Page 11 of A Little More Love

“Papa,” Tinsley whined from where she was pressed into my back. “Off.”

After I silenced my phone, I rolled over and pulled her into my body.

“Sleeeepin’,” she whined again. Elliot must have moved her back between us after my incredible orgasm.

“I know you’re sleeeeepin’, but I need some good luck kisses before I leave this morning,” I explained, mimicking her Little speech.

“Get them from Daddy,” she mumbled, trying to roll away from me.

Elliot barked out a laugh and propped his head on his hand.

“Oh, what a sassy baby we have this morning.”

“Tired baby!” Tinsley exclaimed, rolling over and putting her butt in the air with her knees under her. It was her signature sleepy Little girl move. I covered her back up and patted her bottom a few times before her face relaxed. Lifting her pacifier, I pressed it to her lips before she sucked it back into her mouth.

“You’re going to do great today,” Elliot whispered. “We both believe in you and you’re going to bring in so much support for the Holt family.”

“Thank you,” I said, “and I was thinking about it last night when we were at the fire pit. If I don’t want to tell them about my own injuries, I don’t have to. I can always direct the interview back to the Holt family. I don’t owe them anything.”

Elliot smiled and nodded in encouragement. “You’re absolutely right. You don’t have to share anything you do want to.”

I loved when Elliot encouraged me. His words covered my body like a warm blanket on a cold night and he was so genuine I couldn’t help but believe him.

“And I have you two waiting here for me when I get back. I can face any hard thing knowing what’s waiting on me once I make it through.”

***

“Thanks for tuning in to 103-the Scoop. Today we are meeting with Tyler Smith, our hometown veteran, who is helping our hometown hero, Parker Holt. Tyler, tell us at the Scoop about what you and Homes for Heroes will be doing for the Holt family,” the radio host, Kelly, said into her mic. She had been incredibly kind and helped put my worries at ease, especially when I explained some of my own hangups about the interview.

“Well, Homes for Heroes is a non-profit organization that helps people who were injured in combat receive the adaptations they need in their homes. People often don’t realize how much work needs to be done to make day to day living possible for them.”

“You’re right. I honestly had no clue the details that would go into everything until I was reading over the plans. Can you give us a rundown of what you will be doing for the Holts?”

“Just to name a few, we are planning wheelchair ramps for the front and back porch. Wider door frames, more accessible appliances, two bathroom remodels, and new hardwood floors throughout the home.”

“That is truly amazing. And all of this is at no cost to the family?”

“There is absolutely nothing the family will need to pay. Homes for Heroes will take care of everything, including placing the family in a hotel and giving them tickets to the local amusement park for the week.”

“And how is that possible? Who funds these things?”

“People just like you. Thousands of people donate to Homes for Heroes and every penny of the donations go to the veterans. Local companies have donated supplies for the Holts as well. The hardware store donated seven thousand dollars’ worth of materials for the remodel and Whitby Furniture donated all new furniture to the family. Generosity is what keeps Homes for Heroes running.”

“I love that! I’m so proud of Augusta right now. Now, let’s talk about you for a minute. We remember your own injuries when you were overseas. Do you care to share anything about your own time overseas?”

My heart dropped to my feet, but I reflected on Elliot’s words of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, I said, “I was injured overseas. I didn’t have an accessible house or friends with accessible housing, so recovering was doubly taxing because I didn’t know what I was going to do once I was released. My friends were amazing and stepped into help, but for a while it put me in a bad place mentally and I didn’t heal as quickly as I could have because I didn’t know what the future held.”

“And how did you hear about Homes for Heroes?”

“After my physical recovery, and a long while after my mental recovery, I started searching for organizations I could help with and I found Homes for Heroes. I’ve worked with them for several months and I love every story, but I will say the Holts’ might be my favorite because it was so close to my heart.”

“What a beautiful thing you and Homes for Heroes are doing. Ah! It makes me want to cry!” she said, dabbing her eyes with a tissue from her table.

“I hope everyone feels the same way. It would be nice to see some familiar faces during the BBQ this weekend.”

“Mine will be there for sure!” Kelly said. “What else can we do to support the Holts?”

“You can call the toll free number for Homes for Heroes and ask to make a donation for the Holt family, you can donate supplies, or your time. We have a lot of work to do and we could use some strong bodies to help us pull it off.”

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