Quinn and I waited until her parents had left then gathered up her overnight bag for Vegas. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"No. I mean, yes. It's just weird to, I don't know, not be hated by your parents," I said.
"I know what you mean. I feel like they are finally seeing me, instead of just this knock-off version of Sienna. It feels strange, but good."
I opened Quinn’s car door for her. By the time I got into the driver's seat, my tongue felt heavy. The words I wanted to say were like lead. Quinn chatted about Caesar's Palace, where we would be staying, and the tournament. She did not notice my struggle to speak.
"Funny what your father said about the little white chapel, isn't it?" I finally managed to say.
"Yes. Especially since it is where he and my mother got married," Quinn said.
I swerved the car just a little. "What?"
"Oh, they had a big, white wedding where everything was perfect, but two nights before, they drove to Vegas and got married. I always thought it was so romantic," she said.
We pulled onto The Strip, but I started to recalculate my route so we could drive past the iconic wedding chapel. My heart was hammering because I knew that was the final piece that would make me feel whole.
"Quinn, I know this is out of the blue, but-"
"Owen, pull over! I think that man is having a heart attack!" Quinn said. She grabbed the wheel and forced me to pull over.
Tourist drivers went crazy with their horns, but Quinn jumped out of the car and ran to the side of the fallen man. Within seconds, there were sirens coming from two directions. The ambulances moved slowly through the awestruck tourists.
Quinn ignored all the chaos. She was bent over the man doing chest compressions. After a short eternity, she checked his pulse and leaned back on her heels. By the time the EMTs pulled their equipment out of the ambulance, the man had lifted his hand. He reached for his tearful wife's fingers and she thanked Quinn over and over again.
Two EMTs loaded the man into the ambulance, while a third stopped to talk to Quinn. Her face lit up in recognition and I felt a sharp stab of jealousy. I walked over just as he handed her a card.
"Feel free to call me anytime," the EMT said.
"Thanks, I will," Quinn said.
#
I never knew what people meant when they said someone "glowed" – not until I got back into the car with Quinn. It was hard to concentrate on the cluster of bad Vegas traffic. A bright smile played around her lips and her eyes sparkled at everything without actually seeing it. I worried that was what love looked like. I felt that way when I looked at her sometimes.
"You're pretty happy for a woman who just saw a serious heart attack," I commented.
Quinn blinked at my terse tone. "He survived. That is seriously good news. That makes me happy."
"Okay, but this seems like a different kind of happy," I said. "Does it have anything to do with that cute EMT giving you his card? What did he say? You can call him anytime?"
"Owen Redd, you realize you sound jealous, right?"
"You look like if I opened the window you would float right out. So, if you're not happy about the EMT hitting on you, then what is it?"
"For the record, he did not hit on me," Quinn said. "Well, maybe he flirted, but he was giving me his business card."
My heart thumped and I realized Quinn had just saved a man's life. She had jumped out of the car before I pulled to a complete stop and ran over to help. Not only that, but she had revived him and kept him alive until help arrived. It was amazing.
"You know, that's not such a bad idea," I said.
"What's not a bad idea? Helping a man having a heart attack?"
"Yes, but I mean working as an EMT. You have some background with the nursing classes you already took and you clearly have a talent for it. It’s something you really should consider, Quinn," I said.
She crossed her arms tightly. "Well, aren't you just full of career advice," she said.
"Come on, I'm just trying to help. I mean, you've quit college and are searching for something to do. You should at least think about it."
"Think about it? As if I'm not thinking about my own future? As if I'm just waiting around for someone to tell me what to do?"
I could not believe what a detour our conversation had taken. I dug my fingernails into the steering wheel and kept going. "You're back living with your parents and I know that's not where you really want to be, no matter how great they are being. It was just a good idea."
"Naturally, it’s a good idea because you came up with it," she said. "There's no way I could ever look at my own life and make my own decision, is there? That would just be crazy."
"Whoa, this conversation is what is crazy," I said.
Quinn stopped talking to me.
I drove into the parking ramp behind Caesar's Palace and started circling the levels for a parking space. Her glow was gone and, in its place, her chin was rigid. By the fourth level, I realized I had not even asked her what she had in mind. Her father had said she was studying for something, but I had forgotten to ask.
"Quinn, I'm sorry. I was just making an observation. You were amazing out there and you probably saved that man's life. Could you ever see yourself doing that for a living?" I asked.
She softened as we finally found a parking spot and I turned the car off. "I'm sorry too. I'm just sick and tired of people making decisions for me. And this is a huge decision, one that I'm really proud of, so I want to make sure that it is all mine."
I said a quick prayer that she was not leaving to go abroad and then asked, "So, when do I get to hear all about it?"
Quinn laughed. "Well, I'm annoyed because you already pretty much guessed it. I've been taking my EMT training course. I'm ready to take the certification soon. That EMT gave me his card so I would know a good company to sign up with once I got my certification."
I leaned my head against the steering wheel and just barely missed the horn. "As if I didn't feel like a jealous idiot before," I said. "Here I am giving you sage advice about a career you are already pursuing. Is this what life is going to be like from now on? You always one step ahead of me?"
"First one to the room wins?" Quinn asked. She jumped out of the car.
I caught her by the trunk and pulled her into a swift kiss. "That is for saving a man's life and this is for making my life extraordinary."
"What, no kiss for saving you from jail?"
"Sure, but I don't think your father and I are on kissing terms quite yet," I said.
She laughed and pulled out her rolling suitcase. "Wait, before we go in, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"What?" I was suddenly very careful about checking the zippers on my luggage.
"In the car, before I made you stop. You were saying something and it sounded kind of important. What did you want to talk about?" Quinn asked.
"Oh," I said. "I just wanted to know if you want to join me for the competitor’s cocktail hour later on. I know you said you changed to the fun tournament, but you can come as my date."
"I'd love to!"