Authors: W. Ferraro
In the morning, Mae was roused by the feeling of small hands on her face. She peaked through one eye and watched as Megan ran her little hand over her face. Wanting to enjoy the moment with her, Mae laid still as Megan ran her small fingertips over the rise of her nose and around her cheeks, lightly over her closed eyes and ending rubbing her arched lips.
Mae opened her eyes wide to find the side of Megan’s face pressed into the plush pillow with her mane of hair spread out covering most of the white pillowcase. Her large curious eyes were looking directly into Mae’s.
“You’re awake” Megan spoke softly
“I am,” Mae whispered back as she settled down in to the warm covers
“I’m so glad we found you and you want to stay with us now.” Megan said, still lightly touching and feeling
“Nothing would make me happier to stay with all of you forever. I’m sorry Megan if I made you sad, I’ll promise I will try very hard not to do that again to you, okay?”
Mae placed her own hand on Megan’s face and mimicked the little girls motion by running along the lines of her little cherub face.
After a few minutes of little tickles and hushed giggles, Megan sat up, pushing her mesh of hair out of her face and whispered, “I want pancakes, do you think they’re awake?”
Loving the way her childish mind hopped from topic to topic, Mae murmured for them to quietly get out of bed and go and wake the boys. Holding her finger to her lips Mae motioned for Megan to go over to the far bed where Conner laid across the foot of the bed and Aidan was asleep curled on his side. In the bed closest to her, Mae looked at the beautiful creature that was Seth. He was on his stomach with his arms curled under the pillow and his head turned to the side facing the boys. His broad back was displayed for her as the sheet rode low around his waist. His feet hung off the end of the bed, which caused the comforter to fall and currently lay in a heap on the floor.
Smiling at the sight they all made, Mae looked over to find Megan jumping with mischievous anticipation, Mae held up her hand and counted down from three, when they reached one, Megan leaped into the middle of the bed effectively landing her arms and torso across Conner’s back while her feet got Aidan. Their grunts made her squeal in delight and continue to jump and bounce. Mae went for a more subtle assault, but still effective since Seth was caught unaware. She kneeled on the bed and began tickling his sides, which she knew was his most ticklish of places. As Seth begged for mercy from the surprise attack, all three of the kids decided this was the best way to kick off their family memories. Megan lead the charge from the other bed and they all simultaneously tickled and laughed until there were tears, but these were the best tears, they were the tears of laughter and joy.
After breakfast and check-out, Megan pleaded to ride with Mae, and Seth agreed. As the boys climbed into the Tahoe, there was mumbles of how they’d rather be in that car and they didn’t know they could have asked to ride in the Camaro. Seth followed Mae out of the city and he stayed behind her most of the way as the headed north on Route 91. They had stopped once to use the restrooms and stretch their legs. Megan was asleep in the Camaro, so they boys were out of luck switching places with her. As they got on the road again and was nearing their exit, Seth called Mae.
“Hello, I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you.”
“Well, I love you too, and that is the best kind of call to receive.” She said sincerely, then added, “Thank you so much for not giving up on me and us.”
“Thank you for giving a damn fool like me another chance at forever.”
“Always, my love. Ok, I’m hanging up now, I have precious cargo.”
She disconnected the call and looked in her rearview first at Seth driving three car lengths behind her and then at Megan, who was sound asleep. The exit was coming up; Mae put her turn signal on as the off ramp approached. Before she knew it she saw the red pickup dart her way from the left. Knowing contact was inevitable, she slammed on her brakes trying to let the front of the car take the impact. As metal hit metal, the Camaro turned clockwise and was now facing the Tahoe that had made an emergency stop.
Seth could see that Mae’s airbags had deployed. He had watched in horror as the pick-up truck crashed into Mae, shattering the windows and turning the car around violently. As the Camaro came to a stop in a cloud of smoke, the pickup was now on the grassy island that separated the off ramp from the highway. Seth pulled the Tahoe over to the shoulder and put his flashers on. Conner tried to climb out to run to Mae and his sister, but Seth yelled and begged him to stay in the SUV with Aidan, as well as call 9-1-1. Not knowing the condition of Mae and Megan, he could not take the chance of Conner or Aidan witnessing something. As he ran toward the Camaro, he could hear sobbing. His sent up prayers and vows willing to make the ultimate bargain if they could just be ok. He stopped at the passenger side and saw Megan was the one sobbing and begging to get out. Mae was unconscious in the front hunched over the steering wheel’s deflating airbag. Knowing he needed to concentrate on Megan, he tried to sound calm but his voice cracking and the shaking of his body proved he was anything but.
“Baby, are you hurt? Megan answer me!” he shouted over her sobbing.
“DADDY! Get me out; please I don’t want to be in here,” she pleaded with him as she continued to scream.
Seth tried to open the passenger door but the vehicle’s safety feature had kept it locked.
“Megan, block your face!” Seth hollered as he kicked at the cracked passenger window. It shattered sending millions of pieces inward and outward. Not caring if he got cut, he leaned and was able to undo Megan’s safety belt and had a prayer answered as she stood up and climbed over the front seat. Seth grabbed her and pulled her out, crushing her to him, kissing her head as he refused to let her go.
The state trooper and ambulance arrived just as Seth got Megan to slow her sobbing. They rushed to him asking if he was hurt, and he tried to tell them what had happened and that he wasn’t involved. Explaining that his other two children were in his Tahoe and that Mae was still in the car, the Trooper told him he would get the boys and bring them over to where the Ambulance was. The EMT insisted on checking Megan out in the ambulance, hesitant to leave Mae, still unconscious, but knowing she would want him to stay with Megan, he carried his baby girl over to the ambulance.
As the EMT checked Megan for any sign of trauma, she stayed curled into Seth’s chest. After the EMT told them, she would be sore and have some whoppers of bruises, luckily she didn’t have any severe sign of injury. Getting the sign from the EMT, the trooper headed toward them with Aidan and Conner, once they were within twenty yards, they ran crying and wanting to know if their sister was okay.
“She’s ok guys. She’s a tough cookie, our little spitfire. She’ll have some discomfort and bruising but she should be fine.” Seeing the sudden relief on their young faces and feeling some of the weight released from his own chest, Conner asked about Mae.
“I don’t know anything. She was knocked out when I got Megan out. I came over here with Megan and they haven’t told me anything yet,” he choked out as he watched as firefighters were still working on the car.
Just then he saw two EMTs, run with equipment and a stretcher, toward the Camaro and there was a lot of commotion.
Conner read his mind, “Go Dad, I’ll stay here with them.”
Kissing Megan’s head as he turned her over to Conner and Aidan, he ran to find out about Mae. He got there just as they were pulling her out, she was conscious now.
“Mae! Mae!” He yelled, as he reached her as she was being buckled in to the stretcher.
“Seth, oh my God, where’s Megan? Is she ok? I am so sorry! I never saw the truck until it was too late. Seth!”
Grabbing for her hand, and taking his first deep breath since she hung up the phone, he answered, “She’s fine Mae, I swear, just some bumps and bruises. It wasn’t your fault; I’m just relieved you are both alive.”
Mae needed to see for herself that Megan truly was ok.
“I need to see Megan, please let me see her, now. I don’t need to be on the stupid stretcher, I’m fine just a bump on the head. I have to see her, I have to know she’s not hurt.”
“We are taking you to the ambulance where she is, let us just check you out and make sure you are fine or if you are going to the hospital.” Said the female EMT
Seth never let go of her hand. He needed some sort of physical contact with her. He needed to feel the warmth of her skin and know that blood was pumping through her veins proving she was still with him. When they reached the ambulance, the kids went to her and Conner held Megan up so Mae could inspect for herself that she was genuinely uninjured.
Mae was finally able to get off the stretcher. As the EMT finished their exam of Mae; Robyn, Bryan and Lynne all arrived. Conner had called them while he waited in the Tahoe after he called 9-1-1.
Robyn and Lynne had been crying; their faces remained blotchy and wet. They hugged and kissed each of the kids and then surrounded Mae and did the same, as she sat down after the EMTs deemed her ok. Seth remained glued to her side with his arm protectively around her. His girls were safe. He silently thanked whoever was responsible for answering his prayers and pleas.
“Sweet Mae, first you break our hearts by leaving us, and then you come home only to scare us out of our minds.” Lynne said as she maternally looked over Mae head to toe and focused on the swollen lump on the side of her head.
“Sorry Lynne, everyone. I just want to go home.”
“Oh no you don’t! You are going to the hospital to be checked out just to be on the safe side,” Seth insisted adamantly
“Seth, I’m fine, really. I don’t need to go to the emergency room.” Mae countered, knowing she wasn’t going to win this fight.
“You are going Mae, end of discussion.” Seth said as he lightly touched her goose egg. He was vindicated by her wince.
“Ok kiddos, let’s go, we’ll head back to the house and wait for Dad and Mae to get back from the hospital.”
Megan went into Mae’s willing arms and laid her small face against Mae’s chest. Mae wrapped her arms around Megan and closed her eyes as she said her own silent thanks to their guardian angels.
“I’m sorry your pretty car is broken” Megan said, sounding muffled due to her face being pressed to Mae.
Mae kissed her on her sweet head and gently pushed her back so Megan looked at her, with everything she felt in her heart, she spoke, “Megan, I don’t care about the car. As long as you are ok, nothing else matters. If anything was to happen to you, I couldn’t live with myself. I’m just so very happy that you are not hurt, sweetie.” Mae choked on the last of her words.
“I love you Mae,” Megan said as she hugged with all her might.
“And I love you, Megan.” Looking at all of them as they surrounded her, she was looking at her family. She was where she belonged. “I love all of you so very much.”
“Don’t ever do that to me again! Love you Mae,” Robyn said crying tears of joy and relief as she bent down and engulfed Mae.
Bryan and Lynne followed suit, and then Conner.
“So happy you are ok Mae. Love you.” Conner said as he kissed her cheek.
“Love you too, Con.”
“Mae, I’d like to live to see thirteen, so can you not do that every again, my heart almost went kaput,” Aidan said, succeeding in lightening the mood.
“Got it, thirteen is a must. Thanks Aidan.” Mae laughed and realized that was painful to do.
After they all drove off, Seth helped Mae to the Tahoe and in. When they were on their way to the hospital, Seth told her how scared and how grateful he was to her that she maneuvered to save Megan. He prayed he would never have to experience anything like that ever again; the thought of losing either one of them would just be more than he could bear.
When they got to the emergency room, Robert was there to streamline her transport straight to the exam room to be seen immediately.
The ER doctor, Dr. Klein, who Mae knew, confirmed she was in fact ok, but she would have a nasty headache for a while as well as some bruising and quite a bump by morning. After thanking her for her time, and relaying everything to Robert, they headed home.
When they got back to the house, Robyn and Bryan were still there, as well as Lynne. Megan was curled on the couch with Bryan watching Conner and Aidan battle it out on the Wii’s version of a dance floor.
Lynne made sure there was ibuprofen readily available along with a hot cup of tea and cold glass of water. When the pills were taken and ice was issued, Mae opted to go and change. Seth went with her to help her.
They reached her bedroom and Seth made quick work of her clothes and got her some comfortable cotton pants with a soft t-shirt. Once she was dressed in her new attire, Seth held her as his tears fell.
“Oh God, honey, even now with you safe in my arms, all I can see if that truck hitting you and sending you spinning. And I couldn’t do anything to stop it. I was helpless and I hated it. What if I lost you? What if something happened to Megan? How much is one person supposed to take? Oh God Mae, I would have given anything to change spots with you. I know you are relatively ok, considering the alternative, but I hate that you were hurt, I hate it!”
Mae was astounded that Seth was so vocal about his feelings. She listened as he stated how much he hated that it happened, but she hated that he felt like this. Doing the only think she knew that would take his mind off it, she crooned softly, and when his breathing began to even out she held his face between her palms, like he’s done some many times to her, and asked him, “Kiss me, Seth”
With that he pressed his lips to her soft and eager mouth and gave himself much needed self-therapy. Her mouth was warm and inviting. Her tongue touched and sought his as if issuing orders. He wanted to be gentle and care for her since she was in pain, but Mae wouldn’t have it. She needed to feel Seth; she needed to know that this wouldn’t change, that they wouldn’t change. She could feel his body relaxing as he took control of the kiss and gave it everything he had. Mae molded herself to him focusing on them, here, in this moment, letting their bodies communicate that she was unharmed and they would in fact have that chance of forever.