Her eyes darted at me again and I cupped her face. “I’m going to get you out of here. You hear me?”
She didn’t nod this time, and a small spark ignited. My breathing picked up, but I ignored the panic because she was my only priority right now.
I struggled with the seatbelt again, using every bit of strength I had in me. But she wasn’t budging.
Then we heard them.
The terrified screams of frightened children. It broke my concentration only for a second until I went back to getting Gracie the hell out of this fucking truck.
“If I just pull on this piece of metal maybe I can—”
“Liem.”
“I only need to—”
“Liem!” Gracie yelled my name, using every bit of strength she had left.
I paused, catching a glimpse of the fire growing and then I looked back at her.
“Liem. I don’t think I’m going to be able to—”
“No. No. I can do this. I can—”
“Liem. They’re children.”
My eyes darted between both of hers and every memory of us came swirling back. Every happy one. The day we met. The day I told her I was madly, insanely in love with her. The mornings on the porch swing. I wasn’t losing her. Not like this.
The flames grew bigger, and they towered over the other car with the children who still yelled for help. Crying for someone to get to them. Save them. But all I could do was stare at my Gracie.
“I can’t.” My voice quivered as I shook my head in panic. I couldn’t do it. There was no way.
“I love you, Liem. I love you so much. But they are kids. Children. And they aren’t going to make it if you don’t help them.”
The tears. I didn’t think a man could cry like this. I was supposed to be her rock. Her hero. And I cried like a goddamned baby. Sobbed.
I reached for her, tugged desperately again to try to free her and that’s when she grabbed my arm.
“You were the best thing to happen to me, and I am so grateful for the time we had together, but I’m already gone, Liem. The cancer is already killing me. I’m dying. Help them.” She wiped tears from my face. From my face, not hers. “Help them, Liem. They have their whole lives. Help them!”
My sobs drowned everything around us, but I kissed her. Kissed her like I’ve never kissed her before and then I let her go. I let her go and she smiled. How could she smile… how could she smile at me when I was about to betray her.
“I love you, Gracie. I’ll always love you. I promise I’ll come back for you.” My body shook as my cries grew stronger, and louder but I shimmied away and staggered to a stand.
My ribs were broken, but I didn’t feel any of it. My heart was in my throat. Every piece of feeling in me vanished and I lost all sensation. But I backed up, slowly leaving Gracie to die.
To fucking die.
When another scream came from the other vehicle something inside me changed and I ran to them. To the children. They were going to survive. They had to or it would be for nothing.
I went down on my stomach and found the first one. A little girl who was crying with her eyes clamped shut. “I’m going to help you.” I fought my words through my paused tears and pulled her out of her booster seat. I dragged her out of there and carried her away to safety as she clung her little arms around my neck.
“I’ll be right back, okay?”
The tiny girl nods while sobbing and I ran back to the car. The second child was a boy who looked older by only a few years.
“Hey, buddy. You okay?”
“Y-yeah, I think so but… my mom. She isn’t moving.”
