Fall - A Rocky Lynch Story

Chapter 14

"Put your phone away," Rocky said, pulling it out of my hands, clicking it off, and throwing it across the bed. It landed with a bounce on the comforter. "You're going to worry yourself sick, love."

"I already have," I sighed and hugged my knees up to my chest. I had been Google searching Mason's symptoms every chance I got. I was walking on eggshells around my child, hoping not to make the problems any worse. It was starting to worry my husband and the other kids. "Why are we wasting time meeting with his teacher when we should be finding a doctor?"

"Juliette," he replied. I looked up at him and bit my lip to try not to cry for the billionth time. "What have I been saying to you?" he asked.

I sighed. "Everything will be okay. Yeah, I really believe that you believe that," I told him. With a chuckle, he pulled my arm so I would stand up. His arms wrapped around me. "How are you so calm right now?" I asked incredulously. "Aren't you worried? Don't you care about Masey?"

"I'm concerned," he nodded. "But we are going to find the answers. I have enough faith for the both of us, honey." His hand traced the small of my back and he rested his face on my head. "Now get dressed so we can go meet with Mrs. Moore. Mase needs all of the adults in his life to be on the same page right now."

I admired how strong headed Rocky could be. Whenever it came to issues surrounding our kids, he was the one who took action. He didn't sit around and waste time. As soon as Monday morning rolled around, Rocky was on the phone with Mrs. Moore, asking to meet with her right away. He settled for nothing less than that very day at lunch. I had no idea why I even bothered to question whether or not he cared, because it was obvious he did. He cared with every ounce of his being.

Ellie was dressed and ready to go before I even got out of the bathroom. Rocky sat downstairs, flipping through the mail from the previous day, when he saw me approaching. "Are you ready to go, sweets?" he smiled at me. That smile could cure even the most incurable of diseases. Even in the dark, he was there to guide me. I nodded and slipped my shoes on, following him out the door.

When we got to the school, Mrs. Moore met us at the office. She shook both of our hands and greeted our little one with a treat before leading us to the classroom. "I'm really glad you both decided to come down today," she said.

"How's Mason been today?" I asked her worriedly. He'd only been there for half a day, but I still anxious.

"He's had a good morning," she reassured me with a calm smile. "He was all giggles on the way to lunch."

"Great," Rocky nodded. He squeezed my shoulder. "So, we've been reading up on Mase's situation and are starting to get a little bit of a clearer idea of what is going on," he led the conversation. "And we know you're not a psychologist or anything, but I think if we're on the same level about everything, it would be better for him."

Mrs. Moore nodded. "Consistency," she agreed. "There are a lot of resources available at the school, but I think the best course of action for us here would be to schedule some time with the school's occupational therapist. Lisa is a wonderful woman with so much experience. I met with her a bit on Friday and she's very interested in Mason. They actually spoke a little bit after morning meeting today and got along quite well."

"This is going to sound dumb..." I said slowly, and both Rocky and the teacher looked at me with raised eyebrows, waiting for me to continue. "What exactly is an occupational therapist?"

"That doesn't sound dumb," she assured me. "It's essentially a person who helps people, usually someone with a disorder, learn skills for daily living. They also help to remove any barriers. So Lisa can help Mason learn better coping skills than just breaking down and crying or --"