He glowered back at me before turning his attention to the bellows. Jumping from the stage, he landed quietly in front of me.
“How are you, Melinda?”
“I’ve been better,” I answered back snippily.
“Now, now. You have no one to be angry with except yourself. You put you and your mother in this situation. Not me.”
“Mother knows nothing about this,” I stated calmly.
“So, you run off without my permission and then you lie to my face? Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’ve been such a bad girl lately.”
I felt my hands ball up into fist and it took everything in me to swallow my anger. Don’t let him get you riled up, Melinda. He’s not that important. If he sees how angry he makes you then he’ll just keep doing it. I forced a quaint smile onto my face before lifting my eyes back up to meet his.
“You are correct father. I have been very, very bad.”
His eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t believe I’d just agreed with anything he had to say. Especially not given the terms or the situation.
“T-that’s right.” He turned away from me, his robe shining in contrast against the dark night. I swallowed. I was doing well right now. I hadn’t broken down because he inquired to intimidate me. I hadn’t begged to be forgiven. Most importantly, I hadn’t begged for my life. If he thought I was going to drop to my knees and beg him to let me live then he knew nothing about me. Nothing at all. Because I did not beg. And I never fell. Never ever, ever.
I stood up straighter than before. People were still running around finishing up last minute things for this so called ceremony. Against my own will, my feet began to move. They carried the rest of me with them. I bumped into servants and guests as I moved away from the rush of hectic around me. Minutes later, the smell of roses hit me in the face along with a rush of wind. I sniffed. I was in the garden. I walked deeper into the maze of flowers.
Suddenly, a faint sniffling sound filled my ears. I followed it throughout the forest. Not too long after, I came face to face with the back of someone’s body. Long, black hair curled down their back. A white dress hung from their shoulders to the ground, spread around them, hiding their feet. Their waistline was small. I took another quiet step forward and put my hand on the shoulder of the stranger that I knew all too well. She looked up, locking eyes with my own before they widened and tears filled them all over again.
This was my entire fault and she was going to suffer for it. I pulled her from the bench and into my arms, wrapping myself up in her embrace and breathing in her perfume. For the first time in a long time, my own eyes began to water with hot tears. When they became too heavy for my eyes they began to fall, on their own accord, against my will. The quiet sobs made my shoulders shake, and I knew that I was probably messing up her gown.
But she didn’t care. After all this time and all the many tears I’d only allow myself to share with her, she still didn’t care. Even though I was the reason we were both about to face our untimely demolish, she didn’t care. All that she simply did was hold me in her arms and whisper comforting words to me. I pulled back, wiping my face with the back of my hands, a sad smile on my face.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you cry, Melinda.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve cried.”
We stood in silence, her palm resting against my cheek. Suddenly, the weight of the situation lifted from my shoulder and I was able to breathe again. I knew that I could handle whatever was going to be thrown at me. I would get her and I out of this alive and well.
