If I Could Tell Him

Chaper forty-three

EVAN POV

As they drove home, Marigold talked their ears off about how Elizabeth tried to take her dance solo.

"...she was all "Miss Heather! I should get the solo instead! I'm a better dancer!" Which is totally not true, she can't even do a plié." Marigold was saying, folding her arms and pouting. Evan laughed at her attempts to appear jealous.

"Even your dad can do a plié." He countered.

"Yeah!" Connor said triumphantly, pulling his hair back into a messy bun. "Suck it, Elizabeth!"

"Suck what?" Marigold asked innocently. Evan felt anxiety shoot through him as he threw Connor a 'look what you did' glare.

"Oh nothing! I'm gay." Connor replied, and if Evan wasn't driving he swore he would have reached over and smacked his husband lightly upside the head.

"Connor..."  Evan said reproachfully. He couldn't tell if Connor was actually sorry or realized how he sounded. Years of knowing, dating and being married to Connor Murphy Hansen told him that he wasn't sorry and he knew exactly how he sounded.

"I'm just saying." Connor said casually, shrugging his shoulders and winking at his husband. Evan felt the old familiar blush creeping up his neck and flushing his cheeks.

"Somebody's blushing...!" Connor crowed, poking Evan's reddening cheek.

"W-well it's not me!" Evan retorted, pushing Connor's hand away.

"Well it's not me, dad. And it's not dad." Marigold chirped from the backseat.

"You turned my own daughter against me!" Evan said, mockingly offended.

"She's my daughter, too!" Connor replied,  folding his arms across his chest. Evan took his eyes off the road for a second and took his husband's hand lovingly.

"Forgive me?"

"Always."

"Dads, I'm still here. Don't be mushy and gross when I'm literally sitting three feet away.

"We aren't being mushy and gross!" Connor protested. "We're in loooove."

"That's even worse." Marigold replied, making a face. Connor rested his chin on his hand, making a big show of looking at Evan dreamily.

Evan smiled back at him lovingly, pushing a stray lock of Connor's hair behind his ear.

He was so busy staring at Connor he didn't see the car.

The car that was behind them just seconds ago.

The car that neither of them noticed had followed them all the way from the studio.

The car that swerved in front of them.

Evan watched in slow motion as Connors face morphed from one of teasing and light-heartedness to one of horror. He heard his daughter scream, but it was like everything was underwater and muffled. Evan faced forward in time to see the side of a red pickup truck and tried to slam on the brakes.

Instead, his foot slipped in an anxiety crazed stupor and he hit the gas, going head-on into the other vehicle. Evan heard the squeal of metal on metal, the crack of the windshield splintering and caving in, but most of all he heard Connor.

Connor screamed and launched towards Evan, trying in vain to protect him from the impact, but his seatbelt locked, successfully keeping him strapped in and away from his husband.

"I'm coming to get you, Evan! I'm coming to get you...everything's going to be ok..." Connor whimpered, his voice breaking. Evan reached a torn and bloodied hand that he hardly recognized as his own towards Connor's form.

"All I see is light..." he managed. And everything went black.