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Levi gets a skateboard for his 11th birthday. June gets roller skates. They are both excited to try them out. Levi takes off on the skateboard and almost crashes into a car. June on the other hand, starts out slow.
Lucy supposes that’s the difference between her twins. One is careful makes sure to try and do all right things. Her social anxiety sometimes hinders her but she was getting better. The other one was a little careless and just wanted to have fun.
Which is why she thought the skate park would be a good idea. She thought taking Levi to a controlled environment where he could just skate board and have control.
(She was wrong. So very wrong.)
“Mom! Look at me!” Levi calls. Lucy freezes as her son rolls down the ramp. He wobbles a little but manages to hold himself up.
“Good job buddy!” Lucy calls out. Levi rolls past her and waves and then falls down.
“Oops!” He says and grabs the skateboard again. He runs up to a higher ramp and Lucy’s heart pounds in her chest. Levi wasn’t very good at skateboarding yet, and she’s sure he would get good.
Maybe.
So when he son gets ready to go down the ramp, she feels like she’s going to be sick. Her stomach flips over as Levi rolls down the ramp and almost lays on his face.
“Mom!” Levi calls and then he runs over to the fence. His cheeks are red, and she’s not sure if it’s from the heat or all the gear he’s wearing.
(She insisted. She wasn’t about to have a bruised and broken Levi. She was the one who bought him the skateboard.)
Damn her.
Damn.
“Hi buddy are you having fun?” She asks. Levi nods enthusiastically.
“Yes! I love this skateboard!” He says. “Watch me!” Lucy holds her breath as he rides off and tries to do a trick but he falls down. But just like in Levi fashion he jumps back up.
Lucy blows out a breath and continues to watch him. She’s not sure why she decided she should be the one to take Levi to the skate park. She was a bundle of nerves.
“Mom!” Levi calls. “Do we have health insurance?” Lucy blinks at him, he’s a distance away but she can see his face. He’s waiting for her answer and she almost lies to him.
“Yes Levi!” She calls out. “We do.” Levi grins and skates down the ramp.
“Cool! I have some new tricks I want to try.” He calls and then he goes to the biggest ramp. Lucy keeps her eyes on him.
She doesn’t like that statement.
She doesn’t like that all.
It’s like Levi knows something is about to happen. She goes to her messages and presses Tim’s name.
Lucy: Your son is chaotic
Tim: Oh he’s my son now?
Lucy: Why did we buy him a skateboard?
Lucy’s phone buzzes in her hands, and she rolls her eyes when she sees Tim’s name.
“Yes?”
“We bought him a skateboard. No that was all you.” Tim says. “What is he doing?”
“He asked if we had health insurance Tim! I don’t like this.” Lucy says. “He’s not very good.”
“He just got it baby. He’s not going to be an expert. And it’s Levi. He’s kind of uncoordinated.” Tim says. “I mean he’s great at sports. But he has to get used to that.”
“Right.”
“Mom!” Levi yells across the park. “Mom! Tell dad I am really good.”
“I gotta go.” Lucy says. “We will be home in a little bit.” Tim laughs a little and Lucy is definitely sending him next time.
Lucy hangs up and pulls up her camera. She snaps a few pictures and then does a video of Levi riding up and down the ramp.
He falls a few times but gets right back up. Lucy is amazed how resilient her kids are. Especially Levi.
He just radiates confidence and energy that she wishes she had. He was a little like Ava in that way. Daisy and June were resilient too just in other ways.
Before he was born, she was so used to having girls that she didn’t know how she would handle having a son.
But Levi, her beautiful, amazing son was everything she didn’t know she needed and more. Just like her daughters were but it was different. A mother and son’s love and bond.
“Levi!” She calls to her son who is about to go down a ramp. “Let’s go!” Levi pouts but goes down the ramp, grabs the skateboard and runs towards Lucy. He has scratches and scrapes all over him despite the protection. And she is sure he is bruised up.
But nothing is broken.
Thank god.
And he’s grinning big as he catches up to her. “Did you know there’s skateboarding in the summer Olympics?”
“Yes bud.”
“I’m going to do that one day. I will be on tv.” He says. Lucy looks at him in amusement.
“You want to be a professional skateboarder?” She asks. Levi shrugs.
“Why not?”
Lucy bites her tongue from saying all the reasons why not but she doesn’t. “I guess that’s something to work towards buddy.”
“Levi Timothy Bradford. Olympic skateboarder. Gold medal.” Levi says and he’s practically skipping. “Just imagine.”
“I am.”
“Thank you for the skateboard mom. Dad told me it was all your idea.” He says.
Damnit Tim!
“You’re welcome buddy. I’m glad you like it.” Lucy says. Levi grins and gives her a hug. She hugs him back and maybe she would go with him to the skate park a few more times.
(Levi definitely would need that.)
Maybe he would hurt himself going down a ramp but at least they had health insurance.
But all she knows, all that she is sure of it that it’s worth it.
It’s worth seeing her son smile and happy. It’s worth watching him do something that he’s so interested in and determined to get back in.
It’s worth it.
And it always would be.
Skateboards and all.
***
Tim takes Levi to the skate park the next time and then he calls from the emergency room.
“Levi broke his arm.” Tim says.
“Excuse me?” Lucy says aghast. “How did he break his arm?”
“He was doing a trick and he was showing off for—” Tim pauses. “You know what Levi better tell you.”
There’s a pause and then Levi’s voice comes over the line. He sounds cheerful. “Hi mom!” He says. “I broke my arm.”
“Yes Levi. I heard.” Lucy says and she runs her hand through her hair. “How?”
“Well there’s this girl—” Levi says and Lucy blows out a breath. Of course. “And I wasn’t paying attention and fell. The doctor said I landed the perfect way to break my arm.”
“Of course.” Lucy says. “Are you okay buddy? Does it hurt? Do you need—”
“Mom I’m fine! It was awesome!” Levi says. Of course it was. Only her son was old be cheerful about this.
“I wouldn’t describe breaking your arm as awesome Levi. But okay.” Lucy says. “I’m glad you are okay. Can I talk to your dad.”
“Okay!” Levi says and there’s another pause before Tim’s voice is breaking through.
“He’s okay Luce.” Tim says. “You know what he said to me on the drive over?” Lucy closes her eyes.
“No what?”
“Thank god we have health insurance.” Tim replies and she hears the amusement in his voice.
“Oh my god!” Lucy says because of course. That didn’t surprise her.
Her skater boy.
Her crazy, chaotic skater boy.