Child of a King

Chapter twenty-five - A small band aid on my already torn heart

Slipping off my sandal, I turned it upside down, watching the small grains of sand fall out. After playing in the sandbox for quite a while, I had grown thirsty due to the hot weather.

Still feeling the small grains rub against my bare feet, I decided to just leave my sandals off. I quietly hummed a song that had been stuck in my head as I enjoyed the long green grass brushing between my toes, making my way through the yard to the house.

"Owie!" I yipped when a sudden pain burst through my foot. Hissing from the ache, I balanced myself on one leg to have a look. I couldn't see much as I squinted my eyes. Frowning, I thought it was just a small rock I might have stepped on.

The pain shot through my foot once more when I tried to walk again, this time making me cry out louder. Tears pooled in my eyes. That really hurt.

Limbing the best I could without putting too much pressure on my foot, the house felt miles away.

"Embry!" I called out, hoping he was still sitting on the patio. Walking like this didn't get me much far and it was hard.

He didn't answer, not even the second or the third time I tried. Sighing, I proceeded to jump on one leg the best I could. Which wasn't very impressive. Only jumping twice, I lost balance and landed on my butt.

"Estella?"

Looking up, I saw dad emerge from one of the trails that circled around the lake and some of the forest that surrounded our property, Demon in step behind him.

"What's up sweetness?" He asked as he came closer.

"I've stepped on something", I replied, holding up my throbbing foot for him to see. "It really hurts when I try to walk".

"That doesn't sound good". Dad kneeled to get a better look, pushing his sunglasses into his hair. "Let's go inside where there's better lighting", he concluded.

Gathering me in his arms, dad brought us inside where he placed me on the counter beside the bathroom sink. Inspecting my foot again, he trailed the tip of his fingernail along my skin. Normally it would have tickled me beyond belief but this time, I cried out, jerking my foot away in agony.

"Sorry corazoncito", he apologized, kissing me softly on my forehead when he noticed my eyes glazing over with unshed tears. "It looks like a splinter".

(Little heart)

Opening a few cabinets, he retrieved a pair of tweezers and a small sewing needle.

"Tell me if it hurts too much". Dad very gently started to poke around the area where it hurt, being very careful as I felt the tip of the needle against my skin.

It wasn't too bad, but it still felt painful when the needle got closer and closer to digging out the splinter. Dad was also sweet as each time I hissed, he apologized, rubbing the back of my hand fondly before he carried on. Finally, after a lot of poking around, dad grabbed the tweezers. Squinting his eyes slightly in concentration, it didn't take long until I felt a sharp pain as the splinter was pulled out.

"Ow!" I yelped, the extraction hurting as much as when it got stuck in there in the first place. Thankfully, the pain quickly faded as dad wiped away a small trickle of blood, securing the wound with a band aid.

"There, all better". He smiled, putting away the things he used.

"Thank you", I said, returning the smile.

"You're very welcome". Dad helped me off the counter, carefully placing me back down on the floor. "How does it feel to stand?"

"It feels okay". Taking a small step, I felt a dull ache, but nothing I couldn't handle. "It doesn't hurt that much".