But Daddy I Love Him (Tayvis Short Story)

five

The next morning, I woke to the sound of a light knock on my door. Yawning, I glanced out of the window to see that the sun was up, and I must have slept in due to the late hour I had stayed up the previous night. 

Rolling out of bed, I pulled a robe over my body and tiptoed across to the door. When I opened it, I saw Maggie standing there with a little bouquet of pink roses in her arms. I blinked at her.

"Good morning princess." She greeted me. "These have just arrived for you."

"Oh, thank you." I whispered, taking the flowers. 

"Your father requests your presence in the hall when you are ready." Maggie told me. "Would you like any help this morning?"

"No thank you Maggie, I can do it myself today. Thank you for passing along the message." I told her, and she ducked her head before walking away.

Gazing down at the roses in my arms, I closed the door and moved to place them into a vase that rested on my desk just underneath the window. There was a little note attached to them and I untied the ribbon, placing it in a drawer before opening the silky paper to reveal the handwriting inside. 

I do apologize if I offended you with any words last night, I do think we will be good together - Joe

A disappointed sigh left my lips, since I had hoped perhaps the flowers had been from Travis even though we had said goodbye. But of course they were not from him. He had asked me if there was any way we could see each other again, and I had said no, that we would never. Travis would most likely be gone now, back to his home and his family that hated mine.

Putting the note down, I touched the flowers, letting my eyes rest on the pale pink shade of the petals. Then I turned away, turning for the bathroom to wash up. I got changed into a pale pink dress to make it seem like I was matching the flowers, a silent acceptance of Joe's apology. Once I was dressed, I plaited my hair down my back and secured it with the pink ribbon that the flowers had been tied with. Then I left the room, pulling the hem of my dress up just enough so that I would not trip as I descended the stairs.

I made my way into the hall where I saw my father speaking with one of the chefs. Two women I did not recognize stood off to the side, one of them obviously more important than the other. She was looking around, gesturing to parts of the room while the shorter woman scribbled in a notebook, nodding along. I tucked my hands in front of me as I walked over, pausing just behind my father so I did not interrupt him.

"Pet." He reached out an arm to me, and I stepped closer. "We were just discussing your birthday ball and I thought since you were of age, you could tell us your thoughts."

"Really?" I perked up. My birthday balls had always been organized for me, and I loved the idea I might be able to put forth some ideas. Father nodded, and I smiled. "I would like that."

"Princess." The taller woman said, and I turned to face her. "My name is Adeline. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." I bobbed my head. 

"Adeline is a planner from Paris pet." Father told me. "She has come all this way to make sure the ball is perfect, since we will be formally announcing your engagement and wedding that night." I nodded, offering a kind smile. Even though I enjoyed my birthdays, I did not see the need to make them as extravagant as my father did. I understood that as the most prestigious royal family, that was expected of us, but I would prefer a smaller ball with family and friends rather than people I did not know.

I spent a few hours with Adeline and her assistant, trying to talk down their flashy ideas without seeming like I was trying to do their job for them. By the end of the morning, my birthday ball was mostly organized and I felt more awful about it. It would be a reminder that I would soon be trapped by marriage, having to move from the home I loved.