Dragon

16 - I want my mommy

Greer

I forgot for a minute when I woke up this morning what had happened to my mom the night before. When I found her in the middle of the road, I thought she was dead. I screamed so loudly because I was scared. My mommy was bleeding all over her body!

It makes me so sad because Mommy said those men weren’t going to hurt her, and maybe they didn’t physically, but they yelled at her; I heard them. They said some things that made her angry, and Mommy ran after them, and a car hit her from behind.

I woke up when I heard yelling coming from the kitchen, men yelling. Mommy never, ever had men in our house before, not when I was in bed. She had male friends who came around during the day. They were always nice to me, but they were only Mommy’s friends.

Hearing my uncle yelling at my mom made me so scared, but I wanted to protect her the way she always protects me. So, I ran downstairs because I wanted to make them stop. No one was in the house, and the front door was open. That’s when I ran out to find Mommy.

Last night, I had a dream about what I saw. My mom had blood coming out of her head, her nose, and her mouth, even her ear. Her leg was twisted the wrong way, one arm was above her head, and the other was bent backward, and I was so frightened!

I got to ride on the front of a motorcycle – the front! My grandpa said he was too worried that I might fall off if I sat on the back.

I was crying so hard when the ambulance took Mommy away, and Grandpa tried to calm me. He told me that he’d take me to the hospital and that my dad would come to me there. I nodded my head because I needed Daddy right then. Grandpa held me tightly around the waist and rode me to the hospital to wait for news on Mommy. I was mad with Grandpa and the others for upsetting Mommy the way they did. But I was too scared to say anything to them.

Aunt Hilly sat with me while Grandpa spoke to Grandma, Storm, and Curtis. Hilly put her arm around my shoulders and told me that everything would be okay soon. I quietly asked her if my dad would be there soon, and she promised me that he would. Then we quietly talked about my mom for a few minutes.

My daddy came to me, just as Grandpa and Hilly promised, and he held me and told me that he wouldn’t ever leave me. He still loves Mommy so very much, and when Mommy wakes up, we’re going to be a family!

I want to see Mommy today, but Hilly says I can’t go to the hospital until my dad returns to collect me.

My grandparents, uncles, and aunt sit around the dining table with me while we eat breakfast. Grandma made chocolate chip pancakes and bacon – my favorite breakfast. I like Grandma; she’s nice to me. Mommy always told me that she would be.

Everything my mom ever said to me about these people was all true. She never lied to me just to make me happy. My family does love me. I hope they love Mommy too.

“Would you like some juice, sweetheart?”

I look at Grandma and shake my head. “May I have some milk, please?”

“You have beautiful manners, Greer.”

I smile at her. “My mom says that manners cost nothing.”

“Your mom is right. Let me get you that milk.” Grandma kisses my head, and it makes me smile. I finally have a grandma who loves me the way my friends back home do.

“Milk and bacon?” Storm, the big biker, who turned out to be Daddy’s big brother, laughs.

It’s nice to see him smile; he’s been sad all morning. I don’t know why he’s so sad, but I think it has something to do with my dad and him being angry with Storm. I think that’s because he was the one yelling at my mom last night. It was mean of him, but I think he’s sorry for what he did.

Mommy always taught me that we should never blame someone for an accident. Uncle Strom yelled at my mom, but he didn't hit her with that car; the drunk man did.

I know Mommy won't blame Uncle Storm, and I hope Daddy calms down soon and they make up.

“That is an odd combo, kiddo.” Cobra, Daddy’s younger brother, smiles. His real name is Curtis, Mommy told me before. He looks like Storm; they both look like Grandpa. Daddy and Hilly look like Grandma. I look like Grandma, too, Aunt Hilly said, and that's because I look like my daddy.

“Mommy said that. . .”

“Your dad liked milk with his bacon when he was a little boy?” I nod at Grandpa. He smiles. “She’s right, he did.”

That makes me smile.

“I don’t remember that.”

“I do.” Storm smiles at Cobra. “I forgot that Dragon used to do that, but I remember now. He used to dip his bacon. . .” He stops talking and laughs when I dip my bacon in my milk before taking a bite.

People think I’m strange for doing that, but I like the taste, and Mommy lets me eat what I want and how I want.

“Just like that.” I smile because everyone else is laughing and smiling. “He still does that when he thinks no one is looking.”

“Really?” I smile wider; it makes me happy to know that my dad and I have something in common.

“Really.” Storm winks at me, and it makes me giggle. I like him very much. I like them all.

I eat my breakfast and drink my milk, and it feels nice to be here with my family. But it makes me miss Mommy so much.

“When can I see my mom?” I ask Grandma.

“I don’t know, sweetheart. We need to wait to hear from your dad.”

That’s what we do. We wait.

Grandpa goes to his clubhouse with Uncle Cobra. Uncle Storm goes to the tattoo place where he works with some of the other men in his club, including Rabid. I really like him; he’s kind to me. Aunt Hilly and Grandma stay at home with me.

I don’t find it strange calling everyone by their road names. But it is a little weird that everyone calls Daddy Dragon. But I will get used to it soon.

Hilly went to my house earlier and collected some things for me because she’s going to take care of me here. Grandma ran me a bubble bath. It reminded me of Mommy and how she draws me a bath and sits on the toilet seat to talk to me until I’m finished. It was strange to bathe alone without Mommy laughing with me.

We ate dinner, and my dad still hadn’t come to see me. I think he left me here alone. I miss my mom so much, and I don’t think she’s going to be okay.

Would my dad come to see me and tell me if she was ever going to come home to me?

I’m sitting on Grandma’s couch in my PJs; it’s almost my bedtime. I have my knees against my chest and Mr. Goo against my nose. I’m trying to be brave, but I am so frightened that I have lost my mommy. I’m not used to being without her. Since the day I was born, Mommy has been with me, and I have never slept one night of my life without her there.

What will I do if she never comes home?

I know I have a family now, but my mom is my best friend. I don’t want her to die and leave me.

Please be okay, Mommy. Please come home to me.

“Hey, munchkin.” Hilly strokes the back of my head, just like Mommy. “How are you holding up?”

I shrug because I don’t know what to say to her. I am super tired and sad right now.

“I know things are scary right now, Greer, but everything will work out in the end.”

“Why hasn’t my dad called me?”

“He will, darlin’, he’s just really worried about your mom right now.”

“Can I go see her?”

I hear my aunt sigh deeply.

She’s going to tell me no, and I don’t understand why.

Why can’t I see my mom?

I begin to cry. I am so sad right now.

“Oh, Greer.” Hilly wraps her arms around me and holds me tightly while I cry. I bury my face in her neck. Her perfume smells lovely. I hear Grandma ask Hilly what’s wrong. Hilly tells her that I’m sad about my mom and thinks my dad should come here and talk to me.

I’m sobbing so hard that I don’t hear the voice saying my name right away. But I do feel the large hand on the back of my head.

I force myself to stop crying and turn to look at him. “Daddy!” I pull away from my aunt, and my dad lifts me in his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck and hang on for dear life.

“It’s okay, baby girl. Everything is going to be okay. I’m gonna take her to bed.”

“Connor,” Grandma stops Daddy from walking away with me in his arms. “Once you’ve settled Greer, we need to talk.”

Daddy doesn’t say anything in response; he carries me to his room and tucks me into his bed. He's going to let me sleep here tonight, which means he'll sleep on the couch. I don't like taking my dad's bed, not when I can sleep in Aunt Hilly's room again. She has two beds in that room, and she said one is now mine. But Daddy tells me that it's okay, and that I can have his big bed all to myself. It makes me laugh.

Daddy sits on the bed, facing me, and he smiles. I smile back because when Daddy smiles, it’s infectious.

“Okay, now?” I nod at Daddy. He reaches over and tucks my hair behind my ear. “I know this is difficult for you, Greer. You miss your mom, and not having me around can’t be easy. But I need to be with your mom right now. It doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking about you or that I don’t love you. I do, Greer; I love you more than anything in this world.”

I swallow and try to stop the quiver in my lip. Mommy was right; my daddy does love me.

“Everyone is a stranger to you, at the moment, but they’re your family, and you’re safe with them, Greer.”

“I know,” I offer him a smile. “I’m sorry, I cried.”

“No,” He smiles again, takes my hand in his, and kisses my knuckles. “You don’t have to be sorry for being sad, baby girl. I know what your mom means to you, and I know how hard it must be not having her here. But things will be okay in the end, you’ll see.”

I clutch Daddy’s hand in both of mine. “Will she come home?”

“The doctor says that your mom is doing well, Greer. She’ll be sleeping for a little while longer, but that’s just to help her heal. I have faith that she’ll be home with us soon; she just needs a little help.”

I pull Daddy’s hand to my face. He cups my cheek and smiles. “When Mommy comes home, will you stay with us?”

Daddy sighs. “I won’t lie to you, Greer. I won’t because that wouldn’t be fair. I cannot make you any promises of your mom and me being together. It might not be what she wants any longer,”

“She does,” I cut him off with a nod of my head. “It’s all she wants, I know it.”

“Be that as it may, it has to be your mom’s choice. But I want you to know that even if she decides that she no longer wants me,” My heart bangs because I don’t want my mom and dad to be separate, I want them together. “I will never leave you, Greer. Now that I know you, know how perfect the little girl Kyla and I made is,” I giggle when he taps my nose with his finger. “There is nothing in the world that would have me walking away from you.”

All my life, my mom has told me how special my dad is and how much love he has inside of him. She never lied about the type of men bikers can be, bad men. But Mommy swore that my dad was not like that.

Daddy has kind eyes, so I know that he’s a good person. If he were terrible, then he wouldn’t love me the way he does.

I am so lucky to have such amazing parents. I know there are children in the world who don’t, and I feel bad for those people.

I reach for my dad, and he pulls me into his arms. “I love you, Daddy.”

Dad sighs while stroking my back and kissing my head. “I love you, too, baby girl. Mommy will be home with us soon, you’ll see.”