Chapter 48: Lacey’s Hydrotherapy

About a week after Sally moved in with her sister and Willie, two trucks pulled up in front of her house. One truck held a large rectangular object, and the other truck belonged to an electrician. The big object was an eight-person spa with a high-intensity jetted seat, perfect for Lucia’s back.

Fast forward from then to the beginning of Sally and Lee’s relationship. Three days after Lee and Lucia left their mother’s trailer, Lucia found them a two-bedroom apartment only three blocks away from the two small houses (Willie’s, Mia’s, and Gabe’s). Sally paid three months’ rent in advance, plus the security deposit, so they could move in immediately without any nonsense about a credit check.

Lee groaned when he learned what Sally had done, but she just folded her arms and glared at him.

“Will you just shut up, Lee. We need to buy furniture, including a big comfy bed, queen-size, for you. And a friendly guest.”

Sally leered at him, then continued.

“We have to set up the kitchen with pots and utensils and so on. You need everything, staples, spices, and so on. You probably need a cookbook, or maybe even a cooking class, so Lacey and I can enjoy some nice meals when I come over.”

The abrupt removal from the trailer, which had been her only known home, exacerbated Lacey’s obvious signs of distress. She was intelligent, though; she could easily recognize the drawbacks of her former life. But her emotions were on another level. She felt disconnected and fretful. Her big brother was all she had now, and she worried that something might happen to him, and the state would take her away.

Sally was trying her best to be supportive, but she knew Lacey needed more assistance. Lee’s consent enabled the placement of Lacey in intensive therapy. Their frequent visits to Willie’s house were another helpful step. “Aunt” Tricia and Lacey formed a tight bond.

Willie then introduced them to his new backyard spa. Sally had explained to them that, since Lacey was only 10, they all needed to wear suits. Additionally, Sally adjusted the water temperature to 101° to better suit Lacey’s needs. Sally had also planned ahead and provided some inflatable and foam pool toys, much to Lacey’s delight.

An hour later, Lee had an announcement.

“It’s time for me and Lacey to get out and go home.”

“OK, Lee, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m going to stay here with Sally, Aunt Tricia, and Aunt Willie. That’s alright, isn’t it?”

Lacey looked imploringly at Sally, who responded by crushing the girl against her chest.

“Oh, sweetie, I hope that can happen. But because Lee is responsible for you, you can’t stay overnight with me. I would have to be his partner, not just his friend.”

“Well, fuck!”

“LACEY!”

“I’m sorry, but you are frustrating me. All the time, you’re kissing him. Shouldn’t you be living with us? You two love each other. What is the problem?”

“I can’t speak for Lee, sweetie. As for me, I’m kind of afraid. Some really bad things happened to me; they were before I met your brother.”

“Sally, you know I’m in therapy. My counselor talks to me a lot about fear. She says you have to talk about your fears. If you don’t conceal your fears, you can manage them effectively. You just need to talk about them with someone who cares about you. My brother and I talk like that all the time; it’s really helped me a lot.”