I Can See for Miles Read Free

good days he didn’t need his stick, only his glasses. On the bad ones he felt his way around the house enveloped in a hazy fog. But if he told anyone the truth; that the bad days were beginning to far outweigh the good, he would have to admit it to himself—and Charlie wasn’t ready for that. Today was a middle-of-the-road kind of day.
    Refusing to allow himself to be bogged down by the mire of self-pity, Charlie pushed his glasses farther onto his nose and opened his inbox. In the middle of checking his e-mail, the phone rang, and he reached out to pick it up.
    “Camp Aisling, Charlie Cooper speaking.”
    “Have you eaten today, Charlie Cooper?” The gentle tone of a female voice vibrated down the line.
    Charlie’s lips curved upward in a soft smile. “Yes, Maggie made me eat a tuna sandwich for lunch. Are you two ganging up on me?”
    “I’m allowed to gang up on you. I’m your mother.” Sharon Cooper chuckled fondly. “Have all the new campers arrived?”
    The question was innocent enough, but Charlie rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “Maggie didn’t waste any time, did she?” he drawled sarcastically. “Did the door at least close behind me before she was dialing your number?”
    “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Charles William Cooper, and don’t you roll those eyes at me,” his mother replied. “I was simply asking if all the campers had arrived yet and whether or not they seemed like a nice crowd. That’s all.”
    “Sure you were, Momma.” Charlie chuckled and rubbed a fist in his left eye; it was aching again. “They seem like a real nice crowd. All of them seem real nice.”
    “That’s good, dear. Well, your father and I will be able to see for ourselves soon enough. What time do you want him to come down to start the barbecue? You know how excited he gets; he’s been wearing his “Kiss the Chef” apron since eight thirty this morning.”
    Charlie could hear his father obviously smacking a kiss on his mother’s cheek in the background. “Eww, I can hear you. I’m going blind, not deaf.” The words were out before he could stop them, and if he was sure he wouldn’t fall over while he was doing it, he would have kicked himself. “Mom….”
    “Baby, we’re concentrating on the here and now, remember?” His mother’s tone was gentle but firm. “But since you brought it up… have you heard from Dr. Morgan yet?”
    “Yeah, I got an e-mail last night. I’ve got an appointment on Wednesday.” He sighed, hearing his mother relay the information to his father and smiling as he heard Bill’s voice on the line.
    “Wednesday? That’s good, Charlie. Did he have a cancellation or something?” Bill’s tone was gruff, deep, and no-nonsense.
    “Yeah, he managed to fit me in at the last minute. Dad… tell Mom….” He trailed off, knowing he didn’t need to formulate the words for Bill to understand what he was trying to say.
    “I will… but you know that woman has enough hope in her soul for everyone. She’s your mother, Charlie. It’s her job to hope for the best until someone tells her different,” Bill replied.
    “I know.” Charlie smiled softly. “But she does know that I’m thirty-two, right? She managed to let me go long enough to work in LA for eight years.”
    Bill’s voice became serious for a moment. “Charlie, we’re your parents. We wished you well and watched you spread your wings… but it doesn’t matter whether you live in LA or across the field… we will never let you go, boy.”
    “I love you, Pop.” Charlie smiled, blinking against the sting behind his eyes.
    “Me too. Now, let’s talk barbecue before I need to check I still have my balls,” Bill deadpanned.
    Charlie chuckled loudly, his mirth escalating when he heard his mother remonstrating with his father for his language. “Okay, meeting is at three, so if you and Mom could get here about two thirty, I can introduce you to everyone, and then we can get the