61Thorns: Part 3 (final)
When Rose stepped through the long marble entryway that led to the front door of her home, she could already hear her father speaking loudly on the other end.
She was unsurprised to see him, as most days, she came home to find him holding his cellphone to one ear while pacing the entry room carpet. She found her father treading holes in the floor now in an impatient stride, pausing every so often to pause and lean against the wall as he continued to speak with whomever was on the phone.
Rose recognized Cassidy, a chipper toad maid who enjoyed talking about pretty much anything be it news or gossip. She was dusting an old portrait of Rose's great grandfather, but she appeared to be trying hard to disguise her interest at the conversation on the phone, which was rising in heated volume.
"How could you lose twenty documents? Don't you people know how to make copies? We're in a digital age, this is absurd." Her father seethed on the phone.
"Hi dad." Rose said as she passed him in the hall.
"Hello sweetie." Her father pauses from his conversation, the person on the other end still buzzing, "Did you have a good day?"
Rose knew how this went. It was a trend for the two of them, ever since her mother was placed in the hospital. She didn't want to pain him with the meaningless school drama, or about her worries for college, etc, even of when she had cried earlier after another emotional moment. Instead she said what she always replied with when he asked, "It was great dad."
Her dad gave her as real a smile as he could, his warm blue eyes crinkling at the corners, "That's great honey, I'll be home tonight, and I'll have Francis pick us up some of that ravioli you like."
She returned the smile, trying to force the same brightness to her eyes and continued on to her room, already hearing her father's continued barking at whoever was on the other end of the phone.
Once she was up the two flights of stairs, she walked the corridor down to her room. Once inside she tossed herself onto her plush silk sheets, and stared up at the ceiling fan over her bed.
Blue yarn hung from the slats and at the end were wire structures shaped like stars. Rose and her mom had enjoyed crafting together before she had gotten sick, and she remembered when they twisted the thin metal her mother had purchased at the hardware store, her mother enthusiastically talking about a friend in college who told her once that she had an 'old artistic spirit.'
Her mother had mused a lot about what it would have been like to be some artist getting by in life by a thread, with tie dye on the walls, and all the windows in the house open wide, letting in the light. Rose's father had thick curtains over all the windows, and her mother had once sought to let in the sunshine outside, but had been unable to open them, the thick curtains bound in a frustrating way at the corners, keeping their world sealed from the outside.
Rose recalled the time just before her mother grew sick, when her parents had had an argument that transcended into complaining about the big issues, to the small things. Her mother had steamed that her father was always working and that he left his family in a large box of a house, where not even a tiny sparkle of sunshine could penetrate the darkness within it.
She had felt as if she was suffocating, even in so much space, and the day after that argument, she had seemed as if she was. Her mother had gotten a pale haggard look about her, her usually sunny complexion plagued by a blue milky color that made her beautiful hair seem too light…too old.
That morning, after her father had went to work, her mother had moved into the kitchen to get a glass of water, only to end up passing out in the open doorway.
After that day, and far past it, their family had been tiptoeing on glass. There was a fragile joy, albeit a small one, but someday Rose felt certain that it would shatter, and the pit they dropped into would be an inescapable darkness.
She felt tears well up and sting and she blinked her long lashes, trying to clear away the burning. Rose squeezed a pillow into her chest and rolled onto her side, staring at the pink star shaped clock ticking away gently on the wall. She was trying to hold onto what hope she had left, but somedays it was just too hard.
Rose didn't expect anyone to come knocking on her door, but when someone did, she sat up in bed, the pillow still clasped to her chest, "Yes?" She asked, almost timidly, swallowed and sniffed, trying to clear the knot from her throat.
"Rose?" It was one of her maid's, Allina, a yoshi girl with the most joy in her voice, as if she was always telling a joke. She was one of her favorites for that reason, "You have visitors."
Who would be visiting me? Oh koopie, I forgot. Rose sighed and brushed back the hair that had stuck to her wet face. She grabbed a tissue from the box on her bedside table that was always there for when she became overly emotional and worked to place some stability back in her expression, dabbing away at the moisture under her eyes.
She received an unexpected surprise when she opened the door to find Daisy and her koopa friend smiling shyly by the peppy blue Yoshi maid.
"Hi!" The koopa said, friendly, but too loud—nervous. Rose remembered her now, Kady Koopa, one of Daisy's good friends.
Daisy herself visibly swallowed and forced an uneasy grin on her face, that made her look constipated with the effort, "Hello, Rose."
"What are you doing here?" Rose didn't sound angry, or cruel, merely tired. Daisy noticed the blue shadows under her eyes.
"I wanted to apologize." Daisy said immediately. Her blue eyes flickered with something that appeared guilty, and Rose stared with interest, "I was stupid, I didn't realize you were so unhappy, and I tried to make excuses and I treated you badly. I'm sorry."
They know. Rose realized with a grief and shame placing a vice grip on her heart. She couldn't stop the tears from spilling free and her own embarrassment at the event was pushed into the background of her soul as Rose poured out her emotions.
Daisy and Kady watched, stunned, as the snooty girl they had known at school with the pretty lipped, sarcastic smile, burst into tears and wet sobs in front of them.
Daisy moved first, surprisingly herself as she wrapped her arms around the crying girl. Rose pushed herself into the other girl's embrace, and Daisy tightened her arms around her as if she was the only thing keeping Rose from falling apart.
She allowed Rose to cry and sniffle into her shoulder for the next few minutes while Kady stood awkwardly nearby, staring at her feet, while the Yoshi maid Allina merely wore a tired but pleased smile on her face.
"Can we be friends?" Rose immediately asked when she suddenly pulled away, blinking up at Daisy with shiny eyes, still wet with her tears, "I-I mean, if you like? It would be nice, instead of bickering like preteen girls all the time."
They both smiled at that, and Kady laughed, pulling her arms around the both of them, "I think there's plenty of room for you Rose. Welcome to the club."
Rose smiled, but nervously glanced at her feet, arms crossing over her chest, "I'm sorry for those years we were fighting, it wasn't your fault Daisy. I was just envious of you, of what you had, and I was just having a hard time accepting my problems."
Daisy squeezed the other girl's shoulder gently, "Rose, you don't have to keep it to yourself anymore, we're here to help you through it. I won't leave you here to sulk, now let's get out of here."
Rose stood awkwardly in the lawn, staring up at Daisy's massive estate with a frown, "Are you sure I'm not being pushy? You don't have to hang out with me if you don't want to."
"Don't be silly." Daisy laughed, "Seriously, relax. I know it's a castle and all, but it's just a big house to me."
Rose smiled as they walked together up to the huge double doors and into the house. Daisy led the way with an eager smile on her face, an energetic hop in her steps, "Okay, you guys wait here, I'm going to grab some things out of my room." She looked back at Rose as if she had just noticed something, her gaze on her feet, "Rose, what size shoe do you wear?"
"Eight, why?" Rose looked confused.
Daisy grinned, "You can't play in those. I'll grab some extra tennis shoes out of my closet. We're the same size."
Play? Rose asked wordlessly as she watched Daisy bounce up the staircase, leaving her alone with Kady. The koopa tilted on her heels impatiently but gave Rose a friendly smile as they waited for Daisy to return.
Once she had returned and exchanged Rose's shoes for a pair of lemon-lime colored tennis shoes, they were outside and Rose realized what she would need them for.
Daisy positioned herself at the center of the green lawn they had walked onto, under her shoe a clean soccer ball. She smiled as she rolled the ball beneath her foot, "Okay, Rose, rumor has it that you know how to kick, care to show me?"
Rose felt a familiar cloak of confidence fall over her and she walked up to the brunette with a wide lipped smile, "Did you really? Well, I guess I could demonstrate."
Once Rose had stolen the ball out from under Daisy, the game was on. Kady hooted as she flew past Rose and the other girl squeaked as the koopa sent the ball flipping away from her with the turn of an ankle.
They played on the lawn for an hour before the girls all plopped onto the grass, sweaty and exhausted, but laughing.
"Whew." Kady breathed, swiping a palm over her forehead, "I think it's getting hotter out here."
"Lemonade time." Daisy sang and hopped onto her feet, followed by a much slower Rose.
"I haven't done that in a while." Rose admitted, grimacing at the sudden cramp in her calf, "But it was fun." She smiled, "Lemonade sounds like a fantastic idea to me."
The girls went back inside the castle and into the spacious kitchens, trying to slide by the workers who were already prepping for dinner. Even when her father was busy with work, he made sure that Daisy was taken care of, as well as the servants who were welcome to the table when he was working, so that she wouldn't have to eat alone.
"Hello girls." The head chef, a toad man named Walsh, "What can I do you for?" He moved away from the stove where he had just been checking a roast. Kady sighed at the pleasant meaty smell scenting the air.
Daisy gave him a sheepish smile, "Sorry for bothering you Wally, I know you're busy, we're just parched."
"I understand." The toad smiled, he looked towards the back room where kitchen workers were shuffling around with the clinking of pots and pans, "Margot, Princess Daisy and her friends have some orders for you." He called out.
"Coming!" A female voice calls back and soon a toadette is there, "Ma'am, and friends, how can I serve you?"
Soon the girls were walking to the castle's patio area with two maids behind, both toting pitchers of iced tea and lemonade. Once they were outside on the wooded deck and seated at one of the beautiful white stone tables, they began drinking and socializing.
They were more than a little startled when a toad servant ran out onto the deck a few minutes later, interrupting their chatter, "Daisy, your friend Rose has a message from her father."
Rose frowned, sitting her glass onto the tabletop, feeling her heart pick up beat. She always reacted this way to an unexpected summoning, always afraid of what the message would be. She didn't like the look on the toad's face, "What is it?"
The toad handed her a phone and the girl quickly stood up to receive it. She pressed the device to her ear.
Daisy and Kady watched as Rose conversed with her father, who they could hear well from where they were sitting. He started by demanding why she didn't answer her phone, with Rose replying that it had died earlier and she hadn't charged it yet. After that the voice was harder to hear, and Daisy stared at Rose, her stomach clenching painfully as she watched the expression on the girl's face change from worry to fear.
Only a moment later did the phone call end and Rose stood trembling, the phone held out in a limp hand, her air stretched out towards the toad servant who took it back gingerly. She clapped a hand over her mouth afterwards and released a hoarse sob.
Daisy and Kady stood up, "What's happened?" Daisy asked, her voice hushed with the fear she felt for the grieving girl. She hoped it wasn't the news she feared it could be. Poor Rose…
"It's m-mom." Rose's voice shook, "They can't get her to wake up. Dad is at the hospital now…I have to go." The girl spun on her heel, her hair flying around her, then turned back to the other girls, "I forgot." She bent down and began untying her shoe laces.
Daisy moved to stop her, "No, its fine, you can have them. Seriously, I have plenty of shoes—too many shoes." She hesitated then breathed out, "Rose…we can go with you if you need us to."
Rose quieted her sobs, looking up with moist eyes, "Oh Daisy, I don't deserve your sympathy, I've been so bitchy to you, but I'd appreciate it if you two would come with. I just don't think I can do this alone anymore."
"We're there." Kady promised, and moved to stand by Daisy.
Rose was surprised when her dad pulled up to take them to the hospital in his work car, trying hard to smile at his daughter as he held the door open for them, "Rosie." His voice quaked, unable to hide his own anxiety at the situation, "I'm sorry I had to call you about all this, I'm sorry baby."
Rose sniffed, trying to keep from crying again, "Its okay daddy." The girl turned to Daisy and Kady, who both stood nearby, looking a little awkward, "Can Daisy and Kady come with us?"
"Sure honey."
With that they were off, Daisy and Kady sitting around a still grieving Rose, who was finding it hard to keep her emotions in check. Daisy and Kady glanced at one another and exchanged a small smile. Each girl took one of Rose's hands and held on firmly.
The girl sniffled giving them a wobbly smile, "Thanks guys, y-you don't know how much this all means to me."
"It's ok Rose." Daisy smiled back, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.
"I hope so." Rose said mournfully.
Eventually they pulled up to a tall steel building with a sign out front that stated the hospitals' name and piled in through the doors. Daisy twitched her shoulders uncomfortably as they walked down the sterile white hallways of the hospital, hearing the distant sound of crying and beeping monitors.
Hospitals were never good places to be, and they honestly freaked her out a little. Daisy couldn't even stand to get vaccines, much less having a cold stethoscope pressed against her skin. She didn't know how Rose was feeling, but she knew it probably wasn't anything good.
Soon they had rounded on the room, Rose's dad was standing by the door. He was stopped by a nurse and they conversed with one another as the girls neared. Rose was startled enough she stopped in her tracks not five feet away from her father when he gasped out a, "It can't be."
Rose felt fear take residence in her heart, her soul freezing up with this feeling of pure anguish that took over her. That was until her father turned to regard her and Rose was stunned by the look on his face.
Tears welled up in her father's eyes, and for the first time in a long time, she saw a real smile, "Rosie, mom wants to see you."
The girl stood there, frozen, her mouth gaped open in disbelief. She was feeling so many emotions at once, but the only sound that escaped her mouth was a soft gasp and then she was turning and running into the room.
Daisy and Kady walked in, not sure of what they would find, but what they did see was Rose…hugging her conscious mother in a tearful embrace.
"It's a miracle." Daisy looked behind her as Rose's dad entered the room, his voice full of wonder, grief, and great joy.
"What is?" Kady asked, always the prying one. The koopa looked at Rose's dad with open curiosity.
"This." Rose's dad looked at the girls, and then to both of their surprise he hugged them, "It's over." Daisy had made a noise in surprise at the sudden hug, by a strange man too, and Rose's father stepped back looking embarrassed, "I'm sorry girls, that was inappropriate."
Rose suddenly popped up next to them, and Daisy couldn't help but smile at the look of pure happiness on the once sad girl's face, "Daisy, Kady, mom wants to meet you."
Daisy felt a bit nervous, and crossed her arms over her stomach, "Okay." She followed the now bubbly girl with Kady and Rose's father behind them.
The woman in the bed was just as lovely as her daughter with a cheery smile on her face and in her green eyes. There's was something about her complexion that reflected health, and Daisy couldn't understand how it could be. If she was so sick, shouldn't she look sickly?
That question did not go unanswered for long, and a doctor entered the room and had some news to reveal that was so baffling, so miraculous, that Daisy still recalled the moment with wonder in her eyes.
"It's finished." The toad doctor told the family and the visitors, "She slept for a few hours, wouldn't awake for any prodding, but it seems now that she's awake, that the death itself is sleeping now. It's rare…only twelve percent of cases..." The doctor smiled at them looking pleased with getting to deliver the good news, "But she is free of the disease."
Rose let out a sound like a scream and a laugh and Daisy heard the woman on the bed answer her cry with one of her own, tears gushing out from her big pretty green eyes, "So, you girls must be Rose's friends." The woman said, tears sparking in her eyes, "I want to thank you for keeping my little girl company while I was away."
"It was no problem." Daisy said, "I just wished we were friends a long time ago." She could say she honestly did.
Rose laughed, a musical sound, "Daisy, you don't know how badly I wish that too. You and Kady, you are such good friends." She sniffed, wiping away tears that were still slipping free from her eyes, although her smile was bright, "You don't know how happy I am, that you're here with me. That this is…over. I'm just so happy."
The girl released a sob again, clapping her hands over her eyes, "This is a miracle, I-I just don't understand it."
"Rosie." The woman on the bed called out softly, holding out her arms, "Come here baby. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere, not anymore."
Daisy felt tears began to well up in her own eyes at the sight and she recalled why exactly she hated drama movies. Kady's mouth quirked into a smile at the sight of her friend bawling her own eyes out, and tossed an arm over her shoulder, unable to deny the small tear that slipped down her own beak.
That day was the happiest day Daisy could recall happening during that school year. They also received an A on their project, but that was an entirely different subject, and not as memorable to remember.
Not only did a miracle occur that evening, but Daisy also received a new best friend, in the form of a confident, sassy, but kind hearted girl by the name of Rose.
The End
…of Thorns. ;3
I apologize several hundred times for taking so dang long to update this. I was tired of leaving this incomplete, and I want you guys to know that I appreciate your attention with this story and all my stories, and I'm sorry for letting you down.
This is a sad chapter, but it is finished with a happy ending that I couldn't deny life. I hope you all enjoyed the sappiness, and I hope to continue this one day. I have a lot of work to do and more now that school is upon us, so I don't know when I'll update this, just know, I'll try and not forget about it again.
Thank you for reading. :) Hope you all had a great summer.