The walls came tumbling down

And, all the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't make my ankle feel better again -- well, for several days anyway...................

I had my head peaked out from behind the shower curtain looking for Bart because he'd disappeared into thin air.  I was just beginning to contemplate Rapture, when I felt his lips, and then when I felt his strong arm, I freaked.  Somehow, he'd entered the shower. His daddy might have been a Baptist preacher, but I was thinking his Mama was Samantha Stephens because in a nose twinkle he was behind me in the shower.  (( He explained to me later that he'd entered from the toilet side; he must have timed it just right cuz I never ever expected him to be behind me as I looked for him. ))  I was startled.  Who wouldn't be? 

So, I let out a yelp and leaped out of the shower, but my foot didn't clear the edge of the tub.  To compound the problem,  I landed on it in a pirouette pose as I fell on the floor.  The  circus-tent-shower curtain came billowing with me like a parachute  until it came to rest on me and around me on the floor, and  shower rod came with it, and clobbered my head.  The ankle pain wasn't noticeable until I started to roll over.  (( I was afraid I'd fallen in a bad pose, and you know, he was behind me watching, so I had to readjust..............and regain my pride and composure.  Falls can be so humiliating. )) 

 I winced.....well, okay..I whined....mmm....okay, I'll admit it...I almost bawled it hurt so bad.  My head was all wrapped up in jewel-toned stripes, so I struggled to remove it because I thought I was going to suffocate in burgandy, navy and forrest green for a few brief seconds.  When I was finally able to see clearly, my eyes landed on him in the shower....................The water was still pulsing..and so was he...The goods had been unwrapped, and this boy didn't have anything to be ashamed of....I certainly had his full attention, and I could tell that just by looking at him....if you know what i mean.....The picture I beheld looked like one of those "Real Men" pics from out of the back of Playgirl, and I was so pissed off at myself and embarrassed.  Things could have been much different if I had just listened to my mini-mind-Andrew........

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned as he climbed over the edge of the tub and squatted next to me in the midst of the unbillowed circus shower curtain. He reached out and wiped my soapy hair out of my eyes.

"NO," I said and laid my head on the floor and tears streamed down my face......

"Don't cry, baby.  You'll be okay," he laughed a little and stroked my cheek.

"No, I won't....(sniffle)...  My ankle is hurt....(snort)...  I think I sprained it....(whine)...and I'm not crying...I have soap in my eyes... Help me up," I said between sobs as I tried to regain my composure. It was true, I did have shampoo in my eyes, but I finally just gave in and sobbed. He knew I was lying anyway................ I didn't cry because my ankle hurt.  I cried for a multitude of other reasons.  I cried because I was embarrassed.  I  cried because I was a fool.  I cried because I needed to work and make money; Christmas was right around the corner and only the Lord knew how long it would take for this injury to heal............ I cried because I didn't have insurance......I cried because I thought I'd blown it with Bart...... I cried to just cry  (( This hard-to-get stuff was stressful, and obviously, dangerous))....and I cried some more...but...... I think he liked it.

"Don't move," he said, as he crawled to get a better look at my ankle, and I won't comment on my view of him crawling all wet and dripping in the nude to my feet because it would just be tasteless...I'll just let you imagine, but  I forgot about my ankle for a second, at least.

"It looks pretty bad," he said with some concern.

"How do you know? You're not a doctor, " I whined and sobbed and snorted.

"Cuz, I've had a few football injuries.  We need to get ice on it as soon as possible, " and with that he stood up, bent over and picked me up....just like that...with no effort...and I didn't resist one little bit.  Now, I know I am skinny, and he was pretty built, but still.............I was surprised by his fortitude.

I rested my head on his shoulder, and cried silently as he carried me to my bed.  He just kept reassuring me tenderly in a voice I had never heard from him that everything was going to be okay and he'd take care of me....and that is the exact moment the walls came tumbling down.