Page 7 of Dare You to Run
“You don’t have to apologize, sweetheart?—”
“We’re sorry,”Mom chimed in, her voice thick with emotion.“We should have talked to you and stood up to your grandparents. This could have been avoided.”
“They are not my grandparents and I told them as much when I saw them this morning.”I waited for some type of shocked response but got none.
“I’m sure you did what you thought you had to.”Dad was very matter of fact, leaving it at that.
“Will you come home now?”Mom asked, her voice full of plea.
“Yeah. I’m eating and then I’m going to come straight home.”
“Do you think you should just stop for the night and rest? Head out tomorrow after a good sleep?”
“No, Dad. I want to get out of this state and into my own bed as soon as possible.”I needed to hug my parents and siblings tonight now that the worst was over.“I’m fine. I promise.”
“Okay, sweetheart. As long as you’re sure you’re okay. Just drive carefully and call us if anything happens.” Mom said about a dozenI love you’safter that, as did Dad, and I hung up feeling a little better now that I knew they weren’t mad.
I finished my food and decided to stroll past a park Dad used to take me to for our daddy-daughter days, which were quite a lot now that I think of it. I can remember very few times where I wasn’t with him. If I wasn’t at school, then I was with Dad at dance practice or horse riding lessons or doing some type of craft that was always super girly but he never complained. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t spend as muchtime with Stephanie as I did with Dad. Of course I remember our manicures and when we played salon or dolls, but she spent many nights out while I had movie nights with Dad.
I was quite young when we lived in Florida, but I feel like the trauma I experienced was enough to seer some memories into my mind. Like the memory I have of Dad not really having any friends. I remember he would always kiss me goodnight and be there to wish me good morning when I clambered out of bed. On the many mornings Stephanie wasn’t home, Dad would say she went to the gym or to run an errand. Looking back now, I know that wasn’t the truth.
Dad always helped me preserve the good memories I had of her, and I realize now that was to help erase the bad ones that I didn’t understand were bad at the time. I know Dad isn’t perfect, but compared to Stephanie he’s a freaking saint.
Which is why I’m praying he’s a forgiving man once I call him and tell him about my current predicament.
The sun beats down on me as I stand beside my car, looking at the crushed back end as dust still settles around it. I decided to make a detour off of I-10 and pass through Gulfport, Mississippi, a place where my family has spent many spring breaks. Everything was going great until I tried to get back to I-10. I thought that all I had to do was reach the end of Highway 90 and take a right, then it would lead me back to my original route.
I really should have used my GPS sooner because when I realized I was lost and had no idea where I was going, I tried yelling at the car to help me get back on track. But the damn thing wasn’t understanding me, so I grabbed my phone, typed in Magnolia Creek, Texas and hit search.
Well…I attempted to do those things. I got as far as typing Magnolia C when I took my eyes off the screen and put them back on the road. I was a bit too late and had to make a hard jerkof the wheel to the left, causing me to fishtail on the sand and gravel shoulder. Remembering that I needed to steer into the skid, I did just that. However I forgot the most important thing; not to hit the brakes. I also did that, which made my back end to smack straight into a light pole
“Dammit,” I curse, and kick the tire like it’s the car's fault and not mine for not paying attention to the road.
I huff out a breath and drop my hands from my hips and sag my head. Guess it’s time to face the music and call Dad, then figure out what to do with the car.
I pull out my phone and decide to call Mom this time. The phone starts ringing before I remember that I’m driving her car and she won’t be too happy about this.
“Hi sweetheart,” she answers with a chipper voice. “How’s the drive going?”
I squint my eyes at the glaring sun. “Um, well, it was going okay but I…I kinda had a little accident.”
“Oh my gosh. Are you okay? Day, where are you? Do you need the police? An ambulance? Oh dear grief.”
“Mom. Mom, slow down. I’m okay. I just spun out. I wasn’t paying attention and hit some gravel and hit a light pole.”
“Dagen! Did you hurt yourself? Vaughan! Day was in an accident,” she shouts.
“Mom. No. I–” I sigh and lean against the car.
“Day? What happened?” Dad’s voice joins in.
“Okay, listen. Please.” I explain how I wanted to drive along the coast and see the small beach town we like to visit, and how I got lost trying to get back to the interstate
“And I just fishtailed, and I tried to–”
“Steer into the spin,” Dad reminds me.
“I know, Dad. And I did do that, but I hit the brakes and that sent me drifting straight into a light pole.”
