Chapter Seventeen
Meadow
A fter we got Colton moved in, we headed back to his empty townhouse and had a feast with our entire crew. It was the best potluck, with everyone sprawled out wherever they could find a seat as laughter and chatter filled the now empty townhouse. The only bittersweet part of the evening was after everyone left and Colton was walking Ada home, but the sassy senior told him to knock off his melancholy and that it would take a hell of a lot more than him moving a few blocks away to get rid of her.
It's now the end of January, and Colton has fit into our lives seamlessly these past few weeks. It's crazy how effortlessly he's melded with River and me, and how it feels like he's always been a part of our lives. Don't get me wrong, River and I managed fine without him here, but life has been so much fuller with him with us every day.
Today, I'm taking Riv and Brantley on a tour of one of the colleges she found with Colton when they were looking into options other than MIT a few months ago. We tried to set up a day over her break, but the college was closed and encouraged us to come when classes were in full swing so that we could get the full experience. Colton wanted to come with us, but he's needed at the school for their career week.
"Are you sure you're okay with driving in this weather? It's a mess out there." Colt's brows are furrowed as he comes in from shoveling and cleaning off the car, with Brantley hot on his heels.
"We'll manage. I have lived in this area my whole life, you know."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I won't worry about you. You've got precious cargo with you." Colt's hands caress my belly as he leans in kisses me then bends down to kiss my bump.
"Aww, thanks for thinking I'm precious, Uncle Colt."
"Not who I was thinking of, punk, but you are precious." Colt wraps his arm around Brantley's shoulder and puts him in a headlock.
The two wrestle back and forth for a minute, as River and I watch on, amused at their antics. Brantley stayed the night so he could go on the campus tour with us. While he got accepted to MIT, the college we're going to today is willing to provide a better scholarship than MIT offered him. He also likes the idea of being closer to his family and his girlfriend.
Colt, being the protective papa bear that he already is, slept out on the couch while Brantley slept on an air mattress last night. I told him it wasn't necessary and that even if he did sneak into River's room, I was confident they wouldn't disrespect us by crossing any lines. Colt's face got beat red when I mentioned it, and he said he wasn't taking any chances with River's virtue, which promptly made me lose it in a fit of laughter.
I know River and Brantley having sex is something he doesn't want to think about, but I'm more realistic when it comes to the kids and what it's like with your first love. River doesn't always feel comfortable talking to me about sex, but she does feel comfortable talking to Wren and Daphne, and understands that they will tell me if they have any reason to.
The last appointment I had with my OB-GYN for the baby, I made River tag along. It was very informative for her and a way to ease her into taking charge of her own sexual health. We left the appointment with River making one for herself, to get her first exam and talk about contraception, even though she assured me she wasn't ready yet but wanted to be prepared if the time came when she was.
When we got home and told Colt how the appointment went, and about the responsible decision River made, he buried his face in his hands as he mumbled something about how he was going to handle being a dad to two girls. Of course, my mama heart couldn't handle him claiming River as his girl, which made me sob uncontrollably and startled Colt, who let out a relieved laugh when I finally told him why I was crying.
"I really wish I could be there with you all today," Colt grumbles as we head to the kitchen to make breakfast.
"Me too, but what you're helping with at the school is important. Wren and Daphne are really excited to participate, and so are Brooks and Ezra for that matter. Thanks for including my family." I wrap my arms around Colt's back and give him a squeeze.
"Of course." He kisses my head, then goes back to flipping pancakes. "It was a no-brainer to ask them. They are all very successful business owners, with unique businesses that thrive in our small town. Well, I suppose Ezra and Daph's aren't here, per se, but you know what I mean. "
"Wren's pumped to talk about the shop. Daphne is terrified, but I think she's having Camilla come with her, so she'll be fine. Her foundation is amazing and so needed. I wish she'd believe in herself as much as we do."
"I think she does, Dow. She just needs the confidence to flaunt it like Wren."
"What are you doing at the school?" Brantley asks as he piles food onto two plates. I can't fight the smile when he takes one over to River at the table, who's lost to her laptop.
"It's a week-long event focused on what happens once you leave high school. The first couple of days, we have local businesses and professionals come in and talk to the students about their businesses, jobs, and the education they need to be successful. Then, at the end of the week, we get as many colleges and tech programs as we can to come in and try to match the students with the right fit."
"Wow, that's awesome. I know what I want to do after high school, but I have friends who are still up in the air. Something like that would be really helpful, I think. It would show them something they might not have thought of and give them the tools to go after it."
"That's the entire goal of this event." Colton points his fork at Brantley. "Ms. Sanchez started it, but I jumped in to help any way I can with this because I believe in what she's trying to do wholeheartedly. Every kid deserves to have the future they want. If we can help guide them and figure out the financial aspect to make it possible, I want to do that for them."
"That's really cool." Brantley smiles at Colton.
The rest of breakfast is spent discussing what the kids are looking forward to seeing at the college and what questions they have for the tour guide. Of course, River has a list, which doesn't surprise any of us. What is shocking is that I have a list of my own. I'm really hoping she likes this school and it will be a good fit, but I also want to make sure it fits all of our needs.
"Okay, I need to get going, and you all need to get on the road so you aren't late. Are we still meeting everyone at The Tavern tonight to let them know how the visit goes?" Colt gathers our plates as he heads to the sink.
"Yep, otherwise Wren will drive me insane until I give her all of the details, and I can ask for Brooks's take on things." River gathers her notebook in the bag she's taking with us today.
"Alright. Be safe and text me when you get there. I love you all." Colt pulls me into his arms and kisses me indecently for present company, only stopping when River groans and Brantley whistles. "Can't wait to see you tonight and hear all about it." With one last kiss, he grabs his bag then heads for the front door.
"Someone come help me up so I can go pee, and we can hit the road."
Brantley rushes over and gently helps me out of the chair.
I could do it on my own, but it doesn't hurt to have a little help. I'm officially in my third trimester now, and my belly can definitely confirm that. I don't remember being this big with River, but my OB-GYN assures me that it's normal to feel larger with a second pregnancy. I'm also not a teenager this time around, so I'm not as fit as I was then.
Once I've done my business and River has helped me get my boots on, the three of us make our way out to the car and to the college. Colt wasn't lying that the roads were shit, but we make it on time. I let him know we're safe, then shut down my phone and give our guide my undivided attention.
The day is magical and flies by before I know it. I'm not sure if this is the tour every student gets when they come to visit the campus, but it was wonderful. We started our day out by meeting the dean, then talking to the head of the financial aid department. They were extremely thorough and were even able to video call Jackie in since she was unable to take the whole day off to come with us.
Once we got the financial aid squared away, we were paired with a student majoring in computer engineering. We went to a few of their classes with them, which was the highlight for River and Brantley. My girl's big brain was devouring the knowledge at her fingertips, and I knew she would thrive here. The classes were relatively small, the largest having only twenty-five students.
In between classes, we used our voucher to eat at one of the several cafeterias on campus. The variety of options was pretty impressive, and the kids seemed to be really enjoying themselves. We also toured the library, the hub which held different events and had other dining options, and we went to the science and computer labs.
The college recently received a huge donation, which revamped the dorms. While there were still some older dorms with the traditional setup, most of the newer dorms were suites with different arrangements, from having your own room with a small bathroom and kitchenette to sharing a full living—kitchen and dining room with separate rooms for accommodating up to four students.
"So, do you have any more questions for us?" The dean of the university sits across from us in the lush chairs in her office .
I look over at River, who smiles. "No, ma'am. Everything we were wondering has been answered."
"That's wonderful to hear. And you enjoyed your tour?" She looks hopefully at River and Brantley.
"Very much so. It was extremely informative and eye-opening to what our day-to-day might be like if we decide to come here." Brantley smiles from his seat as he squeezes River's hand.
"Thank you so much for how thorough you've been today. We really appreciate it, especially me. I know how brilliant River is and never want to hold her back, but she also is young. I think your school could be a really great fit for both of us."
"I'm really glad to hear that. You have my information if you have any more questions or concerns. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us."
We stand and shake the dean's hand, then head out towards the parking lot. I'm quiet as I listen to River and Brantley talk excitedly about all the possibilities this school holds for them. I know we still have one more on our list to visit, but it's smack dab in the middle of a large city, and I don't think River and I are really comfortable with that.
"Why don't you two get in the car while I clean it off." Brantley uses the sleeve of his coat to brush off my door and help me in, then does the same for River.
"That boy you've got there sure is a good egg."
"Mom…" River's cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"What? He is," I tease. "So, what do you think? "
"Honestly, I love it, but I don't think I want to live here just yet. Maybe after I get through my first year or two, but not right off the bat."
"That's reasonable. I'm sure Wren won't mind me rearranging my schedule to make it work."
"Yeah, and I'll have my license midway through the first semester. I can start driving after that. Plus, I can take as many courses as possible online, so hopefully I only have to drive to campus one day a week."
"That would definitely be ideal."
"What would be ideal?" Brantley clambers into the backseat behind me.
"If Riv only had to make the commute to the campus one day a week."
"Oh, for sure. If we set up our schedules the right way, we could make it so we're here the same day and carpool."
"You don't want to live on campus?" I glance at him in the rearview mirror.
"Eh, not particularly. I don't really care about sharing a room with a bunch of guys I don't know, and that seems like a huge expense when I could commute from home and save a ton of money."
"That's very pragmatic of you."
"It's not a big deal. Mom and Dad are willing to help me with college, but I'd rather not be in a load of debt when I'm done with school. If I skip out on living on campus and having a meal plan, that will save us a lot of money, and the aid along with the scholarship they are offering me will basically cover my schooling. It would be stupid not to commute. "
We're slowly making our way back to Sparrow Falls when the weather takes a turn for the worst. The mountains we live in are gorgeous and great for hiking, but the winters are rough, and today is no exception.
"Man, I didn't know it was supposed to be this bad today," River worries beside me.
"I knew they were calling for snow, but it's always worse up here in the mountains. We just need to go slow and take our time," I try to reassure River, but it's starting to get dark and the conditions are near whiteout.
"I'll text Uncle Colt, and let him know we're going to be a little late, so he doesn't worry."
"Thanks, Brantley."
We're barely crawling as we make our way down the mountain pass and can hardly see the car in front of us, but my car is handling the road pretty well all things considered. We're only about fifteen minutes from home, but I won't be able to relax until we're on Main Street heading to The Tavern to meet our family and friends.
"This is wild. There are weather alerts all over our area. Apparently, the two storm fronts converged and combined to make one large storm that stalled out in the mountains, which is why it's so crazy," Brantley lets us know as our phones continue to buzz.
"That would explain why we're driving through this shitshow," I huff out.
"Good thing we're close to being home."
"From your lips to the goddess above. The need to pee is getting really uncomfortable," I grumble, bringing some levity to a very tense situation .
"Want me to text Wren and have her clear a path to the bathroom for when we arrive?" River teases from her seat.
"You know, that might not be a bad idea if it takes us much longer to—"
My words are cut off as headlights flash in the rearview mirror and a horn blares. Glancing up, I see a tractor trailer barreling for us with no place for us to go. There's a bend in the road ahead of us and a rocky cliff to our left.
"Hold on!" I yell as I try to move the car off to the side of the road, but it's no use.
The truck slams into the rear, shoving us forward before bouncing along the driver's side, until the car slams into the rock face in front of us, pinning the passenger side to the cliff face. We're boxed in on all sides, with no way to get out.
"I-is everyone o-okay?" My heart is racing, my hands shaking as I stammer, while something warm rolls down my face. Reaching up, I pull my hand away and see blood, but I can't think of that when I still need to check on River and Brantley.
"River? Brantley? Are you okay? Answer me!" I sob.
"I-I'm okay. Fuck, my leg is stuck, Meadow. It r-really fucking hurts." Brantley's pain bleeds into his voice, and I wish I could get to him, but the airbag and steering wheel along with my big belly have me trapped.
"Riv, sweetheart, are you okay?" I swipe the blood from my face and look over.
River is staring at me wide-eyed.
Thank fuck. She must be in shock, but she's okay .
"We're all going to be okay, you hear me? Do either of you have your phone? Mine was sitting in the cupholder, but I don't know where it went."
"Mine was in my hand. I—" I hear Brantley struggling in the back seat before he lets out a pained cry. "I'm sorry, Meadow. I can't reach it."
"That's okay, honey. River, do you have your phone?"
She's still staring at me, unblinking.
"Riv, baby. I need you to listen to me." Brantley's voice is gentle, but it seems to break through River's haze as her head turns in his direction. "Do you have your phone?"
River looks down in her lap and lifts up her phone.
"Good job, baby. Can you call 9-1-1?"
"9-1-1?"
"Yeah, Riv. Or give me the phone, and I'll call," Brantley encourages.
River hands him the phone, and Brantley makes the call. He has it on speaker, and I'm relieved to hear that the emergency services are already on their way.
Finally taking everything in, I realize my entire body hurts, but I'm uncomfortable and cold because I must've peed during the accident. Stupid pregnancy bladder. My hands caress my belly, and that's when I realize it's rock hard and that my back is killing me. Reaching between my legs, I gasp when I pull my hand away and see blood.
"Meadow, are you okay?" Brantley's arm grabs my shoulder—the only way he can provide comfort.
"I-I don't know. I think I'm in labor… The baby—"
The cold and pain are the last thing I remember before passing out and waking up in the hospital.