Page 15 of Soft
Grizzly
The morning after my meeting with Paxton went nothing how I’d planned. Thanks to one too many naughty dreams about my new potential client—a man far too young and handsome for me—I overslept way past my normal time.
Had my doctor’s office not called me, I would have probably kept on snoring.
“Can you come in right now?” A chipper voice asked when I answered.
“Right now? I just woke up, actually. Who is this?”
They giggled. “Oh, that’s fine. I’m with Bellport Eye Associates. You just get dressed and head our way. The doctor wants to see you sooner after the notes you left on the appointment request. We’ll be waiting.”
I sat up in bed, curious to understand what she meant. Since Moseley had filled it all out, there was no telling what he’d said.I would have read through it, but I was already running short on time.
After a too-quick shower and a call to Cheyenne to let her know I was headed to the eye doctor, I made my way to the tiny boutique office Dr. Whipell had. It was on the edge of downtown, close to my office.
The same friendly woman from the call greeted me when I arrived. “Welcome, welcome! Happy to have you. Please fill out these forms. The doc will call you back soon.”
I did as she instructed, happy to have someone taking the lead. Exhaustion weighed me down. Having to decide anything wouldn’t end well. For me or anyone else.
“Grizzly,” called a more familiar voice. Dr. Whipell stood in the doorway. “Come on to the back. We can finish that together.”
She’d been my eye doctor for years, and I did enjoy coming to see her. Even when I argued I didn’t truly need glasses, she remained patient enough to explain the benefits of me getting them. Plus she didn’t judge when I didn’t go through with it.
Today, her smile wasn’t as big as normal. If I knew the reception girl better, then I’d have asked her if something was up. There was no time now.
We went to one of the exam rooms. As she shut the door, a heavy sense of dread draped over me. Panic gripped me, and I didn’t even know what for.
“Have a seat for me, Grizzly.” She waved to the chair.
My heart beat so fast I worried it would fly straight out of my chest. I didn’t like the visual that gave me, which was enough to get me to take slow, deep breaths.
Dr. Whipell watched me the whole time. Once I’d calmed, she spoke. “I asked you to come in earlier because I wanted to check in with you about your vision. The online form had several concerning issues listed.”
“Concerning?” I asked.
“Yes, especially after your last visit. I remember it quite well given how much you argued with me about those glasses. I suppose you still haven’t gotten them?” Her own glasses slid down her nose as she gave me a judging look.
I shrugged, unsure of what she wanted me to say next. There wasn’t an excuse for not getting them. It was merely a choice.
“Part of our last conversation also included talk of family history. Do you remember that?”
“Vaguely. To be honest, most things involving family leave my mind quickly,” I admitted.
She frowned, thankfully not commenting on what I’d said. I didn’t need pity added to whatever was happening this morning.
“During that visit, you mentioned your grandfather had an eye disease. You didn’t recall if your parents did, but either way, it put you in the percentage of people who might one day show signs. Diseases don’t care about perfect accuracy when inherited.”
My body tensed. “You think I have whatever my gramps did?”
That was a terrifying revelation. The man had been a powerhouse in my life during my younger years. He held the space for some of my oldest memories, usually us sitting together as he helped me read a book.
A few years later, I was the one reading, and he followed along. Or at least I thought he had.
Gramps had been going blind. It was a slow process at first, later speeding up until he couldn’t drive or take care of himself anymore. My parents sent him to a care home, where he died six months later.
Tears welled in my eyes at the idea of facing the same fate. I didn’t want to go blind. I didn’t want to depend on others.No one cared about me enough to help.
“Easy, Grizzly. I’m not saying you do have it. I’m only saying it’s possible. Let me do your exam. Then we can talk more.”
