“Sounds good,” she said. She was preoccupied with sliding the seat up so she could reach the pedals, so I closed the door without kissing her. It was raining and I didn’t want her to get wet, but I should have kissed her.

I climbed in my truck and started it up as Sarai backed out of the driveway. Putting the truck in reverse, I turned to look out the back window with one arm over the passenger seat.

The tail end of Hailey’s car pulled out into the quiet street, and I watched in horror as a truck going twice as fast as it should have been plowed into the driver’s side. My heart stopped as the car spun in a wild circle and the sound of crunching metal and breaking glass filled the air. It happened so fucking fast.

Later, I wouldn’t remember putting the truck in park or running toward the accident, but I must have done both. I also wouldn’t remember reaching through the driver’s-side window to unlock the door so I could get to Sarai, but the long cuts on my forearms from broken glass would prove I did that, too.

Someone called 9-1-1, but it wasn’t me. Someone pulled Hailey out of the car, but it wasn’t me. Someone also tackled Sean to the ground as he tried to run away from the scene, but that wasn’t me, either.

I was too busy trying to wake Sarai up and yelling at anyone who tried to touch or move her.

“You’re okay,” I said, using my pocket knife to rip a hole in the airbag so it would deflate faster. “Sarai, sweetheart, you’re okay.”

Her wrist was bent at a weird angle, but I tried not to focus on it as I checked the other parts of her body. She had a goose egg on the side of her forehead where it must have hit the window, and it looked like her nose was broken, but I couldn’t find any other injuries, at least none that were bleeding or noticeable.

“Hey,” I said, gently moving her hair away from her face. “Baby, wake up.”

She didn’t stir.

“Sarai,” I said, louder. The rain began to fall harder, and I tried to shield her from it with my body. “Sarai, wake up.”

“Dad?” she groaned, breaking my heart in two. She went to lift her hand to her face, then cried out in agony.

“Don’t move, sweetheart,” I ordered, my voice cracking. “Don’t move. The ambulance is coming.” Someone had to have called, right? Why couldn’t I hear sirens yet?

“Alex,” she said, her dazed eyes meeting mine. “My face.”

“Just a bump,” I assured her. Was I crying? I couldn’t tell with the rain running down my face.

“Hurts,” she mumbled, her eyes filling with tears.