Chapter 1-Rita
Today was not my day.
Even as the thought went through my head I knew things could be worse. Having a tire blowout on the interstate in the middle of a snowstorm could have been deadly. Thankfully I just skidded off the road.
“Geez...yes hello, my name? Rita Lopez. My AAA number? Hang on…” fumbling I finally pulled it out of the glove box. My nice neat stack of presents were all over the back seat now, I had to hope nothing was broken. This was my first trip back home in over ten years.
“An hour?” I sighed, could be worse. “Fine, thank you.” With an hour to kill I decided to call my sister and give her an update. Better her than mom who I knew would just be crazy with worry.
Over an hour later I was still waiting. And the number of cars that had almost clipped the back of my truck was starting to panic me. I knew I needed to lay out a marker or something so other drivers could see me, so I reached under my seat and pulled out the emergency flares. I should have put them out first thing.
“Hindsight Rita, hindsight.”
I stepped out into the blowing snow and lit the flare, I could barely see anything, so I felt my way along the back of the truck. That was all I could remember.
When I opened my eyes I didn’t move at first. Everything hurt
“Ow.”
“Oh my god, you’re awake! Thank goodness!” The woman driving was beautiful if not a bit frazzled looking. Her hair was wild and long and wet. Wet? I was soaked. I looked out the window and it was snowing even harder. I struggled to sit up and the flare of pain along my hip told me what had happened.
“What the hell,” I ground out through chattering teeth. “Did you hit me with your car?”
“I did, look I’m so sorry, I was trying to get home, the car swerved and…”
She droned on and on trying to explain while I did my damnedest not to curse out loud. There was something so familiar about her.
“Mercy?” I said it in an almost whisper but she heard me and slammed on the brakes. Not the right move in a snowstorm.
“Oh my God...oh my God…” The woman struggled to get control of the car while I banged around in the back. A couple of swerves later, the car was under control and she pulled over.
I licked my bottom lip and could taste the hint of blood where I bit it.
“Geez…”
“Rita?” The woman I knew as Mercy Tripton turned to look at me, a myriad of expressions washing over her beautiful face. “It’s really you isn’t it? Your sister said you were coming for the holidays but I didn’t believe her, I mean you haven’t been back in ages and I mean the last time we talked you said you couldn’t wait to get out of here so I assumed you’d never be back, I mean you left your friends, your family, all of us, you didn’t seem to care who you hurt along the way either did you, I can’t believe you’re actually here and OH MY GOD...I hit you with my car! Your mother is going to be so mad at me, I-”
“Stop...STOP! Goodness Mercy take a breath.” I couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped me. It made my ribs hurt but who wouldn’t laugh at this kind of greeting. The prodigal daughter returns and promptly gets hit by a car driven by the women she left behind. It was absurd and par for the course, it seemed.
Mercy for her part tried to get herself under control but I could tell she was feeling a bit self conscious now. She ran her fingers through her hair trying to get the damp unruly mess under control. She didn’t even know how endearing that was.
I took a deep breath and cursed at the pain in my side. “Dammit”
“Goodness I have to get you to a doctor, your mother...oh…”
“You still see my mom?” I tried to get her mind off it knowing the more she stressed the more stressed I would be. Plus, I was really surprised she stayed in touch with my family. Granted, Scranton wasn’t huge but there were enough small townships to let me know she made an effort to do so. Why?
“Well, yes. Why wouldn’t I? Just because you couldn’t handle a serious relationship and ran away doesn’t mean I had to cut all ties.” Anger weaved through her tone and I completely understood.
“I didn’t run away.”
“Didn’t you?”
The sadness in her voice unlocked feelings I’d never given up. I hadn’t run away, but I also hadn’t come back in over ten years. I was successful, accomplished and alone. It hadn’t felt right back then. I had goals, dreams and they meant leaving Scranton and she wouldn’t, so I chose.
“Mercy...I’m sorry I haven’t been back, but work kept me pretty busy, you know?”
It was a feeble excuse and I knew it.
“Well, your family will be happy to see you again. It’s all your mother has been talking about. “We thought you weren’t coming till tomorrow?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise for mom, you know, get there early, spend some quality time.” I didn’t know what else to say but she saved me from the silence.
“You look different, not how I expected.” Mercy tried but she couldn’t stop the once over she gave me. “Your hair is even shorter than you used to wear it.”
My hands went up to the side of my head. It was short and streaked with white now after everything. I sighed.
“Hey, it’s not bad, I like it.” When Mercy took my hand in hers I felt a warmth inside me I hadn’t felt in years. Years of traveling the globe as a contractor and trouble shooter. I was tired.
She must have sensed something because she suddenly pulled her hand back and turned around.
“Let me get you to the hospital to get checked out, we can call your mom and sister then.”
“I don’t need a hospital and what about my car?”
“Oh!”
I could tell she had totally forgotten about my car. I dug around my coat pocket and found my phone, three missed calls. Two from my sister and one from the tow truck driver. I called the driver back. “Hello, yes...you’re there? Okay yes, can you just tow it? Yes, the address is local.” I gave him my sister’s address and hung up.
“Hospital Jeeves.” I said it jokingly, but I knew I had at least one broken rib. Mercy never said a word. She pulled out and started driving.
Chapter 2-Mercy
Rita must really be hurting. I can’t believe after all these years, wondering about her and what she was doing, who she was with, I go and hit her with my car. I could feel the car wanting to swerve again but I kept it on the road. I felt awful about hitting her but this weather was making driving practically impossible.
“Rita?”
“Yeah hon?”
Hon? Did she just call me hon? She hadn’t done that in over ten years. Okay then. I couldn’t stop the smile that came across my face. She was still the same old Rita.
“Uh...we should be there in a few minutes.”
***
“Where is she?” Rita’s mother completely ignored the nurse who tried to talk to her and came straight to me.
“She’s okay Anna, they were finishing up with her.”
“What happened?” Rita’s sister Mona brushed snow off her coat.
I looked up at Mona and back to her mother before answering.
“I kind of...well I hit her with my car.”