where her brother and one of her best friends were kissing. “What the fuck is going on here?” she yelled, her eyes wide.