Royal Ever After

chapter fourteen

Tap, tap, tap. That's the first sound I hear this morning, the sound that wakes me up. I squint at my alarm clock which tells me it's only 7:39. I thought my mom was coming at 8, but I guess she decided to get here extra early. From outside my window, I glance at the golden threads of light creeping out of the clouds. A shimmery, orange glow shines against my face. Tap, tap, tap.

"Coming!" I yell, rolling myself away from the raveled sheets. To my surprise, my mother is not the one on the other side of the door. It's Sander. This was not what I was expecting, but I invite him in nonetheless.

"Hey. How are you?" he stifles a yawn, clearly not fully awake yet. He sits on my lap, snuggling my cheek.

"I'm okay. Actually, never mind. I feel like I'm about to throw up," I reveal, to which he backs away from me ever so slightly, but not enough to the point where if I were to vomit, it wouldn't spill directly over him.

"You're strong," he remarks. "Stronger than me. I wouldn't know what to do, and the pressure would be too much for me to handle. You're the toughest person I know." Aww. That's such a sweet thing to say. The way he instantly makes me feel better is something I'll always cherish about him. He's a walking ray of sunshine. The calm to my storm. He certainly has a way with words, and it almost makes me rethink my decision. Almost.

"You know, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it through this week. So, half the credit goes to you," I comment out loud. It's true. He's kept me sane. He's saved me. And because of this, it's going to break me even more when he finds out. I don't have the heart in me to tell him, and I want to enjoy this last moment we're having together before chaos ensues.

I spoke too soon. The queen of mayhem has arrived, or in other words, my very own mother. She's spotted us from down the hall and is now heading straight for me. We've been caught red-handed. Her hostile footsteps sound like clanging drums every time her heels clack the floor. In other words, she's livid. Sander tries to hide himself behind me, but that does more damage than good. Once she gets close enough, she opens her mouth and raises her voice.

"Get out, Sander! Nicolas, you stay with me. I can't believe you would do this," she hisses. Sander immediately obliges and within a second, he's out and far gone. Great. I don't know when I'll be able to see him again, and I hate waiting. Come to think of it, why is my mother so against the two of us together? It's not like that's against any rule she's established, nor is it breaking any law. As if she's reading my thoughts, she explains to me her perspective on this matter.

"Son, boyfriends and girlfriends come and go, but your family is what has your back and will support you unconditionally," she gestures to herself.

"But this is clearly different! You don't know him the way I do," I protest. I want to add that him and I are endgame, but at this point, she's not going to believe whatever I say.

"You're still a teenager. So young. Trust me when I say that every love feels like infinity, even though they rarely ever last. Especially not one stemming from high school."

"He's an exception."

"That's what you think. When I was your age, I was head over heels for the captain of the basketball team. I built up the courage to ask him out and we started going out. We were the star couple; the couple that ruled the school. I'd always dream of us building a future together. I'd plan for us to get married in the beachside village of Crete, Greece and raise the most beautiful children. Long story short, we dated for two and a half years before I found him cheating with my best friend.

I took it as a sign that we weren't meant to be, and boy was I right. It wasn't until after college that I met your father. The first time I saw him, romantic music started playing in my head like it does in movies. Whenever he moved, it felt like it was being played out in slow motion. It turns out that he's been my soulmate all this time," she tells me. Then, her hand reaches for my shoulder and caresses it gently, still reminiscing about the past.