Page 73 of Princess and Country

And there was nothing I could do.

Why wasn’t I able to breathe on my own?

What was going on?

Burning tears streamed down my cheeks.

How did I become a prisoner of my own skin?

Heaviness grew around me, settling in all my organs.

I fought to keep my eyes open, my eyelids thick and heavy.

Images passed through my half-closed eyes.

Carter and I running around in a field, chasing butterflies.

Dahlia agreeing to be my wife.

The ultrasound where I saw our baby for the first time.

My dad teaching me how to drive.

My mom hugging me because I skinned my knee.

The first time Dahlia and I made love.

Carter shining onstage. Dahlia by his side.

The first time I saw the ocean.

My parents bringing Carter home after his birth.

The moment Dahlia said I do, tears shining in her eyes.

The day my brother and I raced in our soapbox.

Dahlia with her pigtails, twirling in her red dress.

When my eyes shut for eternity and I crumbled to the ground, all I wanted to scream was, “I’m sorry, Princess. I love you and always will. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me—”

But my dying body wouldn’t let me release a single sound.