Growing Up |TAYVIN (Sequel To AWRFT) *discontinued*

40. Safe and Sound

*Adam's POV*

I hit the brakes and close my eyes, anticipating the blow, but it doesn't come.

I open my eyes to see that the truck had swerved, and has landed in the ditch, and my Range Rover is untouched.

I can hear Taylor and Ellie crying from the shock, but my eyes are still only drawn to the truck, as it goes up in flames.

****

Andrea opens the front door and her expression changes when she sees the looks on our faces.

"What happened? Why does everybody look so upset?", she asks, as Ellie runs into her arms.

"Grandma!", Ellie sobs, making Andrea bend down properly to hug her clearly distraught Granddaughter.

"What's going on, pumpkin?", Andrea whispers, kissing the top of Ellie's head.
"Taylor, Adam? What happened?", she asks again, opening the door wider to let us into the house.

"We almost collided with a truck on the road, but it swerved and hit the ditch instead", I say quietly, placing a hand on Taylor's back.

"Oh my gosh! Are you guys okay? Is the truck driver okay?", she asks, letting go of Ellie and wrapping her arms around Taylor and I.

"The truck went up in flames, and the driver was unconscious when the cops and the ambulance came, but they told us to leave once the paramedics had examined us, because we had Ellie with us. They want us to go down to the station to make statements later tonight though, when they've assessed the scene of the collision properly", Taylor whispers.

We make our way into the kitchen, and the boys are sitting at the table, playing a game of Snakes and Ladders.

"No, Luke, that's not how you play. You have to slide down the snake, not climb up it", Noah whines, not comprehending why his two year old brother didn't understand the basic rules of Snakes and Ladders, even though he himself had only mastered it recently.

Taylor bolts towards the table immediately and grabs the boys, pulling both of them onto her lap, and wrapping her arms around them.

"Mommy, Luke isn't playing it right", Noah says, looking at Taylor and shaking his head.

"Mommy?", Luke says, wrapping his arms around Taylor's neck.

Taylor bursts into tears and the two boys look a little stunned, glancing over at us to see if we knew why their Mommy was crying.

"It's okay, Mommy, don't cry. I can teach him how to play properly", Noah says, attempting to wipe Taylor's eyes after he gives his Mom a kiss.

Taylor doesn't respond, and instead squeezes the boys even tighter, not letting go.

"Mommy, you're hugging too tight", Noah mumbles, not really wanting to hurt Taylor's feelings.

"I just love you boys so so much", she whispers, inhaling the scent of Luke's hair, as she sits there with the two boys.

"Why are you crying?", Noah asks, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Taylor takes a deep breath.

"Because there was a little accident and Mommy thought that she was never going to see her babies again", Taylor mumbles. "Come here, Ellie", Taylor says quietly, gesturing for Ellie to come over and join the hug, even though it was already a tight squeeze with Taylor's pregnant belly.

Ellie runs over and wraps as much of her body around Taylor and the boys as possible, and I thank my lucky stars that my family hadn't been torn apart today.