Ellery’s eyes became glassy from unshed tears, and their smile was damn near blinding. “That sounds amazing, Daddy!”
A couple of hours later, I was headed into the club to work on the mural for the pet room. Ellery and I had made breakfast together and ate a delicious breakfast before I drove them home to their apartment so they could work on some custom dresses for their shop.
Walking away from their apartment door was harder than I had expected. It had only been a few days, but my princess had already burrowed deep beneath my skin. I was falling hard and fast.
Just as I was about to touch my brush to the canvas, my phone started ringing, making me groan in frustration. Looking at my screen, I didn’t recognize the number, but my gut told me I should answer anyway.
“Hello, is this David Hayes?” A soft voice came through the speaker.
“Yes, this is David.”
“Hi David, my name is Elena Mitchel. I’m the realtor for the property you inquired about.”
Absolute glee filled me as I talked with the realtor. We discussed some basic info about the property and set up a time for a visit the following week.
My whole life, painting had been an escape, a way to quiet my mind. But for the first time in my life, as I lay down layer after layer of paint, the only thought filling my head was the thought of my darling. My princess. Images of making the house next to Daniel’s our own and waking up together in each other’s arms swirled around in my mind, filling me with hope like never before.
Around four in the afternoon, my alarm went off, signaling it was about time for my meeting with Cameron. We’d decided to meet at the club’s bar so we could chat about Ellery’s book.
As I packed up my paints, excitement filled me. I loved painting, and it would always be my passion, but I also loved trying new projects and expanding my talents. Not only was this an exciting new project, but it was for my princess, and I couldn’t wait to start working on it.
When I got to the bar, Cameron was already waiting for me, munching on some fries, kicking his feet that hung off the high barstools. Just as I was about to approach, Cameron turned toward me. “David!”
“Hey Cameron, how goes it?” I sat next to him on the stool and ordered a soda. Tonight was my date with Ellery, and I wasn’t going to do anything that would jeopardize taking my princess out. I wasn’t a big drinker anyway.
“It’s good. I have to say, I was really excited when you approached me with the idea. I know we were supposed to go over ideas, but last night I stayed up all night brainstorming, and the next thing I knew, I had a complete outline and was already writing it. It’s still just a rough draft, so if you don’t like anything, I can totally change it.”
Cameron reached down, grabbed his backpack, pulled out a small binder, and handed it to me. “Each page is in the binder the way it would be in the book. Obviously, there are no pictures yet, but I like to map out where the words go and how much space they take up, so you can plan your images accordingly.”
Flipping open the binder, I was completely amazed at how quickly Cameron had put this together. Cameron leaned forward and pointed to the page I opened. “See here how the text is on the upper right, but on the next, it’s the upper left? When you design your images. In the back, you’ll find a page with the specifications for the digital canvas. You can take pictures of the pages and upload them so you can use them as a template for design placement.”
My mind was whirling. Originally, this process had seemed a bit daunting, but as I flipped through the pages of the binder, I felt myself relax. Cameron was amazing, and everything I needed was there.
“This is amazing, Cameron.” Flipping back to the beginning, I started reading the rough draft. Cameron’s words told the tale about a princess who was misunderstood by their kingdom. One day, the princess was out wandering in the forest and met a small dragon. The princess and the dragon quickly became best friends and left the kingdom to go on their own adventure. I was certain Cameron’s inclusion of a pet dragon was purely coincidental, but it was perfect.
As I continued reading the story, my eyes started to water. The book was perfect and well beyond my expectations. “Cameron, I’m at a loss for words. This is better than anything I imagined. It’s perfect for them. Thank you.”
Cameron smiled and tapped the binder. “You’re welcome, David. It was a pleasure. I’m honestly honored you thought of me. All the info you need should be in here, but if you need anything else, just let me know.”
“You’re the best, Cameron. I can’t wait to get started on the illustrations.”
Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed my wallet and paid for my drink and then turned to Cameron. “Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I have a date tonight with a certain princess. I need to get going.”
“No problem, I’m leaving as soon as I finish my snack. See you later, David.”
Waving goodbye, I made my way to the exit. I had a date to get to!
When I arrived at Ellery’s apartment, I knocked on the door, and there was no answer. Unease prickled at my skin, and I picked up my phone to call them. As I opened my phone, the realization that I’d never asked them for their number slammed into me. As soon as I saw them, I’d make sure to exchange numbers.
Unsure of what to do, I knocked again, and there was still no answer. Worry filled me. They seemed perfectly fine this morning when I dropped them off, but what if they were sick again or got hurt?
Feeling panicked and uncertain, I tried the doorknob to see if it was unlocked. Relief and dread slammed into me in tandem when the knob turned and the door clicked open. On the one hand, I was thankful the door was unlocked so I could make sure they were all right, but on the other hand, I was furious at my princess for leaving themself so vulnerable.
Making my way inside the apartment, I looked around carefully, making sure nothing was noticeably wrong or out of place. “Princess, are you here?” Quiet filled the space as I waited for a reply. Nothing.
Panic threatened to seize me as I made my way to Ellery’s room. Too worried to even attempt knocking, I opened the door, and my entire body sagged with relief. Ellery was sitting at their desk, hunched over their sewing machine. Atop their head were adorable purple headphones, and they were humming along to their music as they sewed.
Not wanting to spook them and mess up their dress, I waited patiently till they reached a stopping point and made my way further into the room. When I got closer, Ellery noticed me and threw their headphones to the ground as they screamed.
