The Lucky One (2) - Taylor Swift

32

"I wonder what's taking them so long," Amber checked the time with the clock above the oven, "He probably stopped to get them some hot chocolate. It's his favourite winter thing, especially around Christmas."

"Grace loves it too," Taylor smiled at the thought. They were in the kitchen, dinner was just about ready and she was on the floor with Gracie, who had stacked wooden building blocks up into a leaning tower like a bad game of Jenga.

"I'll look and see how far they are. Do y'all use the find my friends on your phones? It's so handy when he's out at job sites, he likes when Gracie and I meet him for lunch."

"I have all my tracking stuff off, it's safer that way in case I get hacked or my phone or computer is stolen. Stalkers are out of hand."

"Well it can't be that helpful anyways, it's showing they're in a field off the one forty-seven," Amber furrowed her eyebrows, "Let me call him."

Taylor felt odd about that sentence. Usually those were pretty accurate if the map was updated, at least that's what she had heard. She put another block on the stack, trying to correct the lean to it without offending the little girl who seemed to have an architectural vision that should only be messed with by those with a death wish.

"Voicemail," Amber hummed calmly, "I'll try Grace."

"Amber... it said they're in a field?" Taylor stood up and wiped the back of her pants with her palms, "Does Mike ever send you or anyone to voicemail?"

"Never," Amber shook her head and then her heart dropped with a certain instinct that Taylor was always feeling, "Oh god, oh fuck. Get your coat."

By the time they had gotten to the location the phone application was showing, there were red and blue flashing lights and Taylor felt her heart drop in her chest. Amber barely had time to pull the car over before she was opening the door and rushing towards the two ambulances.

She could see the headlights of Michael's truck still on, pointed at the road like a spotlight. First responders were walking back from the vehicle towards the group of vehicles with the flashing lights. She felt the air leave her lungs, it was so cold out there and so dark.

Michael and Grace had left over an hour and a half before by the time they put Gracie in with Chris and made the drive, but not many people drove that stretch of road that time of day, especially so close to the holidays. It had taken some time for someone to notice the crash and then more for them to arrive on scene and start getting them out of the truck.

"Ma'am, you need to stay back," a female officer told Taylor as the blonde tried to see what was going on and who they were putting into the back of the ambulance.

Her eyes were blurry from tears, she was sobbing and she hadn't realized it, "My girlfriend was in that truck. My- Grace was in the truck."

"They're taking her to St Mary's," the officer said as Amber ran up as quick as the could on the ice. Taylor was pushing against the officer's hand on her shoulder, she needed to get closer, "She and the male passenger are alive."

"Oh thank god," Amber could finally breathe, "My husband was in there, his name is Michael Robertson."

"You can follow the ambulance but be safe, the road is slippery tonight. Are there any medical conditions we should know about?"

"He has contacts in," was all Amber could think of while Taylor shook her head. She couldn't think of anything that would be life or death, no allergies, no surgeries in Grace's past. Her mind was blank, completely blank, but nothing stood out through the fog.

The drive to the hospital was only as fast as Amber felt comfortable driving on that slippery road. It was black ice, the kind you can't see until it's too late. The wind was strong, blowing the powder across the lanes until they blended in with the side of the road. It was clear that they shouldn't have gone out that night, the storm had blown in fast, but they made it to the hospital in one piece and waited in the waiting room with bursts of nausea from the stress.