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A few hours later, Lizzy and I are huddled together on the mattress, the grand adventure a thing of the past. I've switched off all the major appliances and double-checked that everything's locked down.
The steady downpour has turned into thick sheets of water being flung around by the howling wind. Power had gone off a while back, and the bathroom is bathed in a soft yellow glow from the LED lantern perched on the sink. I’m reading one of her favorite books, stroking her hair while she’s huddled against my side. We both jump at the sound of a slamming door, my heart dropping to my feet at the thought of our front door being ripped from its hinges.
***
Lucas
I pace restlessly from one side of the room to the other, my feet wearing tracks on the tiles. I’m going out of my mind with worry. It sounds like everything’s going to hell outside, and my wife and daughter are out there by themselves. I had begged and pleaded with Alexis to let me come over, but stubborn to her core, she had refused. Right now, I don’t give a flying fuck about what she wants. I need to be with them. I need to keep them safe. My mind made up, and knowing the window of opportunity to actually be able to go anywhere is almost gone, I grab my keys and phone and rush to the front door. Opening the door, the wind rips it from my hand, smashing it against the side of the house. It takes way too long to wrestle it closed and get to my car. I spare a glance at Eric’s house and see it locked up tight, storm shutters in place. He’d tried to convince me to join him, but I refused, even then knowing I’d end up leaving. I ease my car out of the drive crawling onto the road. Visibility is shit, the rain so thick that the wipers aren’t able to keep up with the deluge. The car’s shaking from the force of the gusts, and I’d give my left ball to be driving an SUV instead of my Mercedes. Actually, no. Make that one of those old-time Hummers. If any balls would be sacrificed, it would be for a Hummer—fuck the price of fuel.
The trees are whipping from side to side, and the road is flooding at an alarming rate, forcing me to slow down to a crawl. “Come on, come on,” I mutter under my breath, frustrated with the slow pace I’m forced to drive. At this rate, the ten-minute drive will take thirty at least. Shoulders tense, I grip the steering wheel, hardly blinking with the effort it takes to keep me on the road. The car crawls, time crawls, but outside everything is in a frenzy.
“Fuck!” I shout when a downed tree appears out of nowhere, blocking the road. Instinct rears its head, and I slam on the brakes, my lack of speed saving my ass. Shaking, I take a moment to get my bearings and, with a shock, realize that I’m almost home. Home. Yes, it is my home, the only place I belong. The tree is blocking the entirety of the road, and there’s no way past it by car. On foot it is. Grappling with the door, I shove it open, the force of the wind trying to wrestle it from my hand. I’m so full of fucking regrets. I should have ignored Alexis and just done what my instinct was screaming at me to do. Alexis is pint-sized compared to me. What was she going to do, throw me out?
I leave the car where it is, barely managing to close the door before setting off on foot. Within seconds, I’m soaked, my feet squelching in my shoes. Every step forward feels like a battle won, the howling wind trying to push me all over the place. I fling up my arm in a vain attempt to shield my eyes from the stinging rain. It’s excruciatingly slow, but hunched over, one tiny step at a time, I manage to keep gaining ground.
A trashcan comes flying past, missing me by a ball hair. Fuck. I tremble at the near miss. The speed of that thing would have put me on my ass for sure. Knocked me out even. Somewhere some stupid, irresponsible jackass is safely holed up in his house without ensuring that everything that could pose a danger has been put away. Fucker. The trashcan bounces off a fence before being swept away into the darkness to continue its murderous journey. A howling gust of wind staggers me to the side, and I grab hold of the same fence that stopped the trashcan in its tracks. Fuck if I‘m going the same route as that damn thing.
What feels like an eternity later, I make it onto our street, almost crawling at this point. My body is shaking with exertion, my face and eyes stinging from the force of the rain. Eyes fixed on our drive, I put one step in front of the other until finally, I’m standing outside our front door. I wrestle the key into the lock and half-fall into the house when it opens with a crash. Slamming the door and locking it, I sink back against it, my body deflating and shaking in disbelief that I actually made it. I just need a moment to gather my breath, then I’ll go looking for my family. The foyer is bathed in darkness, the wind outside screaming like a runaway train. Despite that, I still hear her tentative voice.
“Lucas?”
My eyes find her immediately, and she looks like an angel surrounded by a soft yellow glow.
“Alexis.” Her name on my lips is a breath of relief, and I know if I had to do it all over again, I would. I would do anything to get back to my family.
“It’s okay, Lizzy. It’s just Daddy.”
“Daddy!” Her screech is the best screech of all the screeches in the world, and the feel of her small body colliding with my legs almost does what the wind tried but couldn’t do. Collapse me to my knees. I scoop her into my arms, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck and clinging like a barnacle.
With Lizzy in my one arm, I close the distance to where Alexis is hovering, reach out and grab her, pulling her into my body and burying my face in her hair. I’m soaked, dripping water all over and getting them both wet in the process, but I don’t care.
“You stupid, stubborn woman,” I mumble, inhaling as much of her scent as I can.
“What are you doing here?” she mumbles against my shirt, but her body can’t lie. It’s soft and unresisting, her hands clenched in my shirt.
I drop a kiss to the top of her head, tightening my arm. “I had to make sure you’re okay.”
She pulls her head back, peering up at me. “You went out in this? To make sure we were okay?” Her face is incredulous, and my heart aches, knowing my actions have put the disbelief there. She should know that there’s no force on this earth that could keep me away from them if they needed me.
“I did. I’ll always come for you and Lizzy.” I try to convey my sincerity with the intensity of my voice, and I’m rewarded when water pools in her eyes. It’s not much in the overall scheme of things, but if I can convince her of my love for her, I would consider that a huge victory.
“Daddy, I’m scared.”
My eyes are still on Alexis when I answer Lizzy, the vow meaning so much more than the here and now. “I know you’re scared, but it’s okay, we’ll all be okay.”
***
The storm raged through the night. By how quickly it intensified, it became apparent that if I had not left when I did, I would not have made it here. We had a lull at some point, and it was startling in its abruptness. One moment the wind was squealing and screeching, the rain was barreling down, and then suddenly everything just stopped. The quiet was eerie, but we knew it was just a temporary relief. It didn’t last long, and then it came back with a vengeance, and all we could do was sit back and endure. Those hours were hellish, windows rattling in their frames and the house groaning around us. The sounds coming from outside were almost otherworldly, the ripping and tearing and loud crashes making me never want to leave the safety of this bathroom to see what was left. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I was exactly where I wanted to be. Where I belonged. Alexis had found sweatpants and a sweatshirt from my college days, so at least I was dry. I have no idea how Lizzy managed to doze off, but she did. She was curled up against Alexis, half her head and ears buried underneath the blankets. And me? I was in heaven. I was propped up against the wall, Alexis’ cheek resting against my thigh, my fingers lightly playing through her hair. It was the closest we’d been since all went to shit, and I knew this truce would dwindle into nothing, just like the storm outside would. But for now, my girls needed me, and I’d take it. I’d luxuriate in this closeness, this feeling of family for as long as I could. I don’t know why, but my close encounter with that stupid trashcan kept going round in my mind. One of the first things I asked Alexis once we were settled in the bathroom was if she’d taken the trashcans into the garage. She’d nodded, but her eyes were asking me why I was worrying about trashcans at a time like this.
My chest shook with a silent chuckle when I pictured what my headstone would look like if things had turned out differently.
Here lies Lucas. Got in a fight with a trashcan and lost.
Wouldn’t that be a fitting end to my sad life. Alexis turned inquisitive eyes up to me, and I shook my head. Things were bad enough. I didn’t want to disturb her with my morbid thoughts.
***
By the time dawn comes, the storm has broken. My body is sore, I’m tired, and my eyes feel gritty, but I’m so damn thankful that we’re safe. I had tried not to fall asleep but dozed off a few times, only to be jerked awake by a particularly loud sound. This one time there was a loud crash, sounding like something large hit the house. Alexis grabbed my hand, her fingers squeezing tight, and we both seemed to stop breathing, keeping eye contact until enough time had passed without anything collapsing. Then we both exhaled and resumed our waiting. But she didn’t let go of my hand, and I refused to give it up. I held on to it for the whole damn night.
