After the accident, there had been so many adjustments the family had to make in order to do the basic things needed for August to stay clean. Beau remembered reading things to get online, all of which had been so expensive. Special tubs, home nurses, all sorts of things. Thankfully, some ClickClack videos had come across his feed with inexpensive ways to help your loved ones that were still reasonably safe. Hence the blue, two-step step stool. It was only ever used in the garden tub to make a safe seat for her to get clean on. The showerhead needed replacing at the time as well, so getting one they could unhook as needed just made sense. Then it was just buying a few extra towels so August could sit on them getting in and out of the tub over the side and sit on them as needed.

August still could only do showers for safety's sake, but it was better than a sink bath by a long shot. Plus Beau had plenty of space to hop in and help.

Of course since that accident a few years ago, the step stool was needed less and less. Where before it was every day, now maybe once or twice a week. Beau always made sure to be in hearing distance when she showered though. Because while she could stand and clean herself, getting out of the tub safely was a different issue, and it was easier for him to just hold her hand. Not that Beau minded in the least. To see her beautiful form each time before she started drying off? It was a treat for his eyes. By the time she made her way into the bathroom, he had finished setting everything up.

“How do you need to get in today?”

August looked around the set up. He waited quietly, knowing she wanted to still be her strong, independent self. He admired that about her, how no matter what, she was so determined. It was frustrating to see her body not cooperate though. “Sit and spin, I think.”

He took August’s hand as she sat on the edge. Staying still unless told otherwise was the plan. Beau kept an eye on her knee as she spun herself around the edge of the tub then moved over to the stool. So far everything looked good. It was definitely swelling up, but she had some stability. All he needed to do was squish his own body between her and the shower faucet. Lord, he knew he needed to lose some weight. How she could stand looking at this, hair on his back and losing the hair on top. But at least he could be useful and put on his best smile as he got the water up to temp. Beau wanted to make sure she didn’t get a shock of cold water. After all, she wanted to feel the lava coming out of the showerhead whenever she cleaned up.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

And so began the process. Getting her hair wet, making sure the shampoo was nearby. The purple one, not the blue one he used. Then make sure the black puff was there because for reasons he didn’t get, she swore it was the nice one. The yellow shower gel so she could control how much like bananas she smelled. Then it was just a matter of helping her stand and sit back down safely as needed and pointing the water where he was told. Of course that was just the mechanical side of the process. He also tried not to stare too much, even if she was his own wife.

August deserved better than being treated like a piece of meat. Besides, Beau knew she was not going to be in the mood for flirting while feeling like she did. Maybe after the shower, when she was in her favorite soft PJs.
It wasn’t long before she was done and the water needed to be turned off. He carefully got out, nearly bumping August a little. Hopefully she didn’t mind the near miss.

“Did you need a shower?” Beau heard behind him.

Even feeling miserable, his sweetheart still took a moment to think about others. Well, she didn’t need to this time. “Got one this morning after you all left. It was easier then. Helped me clear my head before setting to work, too.”

Beau gave another big smile, hoping he looked all right. “You don’t worry about a thing. Now, you need some help getting out?”

“I think I got—” Beau turned around just in time to see her slip and fall backwards into the stepstool again.

Oh god. “AUG!”

“I . . . I’m ok. I’m . . .” Beau could only watch helplessly as she started to cry again. God, he was so useless sometimes! He stepped back in with a towel and quickly hugged her close.

“It’s ok. It’ll be ok. Do you have tomorrow off?”

As August nodded, Beau dried her tears with the towel. Ok. If she had tomorrow off, the two of them could stay up late tonight to help her calm down and make sure the pain wasn’t so bad she needed urgent care. If she needed the pain medication then she should have a little more in her stomach. Something light and that would help cheer her up.

“Then let’s set up bedroom anime time, ok? Maybe some Pirate Hunt and popcorn?”

As she nodded again, he fought the urge to try and pick August up. He was never that strong to begin with, and he certainly wasn’t now. All Beau could do was guide her to the side of the tub, make her comfortable, and help her dry off and get dressed before checking the floor as she sat there. Beau knew by now August would want a few minutes to herself. Still wet from helping her out, he threw on fresh PJs and set up the pillows so she could sit comfortably. Confident this was a good start, he nodded and went into the hallway.

Alexandra was already standing there, worried. “Dad, is Mom going to the hospital again?”

He hugged his daughter gently. “No, sweetie, she had a scare and her knee went out. So we’re going to have anime night in our room. Can you get your sister ready?”

“Ok. Dad?”

“Yes?”

“When’s Mom going to get better?”

“We…” Beau paused. “I don’t know. But we are working with it. She’s adapting to it, so we do too, ok?”

“I hate it.”

"I don’t blame you, sweetie.” He gave her a quick kiss and went into the kitchen. Ok. First thing first he needed— Beau turned around to see Alexandra standing there now. “Gah! Sweetie, please stop being a ninja.”

“But the ninja princess is the best princess. Can I help?”

“I um… you know what, you have your shoes on?”

“Yeah.”

“Go down to Grandma’s and get popcorn from her. We’re out.” He pointed to the door, hoping it’d be enough. In a moment his daughter was gone and his other daughter was standing by the kitchen.

“Dad? What can I do?”

Beau was back to digging through the fridge when he found what he wanted. “Here. Chocolate. Put it on our bed. And the ice pack with a towel.”

As the girls set to work with that, Beau checked for any cup with a lid he could find. Ice water. After crying, she always wanted ice water. He finished filling it up just as Alexandra came back again, grabbing it to take to her mother. “She in the bed yet?”

“No, I think I heard her moving in the bathroom.”

The pain must have been worse than he thought. Beau was trying to figure out if he stayed up until midnight tonight, how much time could he spend helping her tomorrow? Probably not enough. Not with getting the girls to practice and school.

And here he was thinking he could pull off something romantic soon to keep the love alive? He was going to have to try harder for sure. He noticed Alexandra taking longer to come back this time. As Beau got closer, he saw his little girl listening to the bedroom, where some sobs could be heard. He waved for her to join him in the kitchen.

Those were tears from pain.

“Mom is so sad.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot for her sometimes.”

“Is it because Raven bumped her knee?”

Of course Raven came in with the popcorn at that moment. “Is what cause I bumped Mama?”

“Her crying.”

Beau let out a breath and motioned for both girls to come close. “It’s not because anyone bumped anyone, ok? This is hard for Mom sometimes. Sometimes she wants to cry and give up because it’s all very hard.”

Raven looked at the popcorn in her hand. “But popcorn won’t fix that.”

“No, but it does give her a break from everything. It lets her feel normal. Which is why you two are going to get your beanbag chairs and move them into the room once it sounds like she’s done crying.”

“Shouldn’t we hug her?” Alexandra was also looking at the popcorn, wondering.

“If she wants one, sure. But sometimes she wants to cry and doesn’t want to do it in front of you both. But don’t worry, ok? We’re going to help her feel better with a fun anime night.”

“Ok . . .”

With that, he lightly pushed them towards their rooms and turned to get the popcorn going and get out some flavorings. Not to mention a few M&Ms for the girls’ popcorn. Soon enough he heard the sounds of the women of his life chatting and having some fun getting set up.

After getting settled, trying to be careful, making sure he wasn’t hurting her while holding her on the bed and that the girls were behaving during the show, he smiled as Alexandra spoke up, looking at the screen. “Hey, Mom? You’d look so pretty as Molly Snatcher.”

Beau could just imagine his wife dressed in that cute short skirt and the combat boots. August spoke up. “You think so?”

“Yeah. You should dress up like her sometime.”

Beau whispered in her ear, too low for the girls to hear. “She’s right. You’d look amazing in a costume of her.” As he saw his beloved wife blush, he smiled to himself. Maybe he wasn’t completely terrible at the romance flirting thing.