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Though she could have stood there forever in Will’s arms, the cold finally drove them apart and into the car. Once Will had started the car, they sat for a minute, waiting for it to warm up. The windshield wipers cleared the snow off the glass, only for it to reappear almost immediately.
“We probably should have checked the forecast before heading out this evening,” Will said with a laugh. “First real snow of the season looks to be a doozy.”
“Tomorrow will be a day for blazing fireplaces and lots of hot chocolate.”
“Lucky you,” Will said as he backed out of the parking spot. “I’ll probably be out shoveling snow with my dad.”
“Doesn’t Isaac help?”
“My dad prefers my help because it doesn’t come with a side of whining like Isaac’s does.”
Janessa grinned. “I’m afraid I might also be more inclined to whine, but I’d still get the job done.”
“Do you have a plan to shovel snow tomorrow?” Will asked. “Or do you have someone do it for you?”
“We have someone do it,” Janessa said. “We like to give opportunities to the young teen boys in the neighborhood to earn some money. It’s a win-win situation.”
“As a former teenage boy, I applaud your efforts to help them out. I earned enough money to buy my first bike by mowing grass and shoveling snow.”
“I have a feeling my parents are probably wishing they were still on the ship and far from this snow.” Her parents had arrived home a few days prior and would now be home through the holiday season.
“I think we’d all like to be on a ship if it was going somewhere warm. The first serious snow of the season seems to make everyone want to flee.”
“We’ll get used to it,” Janessa said. “We always do.”
As they talked, Will guided the car carefully through the city, heading for the road that would take them back to Serenity Point. The snow fell even heavier outside the city, and Will kept his speed well below the posted limit.
Wind began to whip around the rapidly falling snowflakes, periodically obscuring their view. The snow gathered in patches at the edges of the road, but it was the sheen on the road that concerned Janessa more. With the excess moisture and dropping temperatures, the road could quickly become a skating rink.
Though music played softly from the speakers of the car, conversation between them stopped as Will focused on the road, and Janessa kept watch as well. They usually held hands during the long drives between Serenity and Coeur d’Alene, but right then, Will had both hands on the steering wheel.
Janessa had never liked driving on snowy roads, but they were hard to avoid since that part of Idaho always received snow during the winter months. However, the first heavy snowfall of the season was always the most nerve-wracking, especially if she was out driving.
Will was right. They should have been more cognizant of the forecast.
Janessa surreptitiously gripped the armrest of the door, not wanting Will to think his driving was stressing her out. He was driving cautiously, appropriate for the road conditions. She was just nervous and would stay that way until they made it safely back home.
As they approached a curve in the road, Will slowed a bit more. However, before they made the curve, there was a flash of headlights as a car came from the opposite direction. Instead of following the curve, the oncoming car slid along the road, crossing the center line, careening toward them.
Janessa let out a scream as the car clipped their bumper, spinning them off the road toward the forest, which was thick with trees in that area of the highway. Lights from the other car flashed in front of them just moments before they slammed into a large tree, Will’s side of the car taking the brunt of the impact and causing the airbags to explode.
The car ricocheted off that tree into another one, this time on Janessa’s side. Metal squealed with the force of the collision, her side of the car caving in on her. Pain lanced through her body, overwhelming her with waves of agony.
Darkness crept in on the edge of her consciousness, but Janessa fought against it, needing to make sure that Will was okay. She reached out with her left hand, searching for him.
Please, God, let him be okay. Please don’t take another person from me.
Her hand made contact with Will’s arm, but it was unmoving. Janessa breathed rapidly as she slid her hand down toward his hand, trying to find his wrist so she could track his pulse. But her focus kept fading in and out, and she struggled to place her fingers where they needed to be.
Janessa heard voices in the distance, or maybe they were close. She was having trouble sorting it out. Her head pounded as pain continued to pulse through her body, and she had a hard time figuring out what she needed to do. Any effort she made to move seemed to take more strength and coordination than she had available right then.
Panic flooded her, and she began to cry when she couldn’t do anything but cling to Will’s hand and hope that he was still with her. And soon, she didn’t have the strength to keep the darkness at bay. The oblivion of unconsciousness took her away from the pain in her body and the fear in her heart.
She surfaced briefly again to lights and strangers bending over her. They spoke to her, but Janessa could only blink at them. The pain still held her in its grip, and she couldn’t focus on what they were saying. Despite her best efforts to stay alert, her eyes closed again.
When Janessa next opened her eyes, she saw her mom, head bent as she held Janessa’s hand.
“Mom?” Her dry mouth and throat made her voice rough.
