I Wish You Would Have Cheated

• Romance
• Fiction

								
We move the cars to the imaginary start line we made out of cones on the abandoned highway strip we have turned into a racing strip. We all rev our engines trying to threaten each other with our cars. With the sound of our friends cheering us on the flag girl stands in front of our cars. "Ready?" As she points to the first car having him rev the engine indicating he's ready. "Ready?" She points to the second car revving its engine. Finally, she points to me I rev my engine excited for the adrenaline rush. "Set!.. Go!" The flagger yells throwing the flag down and having all of us slam on the gas. We race down the strip going as fast as we can when all of a sudden the car next to me loses control and swerves into me. That's the last thing I remember before waking up to sirens and flashing lights. "We have a female trapped in the car upside down, lacerations to her face and arms, and a possible broken leg." I hear the paramedic say from the passenger side. "What happened?" I say no louder than a whisper. "Hello?" I start to look around and piece together what happened. "My car!" I start to cry. "She's responsive!" The paramedic yells. "I'm Derrick a paramedic, there's been an accident, and you're hurt I need you to try to stay as still as you can." I'm starting to panic and didn't realize I was hyperventilating. "Hey, we are gonna get you out of this, I need you to calm your breathing, what's your name buttercup?" "Daniella." I try to get out while heavily breathing. "Daniella," he says while grabbing my hand, "They're going to use the jaws of life to pry open the door to get you out." He tries to let go of my hand but I just squeeze it harder. "It's okay I'm right here, I'll be with you the whole time," Derrick says. The next thing I remember was being in the ambulance and realizing I was still holding that poor guy's hand. I went to let go but he squeezed it before letting me. "My car?" I asked him. "I'm sorry, it's totaled. Daniella, is there anyone I can call?" "My best friend his name is Alex." Derrick smiled and let me know they'd call him to meet us at the hospital. The next time I woke up I was in a hospital room, there was a cast on my right leg, multiple staples and stitches on my arms, and some on my cheek. "You're awake!" I hear someone yell. "You're loud," I respond. "I'm so glad you're alive Dani, because I'm going to kill you!" "Hi Alex, I missed you too." "When are you going to stop racing?" "I saw the wreck pictures, the paramedics and police say you should have died." Alex lectures. "I promise I'll stop racing. I mean it," I tell him. "Good, because I don't want the next time I see you to be at a scene," A different voice says. "Hi, you must be Alex, I'm Derrick I was the paramedic on scene and just wanted to see how she was doing before we left and to bring the stuff the police were able to get from the car." He handed Alex my wallet and phone. 

I think about that day my entire life changed, as I sit bedside, holding my fiancé's hand. I look at my engagement ring and give a little giggle remembering how he asked me to marry him. We were at our favorite restaurant, celebrating our 4th anniversary. After our entrée, the kitchen brought out two plates with different desserts. Which was weird because I only asked them to bring out a piece of their famous chocolate peanut butter cake, because that was his favorite. I asked them to put the ring I bought him on the plate with "Will you marry me?" written in chocolate sauce. I know normally the guy asks the girl but I knew I wanted to marry this man. As they lay his plate in front of him, they sat a plate in front of me causing me to start crying. It was a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries and on the plate written in chocolate were those 4 words and a gorgeous ring. We look at each other laughing with the biggest smiles on our faces. The entire kitchen staff is now standing around the table waiting for us to answer each other. As soon as we both catch our breath we yell "YES!" to each other and the whole restaurant starts cheering. "Excuse me" I hear bringing me out of my trance. "Mrs. Walker it's time." "I'm not supposed to be Mrs. Walker till next week," I reply to the nurse. "Daniella, we need to do this now she says with a calm voice." "Okay," I say back shedding a tear. "I love you so much, Derrick," I say kissing his forehead. I hold his hand as the nurse unplugs him from life support. I hear the heart monitor go flat causing me to lose everything I had holding me together. The nurse turned off the monitor and informed me they needed to take him to harvest the organs. There's never enough time in the world to say goodbye to the love of your life. I squeeze his hand one more time telling him I promise I'll always love him. I started to let go hoping I would get just one last squeeze from him. Nothing. I watch as they wheel him away knowing it would be the last time I would see him before the funeral.

Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect? It's the idea that any significant life altering event can lead to this whole different reality. Almost like a different timeline stemming from this one event that seemingly change the projectory of your life. The day you died, was mine. My Butterfly effect. Who would have thought that at 23 I would be planning a beautiful wedding, then just like that I would be picking out the flowers that would be laid on my fiancé's casket, all within a few months of each other. Have you ever seen a paramedic's funeral? Me neither, until I watched them put the casket into the ambulance, so he could have one last ride to transport him to the grave site. Every emergency vehicle that was available escorted us to the graveyard. His mom, dad, little sister, and I were in the first car that followed the ambulance with him in it. My family and everyone else who came to support me followed behind us. Before they lowered him those who wanted to, said a few words. His partner and shift crew handed his family the stuff from his locker, saying how amazing he was to work with. The Chief came over and handed me Derrick's jacket. Instantly I smelled it, it smelled just like him. He then handed me a box. "Daniella, we are all so incredibly sorry for your loss and may you ever need anything please do not hesitate to ask. He has kept this box in his locker since your 1st anniversary, it was a reminder to him that no matter what happened on the job he was always going home to something better." I opened the box and saw what was supposed to be our wedding bands and what looked like a piece of paper. The chief then gives me a huge hug. I can feel myself starting to break down. I tried to hold it back so the service could continue, but then it happened, the last call. All of the walkie-talkies on emergency personnel go off. "Attention all personnel, standby for the final call of a station member. This is the last call for Derrick Walker. Derrick, age 24 served starting June 11th, 2020, and ending their watch on March 25th, 2026. He has dedicated 5 years and 9 months to his station and the community in many ways. It is with great sadness that he answered the last call. Derrick Walker you have been relieved, we have it from here. Rest easy." I fell to my knees screaming. All I could think was that this was all a terrible dream. I'm going to wake up in bed with him holding me. Why am I not waking up? My dad came over to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay. 

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