Cleats and Tiaras

Prologue Part 1

TWELVE YEARS AGO

Charlie and Joey were running around the yard in bathing suits pelting one another with water from their toy guns. Both of their mothers were watching the two children with smiles. Five year-old Charlie was wearing her favorite swimsuit, a blue and green one piece that featured the Disney character Stitch with a ruffle around the waist that mimicked a skirt. Joey, who was older than Charlie by a mere 2 days, was donning a pair of swim trunks that had dinosaurs sprawled across the fabric. Charlie let out a squeal as Joey found her hiding spot behind a large oak tree and shot a stream of water into her face. Her mother, Sarah, jumped from her seated position on the lounge chair ready to take action before she heard her daughter’s lyrical laughter ring out.

“Teds the kids are fine. You really need to relax. Sit down and have a margarita with me.” Joey’s mom, Maddie, said with a sigh. Sarah smiled at the use of her childhood nickname before letting out a deep breath and sinking back into the chair. Maddie attempted to hand her a margarita which Sarah declined. Maddie knew that she wouldn’t take the drink because she would be driving Charlie and herself home later.

“I know that you’re right, but I worry that Joey might get too rough with her. Boys are more rowdy than girls. Besides, you know that Charlie is the most precious thing in my world. I hate it when she’s hurt.” she replied. Sarah’s mind flashed back to her pregnancy and all of the scares that she had endured. Charlie was a miracle baby. They had defied all odds when both mother and daughter survived her birth. Sarah remembered her father, Charles, was livid with her decision to continue her pregnancy. Sarah had been born with a heart deformity and had undergone several corrective surgeries by the time she was six years-old. Her doctors had urged her to terminate her pregnancy stating that she likely wouldn’t survive the delivery. She had vehemently refused. Although Charlie’s conception was not intentional Sarah had been beyond ecstatic when she found out. Her husband, Jordan, had been killed during deployment overseas two months earlier. Charlie was the blessing that he had provided her with on his last leave. After accepting that his daughter would not heed his advice Charles insisted that she move back home so she would have help during her pregnancy and when the baby arrived. Sarah had agreed and returned to her childhood home. Her father, having raised Sarah on his own after her mother left the hospital without Sarah leaving a note stating who the baby’s father was and how to contact him, had been and still was an enormous help with Charlie.

“I know that look Teds. Stop thinking about the hard and terrifying road that you traveled to bring Charlie into the world. She is a happy and healthy five year-old girl. She is tougher than you give her credit for. We both know that she is the one that beats up on Joey thanks to your dad watching and teaching her wrestling. “ Maddie said, breaking Sarah from her thoughts. Sarah laughed as she shook her head.

“I am still angry that he not only let her try out for wrestling, but also put her on the team. Then he goes and teaches her moves that she sees on WWE.” Maddie could only smile at her lifelong friend. Sarah had always been protective. She had even taken her teddy bear everywhere she went for fear that he would be hurt if she left him alone. That was when Charles started calling her Teds. Sarah’s protective instinct was much stronger when it came to Charlie.

“She is going to be fine. You can’t put the girl in a plastic bubble. You have to let her be a kid. Yeah, sometimes she will fall and get a scrape, bruise, or sprain, but she will always come out stronger. She is a fighter and has been since her conception.” Maddie stated.

“That’s all Jordan. He was fearless just like she is.” Sarah said fondly as she looked back toward the children. The two had abandoned the water guns and Joey was now pushing Charlie on the swing. His voice carried on the breeze as he taught her how to pump her legs. Soon the young girl was swinging on her own, her brown eyes bright with joy from Joey’s praise. Sarah soaked in the moment watching her daughter swing. Charlie’s dark blonde hair was flying wildly in the wind as she swung back and forth. Sarah hurriedly grabbed her camera and brought it up to capture the moment forever.

After a few more hours and dozens of pictures, Sarah had Charlie buckled into her car seat and began the short drive home. The sun had started to set, painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange, pink, and purple. Charlie was already fast asleep after a long day of playing with her best friend. Sarah glanced at her sleeping daughter’s face in the rearview mirror as she waited at the stop light. When the light turned green she pushed the car forward into the intersection. Suddenly the sound of squealing tires and a blaring horn sounded. Sarah could see the old, rusted, green truck as it came barreling towards her tiny cavalier. Realizing that there was nothing she could do to avoid being rammed by the speeding truck she quickly uttered a frantic prayer.

“God, please save my baby girl.” Sarah pleaded seconds before the truck made contact with her driver’s door.

The next five days felt like a lifetime to young Charlie. After ambulances rushed her and her mother to the hospital, Sarah had been taken into emergency surgery. Charlie didn’t understand and cried out wanting her mom. Doctors and nurses tried to calm the terrified child to no avail. Sarah had been unconscious and hadn’t been able to tell them who her emergency contact was. Luckily Sarah’s over protective nature had urged her to teach Charlie their home phone number and her father’s legal name. She had made sure that Charlie knew the information just as well as she knew her own name, and that if mommy was hurt to have someone call grandpa. The petrified child calmed herself just enough to speak out a single sentence,

“Call my grandpa, Charles Taylor.” Charlie uttered the phone number rapidly. The nurse had to have the young girl repeat it to hear the full phone number. The nurse ran from the room to make the call as Charlie began to cry hysterically once more.

“Sweetie, I know that you are scared and you want your mommy, but she is with the other doctor. He is taking good care of her, okay?” An older nurse with gray streaks running through her hair, said. Charlie nodded her tiny head but continued to cry.

“Can you tell me your name?” The nurse asked her.

“Ch-Ch-Charlie Taylor” she managed to utter between her sobs. The nurse wrote the name down on the clipboard in her hand and spoke to the doctor.

“We need to get her calmed down. Her vitals are stable and she shows no outward signs of injury. I think that we should sedate her before we try to do the CT and x rays. The poor thing is already terrified, I don’t think that she can handle the CT machine.” The doctor looked over at Charlie and walked towards her.

“Hi Charlie, I am Doctor Williams. I’m going to use this,” he showed her his stethoscope,”to hear you breathe and hear your heart okay?” he said to her. Charlie managed a nod, though the fear was evident in her tiny features.

“It won’t hurt you at all, it just may feel a bit cold is all.” He reassured her. After a few moments he nodded to the nurse, satisfied that the young child could safely be given a sedative. The doctor headed out the door as the nurse came to stand beside Charlie. She reached out to put her hand on the child’s arm in a gesture of comfort but the young girl shied away.

“Mommy said no strangers can touch me unless it's a doctor, cause doctors make sure you’re okay.” Charlie said. A small smile tugged at the corner of the nurse’s mouth. She was glad to see that some people still taught their children to be cautious of people that they don’t know.

“Okay Charlie I won’t do it again.” she said to reassure the child that she heard and understood her. Doctor Williams re-entered the room with a syringe in hand. Charlie tried to retreat at the sight of it. Like most kids she hated shots.

“It’s okay sweetie, I’m not giving you a shot. You see that tube that the people in the ambulance put in your arm?” Doctor Williams asked, pointing to her iv. Charlie nodded remembering how much it hurt when they stuck the needle in her arm.

“I am going to put this medicine in the tube and it will go into your arm. It isn’t going to hurt. This medicine is going to help you feel better, okay?” Charlie nodded. The doctor then pushed the medicine into the iv before flushing it with saline.

“There, all done. Did it hurt?” he asked her. Charlie shook her head.

“My mouth tastes funny.” she stated. The doctor smiled.

“That happens sometimes with this medicine. I will have nurse Cindy get you some juice. Do you want apple, grape, or orange?” he asked.

“Apple.” Charlie said with a yawn. She was asleep a few moments later.