Daniel was driving me home from school on the first really cold day of the year.
When I say it's cold, I mean like stupid cold; our high of the day is 31. Yeah, yeah, ok, you northerners, it ain't that cold, but you also have to take into account yesterday... and I shit you not, it was 78 degrees.
mmmk? It's fucking cold!
I'm so cold, and Dani's old truck doesn't have a heater right now.
"Sorry, princess," he smiled over at me while I was puffing his hot breath on my hands while we were at a red light.
"Not your fault. I'm an idiot," I grumbled.
He chuckled lightly, "Be home soon, and we can start a fire in the grate," he said as the light turned green, and we started to move forward.
"Now that sounds won-" I started as I looked out the window and immediately screamed. Dani saw the car at the same time I did, and he slammed on the accelerator.
The roads were super icy, and that car wasn't stopping; the driver had lost control.
Dani lost control of the truck as well, and we started to spin out of control.
I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my face. I felt Dani's arm across my chest, holding me against my seat.
We skidded to a stop, my side of the car hit a pole, and the windows shattered. I opened my eyes and looked over at Dani, who was already looking at me and still had his arm out, pinning me to the seat.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
"Y-yeah, ar-are you?" he looked really shaken and pale.
"I'm fine, it's ok," I said and rubbed his arm, but he just kept staring at me "what?" I asked gently, then realized he was looking behind me. I turned and saw the pole had just barely missed my seat and had absolutely crushed the backseat. My eyes widened at how close that was, and I looked back at Dani quickly. "I'm ok" I nodded again and moved over to hug him.
He held me tight and buried his head in my hair.
His door flew open, "Are you guys ok? I tried to stop. I swear, I- I just hit black ice, and I lost control, I'm so sorry," who I'm assuming is the other driver said in a panic.
"We're fine," I said, looking up at him. He looked like he couldn't be older than 16; he had a pimply baby face that was as white as a sheet.
Dani and I got out to look at the damage.
"No way this isn't totaled," Dani said sadly. This truck had been his grandpa's.
"Never know till we submit the claim," I said and squeezed his arm. I pulled my phone out and started taking pictures of the truck, the kid's car, and the general area.
The thing about old trucks is they don't have airbags, and some don't even have seat belts. This one had seatbelts, but mine appears to have snapped from where it was stitched under the seat, which is why Dani's hand shot out, or at least he had good timing.
I called and asked Dylan to come to pick us up and handled getting the kid's information while Dani just sat and stared at his truck. After I reported the crash and had a tow truck coming out to get it, I sat next to him and cuddled with him, trying to get warm.
"That was so close, princess," he whispered and moved me onto his lap to hold me closer.
"I know, but we are both ok, ok? Just focus on that." I whispered.
Dylan showed up with Josh just before the tow truck got here. Dani and I had already talked with a police officer about the crash, and the man was just staying to wait for us to all have adults to pick us up.
We drove home in silence but were met with an anxious Marry as soon as we pulled in.
"Are you two ok? Oh, I was so worried. Josh made me stay while they went to get you." She sent her husband and son a deathly glare.
"We're both ok,"
"How's your truck?"
"Totaled," Dani said before walking past her.
"He's still shaken up," I told her.
"And rightly so, Kate, I don't think you realize how close that was," Josh said gently as he pulled Marry to his side.
"How close, what was? What happened? You said it wasn't bad!" Marry panicked as Josh pulled her inside.
"And it wasn't, sweetheart, they spun and hit a pole, the pole smashed the back passenger door of Daniels truck, it was really close to hitting Katey," Josh said, still in a gentle voice.
"What?!" She pulled away from Josh and started looking over me even closer.
"I'm fine, really," I said and glared at Josh for making it sound worse than it was.
"Ok, ok, just let me clean your cuts, ok?" Marry fussed over me.
I hadn't realized until she said so, but I had a couple small cuts on my face and shoulder from the glass, and now they stung lightly. I nodded and followed her to the kitchen, where she cleaned my cuts. Once I was cleaned up, I took the supplies up to my room where, as I expected, I found Dani.
He had a cut on his right cheek but otherwise had no injuries unless he bruised himself somewhere I couldn't see at the moment. I cleaned the cut and then laid down with him,
"I was so scared, princess," he whispers, sounding almost choked up.
"Oh Dani," I whispered and pulled him, so his head was resting on my chest, and I played with his hair.
"My mom died in a car accident when I was 8, got hit by a drunk driver in the middle of the day. I was in the car when it happened."
"I'm so sorry, Dani," I whispered and continued to play with his hair, letting him talk.
"It's ok, princess... She had a great life, even if it was cut short," he smiled and looked up at me with slightly glassy eyes. I leaned down and pecked his lips.
"I was getting bullied at school, so I called her and pretended to be sick. She knew I was faking, but she still came to get me. When we were in the car, she told me she knew I was faking but that she would always come and get me if I wanted her to, even when she 'is older than grandpa and I have a family of my own. We got hit when the guy ran his red light about a minute later. I guess today just brought it all back. I was fine until I saw how close that pole was to your seat; I could have lost you today too." he whispered.
"I'm not going anywhere, babe, I promise."
"she didn't think she was going to die either, and I still lost her. I don't want to lose you too." he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I don't want to lose you either Dani, I know how you feel, though. The more you think about death, the scarier it becomes; it happens so fast and is so permanent... I lost my mom when I was little too, she died when I was 6. I don't remember very much about her before that day. My last memory of her wasn't that great" a lump grew in my throat, but I kept talking. "I made her cry the last time I saw her, I don't even remember why I was mad at her, but I told her I hated her." I swallowed the lump in my throat and willed myself not to cry.
"She knew you loved her, princess."
"I know, or at least I hope so, but it hurts to have that as my last memory of her. I just wish I had a better one." I sighed and folded over, so I was awkwardly hugging Dani's head in my lap.
"It doesn't make it any better to have your last memory be your mom telling you she loves you, I promise. It's just hard," he whispered against my forehead while kissing it.
We snuggled until dinner when we rejoined the rest of the family. Everyone avoided the subject of today. They all, of course, already knew about Dani's mom and must have understood how today had affected him, and for that, I was very grateful.
Dani was back to his goofy self by the next day.
"D, I'm going to fucking kill you. PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN!!!!" Sadie shrieked at Dani while he ran around with her thrown over his shoulder.
"No can do Lil sis.... Oouuufffff" Alex tackled him and stole Sadie back from Daniel.
Once Sadie was back on her feet, she realized her heel got broken in the scramble and screamed, "your asses are my dickheads!!" and started chasing both boys around with the broken shoe brandished in one hand.
"Always the lady," Eric chuckled
"So polite," I said
"A delicate rose," Ella added
"The fuck did I miss?" Dylan as he walked up to where we were sitting in the park.