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19
Alexis
I click off the TV. Letting out a shuddering breath, I drop the remote on the couch.
I’m as prepared as I can possibly be, turning the downstairs guest suite bathroom into a safe room.
But I’m still petrified.
I’m petrified of the storm.
I’m petrified of doing it alone.
Of being the only adult that has to make hard decisions if it came to that. Lizzy’s potential safety is resting solely on my shoulders, and that is more frightening than everything else. Lucas had called earlier, practically begging me to let him come over and weather the storm with us, but my foolish pride wouldn’t allow me to. It’s still refusing to let me pick up the phone and call him. Pride and anger have kept me going these past weeks, and I value it, but I know, in this case, I let those emotions override common sense.
Living where I do, I’m no stranger to tropical storms, but this one is big. And according to the news, its path has shifted, putting us smack bang in the middle of it. They’re predicting it to be at least a category three when making landfall, so it’s going to be bad. At least we’re far away enough from the coast to not be impacted by the storm surge and haven’t been requested to evacuate as some areas have.
Still, I can’t make that call.
“Mommy, can I put this in the bathroom?”
Lizzy is carrying an armful of stuffed toys, the top of her head barely visible behind them. The bathroom is a decent size, but with all the supplies I carried in there, it is already pretty full. I can’t deny her, though. This is going to be a traumatic experience for her, and if stuffed toys will make it easier, then so be it.
“Sure, baby. Put them on the mattress.” She had helped carry in a blow-up mattress I found in the garage from when we went camping a few years ago and piled a bunch of blankets and pillows on top. I told Lizzy we were camping indoors, and for now, she is still excited, thinking this is a great adventure. I want to keep it that way for as long as possible.
Walking to a window, I peer outside. The wind has picked up. It’s nothing overly dramatic yet, but you can hear the whistling sound as it weaves its way around the houses. The palm trees lining the street have gone from a gentle sway to more erratic movements and the rain is a steady downpour.
I’m busy packing backup supplies into the guest room cupboard when my phone rings.
Hope swells through me. This time I’ll do the adult thing and tell Lucas to come over—pride be damned. So I’m a touch disappointed when, instead, I see Mom’s number flashing. She’s in Atlanta, so she must be going out of her mind with worry.
“Alexis, the news is saying that the storm is moving straight toward you.”
Her voice is much higher, and her words much faster than they normally are, so I do my best to keep the worry out of mine.
“I know. I just saw.”
“I think you should evacuate.”
I hear Lillian’s voice in the background, firing instructions on what I should be doing.
“We’ll be okay, Mom. We’re far enough to be safe from the storm surge. I’ve stocked up on food, water, and everything else I could think of.” I’m not even going to mention the extensive first aid kit I stashed in the cupboard under the sink. Guaranteed hysterics.
“Alexis, they’re predicting winds of at least 130 miles per hour…” her voice hitches on a sob. “It’s not safe. I think you should evacuate anyway.”
“Mom, we’ll be fine,” I soothe. “We had impact-resistant doors and windows installed when we moved in. Besides, it’s too late to evacuate now. The roads will be congested, and I don’t want to be stuck in the car when it hits.” Yesterday, I filled up with gas just to be on the safe side, but at this point, I’m not going anywhere.
“I love you, baby girl,” she sniffles, but her voice is strong, trying to be brave for me.
“I love you too, Mom. Please don’t worry about us. We’ll be okay. Our house is strong, and it’s the safest place we can be right now.”
Her voice drops to a whisper. “I wish Lucas was with you. You shouldn’t be doing this on your own.” Yeah, me too. The lights give an ominous flicker, and I take a deep breath.
“Mom, I’ve gotta go. I don’t know how long the power will last, but if you don’t hear from me, it’s because everything’s down. Tell Lill I love her, and please, don’t worry. We’ll be safe.” Maybe if I said it enough times, I’ll start believing it as well.
“I can’t not worry. You’re my child. We’ll catch a flight back as soon as we can.”
“No, Mom. Just stay where you are until you hear from me again, okay? There’s no point rushing back if you don’t have to.”
