Below is my submission to Literary Lion’s weekly challenge.  Hope you enjoy!

The dream had been hers since a little girl.  She had always believed it would come true, but as Jessica surveyed the new model she was overcome with doubt.

Would it work?   The last four had been failures, and she worried this one would prove  the same.   Balling her hands into tight fists, Jessica bitterly whispered, “What choice do I have…”

Just for a moment, Jessica, let her mind wander backward to the first day she had awakened to the truth.  She allowed herself to relive, once again, all of the shock, anger and depression.

She did this without guilt.  After all, she had made a pact with herself, during those first days, to permit herself  a good fifteen minutes of feeling the emotions full force.  The deal had been to embrace all of its ugliness.  She allowed herself to scream, curse, hit and throw anything within reach, during that allotted time.  After the rage  she would, number one:  Accept the truth that had become her life; and number two:  Get her ass up and do something about it.

Keeping this oath is how Jessica had coped for the last six months.

At first it had been hard to let go of the rage in only fifteen minutes.  In the early days, every vase of flowers, within reach, was thrown against the wall.  Her language had been quite colorful.  Jessica smiled as she remembered how creative she had been with the string of profanities.  She totally lived up to the stereotype. The woman could cuss!

Slowly, as time progressed, the allotted fifteen dwindled.  Today, it had only been five minutes of rage with no flower causalities and few curse words.

Jessica felt a surge confidence, and said in a firm, even tone,  “I can do this”.

Without another thought, Jessica reached for the new model and fitted it to what remained of her left leg.  The fit was snug and minus the pain of the previous models; however, the true test was yet to come.

Jessica used her crutches to help her stand.  Once up and steady, she let the crutches fall to the floor.  Jessica grimaced, and carefully leaned her weight to the right.  Slowly the left leg extended with its new prosthesis.  Once again she shifted her weight but this time to lean on the prosthesis.  Jessica extended her right leg and successfully completed the first step, free of pain.

Jessica smiled.  She knew nothing, absolutely nothing would keep her from her dream.

Chief Petty Officer, Jessica Ann, decorated war hero would, indeed, dance at her wedding.