One Night

We were coming home late from a dinner with a group of friends on a Thursday night. It was just a regular day for us. We both had worked and decided that we wanted to go out afterwards. He was driving our old brown Explorer when we were hit by a drunk driver.

I don’t remember the sound. Just a flash of headlights that were a little too bright, a sickening jolt as our car was hit from the front, and then just utter darkness as the air bags deployed.

When I opened my eyes, everything felt sideways. My vision was blurred and I felt a pain in the side of my head. I reached for Dominic’s hand, searching for something, anything.

“Are you okay?” I mustered. God, my head hurt. I felt blood trickle down my face from the open wound on my head.

He didn’t answer right away. Just a low groan, his hand twitching in mine. Relief swelled up in my chest until it hurt more than the bruises I’m sure that I would find later.

“I’m here.” He rasped, with a slight wheeze in his voice.

I don’t remember much, but the sirens came next. Dominic was pulled out first. I wanted to scream. Scream to the God that should have protected us. That one night changed us permanently. Irrevocably.

***

“Mrs. Herer, I’m truly sorry to tell you this but your husband suffered a traumatic…