friendly openheartedness, she thought it might be a good time to further broach the subject of Andy's restrictions.
"Joshua..." she began slowly . " Can we talk a little bit more about the list?"
He touched the tip of his finger to his bottom lip, obviously assessing her and the idea of discussing a topic about which he was quite adamant. She was surprised by her lack of anxiety. She would have thought she'd have been scared witless to bring up the restrictions. Whether it was the beautiful moonlight, the calm night air, or just his amiable manner, she didn't know, but something about tonight helped her to remain calm and collected in the face of what might very well turn into an argument.
Finally he nodded and said, "Sure, we can talk about the list."
So there, under the oak tree, with moonlight fingering through the leafy branches, Cassie pleaded Andy's case. She told him how his son wanted so badly to run and play like other children, how Andy had astutely asked if what he'd heard was true, that children sometimes did grow out of their allergy problems.
"He wants to learn how to punt a football. He wants to challenge Eric to a race," she passionately explained. "He wants to climb trees. Joshua, Andy wants, with all his heart, to be a normal eight-year-old boy."
"But he's not a normal eight-year-old," Joshua pointedly observed.
"I know that. Andy knows that, too. We understand there must be restrictions." She braced herself, then looked directly into his eyes. "All he's asking is that the restrictions be... necessary."
"Necessary?" His gaze glinted with a sudden affront. "I can understand how you'd think I'm coddling my son. But every single one of those rules is necessary."
She was amazed that his glare didn't make her want to back down one bit. This needed to be said. "I'm not saying there should be no rules. What I'm trying to explain is that Andy's restrictions should be for Andy's benefit. Not yours."
His jaw muscle tensed.
She took his hand from where it rested on her shoulder and held it between both of hers. "Joshua, please don't be angry. I'm only trying to tell you something that Andy hasn't been able to. He loves you and he's afraid he'll disappoint you."
"Disappoint me?" His frown creased the skin directly between his eyes. "He could never disappoint me."
"He doesn't want you to be angry with him," she tried to explain further. "But he does want his life to change. Even a small change will be for the better. Right now he feels… well, he feels like a prisoner."
Joshua slipped his hand from hers and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. He bowed his head, and Cassie knew he was digesting all that she had told him.
Finally, he heaved a sigh and stared out across the yard. "I thought I was protecting Andrew. But maybe I have been overdoing it."
She knew this was a momentous admission for him, so she reached out and placed her hand on his jacket sleeve, but remained silent.
"I do have good reason for being cautious." Joshua's quiet timbre was full of emotion. "You see, I… I let my wife die. There were signs. Signs I failed to see. Elizabeth died because I failed to protect her."
Cassie's heart swelled painfully with compassion. "Joshua, I don't know what happened to Elizabeth . But I've seen you with Andy. And Eric." And me, she thought, but prudently left that out. "You're a kind and caring man. I can't believe you would stand by and not do everything in your power to help your wife."
"I did nothing!" His voice turned suddenly and savagely self-critical. "I should have realized that a bottle of pain relieving tablets doesn't just disappear in a week. I should have realized something was wrong with her. She was hurting. In pain. And I did nothing."
" A whole bottle…? " Cassie could hear her own surprise and shock. "Did you ask her about it?"
"She told me she was having tension headaches," he said. "She assured me it was only stress. And the next time I asked, she put me off with
"Joshua..." she began slowly . " Can we talk a little bit more about the list?"
He touched the tip of his finger to his bottom lip, obviously assessing her and the idea of discussing a topic about which he was quite adamant. She was surprised by her lack of anxiety. She would have thought she'd have been scared witless to bring up the restrictions. Whether it was the beautiful moonlight, the calm night air, or just his amiable manner, she didn't know, but something about tonight helped her to remain calm and collected in the face of what might very well turn into an argument.
Finally he nodded and said, "Sure, we can talk about the list."
So there, under the oak tree, with moonlight fingering through the leafy branches, Cassie pleaded Andy's case. She told him how his son wanted so badly to run and play like other children, how Andy had astutely asked if what he'd heard was true, that children sometimes did grow out of their allergy problems.
"He wants to learn how to punt a football. He wants to challenge Eric to a race," she passionately explained. "He wants to climb trees. Joshua, Andy wants, with all his heart, to be a normal eight-year-old boy."
"But he's not a normal eight-year-old," Joshua pointedly observed.
"I know that. Andy knows that, too. We understand there must be restrictions." She braced herself, then looked directly into his eyes. "All he's asking is that the restrictions be... necessary."
"Necessary?" His gaze glinted with a sudden affront. "I can understand how you'd think I'm coddling my son. But every single one of those rules is necessary."
She was amazed that his glare didn't make her want to back down one bit. This needed to be said. "I'm not saying there should be no rules. What I'm trying to explain is that Andy's restrictions should be for Andy's benefit. Not yours."
His jaw muscle tensed.
She took his hand from where it rested on her shoulder and held it between both of hers. "Joshua, please don't be angry. I'm only trying to tell you something that Andy hasn't been able to. He loves you and he's afraid he'll disappoint you."
"Disappoint me?" His frown creased the skin directly between his eyes. "He could never disappoint me."
"He doesn't want you to be angry with him," she tried to explain further. "But he does want his life to change. Even a small change will be for the better. Right now he feels… well, he feels like a prisoner."
Joshua slipped his hand from hers and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. He bowed his head, and Cassie knew he was digesting all that she had told him.
Finally, he heaved a sigh and stared out across the yard. "I thought I was protecting Andrew. But maybe I have been overdoing it."
She knew this was a momentous admission for him, so she reached out and placed her hand on his jacket sleeve, but remained silent.
"I do have good reason for being cautious." Joshua's quiet timbre was full of emotion. "You see, I… I let my wife die. There were signs. Signs I failed to see. Elizabeth died because I failed to protect her."
Cassie's heart swelled painfully with compassion. "Joshua, I don't know what happened to Elizabeth . But I've seen you with Andy. And Eric." And me, she thought, but prudently left that out. "You're a kind and caring man. I can't believe you would stand by and not do everything in your power to help your wife."
"I did nothing!" His voice turned suddenly and savagely self-critical. "I should have realized that a bottle of pain relieving tablets doesn't just disappear in a week. I should have realized something was wrong with her. She was hurting. In pain. And I did nothing."
" A whole bottle…? " Cassie could hear her own surprise and shock. "Did you ask her about it?"
"She told me she was having tension headaches," he said. "She assured me it was only stress. And the next time I asked, she put me off with
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