A/N: I hope this doesn't feel too much like filler. Please read and review. It would be an excellent Christmas present to me!
They found Amy the kitchen, but she wasn't making hot chocolate. She was on her cell phone instead, leaning over the island in the middle and twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she furrowed her brow. "Mmhm… so when did they leave? Oh, really? Oh…"
Tina exchanged a worried glance with Artie as she moved to the breakfast table and sat down. Artie stopped beside the table and remained perfectly still as he stood and stared at his sister. Amy continued to hold up her end of the conversation, acknowledging her brother with a troubled look.
"… Yeah, no, I haven't gotten a hold of them on either cell. Of course, Mom forgets hers at home half the time…"
Tina noticed that Artie was now gripping his crutches so hard that his knuckles were turning white. He inched his way towards Amy and stood on the opposite side of the island. She forced a smile, which he didn't return.
"Thanks, yeah, and we'll call you if we hear from them, too… okay, thanks, Aunt Penny. Okay, buh-bye." She hung up and stared at her phone, as though willing it to ring.
"They're not at Aunt Penny and Uncle Mark's house?" Artie questioned, to which Amy shook her head. His expression darkened to match hers. "So, no one's been able to get a hold of them?"
"They left Aunt Penny and Uncle Mark's house, like, thirty minutes ago and that was when the snow really started coming down hard," said Amy, her voice wavering slightly. "Dad told Uncle Mark that it would be fine since he's got four-wheel drive, but I don't think anyone expected it to snow this much. Now Aunt Penny and I have both tried their cell phones about a dozen times… nothing."
Artie drew in a shaky breath, but all he said was, "Where's Austin?" He didn't want to worry their younger brother and Amy, understanding immediately, replied, "I sent him upstairs to take a bath." Artie nodded, relieved that the youngest child was out of the way for now.
"Maybe… maybe I should call my parents?" Tina wondered aloud. She knew Artie's parents had been in Dayton visiting his aunt and uncle because he'd told her that earlier. Tina's parents were supposed to be out as well, celebrating her grandparents' wedding anniversary with a quiet dinner at the retirement home in Findlay.
Neither Amy nor Artie seemed to notice that Tina had spoken. Tina rose from the table and slipped into the hall to make the call. Her parents were closer than Artie's, but if they wanted to avoid the highway, they'd have to try the back roads. The detour could potentially take well over an hour, depending on the condition of the roads.
"Mom?" she said, relieved when her mother picked up right away.
"Hi, sweetheart, we were just about to call you," she said, nonchalantly. "It looks like the storm is getting pretty bad. There are vacant rooms at the retirement home, and they're going to let us stay the night. Will you be okay at Artie's tonight?"
"Um… sure, it'll be fine," Tina replied, although her gut was telling her that spending the night with the ex-boyfriend would be anything but fine. But then it wasn't like they were alone. Thank goodness for Amy and Austin, she thought. Tina didn't think her parents realized that Artie's parents weren't home, but she decided it would be better not to tell them. She didn't want them to worry and try to come pick her up.
She was just finishing up the conversation with her mother, reassuring her once more that she would be just fine at Artie's for the night, when the Abrams' residence lost power. The television that had been left on in the living room went off as the lights blinked a few times before going out as well. From upstairs, Austin cried out in alarm.
"Uh-oh," said Artie, as Tina slipped back into the kitchen and took her seat at the breakfast table again. "Bet the water's cold. I'll go bring him a flashlight." When Amy looked at him rather dubiously, he said, "I've tried out the stairs in this thing. I can get up there, really."
"If you fall…" Amy started to say, but Artie pretended he hadn't heard her. At the rate he was headed, it would be awhile he reached his brother. Amy started towards the stairs herself, but Artie quickly protested.
"He won't want you to see him naked," said Artie. "You stay here and don't stop calling Mom and Dad. I want to know the second you reach them, okay? Call both their phones. Call Aunt Penny and find out who else was at the party. Get their numbers, too. Maybe they're on the roads with Mom and Dad right now."
After barking out these orders, Artie continued making his way towards the stairs.
Amy exchanged a meaningful look with Tina before shaking her head and obediently making another call. "Nothing," she informed Tina, moving to sit beside her at the table. Turning her cell phone over in her hands, she mumbled an explanation. "Artie overreacts when it comes to driving and bad weather…"
"Oh, was it…?" The rest of Tina's question evaporated into the space between them, an awkward silence filling the air. Tina had never asked Artie to give her more details about the accident that damaged his spinal cord. She wasn't sure if she should ask Amy, but then again, Amy had brought it up.
Amy nodded solemnly. "It was snowing," she explained. "Hard, kind of like it is right now. And it was late at night. Artie and Mom were on their way home from Uncle Mark's and Aunt Penny's. Our cousin, Rhys, is his age. They really liked playing together. Dad was home with me and Austin because I was sick with the flu and Austin had an ear infection. Otherwise, we might have been with Mom and Artie. Aunt Penny tried to convince Mom not to drive back, too, but she thought it would be okay…"
Tina wasn't sure she could speak. A lump had formed in the back of her throat. Amy let the subject drop and stood again to pace the kitchen, muttering to herself about calling her aunt back. Tina jumped as another clump of snow hit the window, accompanied by a strong gust of wind.
Tina didn't think Artie was overreacting.
