His Lucky Charm

Mistakes

1994

Strip watched his daughters race on the track. He was training them. They were getting to the age to pick a track. Either NASCAR or F1.

Lily was really into Formula 1. She was obsessed with Michael Schumacher. He was a two time world champ, and she wanted to be like him.

Sarah on the other hand, wanted to be just like her father. She would never tell him that. She aspired to be going to Dinoco. She wanted that so bad.

Strip just supported them both.

There was a day, where things did get rough.

He was watching the girls race, when Sarah had a bad collision with another karter. She flipped upside down and hit the barriers. Strip and Lynda shot up in the stands.

Strip rushed over and jumped the barricade. The Marshalls saw who he was and didn't bother to stop him. They just helped him flip the kart over.

"Hey! Sarah?"

She was crying as she held her arm tightly. Strip just unhooked her. He slightly bumped her leg, but she cried louder. "I got you honey." He said as he helped her up with her good leg.

An ambulance rushed over to where they were. Strip got into the ambulance with her and held her hand as the paramedic took her helmet off.

She just stared at the ceiling, not wanting to cry. He simply sat by and kissed her head. "You were doing amazing." He said reassuring her.

"I know. That's what sucks." She said as she finally let her tears fall.

"It's okay. Deep breaths. We'll worry about the race later okay?"

She just nodded and relaxed a bit.

After a few hours at the hospital and getting taken care of, Sarah was put into a cast, and had a brace on her ankle.

Strip was next to her, holding his head as he was looking at her. "You haven't said anything hun." He said as he saw her keep her face turned from him.

"I'm embarrassed.... That's why..." she said quietly.

"And why is that?" He said a bit confused. Sarah turned her head and looked at him. "I... I made a mistake, and I hate that I made it."

Strip lowered his hand from his head. "Honey, it's natural to make mistakes."

"You say that, but I bet you didn't make any."

Strip just laughed. "Oh kiddo. I've made so many mistakes. Taking a corner too fast, braking too early, over correcting, etc. there's a lot of mistakes I've made." Sarah looked at him as if she was being told the secrets of the world.

"Really?"

"Hell yeah."

"But you're a five time champ!?"

Strip smiled a bit and tucked her curly hair behind her ear. "You see... I wouldn't be a champion without make mistakes and learning from them."

Sarah visibly relaxed at hearing those words. "So, now you learned from this crash, and you won't crash like that again."

She just nodded. He kissed her head as Lynda barged in with Lily. "Sarah!"

Lynda rushed over, her jacket falling off, her purse on her arm, and her hair all over the place. She embraced her daughter and kissed her face a bunch. Sarah just laughed a bit. "I'm alright mom."

Lily poked her cast. "You gonna race next season?"

"Yeah. The doctor said I'll be alright. I just need some physical therapy." Lynda sighed in relief.

"I don't need any drivers in this family retiring yet." She said pointing at each of them individually.

"If anyone needs to be retiring it gotta be me." Strip teased.

"Them rookies struggling to keep up with me. Gotta give em' a chance someday." He smirked. Lily just laughed.

Sarah just smacked his shoulder. "You gotta stay there until I get there mister. So no retiring."

"Alright alright. I'll be there to race against y'all. I'll be driving one handed and yawning." He teased. The girls started arguing with him.

Lynda just watched the group. She pulled out her camera and took picture of them all arguing. She chuckled as she watched strip get Lily into a headlock.

Oh she loved these moments. She realized that time was going so fast. She put her camera away.

"Strip don't break my other daughter." She said as she smacked his arm. He just let her go and kissed lily's head.

"Fine fine." He chuckled.

Later that night, Sarah got discharged and was getting pushed in her wheelchair by her sister.

Lynda and strip walked together down the hall. She was searching for her keys. "You okay sunshine?" He said.

"Yeah just looking for the key-"

He showed her the keys in his hands. "And how did you get those?" She Said looking at him.

"I took them from your purse so you wouldn't challenge me to drive home." Lynda proceeded to try and take the keys from him.

But he just lifted his arm up. Him being 6'1 and her being 5'5 did not make this easy. She frowned and just crossed her arms.

"Fine."

He chuckled as they walked outside. "Girls careful!" He yelled as Lily was practically drifting Sarah around in her wheelchair.

"They were definitely born to be racers." Lynda said with a chuckle.

"Damn straight."

"Think you'll be racing when they debut?" She said. Strip thought about it.

"Yeah. Yeah I'll be racing still." He said as he watched the girls get into the car.

"You don't sound sure." She said.

"Never know what could happen." He said calmly. Lynda just held his hand. "What do you want to happen?"

"I wanna race with my girls.. retire a little bit after, and see what life has for me." He said as he looked at her. Lynda smiled softly.

"As your lucky charm and your sunshine, I say it'll happen." Strip just looked at her lovingly. He noticed how long her dreads had gotten, and the slight gray in her hair.

He leaned down and kissed her. "Whatever you say, Sunshine."