The CEO’s Quadruplets

            There was no sun to wake Isabella, but her happiness inside filled her up enough to brighten her drowsy eyes. The memory of yesterday sleepily moved through her mind. So much had happened, but it all seemed restorative to Isabella’s heart. The memory of touch and the feeling of laughter made the dismal morning not so bad. The last of the rain was a mindless cacophony on the window next to her. Isabella looked out but saw nothing. It was so early that Los Angeles was not yet awake. Only delivery trucks and school buses passed them on the thoroughfare. At least, that was Isabella assumed because the lights were massive and bright.

            Looking away from the world, Isabella noticed all the babies were adjusting around in her womb. The feeling of tiny kicks against their confines caused Isabella to hold them close. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, and did her best to soothe her children by letting her fingers caress her own skin. As the four little babies began to calm back down, Isabella began to think about what she would call them all. There was a faint memory which came to mind. Long ago over a few drinks, she and Amory had talked about giving them names of classic Hollywood actors and actresses. It had seemed so fitting for their lives, and even sitting there sober in the car Isabella felt it was a good idea. Her mind began to wander with the idea of different film icons with names that would transcend into the modern era.

            Isabella came out of her thoughts as tires began to screech as the car swerved in a different direction. She looked up to see bright white lights hurtling toward her side of the car. Everything happened so suddenly, but at the same time the world began to freeze. Isabella could see it all unfold down to the microsecond. She watched the metal crush into her side of the car with the impact just behind her head. White bags exploded around her, hitting her sides. Pain shot through her ribs and her arm now pinned against her body. Isabella stayed firmly strapped into her seat as everything else went flying. Her phone flew past her eyes and nearly hit her in the face.

Glass exploded all around her as the world began to spin. Isabella was turning. Turning faster and then slower, everything twisted around until the box of crumpled metal thumped against something. Everything was suddenly so dark after being blinded by light, and someone was screaming. It took her a moment to realize the ringing screech was coming from her own lungs. Had she been screaming the whole time?

Her arms were clasped around her as she laid strapped into the chaos. The airbags had deflated and now began to shroud her as her voice went silent. She could hear groaning from the driver. Isabella heard sirens as red and blue light began to cast across the damaged shell of the former car. She wanted to hold on. She felt like she should, but her body was overwhelmed by emotion and stress. The world began to fall quiet as her eyes softly closed.