Page 8 of Lemon Cake

Sorry we didn’t stay longer. Dan enjoyed seeing you and I may have lost my favourite player status completely.

She knew he wouldn’t answer right away, but she still wanted to text him. She didn’t want him to think she was ghosting him after using him to get the passes. Even though it scared her, she looked forward to seeing him more often.

After an adventurous day with Dan that also included visits to Target and Walmart, she dropped him off at home. Gina was already there and cooking dinner. Dan animatedly informed his mother all about their adventure, only stopping when he was allowed to watch TV. Gemma joined her sister in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess from dinner.

“Is this going to be something serious?” Gina askedcuriously over washing the dishes.

“I like him.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

“He asked about my accident.”

“So, he knows. That’s a good thing, right?”

Since her accident, Gemma had been hesitant and insecure about dating. Gina, on the other hand, constantly pushed her to go out more.

“What is it, Gemma?”

She sighed, re-drying the already dry pan in her hands. “He said that Dan told him about the accident—and my prosthesis.”

“So why does that bother you? You know Dan loves bragging about his cyborg aunt.”

“I don’t know if he came over because of that or because he wanted to know me.”

“Well, did you ask him?”

Gemma nodded.

“And what did he say?”

“He came because Dan told him about me playing football and he was curious.”

“You’re afraid he’s not telling the truth.”

“He seemed genuine but…”

She liked Rider. He’d been sweet and adorable but ever since losing her leg, there was this dark voice in Gemma’s head—one that always made her question peoples’ intentions. There was always this insecurity in the back of her mind that they would reject her the moment things got too intimate. She hadn’t been close with anyone since the accident. At least not in a way that required gettingundressed.

“Look, I know this is hard for you, but stop trying to see something that isn’t there. Maybe he was curious about you, and yes even your prosthesis, but that’s not a bad thing. He heard a glimpse of your story and wanted to hear more. Just do it! Dan likes him and I trust his judgement. You’ve been lonely long enough just take the leap and run with it.”

“You’ve been single much longer than I have.”

“Well, unfortunatelymyaccident walks and talks and depends on me.”

Growing up, their lives had been perfect. They’d gotten good grades, and had been excellent in their respected sports—popular too. In their junior year, everything had changed. Gina had fallen pregnant, and their perfect world had crumbled to pieces. Suddenly Gina had to grow up, while the only thing Gemma suffered from was teasing from her classmates. After they’d graduated Gemma had her own life ripped from her when she’d woken up in the hospital with her leg amputated below her knee.

Calling both of their life changing events accidents had become something they’d stuck with. It had been easier calling her missing limb an accident in front of people and Gina did the same, not wanting to be judged when talking about her teen pregnancy. Of course, they both loved Dan to pieces but it was a twisted way of helping them both cope.

“If it makes you feel better, we can all meet up together one day and I’ll tell you what I think of him.”

“I like that, because I want to like him and want him tobe something more serious but…”

“That little voice in your head is being a dick.”

Gemma sighed and placed the sparkling pan in the drain board, perhaps a little too hard. “Yes.”

Rider