Maybe This Summer by Jennifer Snow

Author:Jennifer Snow [Snow, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-10T18:30:00+00:00

Standing outside the meeting room door, Owen’s heart ached as he listened to the doctor explain the skin grafting procedure to the little girl and her parents. While the parents had a lot of questions about the success rate, the recovery process, and the complications of opening new wounds at a donor site, the little girl was quiet. He heard tears. Lots of them.

Once the doctor answered all the questions and the room went silent, Paige spoke, and even from out in the hallway, he could feel the energy in the room shift as she told her own story.

“I’m not going to pretend this journey is easy. It can be a long and challenging process, but you are so brave to be starting this today.” She paused. “It took me a lot longer to get to your level of bravery.”

He leaned slightly around the corner and saw her remove her sweater. The long stretches of damaged skin he could see on her shoulder and back of her arm made his chest ache for her. He had scars, too, and he understood the impact they could have on a person. He credited his training in the Marines for the mental toughness he’d needed to get through the first few weeks after the explosion.

Paige was just as tough, and this little girl would be, too.

“My arms and neck have been through a few surgeries like the one doctor Madsen is suggesting. The difference is mine are split thickness grafts, only involving the top two layers of skin. Because you are still growing, we recommend the full thickness grafts. That way the new skin will grow with you and you won’t need future procedures,” she said.

They were thinking long term, not a quick fix. There really was no such thing.

“So, you’ve had these surgeries already, but you still have scars?” the little girl asked.

“Yes. But my burns were a little different than yours, and my skin is older. It doesn’t have the same capacity to rebuild cells the way yours does. And mine actually looks a lot better now.” She paused, and Owen leaned to look inside again.

She was holding several pictures. “Would you like to see before?”

Ashley nodded hesitantly, and Paige handed over the pictures. “Wow. These were the scars before? They look so much better. Not as scary and dark.”

“Exactly. They are just scars,” Paige said, and he saw her smile as she took the little girl’s hand.

“There really is an incredible difference,” he heard the mother say.

“Yes.”

“Is this as far as you plan to go?” the father asked. “Sorry, I hope that’s not too personal or inappropriate,” he added quickly.

Paige shook her head. “Not at all. I’m actually having a similar surgery later today. And I’m hoping to see even more positive results.”

She was having surgery that day? Owen’s stomach did an involuntary flip.

“Ashley, the main thing I want you to focus on is that things do get better. Where you are today, what you’re feeling, is not where you will always be.

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