PART 3: WHAT HAPPENED NEXT BELONGED TO ME

The adaptive quilts slowly became more than a small weekend project. Grandpa adjusted the designs based on my suggestions. Cole transported the finished products to markets and community events. I handled the prices, orders, expenses and customer requests. Every decision passed through me first. One customer asked for an insulated pocket for medication. Another wanted loops that could attach to a hospital bed. A mother requested a design for her son’s power wheelchair. I wrote down every idea.

For years, adults had spoken about my life as though I were not in the room. Doctors discussed my recovery with Grandpa. Insurance companies decided which treatments were necessary. Strangers told me I was inspirational for doing ordinary things. Grandpa had even decided that I did not need to know who my father was. Now people were asking for my opinion and waiting for my answer. One evening, Grandpa placed the money from another quilt sale on the table. I counted it once, then counted it again.