«Let’s go home,» begged Nina. «Let’s go home.»
«But the sour cream?»
«To hell with the sour cream.» She started panicking. «Let’s just go home!»
Vlad turned the car, but suddenly a Jeep neared them. The driver could not stop his vehicle. Sliding on the road surface, the Jeep hit Lapin’s car, tossing it forward.
If Vlad had more experience, he probably would have taken control of the vehicle, but he was new, and the scream of his wife completely bewildered him. The car spun around a few times and skidded into a gas station.
Nina saw an oncoming gas pump. She buried her face in her palms and thought about her daughter. «Larisa will be so upset…» was all that she had time to think.
The impact threw Nina forward, but her seat belt worked, and held her as she lightly bumped her head against the window. Shocked, she barely opened the door and fell out.
«Are you okay, ma’am?» A man helped her get up. Nina looked around, slowly coming back to her senses. She saw that they had crashed into a pole holding the sign with gas prices, not into the pump, and she realized that Vlad had turned the car at the last second, avoiding a much worse accident.
Tenderness and worry for him crammed her heart, but she calmed down at once, seeing her husband walk towards her. He was all right, and she showed him a weak smile.
Grabbing her shoulders, Vlad anxiously gazed at the face of his wife. «Are you okay?» His voice trembled. «Honey, are you okay?»
«You saved our lives.» she breathed out.
Vlad tightly embraced her. «Damn me,» he murmured. «I could’ve killed us both!»
«Put on your seat belt.» Nina recalled his order, and, shaking with stress, she nervously chuckled.
* * * * *
Jeff Menard drove the Lapins home.
He went in with them to be sure that they would be fine. He did not expect to see Vera Grach there, and, surprised, he stood still near the front door.
«Larisa is asleep already.» Vera saw the Lapins and gasped. «My God! What happened?»
«Sorry, Vera,» Nina Lapina replied with a weak voice. «No ride for you. We crashed our car…» But a new idea came to her, and Nina turned to Jeff. «Officer, could you give Vera a ride?» She did not notice a happy smile light up the face of the policeman.
Vera looked at Jeff and recognized him. They stared at each other. He was looking with hope in his eyes. She hesitated. But finally, Vera grabbed her coat, nodded to Jeff, and they said good-bye to the Lapins.
In the vehicle Vera looked around with curiosity, since she was in a police car for the first time. «I thought that policemen are always with a partner.»