Chapter 17 - The House by the Lake
The lake house remained mine.
That mattered for reasons that had nothing to do with its value.
Dad taught me to swim there.
Mom planted roses near the porch before she died.
I had spent summers there before money became complicated and marriage became dangerous.
On Hazel's first birthday, I took her there.
She toddled badly across the grass while I followed close behind.
Sarah came.
So did several friends.
Employees brought ridiculous presents.
Someone gave Hazel a toy construction crane because apparently being heir to a development company required early training.
At sunset, I carried her toward the water.
My legs were strong now.
Not exactly as they had been before.
Perhaps they never would be.
But they carried both of us.
I thought about the hospital room.
The unreachable bassinet.
My useless legs.
Eleanor's voice.
Who's going to believe a paralyzed woman?
A year later, I finally knew the answer.
Enough people.
My attorney.
My doctors.
My board.
Investigators.
A judge.
May you like
But most importantly, I had believed myself.
And sometimes that had to come first.
