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Nicola was in shock as she stepped out of her new, metallic purple PT Cruiser. Glancing at this vast house made her feel foolish about being thrilled over getting a brand new car. She blushed furiously, slamming her car door in grief. She walked toward the large door of her new patient’s home with a feeling of regret. She immediately imagined stuffy rich busybodies pushing her around and steering her in wrong directions. The house could probably fit ten of her homes into it with room to spare. Nicola prayed that she would make a good impression for her business’s sake. Dr. Jacobs would not be pleased if the biggest client in his department berated his clinic to his wealthy friends, literally plunging the clinic into bankruptcy. Nicola gathered her nerves and stepped up to the large oak door, rapping on it lightly. She quickly smoothed her white button up shirt. She waited with baited breath to be received.

It wasn’t long before a plump older woman answered the door. Nicola smiled warmly when the woman quickly ushered her into the home. The woman had warm brown eyes that calmed Nicola’s nervous emotions. There was something about the woman that reminded Nicola of her own mother. She sighed with relief as the woman smiled and took her coat into a nearby closet. Nicola was thrilled that the patient’s family wasn’t stuffy enough to hire a butler.

“You are my Howie’s physical therapist, right?” the woman asked brightly.

“Yes, my name is Nicola Tilley. Dr. Jacobs assigned me to this case. I’m sure that he already informed you of those details. It’s definitely a pleasure to meet you…um… I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t know your name,” Nicola whispered with a blush tinting her cheeks.

“Oh! Forgive me! I’m Howie’s mother, Paula Dorough,” the woman laughed merrily.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Nicola politely replied.

“Likewise! Our family is so grateful that you came early and in such a short time. We were fearing the worst from his depression! Howie’s been so devastated since the accident. I’m sure that you’ve dealt with these types of problems before. But, we’re just terribly worried. He’s not himself anymore. He’s usually so cheery, but not being able to walk, let alone dance, has completely taken the life out of my son. We don’t know what to do to help him. His sister, Pollyanna, stays with him every day to help him, but he has no fight left in him. We are completely lost. We hope that you can help us, because he’s such a great boy. We trust in what God does, but it’s just hard to understand why He’s punishing such a good boy,” Paula explained sadly.

“It must have been very tough on your whole family,” Nicola sympathized. She knew what kind of devastation that spinal injury of a loved one brought. She had dealt with these issues on a personal level in her own life, but hated to discuss the issue. The devastation was still raw, no matter how many years had passed. Nicola sighed, shifting her duffle bag carefully to her other shoulder. She promised that she would do everything in her power to help this man. She made a vow to each client that she would improve the quality of life, no matter what the circumstances.

“Yes, we’ve uprooted our lives to make sure that he’s comfortable.”

“That’s loyal. Not many families would do such a thing.”

“Yes, but my family is dedicated to one another, no matter what. Is your family the same?”

“Of course, my sister, my brother, and my mother are always visiting me. They help me through everything that I need to do. That’s why I’m so strong in the first place. That’s also the reason that I decided to go into physical therapy medicine.”

“Then it’s good that you came to our family to help us!” Paula enthused.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Now, Mrs. Dorough””

“Please call me Paula,” the woman interjected immediately.

Nicola smiled, thanking God for this wonderful woman. She knew that this woman would make her work at this home easier. She reminded Nicola of her own mother in so many ways, which made Nicola warm inside. She knew that the two women, if they met, would become instant friends. “If you insist that I use your first name, then I must insist that you call me Nicola.”

“That’s fine, Dear.”

“So, where is Mr. Dorough?”

“Nicola, he’ll want you to call him by his nickname: Howie. He thinks that his father is Mr. Dorough,” Paula explained as she brought Nicola into the kitchen. Paula turned toward the kitchen counter, pouring herself a cup of fresh coffee. She offered some to Nicola, but she quickly declined.

“I’ll wait for Mr. Dorough to give me consent, Paula.”

Paula laughed harder, “That’s fine, Dear! Howie’s brother, John, went to get him ready for the therapy. Your boss said that you’ll be able to do the therapy in the exercise room, so John will take him there. When he’s ready, John will get you and show you where to go.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Before Paula could speak again, there was a loud trampling of several pairs of feet. There was a shriek of delight as three women and two men burst into the kitchen. Nicola jumped back as the crowd almost tumbled into her. She couldn’t help but laugh as one woman blurted, “Is the physical therapist here yet?! I hear that they’re single and good looking!”

“I am single and thank you for the compliment,” Nicola teased automatically, unable to resist.

“That is the family crew,” Paula announced with a click of her tongue. The group fell silent as the woman immediately blushed in realization. Paula placed her hands on Nicola’s shoulders. “They’re crazy, but we love one another equally. This is Nicola Tilley. She’s going to be Howie’s physical therapist. Nicola, this is my husband, Hoke. John is my son that I’ve already told you about. Then these are my daughters, Pollyanna and Angie. Then, this woman is Darcy””

“Howie’s GIRLFRIEND!” a busty brunette declared with an intimidating stare. Nicola took a deep breath, refusing to roll her eyes in disgust. She was not impressed with the woman’s fiery attitude. Nicola knew already that Darcy was a leech upon this family. The family glanced at her with distaste, disapproving of her rudeness. Nicola was very good at judging the character of others and she knew that Darcy was foul. The family could also tell that Darcy was already intimidated by Nicola’s natural beauty. Darcy folded her arms against her chest in hostility, refusing to be budged in any direction.

“I’m glad to know that you are so dedicated to your boyfriend,” Nicola answered sweetly.

Darcy glanced at Nicola with a puzzled stare. She snorted in disapproval, “Yes, I love him.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Nicola replied politely, not commenting anything further toward Darcy’s nasty behavior. She would not be sucked into a petty argument on her first day. She was at work and needed to be respectful, no matter how rude others could be.

“Will you help Howie?” Angie called curiously.

“Yes, I will do my best, but I want to tell you that I hardly ever fail!” Nicola said with a grin, causing the others to laugh.

“Great!” John whooped. “Howie is waiting at the exercise room for you. Do you want me to take you there?”

“Yes, that’d be great,” Nicola agreed, glancing at the others. She offered a small wave, causing them to smile. “Thank you all. I’ll make sure to say goodbye to you once I’m done with Mr. Dorough’s therapy.”

Pollyanna waited until Nicola was gone with John on her new adventure before she dared speak again. She grinned happily at her mother and sister. It was already too obvious what kind of role Nicola would play in Howie’s sad life. From just a short few minutes with Nicola, the family had fallen in love with her sweet personality. She would do Howie’s heart wonders if he could open up long enough to let her work her charm.

“She’s gorgeous!” Pollyanna announced.

“Very cute,” Angie agreed, glancing at their mother.

“She’s a sweetheart, too,” Paula laughed.

“If you like plastic!” Darcy snarled, glancing at the girls with betrayal. Her face turned red in fury that the others would say such things. The women glanced at her with surprise. Darcy snorted, “It’s obvious that she had work done. No one can be that perky and beautiful without some serious work!”

“And you would know because?” Pollyanna asked, arching her eyebrows with amusement.

“I…” Darcy was stumped. She hurriedly snatched her purse from the kitchen table. She smoothed out her tight tank top against her stomach. She glared at Pollyanna. “I’m going to go check on Howie to make sure that he approves of the trailer-trash-reject!”

“Someone’s jealous,” Angie sang as Darcy hurried out of the kitchen.

“She should be,” Paula agreed with a knowing smile.