Winter Season

L4 and L5

Oscar hadn’t had any more trouble with his back, that Esther knew about.

They went on a walk to the lake. Oscar held her hand, playing with her fingers as they walked. As they turned from the main road onto the dirt path leading to the lake, he cleared his throat. “I went to the doctor.” He stopped talking.

Should she say something? When she looked at him, he was staring at his feet. “What did the doc say?”

“He asked me if I played sports when I was a child? That I have the spine of an 80 year old. The damage he saw on the initial x-rays was just like damage he saw in patients that had started playing sports from the ages 2 or 3.”

“Have you ever played a sport?”

“I wasn’t allowed.”

They made it to the lake and sat on the bench. He was still holding her hand. “L4 and L5 are bulging outward. I can only guess from constantly bending over at the waist. Picking up things that were much too heavy for me.” He paused, “doc was shocked that I haven’t had problems before now and was adamant that things will only get worse.”

He wouldn’t look at her, couldn’t. After several minutes of silence, he walked to the edge of the water. She gave him a couple minutes before following him. “How am I going to be an effective lover if I’m afraid every time we get intimate that I’m going to seize? That I can’t love you like I want too?”

“What kind of lover would I be if I made you do all the work?” His entire body tingled. She touched his arm, “physical pleasure is a big piece of the love package. But it isn’t everything. I don’t want that lingering fear in the back of your mind. Every time you touch me, that things are going to backfire.” She touched his face, “Oscar.” He looked at her with big tears rolling down his cheeks. “We will work through things as they happen.” He hugged her up. “Plus, you’re forgetting one very important fact.”

“What’s that?” He snubbed.

“I don’t like sex.” She teased.

He tried to laugh only to end up coughing.

Winter Season