#slblues

It had been far later than you’d planned by the time you left your parents. You’d taken your kids to see them for the long weekend and now needed to get back home so Ethan could get to school in the morning and you could get back to work. It had been nearly three months since your husband walked out, leaving you alone to raise a five and a half-year-old and a nine-month-old. The GPS said you’d arrive home shortly after midnight and you were grateful that the kids were both in the backseat asleep in their car seats.

Getting pregnant at 18 and married by 19 had never been a part of the plan. But life throws curveballs at you sometimes and you had been happy with the way things were going. Apparently your husband, soon to be ex-husband, hadn’t felt the same way though because you’d come home from taking the kids to the doctor’s to find all of his things gone from the house you’d purchased together, a note left behind declaring that he just couldn’t do this anymore and that he was sorry.

It had been hard explaining to your son Ethan that daddy wasn’t coming home anymore and even harder not to let your children see as you fell apart. Your husband had been your source of strength and you didn’t understand how he could just leave. You couldn’t imagine ever leaving your babies.

You were only about ten minutes from home as you tried to pull yourself together while coming to a stop at a red light. The drive had been pretty quiet for the most part and you were ready to get out of the car and into your own bed. Glancing back at your sleeping children you smiled softly, waiting for the light to turn green.

Once it did, you counted softly in your head for a few seconds before beginning to accelerate through the intersection. Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound from your right and you were spinning out of control as it all went black.

It couldn’t have been long before you regained consciousness, your hands shaking as you began crying, trying vainly to unbuckle yourself to check on your babies. A knocking on your driver’s side window startled you and seconds after rolling your window down a concerned male voice was speaking to you.

“Are you okay? I called 911, the police and EMTs are on their way.” He clearly saw you struggling and reached a hand out to your face. “You need to stop moving until the medics can check you out. Please.”

“My babies….” You sobbed softly, causing the tall man’s eyes to widen.

“How many and what are their names?” He asked his fingers still resting on your cheek as he tried to keep you calm.

“Ethan is five and Julia is nine months...oh god my babies.” You couldn’t hear anything coming from the backseat and it had you fearing the worst. The car had come out of nowhere, hitting you before you even had time to react. “The other car?” You found yourself mumbling, the man leaning through your window cringing.

“They fled, I got a partial license number that I gave to police. Now I’m going to check on your kids just hang in there okay?” Your eyes met his blue ones for the first time as he pulled his hand away, stepping behind you to open the rear door. You could hear the faint sounds of sirens getting closer. Suddenly your daughter’s screaming filled your ears and you sighed in relief that one of your babies was at least alive. Seconds later, the male voice was murmuring to your son whose voice also filled the car, sounding shaky but alive. “Alright guys, the police and EMTs are almost here, you’re all going to be okay. Shhh, sweetheart, you’re alright.” His tone changed from strong and declarative to immediately soothing and through your dislodged rearview mirror you could see him hovering over your daughter’s seat, trying to calm her down.

He only pulled away when the sounds of the police and ambulance were right there, explaining what he had seen and that it was you and two children in the car before he stepped back to let them do their jobs. Suddenly a medic was standing at your door and though you insisted that they get your kids first she assured you that they were but they needed to take care of you as well. She explained that she was going to wrap a c-collar around your neck to keep it stable just as a precaution and that after that if you felt you could move you could attempt to climb out of the car.

Your eyes filled with tears as the medical device was strapped to you before your door was opened from the outside and gentle hands were helping you to stand. As you did, everything went a little fuzzy and you wobbled a bit before stronger arms reached in to help you stand. The EMT simply nodded, glancing at you before turning to help her partner with your children which clearly left you in the arms of your good samaritan.

“It’s all going to be okay.” He assured you. “They both seem to be okay.” The female medic was out of the car fairly quickly, holding your daughter’s car seat, placing it on the ground to do a quick assessment of the infant. Seconds later, her partner had your son in his arms, also with a c-collar around his neck. Both were still crying and your heart ached at the sound, making you want to run to them but cognizant enough to know that you weren’t physically capable at the moment.

“Can you walk if I help?” The male voice questioned.

“I think so...I...I need my purse and phone....they...they’re somewhere in there.” You whispered.

“Police are going to find them and bring them to the hospital.” He assured you, gently guiding you forward toward the ambulance, where your children already were loaded up, being more thoroughly checked by the female EMT. Once you were inside the ambulance, he let go and you reached a hand out to him.

“Please don’t leave.” It was a selfish reaction, he had already done more than anyone could be expected to but you weren’t sure that you could get through this without his calming voice in your ear.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital. I’m not going anywhere.” He assured you, hand cupping your cheek again before he pulled away, murmuring to the EMT about which hospital they were taking you to.

The ambulance ride was filled with the EMT checking each of you over in turn, declaring that you were very very lucky because you all seemed to come out of the accident fairly unscathed. At her initial assessment, it appeared that your son had a broken arm, a clean break, but by all accounts that was the worst injury. You were all going to go through a battery of tests at the hospital just to be sure though.

At the hospital, doctors and nurses did their best to keep you with your children as much as they could. Running your tests first, they determined that your neck would be fine, that nothing was broken and you just had a concussion and some bruises. With that, you were free to stay with your babies. Doctors had also given Julia a clean bill of health, declaring that her car seat had done its job well, and were taking Ethan back for x rays while you cradled your little girl in your arms. As you waited a nurse stopped by with pain meds for you to help with the headache and your blurred vision. You wondered if your good samaritan had come to the hospital or whether his promise had just been something to say to keep you calm. You’d never even gotten his name and you absolutely needed to thank him for coming to your aid at your worst moment.

About an hour later, your son was getting the finishing touches on his cast, also having been diagnosed with a concussion but considering the circumstances, you felt like someone had certainly been watching out for you.

Nurses were concerned about you going home alone, asking if there was anyone they could call to come get you. Your purse had been brought by police and so they had all of your information, asking you verbal questions to complete the paperwork because reading was not something you would be doing for a few more days. You insisted that you would be fine, that you could get an uber to take you home, you had managed by yourself before and you could again.

As you fought with the nurse over your release, another appeared suddenly and insisted that the three of you would be fine because there was someone waiting for you in the lobby. That made the nurse you had been speaking to give in and you were dismissed with prescriptions to fill for medicine for you and your son. Every inch of your body hurt but you ignored that as you carried your daughter’s car seat out to the lobby not sure who you’d find waiting.

Sitting in a chair with his phone in his hands was a man, and after a moment you gasped, realizing that your good samaritan had come. Your gasp made the man look up and immediately he shoved his phone in his pocket, causing you to realize that he was wearing a suit. How hadn’t you realized that before?

“Hey...there you are, you okay?” He asked softly quickly coming to your side and offering to take the car seat from your arm. “Nice cast little man.” He added looking between your son and you.

“We’re thankfully mostly okay, a broken arm, a pair of concussions, and bruises. It could certainly be worse.” You mused. “I...I can’t believe you’re actually here.” You added, your brain acknowledging just how attractive he was. Blonde hair, blue eyes, broad, and really really tall.

“I promised you I would be. Do you have someone coming to get you or can I take you home?” He questioned, free hand finding your lower back.

“If you wouldn’t mind, that would be great.” You declared already thinking about how you needed to call your son into school sick because there was no way he was going to school mere hours after being in a car wreck. You’d have to keep time to wake him and yourself because of the concussions and by the time you got home, your daughter was bound to need her diaper changed and some food. Life as a mom certainly never stopped.

Your good samaritan guided you to his vehicle, setting your daughter’s car seat in the middle of the backseat before looking at you.

“So uh...I don’t know how to fasten her in…” He murmured sheepishly. Unsure of your own dexterity, you simply explained to him what to do while you helped your son into the car as well, buckling him in, though it took you a moment to find and clip the seatbelt.

“I uh...I owe you a big thank you for all of this.” You declared as you climbed into the passenger seat yourself. “I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t been there to call for help and keep me calm.”

“You don’t need to thank me for doing the right thing.” He replied glancing over at you before resting a large palm over your knee. “Now, where am I taking you?” He questioned, nodding at your address before carefully backing out of the parking spot to get you home.

“I...I don’t even know your name.” You were slightly embarrassed at that and even more concerned for your mental sanity that you were trusting a stranger to care for you and your children.

“Colton...Colton Parayko.” You son had started to doze off in the backseat but jolted upright at the name.

“You’re really him?” Ethan asked causing Colton to chuckle and you to look between the two of them confused.

“I am. You a fan buddy?” He asked causing your son to nod excitedly.

“Mom...Mr. Parayko plays for the Blues. Mr. Parayko...mom is a big hockey fan too, she just doesn’t watch your team.” Slowly your brain made the connection in regards to your good samaritan’s size, the suit, being out so late at night, and your son’s words and you flushed even more embarrassed.

“A hockey player huh?” You asked, actually unsurprised if you really thought about it. He simply nodded, rubbing at the back of his neck. Fatigue started to set it and before you knew it, Colton was pulling into your driveway. It was only then that you released that the police hadn’t brought your keys when they brought your purse and phone. Thankfully, you had a code on the garage and slowly sliding out of the car, you glanced back at your kids before going to open it. Both had fallen asleep over the course of the ride and Colton was standing by his door when you turned back to the car.

“Hey, I’ll get Ethan. Why don’t you get Julia and you can point which way for me to go to get him in bed.” That was definitely the best course of action, your kids both needed the sleep since both their schedules had been massively disturbed.

Opening the door from the garage into the house, you held it while Colton carried Ethan inside, pointing toward the stairs as you explained that Ethan’s room was the second on the left. With your shoes toed off, you carefully lifted your daughter out of the car seat, setting the seat off to the side in the dining area of the kitchen. She simply snuggled into you and you kissed her head before padding up the stairs to make sure that Colton got Ethan to bed okay.

Upstairs, the tall hockey player was sliding Ethan’s shoes off of his feet before pulling the blankets up over him and brushing some hair out of his face. When he turned to find you standing in the doorway he smiled. “I’m glad you’re all okay.” He whispered softly.

“Me too.” You replied. “Though I wish the accident had never happened and that my entire body didn’t hurt. It’s going to be a difficult next few days.” Slipping out of your son's room, you headed to your daughter’s lowering yourself into the recliner that was placed in the nursery. Colton followed, sitting on the ottoman as you snuggled Julia, not ready to put her down just yet.

“You don’t have to answer this, but I have to ask. Where’s their dad?” You were honestly surprised he hadn’t asked sooner but your stomach still twisted at the response you’d have to give.

“He left us about three months ago. Said that he couldn’t be a dad anymore, that he wasn’t happy. We’re in the middle of a divorce.” Really that wasn’t the whole truth, everything was settled, he was giving you everything, you just hadn’t signed the papers because you’d been hoping he’d change his mind.

“Damn, I’m sorry.” He said, expression pained. “You’re incredible for raising them on your own though.”

“They’re my children, there was never a choice to make. They’ve been everything to me since I was 18 and the pregnancy test turned positive.” Sighing you kissed Julia’s head once more before pushing yourself to your feet shakily and laying her down in her crib. Her breathing steadied after a moment and you wiped the emotional tears from your eyes as you watched her. God, you had almost lost both of your children tonight and the reality of that was finally hitting you.

Suddenly, Colton’s arms had wrapped themselves around your waist and he pulled you to his chest.

“C’mon. Let’s get you some rest.” He declared, his arm tucked up under your knees so that he could lift you into his body and carry you across the hall. Settling you into your bed, Colton held you close for another minute until you pulled away.

“Thank you for everything. You really didn’t have to do any of this.” You reminded him. “I’m sure you probably want to head home and get some rest yourself, we’ve taken up enough of your time.” Shaking his head from side to side, he chuckled softly.

“Stop thanking me. I don’t mind staying.” He added. “But if you want me to go and give you some space I’ll just leave my number. Please call me if you need anything. And I mean anything.”

“We’ll be fine.” You insisted as you leaned over to set an alarm for an hour and a half from now so that you could check in on Ethan.

“Alright, then I’ll leave my number in your kitchen and then let myself out.” Standing back up, Colton paused to look at you before he headed back downstairs, the sound of your garage closing and then your front door reaching your ears before his car left your driveway.