What lies beyond

At work Adelyn often thumbs through her sketchpad for inspiration when she gets stuck on a particularly obscure request. Flipping through the pages she found a drawing she did of an old man and his rusty truck, the man looked at his truck as if it were brand new with his teethless smile as he put rag to metal and washed the dirt away with little to show for it. She reminisced over her drawings, each one a memory. She loved to draw happy scenes, pictures that make her smile when looking back at them, some with fondness others with laughter and joy. She flipped to the back and realized she had drawn several of Sandra, of the memories Margret has regaled her with. She had seen pictures of Sandra smiling and happy and tried to draw her like that in her book, but there was a sadness to them.

"Walking down memory lane?" a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh? No just some sketches I was working" closing the booklet and storing it away in her bag "I thought you said seven?"

"Yeah it's practically seven already and I said I'd pick you up" Mary's replies pointedly.

"It's six-thirty." Adelyn replied pointedly.

"Exactly, I stopped by your house first but since you weren't there yet, it was clear you wouldn't be anytime soon" she raised her eyebrow making her point clear.

"Oh right yeah, I suppose that could have been a problem." admitting she hadn't even thought about that when Mary had said she'd pick her up.

"You still riding the busses everywhere?" Jutting her chin out and squinting her eyes as she tilts her head to the side.

"I enjoy the ride" hoping she'd drop the inquiry.

"Good I won't have to worry about leaving your car here" a smile creased her face then she went to sit in the client lounge.

"Is there something I can help you with sir...ma'am?" Adelyn could hear Mrs. Len asking Mary questions, probably hoping to get more gossip out of it. 'She's a nice boss, encouraging, but she is such a gossip monger' the thought crossing Adelyn's mind as she watches their interactions.

"Nope" Mary replied enthusiastically "I'm just picking up a friend."

'Wow is she actually trying to be tactful here, maybe she isn't as pompous as I thought' Adelyn thinks to herself while eavesdropping? on their conversation.

Mrs. Len not willing to give up so easily "Is this friend of your's attractive?"

"Why? Are you interested?" Mary's flirtatious advance must have startled Mrs. Len as she seemed to be blushing when she rushed back to her desk. Mary glanced over and winked in Adelyn's direction while Adelyn just rolled her eyes at the action and shook her head. She finished up the few projects she had been working on and finds a good stopping point for the rest. Grabbing her stuff her eyes lingered on her bag containing the drawings of Sandra before shaking it from her thoughts and heading to the door. A quick stepped Mary right behind her as she walked up to the red camero, which is the nicest car in the parking lot by far. Mary hops into the driver seat while Adelyn slides into the passenger side. Both doors click when Mary puts it in drive, manuvering the stick shift smoothly into first gear they take off.

"So, where to?" Adelyn only slightly more comfortable around the woman since she's been hanging out with her, usually instigated by Mary. She's enjoyed having someone she can talk with about the accident with Sandra even if it's not very deep conversations. It's kept her from wallowing in self pity at the very least, and she's starting to enjoy their outings. 

"You'll have to wait and see, it's a surprise" mischief lined her words as she shifted up for more speed, barely jerking the vehicle as she showed off. She wore baggy blue jeans and an oversized black tee with some writing on it Adelyn couldn't make out what it said, her hair was short military style fade and very dark. this makes her look harsher than she seems to be. Adelyn sat in her slacks and blouse feeling vastly overdressed for whatever they are about to do. No matter which way you look at it the pair would stick out anywhere. Mary pulls her car into what looks like a strip mall parking lot and steps out "You coming, boss?" Following her out of the vehicle she looks around at some of the run down buildings and lowers her expectations. She had a nice dinner in mind at a local restaurant, eating her fill of steamed broccoli and cheese.

"Don't look so bummed out, the real magic's hidden inside." Mary urges her forward with half a smile and a nod. They entered the run down looking building to discover a skating rink, colored lights twirling about to dance music booming over large speakers bolted to the walls, which are covered in carpet. The interior looks newish like it's been around only a year or two, people zooming around the waxed oval floor and banging into the protective barriers to stop themselves.

"Lets get some skates, what size shoe you wear?" Mary takes charge as expected but this time Adelyn is grateful for the direction.

"five and a half... though I should probably tell you, I've never used skates before"

"It's easy, you'll catch on quick" she goes up to the counter and asks for two pairs of quad skates and hands a pair to Adelyn then sits down to put her own pair on. Adelyn looks at them with a twinge of fear before sitting down and attempting to put her pair on. Glancing over at Mary trying to figure out what the little prongs are for she ties them like normal shoes and hopes for the best. Mary finishes hers and looks over to see Adelyn's strings already wrapping up in her wheels, so she gets on one knee and fixes the laces for her. "You gotta bring the lace through the prong for anke support and then wrapped it around the back of the skate, tie it in the front cause otherwise they get stuck in your wheels" she finishes redoing both skates then stands up easily gliding around even on the carpeted floor of the sitting area. Taking small slides one foot at a time Adelyn makes her way from one table to the next holding on for stability.

"Try pushing out to the side with one foot while keeping the other one straight, then switch feet." Mary attempts to  instruct her.

"Easy for you to say!" Adelyn's fear increasing with each step toward the waxy floor, dreading the lack of friction that she has been relying on so much up until now. She let's go of the table and attempts to do as Mary says regardless of her pessimistic attitude towards succeeding and for a breif moment she skated before losing her balance. Surprisingly Mary caught her without tumbling down with her, Adelyn quite impressed became embarrassed after realizing she is being held up by this woman. Mary propped her back up then took her hand slowly leading her out to the slick floor. The slight drop to the hardwood proved more difficult than Adelyn had realized when she placed one foot down it flew right out from under her landing on her tush. "Wait here I'm going to put our stuff in a locker, might help you to set your bag down" grabbing all of the things she skillfully crossed the distance in no time placing everything in a tiny locker before coming back and helping Adelyn up once more. Clinging to the wall for dear life Adelyn refused to let go but was not about to give up either. She moved along the wall slowly orienting her feet to the new sensations and adjusting accordingly. Mary thought it best to let her be for a bit, so she took to the floor like a fish to water, picking up speed as she races around the oval. She begins crossing her legs in and out and jumping the lights projected on the floor, twisting around effortlessly to roll backwards with great precision. Impressed with her skill ,albiet a bit jelous, Adelyn watched in amazement while continuing her two step roll along the wall. Mary strolls over after noting Adelyn's progress and decides she's ready to move out onto the floor, with her help of course. "Gimmie your hands"

"What? No way I'll fall for sure!"

"I won't let you fall, I promise." the seriousness in her voice convinced Adelyn to give it a shot, she grabs both her hands holding on tightly as Mary begins slowly skating backwards allowing Adelyn to remain forward. Her balance is still swaying she pulls up and down on Mary's arms desperate to regain the control that she doesn't think she ever had. "Bend your knees some" Mary suggests noticing her knees were locked. Adelyn bends her knees accidentally leaning more forward than she planned which pushed on Mary speeding their pace a bit more. Adelyns entire focus was on balancing. She had not realized yet that they were moving since Mary is directing them. Suddenly she remembered what Mary said, push off with one foot to the side then the other. Adelyn now looking more like a skier more than a skater attempted the push off, even though it was the smallest push in the history of skating, it was a start.

"See, your getting it"

"Kinda, it's mainly you"

"Then let go and it'll be all you"

"Uh I don't think so..."

"Or is it that you just wanna hold onto me?" she gave a flirtatious wink and a grin. With that Adelyn let go, with much false confidence she stood tall before going off balance again. Her body wiggled but she bent her knees more and cought herself. A smile appearing across Adelyn's face as she slowly rolls from the momentum. Her pace slows further to a snail crawl, feeling the balance starting to leave her she does her small push off to keep going. Her arms swinging as she readjusts to the open floor. She travels a few more feet before making a semi controlled landing in the middle of the oval. effectively plopping down and stretching out her legs, leaning forward in playful defeat. Mary rolls over making a circle around her before plopping, not so gracefully, in front of her "So what do you think? Fun huh?" enthusiastic as always.

"It's ....hard, but kinda fun" Adelyn pausing for dramatic effect, a small smile graced her visage.

"Here, let me help you up and then we can grab some food" lifting herself to stand, swiftly and precise, she extends her hand out to Adelyn who's haphazardly about the floor. Adelyn grabs on and shakily pulls one foot and then the other onto the waxy platform, slipping only slightly before they made their way back to the carpet. 'Ring, ring, ring.... ring ring ring.' Stopping abruptly Adelyn answers her phone "Hello?"

"Somethings happened with Sandra, the doctors...they rushed her out of the room so quickly" the frantic shaking voice was Margret.

Adelyn turns to Mary " I need to go to the hospital right now! I'm sorry."

"Ill take you.

Adelyn begins"I couldn't possibly... "

" uht, no, no busses" she interrupted Adelyn before she could refuse "It'll be quicker if I drive you, end of story." Mary's words were definitive.

Mary dropped Adelyn off at the front and drove around to park, Adelyn rushed to the third floor running up the stairs to find Margret hysterical in the room. The same room Sandra has been visiting for the last 6 months.

"She stopped breathing, my baby! The monitors alarm went off and then the doctors came in and did all this stuff to her!" Margret was visiting her daughter as per usual playing her music and fussing over her hair and blankets when it happened. The music still playing softly in the background and the hairbrush on the floor.

"Hey, it'll be ok the doctors will take good care of her. I'm sure she will be fine." Adelyn doesn't completely believe her own words but says them anyways to calm Margret down as she grips Adelyn's arm for emotional stability. The doctors wheeled Sandra back into the room but with a new attachment, a breathing tube and a few more electronics hooked up to her than was there before. Both Margret and Adelyn walk over to Sandra's sleeping body and place a hand on her timidly. Both afraid to touch Sandra for fear of damaging her. Adelyn sits in the chair and leans her face against Sandra's hand hoping to feel the reaction she usually gets to let her know she is still there. Patiently she focuses on Sandra, she noticed not to long ago that Sandra's body temperature rises slightly when she lays her face on her hand with her own hands underneath Sandra's. The doctors kept telling her it was simply her own body heat making it seem like there is a change but she didn't believe them. During this moment Mary had made her way to the room stopping dead in her trackswhen she sees the display of affection Adelyn is showing, that she herself had never been granted. Discovering where Adelyn's heart lies she silently walked away to leave them to their moment as she walks away she drops the flowers she held into the trash. Adelyn's pleas were soft under her breath "please come back" suddenly she felt the hand clasp over hers barely any strength to it but it's there. Adelyn gasps and lifts her head to look at Sandra's face , her eyes still closed and unwavering. "She ...she squeezed my hand" incredulous to what had just happened. Louder she repeated "She squeezed my hand!" as she looks to Margret in awe, the tears staining her pink skin. Margret grabs Sandra's other hand and squeezes hoping to believe Adelyn's words.