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“Holy shit,” someone mumbles, I think its Aunt Sarah, but all I can focus on is the shiny thing slowing to a stop at the end of the driveway.
“Is that a carriage?” Emma asks.
“And two white horses?” Lucy adds as the three of us stand side by side looking toward the end of my parents’ driveway.
At first, I thought I had to be imagining it, because there is no way there is a Cinderella horse and carriage a few hundred feet away. How is that possible? I didn’t plan a real carriage and horse ride.
“Dad,” I look back at my father and he only shakes his head. “Wasn’t me,” he says. Looking around at my mom then Gigi and finally Sarah they all tell me what I already know. It wasn’t any of them.
My pulse is racing, my stomach in knots because I’m not sure how I feel about this. What I do know is now is not the time for me to have my feelings. It’s the girls’ birthday and I refuse to cause a scene.
“Mommy,” Riley screams so loud I swear it could break glass as she jumps around like she’s trying to put out a fire and pointing toward the horse and carriage. It’s like it was plucked right out of a fairytale and set at the end of the driveway. A man in a suit with a top hat standing at the side holding open the buggy door. It’s white, with shiny gold trim and the horses are wearing matching frills on their backs.
“Can we go?” Riley asks still continuing to bounce around with excitement. I swallow passed the knot in my throat, feeling a burning sensation.
“I’ll take them,” Gigi interrupts my thoughts and all I can do it nod in agreement. “Come on my little princesses.”
“Prince, you come too,” Riley tugs on Jay’s arm and he follows behind them. Glancing back over his shoulder he smiles and I force one of my own. Immediately I know he sees right through it when his brows furrow and he stumbles a bit.
When they reach the end of the driveway and he helps the girls up, and then Gigi, he again looks back and holds out his hand like he wants me to join them. I only wave them on, because right now, I needed a few minutes to myself.
I watch as the driver closes the door and then latches it. Slowly he climbs up on the front and after a few minutes the horses begin to move pulling the buggy as the roll away.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Emma says as I turn away and she follows behind. Walking toward the dock I stand at the edge and look out over the water.
“What? That this is so over the top. “
Lucy moves up on one side of me and Emma on the next. “I think it’s incredibly sweet,” Lucy says. “The girls are going to be talking about this for weeks, months even. I should start offering carriage rides with a fairytale wedding package. It could be a hit.”
I listen to them carry on, but honestly, I am so lost in my own head right now making the conversation more theirs instead of ours.
I hear the sound of heavy boots along the dock and then Lucy and Emma excusing themselves when my father joins us. My dad is a brutally honest man, he doesn’t beat around the bush and he has never shielded me from what’s on his mind. My mother used to get so mad at him when he would tell me just what he was thinking, telling him I was a girl and there were kinder ways to put such things.
He would simply look at her and tell her he wasn’t going to fool me into believing that the world was nothing but rainbows and lollipops. He wanted me to be prepared and know how to stand up when the situation called for it. It seemed harsh when I was younger, but now I’m thankful for the lessons.
“Is this a conversation I need to have with our town doctor, or do you plan on doing it yourself?”
“I’ll be having it, but not here and not during my daughters’ birthday. I’d like to think that will keep you from adding in your two scents but I know it won’t so if you could do me a solid and make sure its long after the party is over, I’d appreciate it very much.”
“I won’t ruin the girls’ birthday,” he assures me. “But also I won’t let someone use them as an in to get close to you.” He says exactly what I’ve been thinking but was too fearful to say out loud. “You did one hell of a job keeping them sheltered from Carson, but this situation we got now is right on the front lawn and they’ve already got an attachment.”
“I know.” I can see it. Which is exactly why my entire body feels like it’s on fire.
“What’s to say next week he doesn’t decide this small town living isn’t for him and he’s off to the city again?”
“I know, Daddy,” I tell him again because of all the times I need him to understand that I get it, this is it.
“Not only does he walk away but he breaks their hearts in the process and that I won’t stand by and?—”
“I know,” I say again only this time much more stern, and I turn to the left looking him directly in the eyes. “Of all people Daddy, I understand the depth of this situation. I feel it.” I place my hand over my heart where it feels like its on fire. “I know,” please I need him to believe me.
When he nods and offers my hand a squeeze before backing away, I am thankful for this being one of the times he decides to let things go.
seventeen
. . .
Jayson
