Chapter Thirty-One Violet #2
“I don’t care what Denise thinks. She’s a meanie anyway.” Harper smiled this crooked little smile that almost killed me. “I just want to show Daddy that I’m a big girl.”
Jeanne shook her head and chuckled. “It wasn’t bad at all. I’d tell you if I was concerned about it.”
“Give me a minute, okay?” I said, pulling out my cell phone. I dialed Charlie’s number. I needed him to let me do this with her. He didn’t pick up, and I knew he was in a meeting this afternoon. I sent a text.
Me: Hey. I love you and I’m at the park with Harps, Lily, and Jeanne. Jeanne just went down the demon with Lily. Harper really wants to do this. What if I go down with her?
Charles: I hate that fucking slide. It’s dangerous.
Me: She’ll be with me, and I’m a grown woman. I promise I’ll keep her safe. Do you trust me?
Charles: You know I trust you, Firefly. It’s the fucking slide I don’t trust.
Me: What could possibly happen on a slide with me holding her? Come on, Charles. You’re being irrational. Let me do this with her.
Charles: Fine. But I’d much prefer you both just go get ice cream and stay off tall slides.
Me: I’ll take that as a yes. Thank you for knowing that she’s safe with me. Love you.
Charles: Love you. Keep my little girl safe, Violet.
I tucked my phone in my purse and handed it to Jeanne.
“What if I go down with you?” I asked Harper.
“Yes!” She clapped in excitement.
“Come on, Harps. We’re doing this.” I glanced over at Denise, who was watching us like a hawk.
“Go, Harper!” Lily shouted.
We marched hand in hand toward the back of the ladder.
Of course, Denise jogged up behind us, because she had nothing better to do than taunt everyone around her.
I turned around and glared at her. I didn’t speak a word. I just gave her that look.
Not today, Satan.
Harper went first, and I followed behind her.
Denise stayed right on my ass, and I heard a few boys behind us now as well.
She had a way of drawing a crowd with all her big talk.
“Don’t pay them any attention. I’ve got you,” I said so only Harper could hear me.
“I’m not even scared, Vi,” she said.
When we got to the top, Harper and I both chuckled, because it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just like any other slide, minus the low sides and the hard ground beneath it.
“You ready?” I asked as she reached for the pole to hold on as she moved to sit.
“You can still change your mind, Harper!” Denise shouted. “That’s what all the babies do!”
I turned around and glared at her.
My God, this kid is working my nerves.
“Let’s do this, Vi.” Harper smiled up at me, her eyes dancing with excitement.
I dropped to sit, and as I was getting her settled between my legs, a hard kick hit my back, and we slipped forward.
Denise landed on my back—she’d clearly kicked me and lost her balance—and I fell forward.
I did everything I could to adjust Harper.
Both of my arms wrapped around her as one of her legs hung off the slide, and I frantically tried to pull it in.
I was partly turned sideways. Denise had all her weight pressed against my back, and we were moving fast. Harper had her back pressed against my chest as she giggled and squealed as if this was the best thing she’d ever done.
I could hear a boy laughing behind me, and I realized more kids had jumped on behind Denise.
I wrapped myself around Harper the best I could as we approached the bottom, and we hit the ground on a hard whoosh.
I tried like hell to protect my girl.
My girl.
Jeanne and two other mothers were there trying to pull us all apart as Denise and two older boys tumbled on top of us. We got everyone off, and Harper let out a loud cry.
She was lying on her back, holding her arm and wailing.
“Are you okay?” I frantically touched her face and her head.
She nodded as tears ran down her face. “My arm hurts, and my neck hurts, Vi.”
I could see the way her arm was bent, and she wasn’t moving her neck at all, and I knew she wasn’t okay. Her arm was clearly broken.
“Call an ambulance,” I said to Jeanne, and she already had the phone in her hand.
I didn’t have a car here, and I was afraid to move her.
“Sorry, I fell on top of you guys,” Denise said with a sniff as the two older boys ran off.
I looked up to see her mother watching us, and I’d never felt so much rage in that moment. “Come get your damn kid, Quigley!”
She actually ended her call and jogged over.
I just sat over Harper, stroking her face and keeping her still as I told her she was going to be okay over and over.
Luckily the ambulance showed up within minutes, and I told them what happened, and I was crying now too.
They assessed her and quickly got her on a gurney, stabilizing her neck.
I held her hand as we loaded her up in the ambulance.
Jeanne said she’d meet us there, and I asked her to call Charlie.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered to Harper as we made our way to the hospital.
“It’s okay, Vi. We did it. We did the demon.” She winced, and it was clear that she was in pain.
“Is she going to be okay?” I asked, and the paramedic’s gaze softened.
“Yes, she’ll be okay. I think she probably broke her arm and maybe her wrist, but they’ll get her all fixed up at the hospital,” he assured me. “They’ll just want to check her neck and make sure it’s all okay. I’ve got her stabilized for now.”
I nodded, the panic coursing through my veins. Her arm was probably broken. Maybe in two places.
And what if her neck was broken?
I tried hard to keep it together as we hurried inside.
The nurse suggested I wait out in the lobby, but I was hysterical, and Harper got upset, so they allowed me to stay with her.
She whimpered as she lay in the hospital bed, my hand in hers.
“I’m right here, Harps. Daddy’s on his way, okay?” I said, my voice shaking.
I knew that Jeanne had called Charlie, and she was probably out in the waiting room now with Lily as well.
“You’ll stay with me?” she croaked.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Where is she?” The sound of Charlie’s voice, angry and gruff, came from behind me.
He stormed into the room, and the look on his face had my heart sinking.
He’d never forgive me for this.
He rushed over to the side of her bed, and I could actually see his heart breaking as he took in her tear-streaked face. “You’re okay, baby girl.”
“My arm hurts, Daddy.” Her voice was soft and shaky.
“I know it does. But you’re tough as nails, Harps. We’re going to get you all fixed up.”
He hadn’t looked at me yet, and the doctor walked in and introduced himself.
Dr. Jenkins asked what happened, and I gave him a brief breakdown about how she went down the slide awkwardly as I tried to secure her, and we crashed at the bottom of the slide with several kids behind us who piled on top.
“I tried to shield her,” I said, my voice quaking. “I didn’t press down on her when we hit the ground, but a larger boy who’d been behind me went over my back and landed on her.”
“All right. Accidents happen. She’s going to be okay. We’re going to get some x-rays of her arm and her wrist, and we’ll do a CT scan and check out the neck and spine. She’ll most likely be going home today if everything looks okay.”
Two nurses walked in the room and said they were ready to take her for x-rays.
“Can they come with me?” Harper whimpered.
“We can let one person come back with us,” the nurse said, looking between Charlie and me.
“I’m her father. I’m going with her,” he said, still not looking at me.
I nodded. “I’ll just wait out in the waiting room.”
I kissed Harper on the forehead and glanced up to see Charlie watching me. Our eyes locked for the first time since he’d walked in, and I wished I hadn’t looked up.
Because the disappointment I saw there shattered me.
And I knew nothing would ever be the same again.