Fragile Desires (18+)

Eighty-Six | The Waltz

I was eight when my parents took their first business trip away from me.

Two whole days without them?

It felt like an eternity measured in scraped knees and untied shoelaces.

But they tried, of course.

My mother promised a princess party with enough glitter to blind a dragon.

And my father, a man built for stoicism, offered a night of building pillow forts so intricate they'd rival the royal palace.

But their promises were like whispers lost in a hurricane of my own making.

My heart was a tightly shut castle gate, the drawbridge raised, the moat overflowing with childish indignation.

The first day was the worst.

Every spilled juice box and every misplaced toy became a fresh grievance.

My normally sunny mentality turned into a storm cloud, raining down demands and tantrums.

But my nanny seemed to weather it all away with her cheerfulness and sweet treats.

Then when the second day came, something shifted.

Maybe it was the quiet sadness in my father's eyes when he video-called, the way his voice cracked a little as he wished me goodnight.

Maybe it was my mother, her face a pixelated mess of concern, whispering stories about a brave princess who learned to conquer her own temper.

Whatever it was, a tiny crack appeared in the wall I'd built around my heart.

My anger started to fade, replaced by a longing for their familiar embrace.

By the time they returned, their arms overflowing with a gift, which was a stuffed dragon for me— my metaphorical castle gates immediately swung wide open.

Looking back, it all seems so silly now.

But that weekend taught me a valuable lesson: anger, like a storm, can be loud and destructive, but it always passes.

And underneath it all, love will remain constant.

- Azzy

♛Chapter Eighty-Six: The Waltz♛

The rest of the day I purposefully remained out of the hotel—mostly to prevent myself from running into Renata.

But even after a spa day, shopping, and a nice lunch out with Lunden, Arya, Miracle, and Devora—I still felt on edge.

Especially for tonight.

When another event would take place.

And something tells me she'll be there tonight.

"Ugh and Eli did the sweetest thing," Antonio smiled happily to himself as I pulled half of my dark hair up into a ponytail at the crown of my head, leaving the rest cascading down my back, "He rented out this one restaurant and had it decorated with rose petals and candles—and he got down on his knees and confessed his love to me."