Love You Through It

Chapter Two

Landon wakes up before Samija and cleans up the RV. He decides to make eggs for breakfast.

"Oh...Where's dad?" Samija sits up. "Mmm, that smells good."

"Ryan walked him back to his RV. Thanks, and I'm making some for you too." Knowing her dad is safe, she relaxes on the couch with the blanket covering her legs. Landon hands her a plate of eggs.

"Let's eat, and then we will go find your dad."

"Sounds like a plan." She laughs.

"Why do you want to be crew chief?"

"I guess because Mom and I have been at every race since I was a year old. Never missed one. At first, I was fine just being here, now I want to be a part of it. A part of something bigger. I know how successful RWR is and I want to be a part of it. Make a name for myself. Maybe someday, own a team."

"Jumping straight to crew chief is an accomplishment for the books on its own. Not many people have that opportunity. You're really lucky to have a father who's been a crew chief for RWR for over 30 years. He's one of the best."

"When I first told him I wanted to follow in his footsteps, he wasn't surprised at all. What made you want to drive?"

"My grandpa used to be a driver about 28 years ago. Your dad was his last crew chief. He raced till I was six but stopped racing after that because he got cancer. My dad raced for a few years with your dad but only to keep the Ryder legacy. My dad stopped racing after grandpa died when I was eight. When I turned eighteen, I told my dad, I was going to get behind the wheel of a race car whether he liked it or not. He called Ryan that day and got me in to train."

"How long do you plan to race?"

"As long as I can, I'd love to stay racing for RWR." He smiles. They finish their eggs and put the plates in the sink.

"Are you ever afraid?"

"Sometimes. I'm scared of dying behind the wheel of that car but at the same time, I'm not."

"I've been watching you race for six years now and every time a race starts, I get nervous. Not only for you, but for all the drivers on the track. I couldn't even imagine how the families feel or what they go through when a driver dies behind the wheel of these cars." 

"I can't either. I hope my future family doesn't have to endure that, I wouldn't wish anything like that on anyone. I feel like it would be the same as losing someone that's in the military." 

"Maybe it is, but I don't think I want to find out anytime soon. Should we go check on my dad?"

"I don't either, and yeah, we should." Landon opens the door and holds out his hand for her to take. She takes his hand and he helps her down the steps. They walk to Erik's RV, Samija opens the door.

"Dad? Are you awake?" They walk into the RV. 

"Yes, kiddo, I'm awake. Ryan made sure I made it back safely. You fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you." 

"Thanks Dad. You missed a great breakfast though. Landon made eggs for us and they were delicious."

"Darn, maybe I should have stayed in his RV. That's a better breakfast that I had." They all laugh. "I think the rest of the team wants to get back on the road to head to the next race. Ryan is going to wait till tomorrow to go. I think we should too."

"Judging by how much you guys drank last night, I think we should wait too." Samija replies. 

 "So what should we do today?" 

"Let's go to the beach, it's only three miles from here." Landon suggests.

"That's a good idea! Let's go change and head to the beach." Erik heads towards his closet and grabs his swim trunks.

"Meet you back here in five minutes?" Samija looks at Landon.

"I'll be back in five then." He smiles and leaves Erik's RV.  Samija grabs her suitcase from the other closet and digs out her suit. 

"He's a good driver, Samija. I know what you're thinking. He was trained by Ryan. He drove for 20 years before he decided to stop driving and own the team." She looks at him. 'Damn," she thinks, 'Dad knows me too well.' 

"I know, Dad. But I can't help but be scared. Those cars are fast and the impact with a wall can severely hurt a driver or even kill them." Erik hugs his daughter. 

"Samija, worry about our trip to the beach today, not the what ifs. Yes, he's young and has his whole life ahead of him, but it was his decision to get behind the wheel of that car, no one else made that decision. Now, go get changed, he'll be back here in a bit."

"Okay, Dad." She goes into the tiny bathroom and puts her suit on under her shirt and leggings. She grabs two towels from the even smaller bathroom closet. Landon walks back into the RV as she comes out of the bathroom. 

"Ready?" She grabs a beach bag to put the towels in.

"Yeah. I'll put your towel in my bag." He hands her his towel. She puts all the towels in the bag. They decide to walk the three miles to the beach.