“Hey, Mom.” Renie hugged her hard. “Thank you so much.”
“Oh, sweet girl, I’m not exactly sure what you’re thanking me for, but you’re welcome anyway.”
“For everything, basically.”
They heard a loud crash, followed by a wail out of Willow. Billy went running toward the porch, Renie and Liv followed. Ben was out in front of them.
“I’m sorry, Dad, I don’t know what happened.” Luke was standing near Willow, and he was crying too.
“What did she hit?” Billy shouted as he tried to find something to stop the blood that was flowing from the gash in her head.
“Here.” Ben handed Billy his shirt. “Head wounds bleed like crazy. It looks worse than it is.” He turned to Liv, “Go get the keys to the truck, baby.”
Renie walked over to Luke, who buried his head up against her. “She’ll be okay, it’ll be okay,” she said to him over and over again.
Billy caught her eye while he was waiting for Liv to bring the truck around. “You can stay here—”
“No, I’ll go with you.” Renie leaned closer to Luke. “You stay here with your dad, okay? We’re taking Willow to see a doctor, but I meant what I said. She’ll be okay.”
“Okay,” he said, still sniffling.
“Renie, can you drive?” Billy asked her. Willow was still screaming and trying to wiggle out of Billy’s arms.
“Of course.” She took the keys from her mom and started to get into the truck.
“Bah-ma,” Willow screamed between her wails, still trying to wiggle away from Billy, who was as white as a sheet.
“Mom, can you come with us?” Renie asked. “Can you drive please? Billy, get into the back seat with Willow.”
Liv took the keys from her, and Renie climbed into the back seat with them. Since there wasn’t a car seat in Ben’s truck, she could scoot to the middle, and sit right next to them.
“Are you okay?” Billy asked.
“I’m fine, and you are too, aren’t you, precious? You’re gonna be fine, aren’t you?” Renie kept repeating soothing words to Willow who continued to do her best to escape her father’s grasp.
“How’s the bleeding?” she asked.
Billy lifted Ben’s blood-soaked shirt up, afraid of what he’d find. “Looks as though it stopped.”
“Let’s keep the shirt where it was, but why don’t you try to move her over to me.”
“Are you sure?” Billy looked down at his daughter who he was holding around the waist with one arm while he kept the shirt pressed against the gash with the other. It dawned on him that he was holding her so tightly he might be hurting her.
“You want to come sit on Bah-ma’s lap, Willow? You can if you want to.”
Willow reached out to her, and Renie lifted her to her lap.
“You’re gonna get blood all over you.”
Renie glared at him.
“Sorry, here.” He handed her the shirt to put up against Willow’s head.
“You doin’ okay back there?” Liv asked from the driver’s seat.
“We’re okay, Mom. Thanks for driving.”
“I’m a better driver than a nurse,” Liv answered. “The time I had to take you to the emergency room, Bill had to go with me. Do you remember that, Billy? You were a teenager.”