desk. “And if you need the bathroom, Gracie, it’s down the corridor on your left.”
“You read my mind.” Gracie waved goodbye and held Trent’s hand as she quickly followed Amy’s directions. “How does it feel to know we’re having a daughter.”
“Like the most important and scariest thing in the world.”
“I know.” She glanced at a door and sighed. “Thank goodness.”
“I’ll wait for you here.”
She passed Trent the photos and smiled. “Have another look at our daughter’s lips. They look just like yours.” And before Trent said anything, Gracie disappeared inside the bathroom.
***
Trent held Gracie’s hand as they walked across to his truck. It was already dusk and fast heading into night.
“Those clouds look menacing.” Gracie clicked her seatbelt into place and stared at the black clouds hovering over the mountains.
“Hopefully we’ll be home before the storm hits.” He turned the heater on and reversed out of their parking space. “I could make you a wooden platform to get in and out of bed. I just don’t want you falling off it in the middle of the night when you go to the bathroom.”
“You could put tape that glows in the dark on the edge. Then I’d know where to put my feet.”
Trent thought about that and decided it was a good idea. They had a pile of wood left over from the barn conversion. He could use his new polissoir to make it look real pretty, or give it a quick coat of varnish if Gracie was looking for something less fancy.
Gracie patted the white folder on her knees. “Our daughter looks amazing. She’s real, Trent. Not just a line on a pregnancy test kit. She’s alive and growing inside of me.”
“I didn’t think she’d look like a baby,” he said. “I thought she’d be a little blob of cells. I can’t believe we made her.”
“She’s our own little miracle. Did you notice anything about her due date?”
Trent stopped for a red light and grinned at Gracie. “Yeah. It’s mom’s birthday on June 20. She’ll be hoping our little girl wants to stay inside of you for a couple of extra days.”
“Do you want to go and see your mom now? We could show her the photos?”
Trent looked outside. It was dark, almost pitch black beyond the beam of the headlights. Snow had just started falling and he hadn’t liked the look of the clouds when they’d left the hospital. “I don’t know, Gracie. It’s getting worse outside.”
“We could stay with your mom for the night? Jordan’s on the ranch so he could look after the cattle.”
The traffic lights turned green and Trent accelerated slowly through the intersection. His mom knew they were having the scan today. She’d be excited to see them, excited to see the photos of her first grandchild. “Okay, we’ll go and see…”
A flash of light lit the inside of the truck. Trent turned his head just as Gracie screamed. Shit! He jammed on his brakes, pulled on the steering wheel, but the lights kept coming.
Everything seemed to slow down. Gracie grabbed the door handle, holding on tight. The folder she’d had in her lap flew across the cab, scattering photos everywhere. He felt a jolt, heard the squeal of metal as it folded in on itself, crumpling beneath the weight of another vehicle.
The airbag flew out of the steering wheel, smacking his face like he’d hit a brick wall. Glass shattered and something hit his head. The truck kept moving, kept spinning.
Then there was silence, an unholy wait for something else. He heard someone moan, blinked away the water dripping over his eyes. He lifted his hand to his head, wiped away the water and looked down at his hand. It was red. Blood.
He turned toward Gracie. She was slumped over her seatbelt. “Gracie?” She didn’t answer. He tried to move, tried to get closer to her, but something locked him in place.
His door opened. Cold air flooded the cab. It cleared his head, made him even more worried for Gracie and their baby.
“Stay there,
“You read my mind.” Gracie waved goodbye and held Trent’s hand as she quickly followed Amy’s directions. “How does it feel to know we’re having a daughter.”
“Like the most important and scariest thing in the world.”
“I know.” She glanced at a door and sighed. “Thank goodness.”
“I’ll wait for you here.”
She passed Trent the photos and smiled. “Have another look at our daughter’s lips. They look just like yours.” And before Trent said anything, Gracie disappeared inside the bathroom.
***
Trent held Gracie’s hand as they walked across to his truck. It was already dusk and fast heading into night.
“Those clouds look menacing.” Gracie clicked her seatbelt into place and stared at the black clouds hovering over the mountains.
“Hopefully we’ll be home before the storm hits.” He turned the heater on and reversed out of their parking space. “I could make you a wooden platform to get in and out of bed. I just don’t want you falling off it in the middle of the night when you go to the bathroom.”
“You could put tape that glows in the dark on the edge. Then I’d know where to put my feet.”
Trent thought about that and decided it was a good idea. They had a pile of wood left over from the barn conversion. He could use his new polissoir to make it look real pretty, or give it a quick coat of varnish if Gracie was looking for something less fancy.
Gracie patted the white folder on her knees. “Our daughter looks amazing. She’s real, Trent. Not just a line on a pregnancy test kit. She’s alive and growing inside of me.”
“I didn’t think she’d look like a baby,” he said. “I thought she’d be a little blob of cells. I can’t believe we made her.”
“She’s our own little miracle. Did you notice anything about her due date?”
Trent stopped for a red light and grinned at Gracie. “Yeah. It’s mom’s birthday on June 20. She’ll be hoping our little girl wants to stay inside of you for a couple of extra days.”
“Do you want to go and see your mom now? We could show her the photos?”
Trent looked outside. It was dark, almost pitch black beyond the beam of the headlights. Snow had just started falling and he hadn’t liked the look of the clouds when they’d left the hospital. “I don’t know, Gracie. It’s getting worse outside.”
“We could stay with your mom for the night? Jordan’s on the ranch so he could look after the cattle.”
The traffic lights turned green and Trent accelerated slowly through the intersection. His mom knew they were having the scan today. She’d be excited to see them, excited to see the photos of her first grandchild. “Okay, we’ll go and see…”
A flash of light lit the inside of the truck. Trent turned his head just as Gracie screamed. Shit! He jammed on his brakes, pulled on the steering wheel, but the lights kept coming.
Everything seemed to slow down. Gracie grabbed the door handle, holding on tight. The folder she’d had in her lap flew across the cab, scattering photos everywhere. He felt a jolt, heard the squeal of metal as it folded in on itself, crumpling beneath the weight of another vehicle.
The airbag flew out of the steering wheel, smacking his face like he’d hit a brick wall. Glass shattered and something hit his head. The truck kept moving, kept spinning.
Then there was silence, an unholy wait for something else. He heard someone moan, blinked away the water dripping over his eyes. He lifted his hand to his head, wiped away the water and looked down at his hand. It was red. Blood.
He turned toward Gracie. She was slumped over her seatbelt. “Gracie?” She didn’t answer. He tried to move, tried to get closer to her, but something locked him in place.
His door opened. Cold air flooded the cab. It cleared his head, made him even more worried for Gracie and their baby.
“Stay there,
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