Bryan had everything set up as he waited for his wife across town. He’d made it official and asked her out on a date, wanting things to continue to progress after they’d made up a few days after Valentine’s Day. They’d been quietly seeing each other again - going on dates and sleeping around - for over a month and were trying to keep things quiet around the kids. Bryan wanted things to get back to how they were slowly and carefully. Every discussion was had calmly with them working on getting their communication back to how it was early in their relationship and looking for compromises so they could prevent the issues that caused the breakup in the first place. Last thing Bryan wanted to do was get the kids’ hopes up and things fail, or move too fast back into old patterns and risk those same fights coming back all over again. The sneaking around and catching up on all the intimacy they’d lost in four years was exhilarating.
He wanted to talk to her about what the next step in their unique situation would be. Bryan felt weird about asking when he could move in or if they wanted to do a vow renewal ceremony (which he did want to do), or at the very least how to tell the kids they were at least working things out if not already back together. That’s what he hoped to discuss over a nice romantic early dinner. But Lottie was late. … Very late. … She’s the most punctual person Bryan’s ever met.
No texts or missed calls. So Bryan calls her.
And again a few minutes later.
…
Just as he’s about to dial his son’s number while suppressing the overreation that she’s been in an accident, he gets the call.
“Hello, Mr. Hawkins? Your wife was in an accident and is in route to the hospital. We need you to get here as quickly as you can. We cannot give more details about the patient over the phone.”
His hearing faded and his vision began to tunnel. Bryan’s body went into over drive. He didn’t hear the rest of what was said. He just hung up the phone and began to run from the restaurant.
He began to drive at breakneck speed - or as fast as he could through the town - before something in the back of his head spoke up. Slow down. They don’t need you in an accident, too.
Bryan made it to the hospital as multiple ambulances were lined up with stretchers being pulled out with broken and bleeding bodies and new clean ones getting loaded back up for them to head back to the scene. Bryan ran into the ER to the front desk and frantically asked for his wife’s location. The woman tried to calm him down and began looking her up. “She hasn’t been brought in yet-” Bryan spun around and ran back outside to watch the paramedics until he spotted someone who looked like her. “LOTTIE!” He raced over to the gurney. “That’s my wife! Charlotte! Baby, I’m here.” He was fighting back tears. She was covered in blood from the waist down and was pale. Her eyes couldn’t seem to focus, probably on the brink of passing out due to shock or blood loss. Or both. “Sweetheart, it’s me, just listen to my voice. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. Everything’s going to be okay.” He held onto her hand, her grasp weak, and kept up beside her as they wheeled her in at a brisk pace.
Charlotte was on her way to meet Bryan for another date. Things had been going well. But she didn’t want to jinx anything. Fixing her dress, she walked through the sea of people listening to the Mayor’s speech. She didn’t have time to stay as much as she would like to.
The next thing she knew, Charlotte had been waking up with cries and sirens filling her eardrum. She couldn’t move. Fingers twitched as she tried to regain consciousness. She groans, trying to sit up and seeing red. There was so much blood. A large glass shard protruded from her thigh, she blinked as her vision blurred, falling back under darkness.
Weaving in and out of consciousness, Charlotte saw bright lights and she could hear questions. She wanted so desperately to scream but the pain was too searing. She nodded her head as she was pretty sure someone asked her a question, falling back into a deep sleep.
Eyes opened as the world around her spun. Her breathing shallow as she felt a hand encase her own. Heavy eyelids peered one to see a familiar tousle of brown hair. A weak smile as she squeezes his hand, “I-I’m sorry I was late.”
A bolt of pain races up her thigh, she groans as her breathing intensifies. “Bryan... Bryan. Listen to me, you have t-to find Sawyer. And the kids...” She gulps as she lifts the oxygen mask, “You have to take care of them okay?” If Charlotte didn’t make it out alive, she’d knew that her babies were in great hands. Her body fought restless against the gurney, she could feel the energy leaving her. “Let them know that I love them.”
The now or never moment as she takes one last squeeze on his hand, “And I love you too, baby.”
