Daddy's Little Girl
.PacificCoastHighway.
“She’s so beautiful, Austin.” Caroline’s dark green eyes gleamed as she stared at our newborn daughter.
“Of course she is, she looks just like you.” I smiled looking at my girlfriend through the rear-view mirror.
She finally looked up to meet my stare, “I can’t believe your dad is finally going to meet her.” Her smile was as wide as her eyes, “They’re going to love her. Right princess?” she reached her hand into our daughter’s infant car seat and stroked her delicate cheek.
Life couldn’t have been more perfect than it was at the moment.
My girlfriend, Caroline, of three years had just given birth to our first baby two weeks ago. She was the most perfect little girl I had ever laid eyes on.
She had her mother’s eyes, almost a mirror image. Every time I looked at the little bundle in my arms I would feel like I was carrying a tiny version of my Caroline.
The only feature she inherited from me were her lips, or at least that’s what Caroline told me.
Emma, even her name was perfect.
“Austin you missed the exit.” Caroline chuckled looking out the window.
I shot my attention back to the road and watched as we passed the exit we needed to take to get to my fathers house, “Fuck.” I mumbled under my breath, “I’ll take the next one, It probably wont be too far.”
I continued driving down pacific coast highway, making sure I drove more safely than I ever had. The continued pouring onto the black roads making the tires work twice as hard as they gripped on to the road.
Ever since Emma was born, I checked the car five times before taking her anywhere- I guess I became the over protective father in a heart beat.
With that being said, I didn’t like the idea of driving in these conditions, but it was Christmas eve and my father was in town.
‘I want to meet my beautiful granddaughter.’ He had repeated three times when I spoke to him over the phone.
“Austin!” Caroline shrieked from the back seats.
My eyes darted towards the road. A black pickup truck had slid from the opposing direction and was making it’s way in our direction.
My worst fear.
I took the steering wheel and turned it quickly trying to dodge the truck without having to slide myself.
The sounds of Caroline’s screams and Emma’s crying quickly filled the car making me feel helpless. I felt the truck slam into us and turn us over. Spiraling on the wet cement.
“Austin!” Caroline shrieked again.
I tried to reach out for her as I watched her throw her body over our infant, protecting her from everything.
“Caroline hold on!” I felt myself lose control as the windows shattered, breaking Caroline’s porcelain skin.
I tried to reach out again and ended up slamming my head into my window causing a wave of black sheets to fall in my head- leaving me shut out from the real world, leaving the loves of my life completely unprotected.
---
“Call an ambulance!” I heard a faint voice call from the distance.
What happened?
Why would someone need an ambulance?
All I knew was that I was cold, colder than I had been my entire life. My cheek was pressed against something cold and damp.
“Don’t move!” the voice was closer, it was a female’s voice – but it wasn’t my Caroline.
Where was Caroline? She should be here, we were just on our way to my fathers house.
My memory shot back through my mind like hundreds of rusted needles entering an open wound.
I shot my eyes open and was greeted with the vision of flashing red lights and about a dozen feet. I was upside down.
Emma’s sobs were still lingering, I tried to move my head to look at the back seats where my family was located but I couldn’t. My body was pressed in the middle of the steering wheel and my seat.
“Caroline.” I croaked out
“Austin.” A tiny voice came from the back seats. Her breath was shallow and painful, “You need to get Emma out of here…”
She continued battling herself just to breathe.
“Baby are you okay?” I became panicked.
“Austin, get Emma.” She demanded.
“How many people are in here?” A firefighter peered his head into our car.
“My daughter.” I tried to speak to him calmly, “My daughter, take my daughter.”
He looked inside and directed his eyes to the pink car seat.
“There’s an infant in there!” he called out causing a team of firefighters to come to his side, “We’re going to move you and get your daughter.”
I tried to shake my head, “Emma, Caroline then me. I’m last.”
They nodded and began digging their way towards the backseat. I listened carefully as my daughters cries became softer. I watched them pull her out and show her to me, “She’s okay, but we’re taking her to a hospital!” he said covering her with a blanket. I watched as he passed her over to paramedic who transported her over to the ambulance.
“Caroline.” I said feeling relieved that our daughter was safe, “Caroline.” I called out to my girlfriend again, “Caroline!” I said louder after not getting a single response.
The firefighter dug back inside with his team and began pulling her out, “We need you to remain calm.” A female paramedic started my chest, “You’ve had heart surgery. For what?” she began pressing her fingers against my neck.
“Where’s Caroline?” I began getting angry, “Is she okay?”
“Sir, I need you to stay calm.” She pressed me down gently, “Can someone help me out here?” she called out, “What did you have surgery for?”
I tried to catch my breath. I looked down having my eyes meet with a bloody torso, “Marfans.”
“Okay.” Her eyes became wide but her tone remained the same, “I need you to stay calm as we move you. Okay?”
“Caroline.” I spoke unevenly
“She’s in the ambulance with your daughter. They’re on their way to the hospital as we speak.”
I sighed feeling a wave of calmness evade my entire soul, “They’re okay.”
The darkness came over me once more, making me feel like I was only holding on to my sanity until someone told me that my girls were okay. They were going to get checked out and we’ll spend Christmas in a hospital, but we’ll be okay.
“I need you to stay with me sir.” She said as a group of people came to her side and began prying my door open, “Keep your eyes on me.”
“They’re okay.” I breathed out one last time.
--- 4 Years Later –
“Daddy wake up!” I felt a tiny pair of hands shake my forearm, “We have to see mommy today! It’s mommy’s birthday!” she continued to shake me.
I opened my eyes slowly to meet with my daughters excited green orbs, “Okay sweetie.” I mumbled stretching my body out to grab her small body. I pulled her onto my bed and held her against me.
“Daddy are you waking up?” she squirmed from my chest.
“I’m waking up.” I smiled kissing the top of her head.
“Can we buy mommy flowers?” she looked up to me
“Of course sweetheart.” I smiled sitting up, “What flowers do you want to get her?”
“Sunflowers!” she began jumping on the bed, “And roses and daisies!”
“Okay okay!” I laughed getting out of bed, “Let’s get dressed and go get some flowers.”
Her smile widened as she jumped off the bed and ran into her bedroom, “I can beat you!” her voice came from the hallway.
I chuckled to myself, she was just like Caroline.
“Of course she is, she looks just like you.” I smiled looking at my girlfriend through the rear-view mirror.
She finally looked up to meet my stare, “I can’t believe your dad is finally going to meet her.” Her smile was as wide as her eyes, “They’re going to love her. Right princess?” she reached her hand into our daughter’s infant car seat and stroked her delicate cheek.
Life couldn’t have been more perfect than it was at the moment.
My girlfriend, Caroline, of three years had just given birth to our first baby two weeks ago. She was the most perfect little girl I had ever laid eyes on.
She had her mother’s eyes, almost a mirror image. Every time I looked at the little bundle in my arms I would feel like I was carrying a tiny version of my Caroline.
The only feature she inherited from me were her lips, or at least that’s what Caroline told me.
Emma, even her name was perfect.
“Austin you missed the exit.” Caroline chuckled looking out the window.
I shot my attention back to the road and watched as we passed the exit we needed to take to get to my fathers house, “Fuck.” I mumbled under my breath, “I’ll take the next one, It probably wont be too far.”
I continued driving down pacific coast highway, making sure I drove more safely than I ever had. The continued pouring onto the black roads making the tires work twice as hard as they gripped on to the road.
Ever since Emma was born, I checked the car five times before taking her anywhere- I guess I became the over protective father in a heart beat.
With that being said, I didn’t like the idea of driving in these conditions, but it was Christmas eve and my father was in town.
‘I want to meet my beautiful granddaughter.’ He had repeated three times when I spoke to him over the phone.
“Austin!” Caroline shrieked from the back seats.
My eyes darted towards the road. A black pickup truck had slid from the opposing direction and was making it’s way in our direction.
My worst fear.
I took the steering wheel and turned it quickly trying to dodge the truck without having to slide myself.
The sounds of Caroline’s screams and Emma’s crying quickly filled the car making me feel helpless. I felt the truck slam into us and turn us over. Spiraling on the wet cement.
“Austin!” Caroline shrieked again.
I tried to reach out for her as I watched her throw her body over our infant, protecting her from everything.
“Caroline hold on!” I felt myself lose control as the windows shattered, breaking Caroline’s porcelain skin.
I tried to reach out again and ended up slamming my head into my window causing a wave of black sheets to fall in my head- leaving me shut out from the real world, leaving the loves of my life completely unprotected.
---
“Call an ambulance!” I heard a faint voice call from the distance.
What happened?
Why would someone need an ambulance?
All I knew was that I was cold, colder than I had been my entire life. My cheek was pressed against something cold and damp.
“Don’t move!” the voice was closer, it was a female’s voice – but it wasn’t my Caroline.
Where was Caroline? She should be here, we were just on our way to my fathers house.
My memory shot back through my mind like hundreds of rusted needles entering an open wound.
I shot my eyes open and was greeted with the vision of flashing red lights and about a dozen feet. I was upside down.
Emma’s sobs were still lingering, I tried to move my head to look at the back seats where my family was located but I couldn’t. My body was pressed in the middle of the steering wheel and my seat.
“Caroline.” I croaked out
“Austin.” A tiny voice came from the back seats. Her breath was shallow and painful, “You need to get Emma out of here…”
She continued battling herself just to breathe.
“Baby are you okay?” I became panicked.
“Austin, get Emma.” She demanded.
“How many people are in here?” A firefighter peered his head into our car.
“My daughter.” I tried to speak to him calmly, “My daughter, take my daughter.”
He looked inside and directed his eyes to the pink car seat.
“There’s an infant in there!” he called out causing a team of firefighters to come to his side, “We’re going to move you and get your daughter.”
I tried to shake my head, “Emma, Caroline then me. I’m last.”
They nodded and began digging their way towards the backseat. I listened carefully as my daughters cries became softer. I watched them pull her out and show her to me, “She’s okay, but we’re taking her to a hospital!” he said covering her with a blanket. I watched as he passed her over to paramedic who transported her over to the ambulance.
“Caroline.” I said feeling relieved that our daughter was safe, “Caroline.” I called out to my girlfriend again, “Caroline!” I said louder after not getting a single response.
The firefighter dug back inside with his team and began pulling her out, “We need you to remain calm.” A female paramedic started my chest, “You’ve had heart surgery. For what?” she began pressing her fingers against my neck.
“Where’s Caroline?” I began getting angry, “Is she okay?”
“Sir, I need you to stay calm.” She pressed me down gently, “Can someone help me out here?” she called out, “What did you have surgery for?”
I tried to catch my breath. I looked down having my eyes meet with a bloody torso, “Marfans.”
“Okay.” Her eyes became wide but her tone remained the same, “I need you to stay calm as we move you. Okay?”
“Caroline.” I spoke unevenly
“She’s in the ambulance with your daughter. They’re on their way to the hospital as we speak.”
I sighed feeling a wave of calmness evade my entire soul, “They’re okay.”
The darkness came over me once more, making me feel like I was only holding on to my sanity until someone told me that my girls were okay. They were going to get checked out and we’ll spend Christmas in a hospital, but we’ll be okay.
“I need you to stay with me sir.” She said as a group of people came to her side and began prying my door open, “Keep your eyes on me.”
“They’re okay.” I breathed out one last time.
--- 4 Years Later –
“Daddy wake up!” I felt a tiny pair of hands shake my forearm, “We have to see mommy today! It’s mommy’s birthday!” she continued to shake me.
I opened my eyes slowly to meet with my daughters excited green orbs, “Okay sweetie.” I mumbled stretching my body out to grab her small body. I pulled her onto my bed and held her against me.
“Daddy are you waking up?” she squirmed from my chest.
“I’m waking up.” I smiled kissing the top of her head.
“Can we buy mommy flowers?” she looked up to me
“Of course sweetheart.” I smiled sitting up, “What flowers do you want to get her?”
“Sunflowers!” she began jumping on the bed, “And roses and daisies!”
“Okay okay!” I laughed getting out of bed, “Let’s get dressed and go get some flowers.”
Her smile widened as she jumped off the bed and ran into her bedroom, “I can beat you!” her voice came from the hallway.
I chuckled to myself, she was just like Caroline.