Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Another wave takes me under, but when I emerge again, I see the playset. I’m almost on it. Max is still clinging to the pole, but she cries out as she begins to slip.
I let out a raw scream as I reach my limbs as far as they can go. I manage to hook my foot around the wood under the water connecting to the piece Max is clinging to. Pain slices through me, either another contraction or something in the water slicing me, but I don’t have time to be in pain. I pull myself up on the wood and reach for Max’s hand.
“Reach for me!” I yell to her over the wind and rain.
She leans out and extends her shaking little hand. I grab it and pull her to me, setting her against my huge belly. “Hey, there. Fancy seeing you here,” I say, relieved at the weight of her in my arms, a feeling that for a moment I didn’t know if I’d ever experience again. Even with rain and tears streaming down my face, she manages to smile at my joke.
“You have to hold on tight, baby. Can you do that for me? Just for a few more minutes?”
She nods and grips the wood as tight as she can. We only have another minute or two before we are completely submerged once again, so I have to think fast. I guide myself, one hand over the other along the top of the swing set until my hand finds the metal chain connecting the swing. I unhook both chains and tie one end around my waist. I’m going to tie this around your waist okay?”
She nods as I tie her to me. I take both swings and push them between the chains and our bodies to act as floats. Hopefully, it will keep us above water so we can be found.
I don’t have time to contemplate it before we’re swept up in the water yet again. We manage to stay upright as I float on my back with my daughter on my chest above my stomach, but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold this position. Floating debris collides with my shoulder, and I know I’m bleeding, but fuck blood. Blood doesn’t matter. It never did.
It never would.
Not in our family.
“Are you okay?” I call out to Max.
“I’m scared, Mommy,” she replies.
“Don’t be. Mommy’s got you. Mommy wouldn’t ever let anything happen to you. You know that, right?”
She nods against my neck.
“Good. I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”
I look around for something to grab, but I don’t see anything but water and the tops of some trees.
The sound of the rushing water grows louder and louder until I realize it’s not the water at all.
Two wave runners emerge from the back of the house and speed toward us, racing ahead of us. They stop just before the billboard, and just before we crash into it, we’re lifted from the water by out of this world strong arms and placed over King’s lap. “Maxie, are you okay, baby?” he shouts over the wind.
“Yes, Daddy. Mommy saved me.”
He looks over at me. “I know. She saved me, too, baby. She saved me, too.”
King hits the throttle and heads back to the house. The water is so high now it covers the first floor. King kills the engine and pulls alongside a window to the bonus room on the second floor. The window opens. We stop below an open window, and King unchains Max from me, hoisting her up to Bear’s waiting arms. King turns me so that my belly faces away from the house and lifts me by my thighs, not letting go until Bear has me seated on the window ledge. Carefully spinning me back around, he cradles me in his arms, then sets my feet on the floor, but my legs give out, and I fall to my knees.
“Hello there, darlin’,” Bear drawls as if we just ran into each other at the local bar.
Max rushes into my arms. “Mommy!”
“Oh, Maxie. My brave girl.” I hold her as tight as I can while tears stream down my already wet cheeks.
Bear tosses a warm blanket over our shoulders just as a bang sounds against the wall. King’s hands appear on the ledge. Bear gives him a hand and helps him inside.
King rushes to us, wrapping us both in his arms. “I was so afraid I was going to lose you,” King says, his voice frantic. “So fucking afraid. Tricia wasn’t alone. She had guys waiting for us by the garage. They shot at us. We took two of them down before I could get to you. I was so fucking afraid.”
“I’m fine. We both are,” I assure him, relieved to be able to speak the words out loud.