One of a Kind

Chapter 12: The Accident

Ever since the fateful day in September, Alex had dreaded the day Jennifer would ask him about the accident and to get him to explain what happened. This day came in February the following year and it was as awful as he had expected.

Jennifer sang to the twins in their cots, which were next to their parent's bed, and she got quieter when they fell asleep. They were about to go to sleep themselves when Alex's phone rang, making them both jump and set both babies off crying again, Jennifer tended to the babies while Alex answered his phone; it was his boss. 'Alex!' came the deep voice of Mr Sanderson, 'good evening sir' 'what's that noise? I didn't wake you did I?' 'No no sir, when my phone rang me and Jennifer both jumped, which made the twins cry' 'oh I'm sorry Alex, say sorry to Jennifer for me' he put his hand over the phone speaker and turned to Jennifer, 'Jeff says sorry' he whispered and Jennifer waved her hand at him in acknowledgement and continued to rock the cots singing softly to them. 'I'm just checking your still coming to the get together tomorrow night?' 'Of course sir, we wouldn't miss it for the world' 'and are you bringing the little ones?' 'If that's possible sir' 'of course Alex, your one of my best technicians' 'thank you, goodnight sir' 'good night Alex' he hung up and Jennifer raised her eyebrows at him, 'you call him Sir like he's a king or something' she laughed shaking her head. Once the babies were asleep, they went to bed themselves as they knew that the next day would be a late one.

They started getting ready around 4pm, as the party began at six and it was only a half hour drive down the motorway. Jennifer was wearing a short black dress that puffed out at the bottom like a bell, hugged her tiny waist and emphasised her chest and Alex put on his black suit saved for 'special occasions'. When the twins were dressed suitably in their warm almost matching all-in-ones and a respectable wine was chosen, they decided to leave early so they would get there on time. When they arrived at quarter to six the party was already beginning to swing into action, and when they walked in the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. They took to holding the babies, with emergency carriers in the car just in case they needed them; Jeff and his wife congratulated them and put them on the main table, where they always sat with Jeff and Sara.

It was around 11:30 when they said they needed to leave to get home for their children as the babies where already sleeping and they were beginning to tire of the loud music and blinding lasers. Jennifer had only had a glass of wine but Alex had been responsible and not had any alcohol as he was driving, and this was always good in case there were police on the motorway; there nearly always were.

As they turned onto the motorway, the clock clicked over to midnight; the traffic had been quite bad in the confusing maze of villages near where his boss lived, but the motorway was reasonably clear. Alex was comfortable with driving as he wasn't tired but Jennifer was beginning to droop as having young children kept her up a lot, but luckily she wasn't back at work full time yet. The babies woke up and began to cry, so Jennifer unplugged her seatbelt and turned around to comfort them. As they approached the turn off a few miles away, they heard loud thumping music getting closer and closer but by the time the careless teens switched on their headlights it was too late. Alex gasped and tried to swerve but so did they, the cars collided throwing Jennifer forwards into the window screen. Alex tried to grab her but his hand missed and he was greeting by a mess of flying glass instead. Then he blacked out.

When he woke up a few minutes later he saw the crunched up front of a huge car much bigger than theirs almost melted into the front of Alex's grey people carrier. He panicked and tried to turn around but he felt a horrible crack somewhere in his body so kept where he was. Suddenly his attention came to the smashed window screen and his wife lying on the concrete, her head and face covered in blood, laying unconscious. Then he blacked out again.

'The next time I woke up' he sobbed to her 'I was in hospital and then you... And then I felt... I couldn't stop...' His sobs broke him off and Jennifer could feel his pain. As she sat there cradling her husband like she did with her children, she realised that he wouldn't never forget that day as long as he lived whereas she would probably never remember it.

Despite being involved she didn't remember a thing about it and when she thought about it, maybe she was glad she didn't...