Speeding To Love

The sun had just dipped below the Austin skyline, painting the horizon in streaks of orange and pink, like someone had taken a brush to the heavens and smeared it with the colors of a ripe Texas sunset.

I was sprawled on my couch, staring at the ceiling fan as it spun lazily, its rhythmic hum blending with the crackle of the vintage record player in the corner. The needle was stuck on the same groove of Selena’s Amor Prohibido, repeating the same three notes over and over.

I should’ve gotten up to fix it, but I didn’t. Instead, I lay there, one arm dangling off the edge of the couch, the other resting on my stomach, which was growling louder than my neighbor’s basset hound.

“Ice cream,” I muttered to no one in particular. “I need ice cream.”

The thought hit me like a lightning bolt. I sat up so fast my head spun, and for a second, I thought I might pass out. But no, the craving was too strong. I needed ice cream. Not just any ice cream—mint chocolate chip, the kind with the perfect balance of creamy and crunchy. The kind that made you forget all your problems, even if just for a moment.

I grabbed my keys off the coffee table, which was littered with empty soda cans, sketchpads, and a half-eaten bag of tortilla chips. My apartment was a disaster, but that was a problem for Future Leo. Right now, Present Leo had a mission.

I slipped on my sneakers—no time for socks—and bolted out the door, nearly tripping over the welcome mat that said “Howdy, Y’all!” in faded letters. My truck, Rosie, was parked in the lot, her rusted exterior gleaming faintly under the streetlights. She was a 1986 Chevy pickup, older than I was, and she had more quirks than a Wes Anderson movie. But I loved her. She was my ride-or-die, literally.

I hopped in, turned the key, and prayed she’d start. The engine sputtered, coughed, and then roared to life. “That’s my girl,” I said, patting the dashboard.

The drive to the convenience store was supposed to be quick. Ten minutes tops. But as I sped down South Congress Avenue, the wind whipping through the open windows, I realized I was going way over the speed limit. The needle on the speedometer was hovering around 60 in a 35 zone.

“Relax, Leo,” I told myself. “It’s fine. You’re fine. Everything’s fine.”

And then I saw the flashing lights in my rearview mirror.

My heart dropped into my stomach. “No, no, no, no, no,” I muttered, pulling over to the side of the road. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 9:47 PM. Of course. Of course this would happen now.

The cop car pulled up behind me, its lights casting an eerie glow over the interior of my truck. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. My mind was spinning, trying to come up with an excuse, any excuse, that would get me out of this.

The officer approached my window, his flashlight blinding me for a second. I squinted, holding up a hand to block the light.

“License and registration, please,” he said, his voice calm but firm.

I fumbled for my wallet, my hands shaking as I pulled out my license. “Uh, yeah, sure. Just give me a second.”

The officer waited patiently, his expression unreadable. He was younger than I expected, maybe mid-20s, with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His name tag read Alvarez.

“Do you know why I pulled you over?” he asked, taking my license and registration.

“Uh… speeding?” I said, trying to sound casual.

“That’s right. You were going 60 in a 35. Care to explain?”

My mind raced. I needed a good excuse, something that would make him let me off with a warning. And then it hit me.

“I’m so sorry, Officer,” I said, putting on my most panicked expression. “I’m on my way to the hospital. My wife—she’s in labor. I just got the call, and I… I panicked. I didn’t mean to speed, I swear.”

Officer Alvarez raised an eyebrow, studying me carefully. “Your wife’s in labor?”

I nodded furiously, trying to appear convincing. “Yeah, I—I can’t afford to be late. She’s, uh, about to pop.”

Officer Alvarez studied me for a moment, the silence between us stretching uncomfortably. Then, to my surprise, he sighed and gave me a small smile.

“You know, I’m a dad too,” he said, his tone softer now. “I get it. Let me help you out.”

Before I could process what was happening, he gestured to his patrol car. “I’ll escort you to the hospital. I’m sure it’ll help you get there faster.”

Wait, what?

“Seriously?” I asked, barely able to believe what I was hearing. “You’d do that?”

Officer Alvarez shrugged. “Yeah. Just follow me. I’ll make sure no one stops you.”

I hesitated for a moment, but there was no time to second-guess myself. I had to go with it. I quickly jumped into my truck, and Alvarez pulled ahead with his lights flashing.

The drive to the hospital was a blur of flashing lights and anxious thoughts, the familiar streets of Austin passing by in a haze. I couldn’t believe this was happening. But there I was, speeding my way toward St. David’s Hospital with a police escort, trying to outrun the consequences of my own bad decisions.

We pulled into the hospital parking lot a few minutes later, and I parked my truck. Officer Alvarez parked nearby, keeping his lights on for a few more moments, before cutting them off and stepping out of his car.

“Let’s go,” he said, motioning for me to follow.

I walked quickly toward the entrance, my heart pounding in my chest. This was either going to be a genius move or the worst mistake of my life.

The receptionist looked up as we approached. She was young, maybe early 20s, with blonde hair pulled into a messy bun and a name tag that read Mia.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her tone polite but tired.

I took a deep breath, speaking loud enough to be heard by Officer Alvarez. “Yeah, uh, I’m looking for my wife. She’s in labor."

Mia’s smiled. “Of course. Name?”

I leaned forward and whispered to her so that Officer Alvarez could not hear. “Listen, I am in a real bind. I was wondering if—if there’s anyone here who might not have a father present for the delivery? Someone... who might need company?”

Mia blinked for a second, then her eyes flicked to Officer Rivera standing just behind me. Her expression softened slightly, and a knowing smile crossed her lips. She didn’t say anything at first, but something about her smile made me think she understood exactly what was going on.

“Let me check for you,” she said, her voice smooth as she clicked a few buttons on her keyboard.

I waited in tense silence, trying to act like everything was normal, but my mind was racing. Officer Rivera stood there with a quiet air of calm, probably wondering how long I was going to stretch this out. After a moment, Mia looked up from the screen.

“I think I have someone who would work,” she said with a slight nod. “Come with me.”

She stood and walked toward the hallway, gesturing for us to follow. Officer Alvarez and I exchanged a glance as we followed her down the sterile corridors of the hospital, the soft hum of fluorescent lights overhead.

When we reached a door near the end of the hall, Mia paused. She glanced at me, then at Officer Alvarez, her smile now a bit more knowing.

“She’s in there. Just tell her what you need,” she said, and with a small, almost conniving nod, she stepped back.

I glanced at Officer Alvarez, who gave me an encouraging nod, and then, with a deep breath, I walked into the room.

The woman lying on the hospital bed was looking at her phone, her blond hair disheveled but her face calm. She looked up at me in surprise with a set of piercing blue eyes that made me question what year it even was with how lost I was.

“Uhh... who the hell are you?” she demanded.

I froze, my mind blank. Officer Alvarez was right behind me on the other side of the door, and I could feel his eyes on the back of my head.

“Uh, hi,” I said, suddenly feeling out of my depth. “I—I’m sorry to bother you, but… this is going to sound insane. I… I need you to pretend I’m your husband.” Her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

She blinked, processing the absurdity of the request.

I blurted out, “I was speeding. Got pulled over by a cop. I made up this whole story about my wife going into labor, and now I need to stay here to get out of a ticket.”

She stared at me for a long moment, then sighed. “You’re an idiot.”

She let out a quiet laugh. “I’ve dealt with worse,” she said, voice dry. “Fine. Stay. Let’s see if this gets you out of your trouble.”

I couldn’t believe it. “You’re a lifesaver,” I said, relieved.

She shrugged, her tone light. “Yeah, I’m sure. Doctors will be in and out, but you’re welcome to hang out.”

I pulled up a chair beside her bed, my heart still racing, and she smiled at me. We exchanged pleasantries as the doctors came in and checked on her. I made small talk, awkward but grateful.

“Thank you,” I said, relief flooding through me.

As the door creaked open, Officer Alvarez stepped in, his warm smile instantly cutting through the awkward tension in the room. He took a quick glance at the girl, nodding toward her with an approving expression. “Congratulations,” he said, his voice calm yet kind. “First baby?”

She gave him a strained smile, clearly exhausted but trying to keep up appearances. “Yeah, first one. It’s been… an adventure.”

The way she said it made me chuckle. There was a playful sarcasm in her tone, like she was choosing her words carefully. It made me feel less out of place in this odd situation. She was a pro at making the best of things.

Officer Alvarez smiled at her response, then turned his attention to me, giving me an appraising look. “So, Leonidas... Are you, uh, ready to be a dad or...?”

I blinked at the question, not quite expecting it. “Uh, well—”

The woman cut in before I could answer, her grin widening. “Yeah, Leo’s been a real champ. We’ve known each other for years, right?”

I caught her eyes, a little thrown off with how quickly she used my nickname after hearing my name once, but I rolled with it. “Yeah, yeah, uh, we’ve known each other forever,” I said, smiling awkwardly as I tried to piece together a plausible story on the fly. “We met... uh, in high school. She was the new girl, and I—uh—was the guy who saved her from getting lost in the halls.”

She raised an eyebrow, giving me a sly look. “Really? You’re gonna tell him that? You were actually the guy who bumped into me during lunch and spilled your soda all over my shirt.”

I blinked, surprised by her quick correction. “Oh, right. That was me. But I did help you find your locker after the soda incident, so that counts, right?”

She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. “Sure, Leo. You totally ‘helped.’”

Officer Alvarez chuckled, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. “Sounds like a real love story. When did you two get married, anyway?”

I froze, caught completely off guard. “Uh, what?”

She shot me a quick, mischievous glance before playing along. “Oh, we just tied the knot a couple of months ago,” she said, her voice dripping with sweet sincerity. “Low-key wedding, just the two of us. Very intimate.”

I blinked, trying to process the sudden change in the story. “Yeah, uh, low-key. Just... you know, a small thing.”

Officer Alvarez raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Really? I’d expect a big celebration for a couple who’s been together that long.”

She shrugged casually, clearly enjoying the game. “Well, we didn’t want to make a big fuss. Plus, Leo’s more of a ‘sneak off and get it done’ kind of guy, right?”

I nodded frantically, trying to play it cool. “Yeah, exactly. I’m more of a... spontaneous guy. The big wedding thing is... overrated.”

Officer Alvarez gave us a bemused look, clearly skeptical but entertained. “Alright, alright. You two are a very interesting couple.” He shook his head, still smiling. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. And Leo, no more speeding, alright?”

“Definitely, Officer,” I said, giving him a quick salute as I tried to regain my composure.

As Officer Alvarez left, I let out a relieved breath. the woman shot me an amused grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. The tension that had been building up in my chest seemed to dissipate, replaced by a strange sense of relief. I glanced over at the girl, who was propped up on the bed, still holding a small, amused grin.

I groaned, sinking into the chair beside her. “I swear, I am gonna end up actually arrested one of these days.”

She laughed, her smile widening. “Hey, not my fault! You’re the one who started this whole thing.”

I shook my head, feeling both exasperated and entertained. “I think we just convinced an officer we’re secretly married. What kind of mess did I get myself into?”

The girl leaned back, her expression thoughtful. “The kind that makes for a pretty great story, I think.” She then raised an eyebrow at me, clearly trying to suppress a laugh. “So. Leonidas, huh? Hope it was cool for me to call you Leo.”

I grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck. “Yeah, totally fine. That's actually what my friends all call me” I said, trying to play it cool, but panicking that I just now realized I had no idea what my not-wife's name was... “And you are?”

“Kenley,” she said, her smile widening. “and my friends call me K.”