Shattered Pieces

Thirty

SPENCER

"I... airport. Jordan, hurry."  I feel like I'm choking trying to get the words out, my voice strangled by acute fear that I might have just lost my wife.

"I'm driving as fast as I can, Spence. We'll get to them. I'll get you to her. I promise I'll get you to her."

I look down at my kids. Everything perfect about them is because of Olivia. Anything worth experiencing in this world is only that way because of Olivia.

"H–how, y–you—" I can't help the stammering. My body is trembling so hard everything around me feels unstable.

"She finally answered, and then my world fell apart. I waited, holding my breath with each ring. They're okay, Spencer. They have to be okay."

My son looks up at me with his mother's eyes. I can't breathe. It's like water is filling my lungs— I'm drowning.

"Aaliyah, princess. I need you to hold my hand super tight, okay? I'm going to pick up Gray, and we're going to move really fast. Whatever you do, just squeeze daddy's hand, okay?"

"We're not going to see Gigi?"

"Not right now, baby girl."

"Daddy, are you okay? You're crying. It's okay, daddy. Mama promised it's just one sleep!"

My lungs are burning as I choke down the sob tearing at my throat. What am I supposed to do? I can't bring my kids to the hospital, not like this.

I can't leave them with Jordan. There's no way he'll leave Kia's side. I have to get to Olivia.

With nowhere else to turn, I make a call.

"Spencer. Is everything alright?"

"Simone. I need a huge favor. There's been..." I look down at Aaliyah, whose eyes are locked on me. "My kids. Can you meet me at the hospital and get my kids? There's been an accident."

"Jordan?" Her voice catches.

"Other twin." I practically whisper.

"Oh, Spencer. Of course. I'm on my way now."

I scoop my son up and grab hold of my daughter's hand, meticulously weaving us through the airport. I don't care about the luggage we left behind, the electronics someone will undoubtedly steal. All I care about is my wife.

Just as we reach the front of the airport, Jordan, in my car, comes to a screeching halt. He doesn't have seats for the kids, and I'm now so grateful my wife pushed for Jordan to have all our spare keys. She is the glue. This doesn't work without her.

I strap the kids in as quickly as time allows before hopping into the passenger seat. Jordan looks at me, his eyes so haunted that I immediately know something terrible has happened.

"Team doc is at the hospital operating. I texted him to see if he knew anything. Two women brought in together rushed into emergency—"

"Stop talking." I look back at my kids. "They shouldn't hear this. They can't hear this."

I twist at the wedding band on my finger, and I see her smile. I feel her lips the first time I kissed her. I hear her voice the first night she told me her name. Her hand in mine; I can feel it. That day we shook hands because it seemed safer to pretend we were strangers than admit we were already in too deep. The anguish in her voice when she begged me to stop looking at her, I hear it. I've never stopped looking at her. Since the moment I laid eyes on her, she's all I've seen.

"SPENCER!" Jordan whisper yells. "Now isn't the time for you to check out on me. They're okay, damn it. They have to be okay."

He continues to talk, but my entire world goes quiet. I close my eyes, and there is Olivia. She's running around the backyard chasing Grayson and Aaliyah. A little belly shows through her shirt. A baby, our baby. Our growing family.