Lox's POV...

"For a while there, it was rough
But lately, I've been doin' better
Than the last four cold Decembers
I recall
And I have friends who are my family
I found a girl who really loves me
When she comes to stay the night
I think I might have it all
And I thank God every day
For the girl He sent my way
But I know the things He gives me
He can take away"

I pause to jot down a few notes. I'm writing my own version of Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things".

I can relate to his song, mostly, and I want to make it more personal and surprise Greya when I'm finished.

Frankly, I enjoy spending time at the piano. I come here as much as I can. I feel normal when I sing. Besides my left arm being supported by the adaptive sling Greya's friend made for me, I've found a way to play and I don't stutter.

Writing, singing and playing the piano is something I'm good at. When I play, I'm not focused on my disabilities; I'm free of them.

"I knew I'd find you in here," Greya's sweet voice echoes through the room.

I remove my arm from the sling and turn to look at her. She's smiling at me, instantly making me smile in return.

"Hi Love," I greet her as she comes to my side.

"You've been singing, haven't you?"

I shrug playfully.

"Your speech is always better after you've been singing."

She's right. Another reason why I come here often. I'm hoping after all the singing, my brain will eventually correct my speech. One can only hope, so I'm not giving up.

"Come sit with m...me," I pat the bench and scoot over so I can share it with her.

I don't bother placing my left arm back into the sling because I can play a short song with only my right hand.

"I could listen to you play all day," she says, leaning her head onto my shoulder. I'd play all day too just to make her happy.

When I'm done playing, we both get up from the bench. I put my music away and grab the sling and stand to store it in the closet. The stand is on wheels and doesn't weigh very much so I can push it with my left hand while I rely on my crutch in my other hand.

My left leg has seemed worse lately. My knee feels unstable when I try to walk so my limp is very noticeable. Just trying to swing my leg in a forward motion is proving difficult. When I asked my physical therapist about it, he said it could be because I'm doing different things, playing the piano, singing, using my arm more and the injured parts of my brain have been working harder to adapt, most likely causing other injured parts of my brain to rest. That's how he describes it any way. It will take time and repetition to get everything working at the same time. Although I'm glad all the stretching and massaging Greya's been doing to my arm and hand and playing the piano has been helping, I'm frustrated that my walking is more of an issue.

If I'm only going to have one functioning limb, I'm not sure which I'd rather have more; my arm so I can keep playing or my leg so I can get around without so much help.

Once I put my adaptive device away in the closet, I go to turn towards Greya and my knee becomes wobbly again. I quickly lean against the closet door frame so I don't fall and Greya's already at my side before I figure out what to do next.

"Your knee again?"

"Yeah, Shit, I'm s...sorry."

This worries her as much as it worries me and she doesn't need more to worry about. Chase is recovered now and back to his normal self, she has a little more free time now that her fall soccer season is over, so I don't want to add more to her plate.

She swings my left arm around her shoulders. "No need to be sorry, B. We're headed to the pool, so maybe after the water exercises, it'll feel a little stronger."

"Yeah, m...maybe." I hate the pool. The fact that I could drown if both my leg and arm decide to cease up at the same time and not wearing my brace on my lower leg and foot makes me nervous about possibly twisting my ankle. It's difficult for me to focus on my movements while also trying to plant my foot correctly in the water. I also look funny, I'm sure and we'll be in the campus pool so there will be students there to watch me.

Greya would never let me drown, so I shouldn't be too nervous. She worked in the pool with me in PT the other day and knows how to help me with my exercises.

Suddenly Greya steps in front of me and kisses me. Both her hands cup my face , then I feel her fingers slide to the back of my neck, deepening our kiss. I drop my crutch and bring my hands to rest on her hips, pulling her into me. Her hands and lips feel warm and distracting. My girl's trying to distract me and it's working.

We both pull away to breathe, our eyes locked on one another's; hers absorbing my insecurities.

"Wh...what was th..that for?"

"You zoned out on me, I was bringing you back to reality! Did it work?" She smirks.

"I'm n...not sure, m...maybe you should t...try it again," I smirk back.

We kiss again, her hands move to my back and she slides them up and down my spine.

"I love you," I breathe into her neck, giving her one last peck below her ear.

No tears this time. She promised she wouldn't cry and I promised to believe I'm deserving of her. What I promised proves more difficult.

Greya bends down to retrieve my crutch and drapes my other arm around her shoulders again and we slowly make our way to the campus pool.

"What we're you thinking about before I distracted you?"

I don't answer her right away. I'm not going to elaborate about my fears of the pool, she'll see it for herself and then she'll do what ever she can to make things better for me because that's of incredible she is.

"Am I t...too much w...work? I d...don't know when m...my leg will get b...better or maybe w..worse or m...my arm could g...get worse. I h...hate that I c...can't control th...this and I d...don't want to b...be more work for y...you."

"Do you love me B?"

What? I stop us from walking.

"Yes, I l...love you. M...more than anything!"

"If something were to happen to me and I couldn't walk, would you help me?"

I chuckle at myself at this role reversal idea. I'd do anything to help her.

"Of c...course I'd help y...you."

"Why?"

She's really proving a point with these questions. I see where she's going.

"Because I l...love y...you." I answer.

She looks at me with a thoughtful smile on her face.

"I love you too, B. So much so, that I'll do anything that will make things better and easier for you. That's what you do when you love someone as much as I love you. Helping you isn't work, it's a privilege to be needed and to be by your side."

"I'm t...trying Love, I r...really am. I w...want to be b...better for you b...but it's a lot of w...work for me everyday, j...just to get out of b...bed and function on m...most days and I can't help f...feeling afraid th...that one day you'll b...be tired of m...me this way. I don't like b...being like this, but I'm t...trying to live th...the way I am and h...hopefully I'll get better."

"Oh B, you don't need to be better for me. You're already everything to me and your disability doesn't change that. I love you for you." She runs her hand up and down my back.

We continue walking, both thinking about what one another said. I would love her just the same if the roles were reversed. Thank God they're not, I'd never want for her to go through what I go through every day. And that's the problem, I'm the one with the physical problems and I'm not ready to accept that someone as perfect as her would always want someone imperfect as me. I'm trying my best to believe it, though it's hard.

We make it to the pool and get ourselves changed. I'm sitting on a chair, removing my brace when she strolls out of the locker room wearing her bikini. I wish we were alone right now.

She walks over to me and places her towel in the chair with mine and waits for me to be ready. I'm never ready for this part. I can't walk without my brace and I certainly can't walk without using Greya as my crutch.

We're not alone. There are a handful of students practicing in the lap lanes and one other student in the exercise pool. We will be getting into the exercise pool which is a good size and only 4.5 ft deep at the most.

"Ready?" She crouches lower so she can get my arm around her. My crutch will stay by the chair so it's up to Greya not to let me fall.

Her bare skin is flush up against mine, making it harder for me to concentrate.

"That b...bikini is d...distracting me," I toy with her.

"Good! See we're already at the stairs."

"Great." I meant that in a sarcastic way. Stairs down into the pool are a nightmare. At least I have a railing on one side to hold onto and take some of my weight off Greya.

"You're doing good, B. One more step," she encourages me.

We're fully in, both my feet planted on the pool bottom, one hand holding the ledge while Greya grabs a pool noodle for me.

I slip the noodle under my arms and do all the exercises my therapist taught me to do. Greya's near me the entire time.

I know I've done too much when I feel my leg shaking and I can't quite plant my foot all the way down anymore.

I pause and close my eyes while the noodle keeps me from sinking and I wait for my muscles to stop twitching. I feel a little dizzy too which isn't good at all.

Greya steps up behind me and wraps her arms around me so that my back is against her chest. She removes the noodle from under my arms and replaces it with her arms.

"Float. Let your leg relax in the water. I've got you, handsome," she whispers in my ear.

I don't feel right, so I do what she says and focus on my breathing. This would really suck if I had a seizure in the pool. I've been lucky and haven't had one in a few weeks now.

Greya slowly walks backwards so my legs rise and float in the water. My left leg is still twitching but I'm not trying to stand on it so that helps.

"How am I...I going t...to get out?" My heads spinning again.

"I d...don't feel w...well Greya."

Damnit!

"Lay your head back on my shoulder and focus on how the water feels."

We've been in here so long, there's only a few people left using the lap pool and thankfully not paying any attention to us.

"How do you feel now?"

"Better. S...still light-headed th...though. I f...feel really t...tired. I'm s...sorry, Love."

"You're apologizing again." She turns her head and kisses my temple.

"I can't h...help it."

"I know. We can work on that later. Let's get you home and I can have Liam pick up Chase and bring him over. We can all have dinner together."

"I'd l...like that. Th...thank you f...for staying b...by me."

"Thank you for trusting me. You do trust me right?" She lifts me upwards.

"Yes, I t...trust you L...Love." We're at the edge of the pool so I can hold onto it with one hand and stand up onto my right leg.

Greya stands with her back facing me and bends down into the water. "Get on my back so I can get you out of the pool."

"I c...can walk out w...with you."

She turns and arches her brow at me. She's right, who am I kidding. Standing upright makes my head spin again.

I hold onto her as she piggy backs me up the stairs and brings me to a chair next to the locker room door.

She leaves me for a second to grab our towels and my leg brace and hurries back to me. I' m on the verge of a seizure, my body recognizes the warnings.

I barely have the energy to wrap my towel around myself. Once I do, Greya gently places her hands on my shoulders and guides me back into the chair.

"I n...need to d...dry off and put on m...my brace."

"Let me grab our clothes first and I'll help you with that. I'll be right back."

She hurries into the locker room. I'm not going to ask how she's able to retrieve my clothes from the men's room, but she does and hands me my shirt while she dries my legs off with a towel.

What ever energy I have left, I use to keep my mind from wanting to go into a seizure. I don't speak, I allow Greya to attach my brace and my socks and shoes. I don't care that I'm in my damp swim trunks and she doesn't either. She throws her shirt and shorts over hers and places her feet into her sneakers.

"Come on," she motions for me to get onto her back again.

"Y...you can't c...carry me th...that far. Where's y...your car?"

"I parked right outside the building, so not far at all."

I don't want to hurt her back. A few feet is fine but not out to the car.

"Help m...me w...walk. I c...can make it."

"Okay."

She goes to my side and she lifts my arm up around her while I use my crutch and we make it out to her car.

I don't know how much longer I have, I'm hoping we can make it to my house before I convulse.

She holds my hand the entire ride, making me feel safe and loved and that's what I focus on until we make it to my place.

"How are you doing, Handsome?" She's holding my door open for me and hands me my crutch.

"A l...little better. Th...thanks Love." I take my crutch from her hand but not before kissing her knuckles.

"We should get out of these wet bathing suites then I can make us some tea and we can relax."

"Th...that sounds like a g...good plan."

Greya assists me into the house. There's a pile of mail on the kitchen counter. I try to sift through some of the junk mail quickly before changing into dry clothes. As I'm throwing garbage fliers away, a small letter catches my eye. It's addressed to both Liam and I with no return address.

Greya comes up behind me and rubs my back. I'm glad she's here because I know what's coming at any second. I'm feeling nauseous and dizzy and need her here with me.

"Please s...stay next t...to me," my voice stutters and quivers.

"I'm right here, tell me what you need me to do."

I can't seem to find my voice again while I open the letter and read it. It's from my mother.

The last thing I remember is having Greya's arms around me as she lowers me to the floor.