Love Is A Curious Thing

All Because of Me

"Can we go for a ride Dad? Please??!" I beg pulling the puppy dog eyes on my dad, which always works!

See my dad has a motorcycle, that I absolutely love! I love speed and so I love his bike, mum won't let me get my own so dad and I always ride together around the bay in the heat and salty air. Sometimes when we go ride, he takes me around the shops by the opera house, just to window shop and bonding time.

My dad is like my best friend, I don't know what I would ever do without him!

"Did you ask your mum? I thought you were going to help her with dinner?" He says as my mum walks into the kitchen with her arms crossed.

"Ask me what Adelaide?" I hate when she uses my full name, usually it means I'm in trouble...

"If Dad and I could go for a ride? We didn't go for my birthday and I really wanna go! Please Mum!!"

My birthday was a couple days ago and we were busy with a party that we couldn't sneak away for a bit, and it's a tradition to go riding on my birthday.

"You know I hate that thing Will." She says turning to my father.

"Mum please! We're always careful—!"

"I know that Adelaide. It's the other dumb people in the cars I don't trust. They are notorious for not seeing the motorcycles and—" This time Dad cuts her off and wraps her in a comforting hug.

"Kate. Stop worrying so much. We'll be just fine, I've driven the thing for years. But if it makes you this uncomfortable then we won't go."

"But Dad! You said—" What is it, cut off Addy day?!

"You did make it a tradition Will. Might as well take her, otherwise she may never forgive us." I squealed and bear hugged my mum repeating thank you about a hundred times.

"You're welcome, but I want you both back in time for dinner, in piece, and no spoiling it with ice cream!" She says with a slight smile as Dad and I give her a kiss before we head to the garage and strap on our helmets.

"Where to Addy Kat?" That's always been my dads nickname for me, it's a combination of both my names, and he's the only one to call me that.

"Can we just go to the harbor? It's always so beautiful." I say with a smile that matches his.

"Of course Baby Girl, but it's not as beautiful as you. Remember that." He says kissing my forehead before we put our helmets on.

We're riding down the main and it's busy with traffic but we're always careful so it's not a big deal. We are stopped at the light and so I look at the surrounding shops, when I hear my dad activate the throttle and we start to inch forwards waiting for slow cars.

We get to the middle of the intersection before I look to my right to see a truck that doesn't look like it's slowing down. I frantically tap my dad's shoulder, while yelling aloud, but by the time he sees it, it's only enough time for him to turn the bike a little to the right, keeping the majority of me out of the path of the truck.

Then there's impact, we both go flying no longer on the bike, and end up on the other side of the intersection.  People scramble out of their cars, questions blurring together and I can't seem to stay awake no matter how hard the people tell me to. I feel blackness creeping up on me and the last I remember is asking for my dad, then darkness.

~~~

Will someone please turn off my alarm!! All I've heard for the past however long I've been up is stupid beeping and it's getting annoying!!

I try to move my arms to shut it off, but that hurts too much. Why am I in so much pain?! I slowly peel my eyes open to shut them quickly, the light being too bright. I tried again, this time expecting the brightness and by the time my eyes adjust I realized I'm in a plain white room that isn't mine.

I slowly and stiffly turn my head to the right to find my mum crashed out on the little couch by the door, her face red and blotchy like she's been crying for a while.

What the hell happened?? Where's Dad? And that's when everything hits me like the truck that crashed into us. People calling for help, me calling for dad, then blackness..

"Adelaide?! Thank god you're awake!!" I hear my Mum cry out as she rushes over to the bed, fresh tears streaming down her face as she kisses my face carefully, dissolving into tears.

"Mum. It's alright. What happened?" I ask hugging her close, only to hear her sobs get worse..

"Oh Adelaide! I-I didn't believe them w-when t-they called! You guys are always so-so ca-careful a-and it doesn't seem possible-" she says confusing me more and there's a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Mum. You aren't making any sense and you're worrying me. What happened..?" She just picks her head up, tears still streaming and she brings her hand up to my face and just caresses my cheek.

"Baby, I'm sorry but..I wasn't sure if you w-were gonna w-wake up... b-b-because yo-your father, he d-didn't.."

And she starts sobbing again and I feel my body turn to ice and my heart stops...No..No!! This can't be happening! M-my dad, nothing ever happened to him!

"No! There has to be a mistake. This is Dad we're talking about!! May-maybe he's still asleep, we just gotta wait for him to wake up!" I could feel tears starting to escape my eyes uncontrollably while my mum shakes her head and grabs my shaking hand.

"I'm sorry baby. T-they tried everything they could when you both got here. But y-your father took most of the blow when he t-turned the bike, and there was too much internal bleeding..it was a miracle they got yours to s-stop. I thought I l-lost the both of you."

I couldn't comprehend anything, my body becoming numb. My dad, my best friend. Gone...all because of me..

"It's all my fault." I whimper, sobs raking my body as Mum's head snaps up in shock.

"No Adelaide it isn't! It was a drunk driver, running the red light. It isn't anywhere near your fault!" She says trying to sooth me but I know deep down it was me.

"But it is Mum! I'm the one that begged and pushed for the ride! I'm the one, that even after he was okay with not taking me because you had a bad feeling, still complained until we left. It's my fault we even went on the stupid bike ride! It's my fault I didn't warn him earlier about the truck! It's all my fault and now he's gone!"

My sobs get worse to the point that I'm hyperventilating, I guess my mum called the nurse because next thing I know, nurses are rushing in and putting something in my IV making me sleepy.

And it's all my fault.