by SM Koz
“I’m fine.”
“Run, JC!”
Just when I’m worried my dad can no longer hold me, JC rushes back with two cones. One has Superman and the other has mint chocolate chip.
“Why did you get two?” I ask.
“I couldn’t tell what color it was in the photo. It looked like it had some green or blue and these were the only two options that could possibly match.”
“Like it matters?”
“Your dad wants this to be perfect.”
My dad studies the photo again, but ultimately decides he can’t tell. “It’s too far away.”
“A four-year old probably liked Superman,” JC says, handing me that one.
I nod and take it from him.
“Wait,” my dad says, grabbing it from my hand. “I think you had mint chocolate chip.” He pauses and then continues, “I vaguely remember us getting the ice cream. You got something really sweet like bubblegum or something and I got mint chocolate chip. As soon as you saw what I was eating, you decided you wanted that flavor. You wouldn’t touch the other one so I had to buy you a new one. That was back when you wanted to be like your dad.”
His story is a punch to the gut. Not the story so much, but the message he took away from it. “I still want to be like my dad,” I whisper, taking the other cone from JC’s hands.
“You shouldn’t. I’ve been a shitty dad.” We both glance to Nana, but she just shakes her head. Apparently she’s not enforcing the cuss rule during family bonding time.
“There were a number of bad years, but the last few months have been good,” I say, trying to reassure him.
“They have, haven’t they?”
“Yes.” I truly mean that. He’s kept his promise. He’s put me first. He’s gotten to know me, the almost-adult me, not the little kid he last knew. “Someday, I hope I can be as good of a parent as you’ve become the last few months.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I love you, Dad.”
“Okay, picture time,” JC says, taking the Superman cone from my dad and handing it to his mom. Standing in front of us, he says, “On three … one … two … three …” I dip my lips in the ice cream until they’re covered, smile, and cock my head to the side to match the little girl in the photo. I’ve looked at that thing so many times, I could match it in my sleep.
“That’s good, Mal,” JC says, comparing the two photos. “You got it right, down to the ice cream all over your face.”
I lick my lips and then say, “When I do something, I go all out. Now get me down. My dad is going to break his back.”
JC helps me down and then we all get a good laugh at the new photo. I can’t even imagine what all the onlookers thought. It doesn’t matter anyway. The only people I care about are those standing with me and I just made my dad’s day. Maybe his year with my comment about his current parenting skills.
The rest of the afternoon and evening is a whirlwind. Between the rides, dinner, and shows, it speeds by way too fast. At nine o’clock, Nana is looking exhausted and the rest of us are yawning.
“Should we head home?” my dad asks.
“What about the fireworks?” I say.
“You want to stay for that?”
I nod and look at everyone else. “Unless you’re too tired, Nana.”
“Don’t be silly. We’re here. We’re going to see it all.”
With that, we find a perfect location on the side of the castle where my dad and JC’s mom can sit on a bench next to Nana’s wheelchair. JC leans against a nearby tree and I lower myself in front of him. He pulls me towards him so my back is against his chest and his legs are next to mine.
I relax into him and rest my head on his shoulder. “This was fun,” I say.
“One of the best days of my life.”
I watch a little kid with messy hair and chubby red cheeks throw a glow stick in the air and try to catch it. His family laughs every time it falls to the ground, inches from his tiny fingers. The lawn in front of us is scattered with at least fifty other families just as happy and full of life.
“Do you think we’re going to be okay?” I ask.
“I think so.” After a pause he adds, “Eventually we’ll forgive ourselves for what we did. And believe in ourselves again. Until then, we just need to be strong.”
“It’s easier to be strong with you by my side.”
He runs his fingers along my arm which now looks like Kris’ thigh with all the white scars. There are no scabs or raised red marks indicating recent cutting.
“I’ve seen most of your body,” he says with a wicked grin, “and it looks like you did pretty well without me.”
I poke him in the chest. “Three months until you see the rest of it. But, yes, I’ve done well.”
He grabs my hand and kisses my wrist. “I agree, though. You’ve given me strength. More than I ever imagined I could have.”
We’re quiet for a few moments and then he says, “Once upon a time, there was this incredible, hot, out-of-this-world king, at least according to the queen.”
“She must have really been in love with him.”
“Madly.”
“What was she like?”
“Gorgeous, of course. And real. She’d tell it like it was. But the best thing about her was her heart. It was made of gold. She never meant harm to anyone or anything. The king needed that because his heart had been tested.”
“It sounds like he went through a rough time.”
“Things were quite dark until he met her. He grew up in the faraway lands where laws were lacking and nobility was determined by the size of the sword.”
“I bet he had a big sword,” I say with a giggle.
“On a side note, the queen had a very dirty mind.”
“But the king liked it.”
“Very much so.”
I grab his hands and pull his arms around me. “How did they meet?”
“Living in the castle was never as glamorous as it seemed. The queen, when she was just a princess, rebelled against her parents who didn’t have time for her. She walked away from the life of luxury to live as a peasant in the magical forest.”
“What was magical about it?”
“It solved people’s problems.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It could be. But you had to bow down to the mystical bloated toad. Do whatever she said whenever she said it.”
“I bet the bloated toad would rather be a swift gazelle.”
“Well, the bloated toad took down the very buff future king all on her own. He wasn’t too happy with her over that so he can call her a bloated toad if he wants to.”
I laugh and then ask, “What would happen to the queen if she didn’t bow down to the bloated toad?”
“She’d be banished to the land of insatiable beasts.”
“That sounds awful. Was she?”
“Almost, but the future king stepped in to save the day. He saw the damsel in distress—“
“I doubt she was really in distress.”
“Oh, there was distress. Missing shoes, bloody knees, tears. Lots of tears—”
“What did the king do?” I ask to stop him.
“He convinced her to kiss the bloated toad’s ass until her problems were solved.”
“Wow, that’s quite a picture you’ve painted.”
He chuckles and then continues, “Everything was going well until the future king’s archenemy sabotaged them in the magical forest.”
“Uh oh.”
“Exactly. He was a weak excuse for a man so he snuck up on them while they were sleeping and tried to behead them with his sword.”
“I bet he had a really small sword.”
“Without a doubt. Luckily for them, a wise owl saw what was happening. He used his magical powers to open up the earth beneath the nemesis and swallow him whole. Before he disappeared, though, the nemesis cast a sleeping spell on the future king, rendering him completely helpless.”
“The qu
een must have been very scared.”
“She was also the key. All it took was her kiss to break the spell.”
“It’s like they were meant to be together.”
“That’s what the future king thought until he realized the spell wasn’t completely broken. He was no longer the strong man he once was.”
“I’m sure the queen loved him just as much, even if he was an ass and shoved her away.”
“He learned that eventually. The queen kept her distance, but sent special items to let the king know how she felt.”
“What kind of items?”
“The things his heart and body needed to heal. As you can tell, she was pretty much perfect for him in every way.”
“I bet it made her happy to hear that,” I say, tilting my head so I can see his face.
He smiles.
“What happened after they became king and queen?”
“Well, many, many, many, many, many years later they had two beautiful heirs, Prince Jalen and Princess Jenna who would play in the field of wild daisies in front of the castle. They were named after very important people the queen and king never wanted to forget.”
“We won’t forget them,” I whisper, touching his leg. “What happens next?”
Before JC can answer, the first firework explodes above the castle, showering the turrets with red and blue sparks. Music starts playing and JC squeezes me tightly.
“They live happily ever after, of course.”
THE END
About the Author
SM Koz was born in Michigan, but moved to North Carolina for college and never left.
She enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, photography, reading, spending time with foster kids who call her house home, and learning new things. When she’s not creating online training for pharmaceutical companies (her day job) or writing, Koz can be found at the local community college taking courses on various topics ranging from digital art to HTML to desktop publishing. Next in line are auto mechanics and cake decorating.
Being trained as a veterinarian, it’s not surprising that Koz and her husband were recently told they have a mini-zoo with their two dogs, fish, cockatiels, and foster cats. In the past, they have also had parakeets and a snake. Other than the fish, all the animals were acquired through rescue organizations, something Koz wholeheartedly supports.
Breaking Free is Koz’s third original novel and fifth overall, but the only one she feels compelled to publish at this time. Her hope is that individuals who struggle with cutting may be inspired by Kelsie’s story and find the strength they need to begin the healing process.