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the first hint it might be working when I saw her laugh with the kids at Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a sight to behold, a sight I damn well want more of in the future. 
    Leigh is still a million miles away contemplating her arm.  I push myself off the wall I’m leaning against across the room and go to her.  She looks up at me with her contemplative emerald eyes as I take her newly healed arm and run my fingers down to her hand.  I look down at our hands, turning hers in mine as I mutter, “Another step.”
    “What?” she asks quietly.
    I look into her eyes to explain, “Another step, Leigh.  Your eye is healed, you smiled a lot yesterday, you laughed three times and your cast is a gone.  I know some things will never heal, but it’s another step to getting you back to you.  I’m just glad I get to be a part of it.”
    “I don’t know,” she says, looking away.  “I don’t know if I’ll ever remember who I was.  I’m trying, but I can’t seem to get past the last few years to remember anything.”
    I lean forward to kiss her forehead only to feel her turn to stone immediately but keep on and say, “You will.  I’ll make sure of it.”  Because I still have her hand in mine, I take a chance and entwine our fingers while giving her a little tug, “Come on.  Time to go.”
    Seeming surprised I’ve kept a good grip on her hand, she says, “It’s really early for dinner and I’m not hungry.  You can take me back to Gabby’s.  I appreciate you coming with me.”
    I give her another tug and start to pull her toward the door as I explain, “I’m not taking you back to Gabby’s.  And we aren’t going to dinner.  Yet.  But we will later.  We’re going somewhere else.”
    “Where are we going?” she asks.
    I open the door with my free hand and hold it high so I can push her under without letting go of her other, saying, “You’ll see.” 
    I hear her sigh again.  Smiling to myself, I lead her out of the doctor’s office to my car. 
    *****
    “I can’t believe you brought me here,” I say, looking at the mass of people scurrying around, rushing, bumping into each other.  I mean today of all days. 
    Honestly.
    “What?” Tony sort of asks as he’s stuffing his mouth with caramel popcorn. 
    “Well, I’m pretty sure you’re a guy and I’m pretty sure all guys are allergic to shopping.  Especially the day after Thanksgiving.”
    “Sweetheart, we aren’t shopping.  We’re people watching.  And eating,” he responds, this time while dipping his tortilla chip into fake cheese.
    “I can tell we’re eating,” I say as I juggle my diet with my cinnamon raisin soft pretzel with icing for dipping.  Next to me, I have my own box of cheese popcorn, a small bag of Sweet Tarts and a Ring Pop.  Along with Tony’s caramel popcorn, drink and fake cheese nachos, he’s got his own bag of Hot Tamales with his own Ring Pop. 
    We left the doctor’s office and Tony drove straight to the mall.  Yes the mall, on the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year.  After driving around forever , he found a parking spot and then we walked forever to get to the mall since it’s the busiest shopping day of the year . 
    Holding my old good hand tight not letting me shake him off, he led me straight to the food court and asked me what I wanted to eat.  I reminded him I just told him I wasn’t hungry, but he said we were at the mall, we had to eat mall food.  I told him to help himself, I was fine.  He stood there staring at me for about an hour (slight exaggeration), before he took my hand, a-gain , dragging me to Auntie Anne’s and ordered a pretzel with drinks.  He then drug me to the popcorn store where he ordered us both popcorn and him nachos.  Balancing all of this junk food in our arms, he drug me one more time to the candy store where he scooped our candy out of the candy bins and while at the register, he threw in two Ring Pops.  At that time, like a