Merida was completely honest that the fakeness of her smile was radiating through her already red face.
The couple in front of her kept on chattering for a while, probably decoding on what to say to her.
They'd kept her smiling for ONE WHOLE MINUTE before she decided she couldn't just stay there anymore.
"Welcome to the Wisp Wooden Gift Shop. See something ye like?"
The couple paused and turned to her so suddenly, as if they just noticed her presence.
"Oh hi!" The lady gave a short wave.
"Hello." Merida said... again. She looked down at the lady's slightly protruding belly.
Sheesh!
"I'm Nani Kawena. This is my husband, David. I bet you know us already. We made arrangements for a couple of baby furniture."
"Oh. With... with my boss?" Merida straightened her back.
"An elderly lady."
"That's her. Sorry, may I take your name again?"
"The Kawenas. Just that'll do."
"Right..."
"Well!" A voice filled with cackle rebounded behind them, causing Merida to spin around. Though she already knew the source of the voice.
"My darlings!" The elderly lady began running towards them. Merida rubbed her face in frustration as her boss passed her and walked towards the couple.
"Yes yes, the furniture. Follow me, it's out in the back. I had Mordu fix them up real good."
She quickly ushered the couple behind the shop leave Merida feeling flustered.
The redhead trudged back to her counter. On days like these, she would consider herself as happy. She had no wood to chop, no sawdust to inhale, no pine to carve.
That would all be next week.
But of course, she had to keep herself busy doing something she loved.
Below her desk was a fine, well carved bow.
She lazily fingered the string of it. She'd finished the construction of the bow about two weeks ago, a construction she had started out of boredom. Too bad there were no arrows to go with it.
She wasn't that good in carpentry.
Merida let out a sigh. How she missed archery. Her fingers had began yo throb from the longing itchiness to hold an arrow, aim at a target. That was all she missed.
Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't notice the bell on the door go off, signalling that a customer had entered.
When she did notice, she sprang to her feet.
"Welcome to the Wisp..." she stopped, her heart immediately jumping to her throat.
"Merida?" The voice came slowly. Very very slow.
Merida bit her lip, her eyes quickly darting all around for a place to run. It was then that she realised she still had no strength or courage to face anybody.
Especially while looking like an overworked clown.
"Merida." Her mother said again, this time, more cautiously, as if being loud would break something.
"Mother." She whispered as well, not knowing what else to say. Almost immediately she felt the corner of her eyes sting with tears.
The bile rose up to her throat when she figured out that her mom was not alone. Behind her, stood her father, sharing the same look as his wife, Philip, looking as dumbfounded as anyone in the room and, lo and behold, Hiccup, his expression not different from everybody's.
Merida almost felt her legs turn to jelly as her eyes fell to his injured leg. A huge cast was around it, and he balanced all his weight on the other leg.
Now, she really did need to run.
"H-h-how did you- did you..." That snide Jane. Big mouth!
Now she knew the tears were running freely down her face, as if on impulse.
Instead of answering, Eleanor rushed straight towards her, engulfing her in a tight hug. Merida could instantly feel the rise and fall of her mother's chest on her forehead.
Eleanor was crying.
With her mother's hand continuously patting her full ponytail, Merida had no choice but to put her own hands round Eleanor's shoulders, weeping in sync.
"I'm so sorry, mom. I did ne mean to."
"Let's forget all about that, love. How many weeks have gone by without knowing where to find ye and we were all so scared. I blamed meself and-" Eleanor sniffed and released her daughter. She cupped Merida's face and admired her for a while.
"I missed you."
"I was so frightened. I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do." She looked up to see her father walking to them. His height intimidating but his visage very caring.
"You have no idea how much we regretted that day, love. All those nights without know yer where'bouts. We were all a mess."
Merida sniffled a teary laugh. "Even the triplets?"
Fergus' smile grew a bit wider as he went in for his own hug, lifting Merida off the ground in the process. "Look how light ye are now, lassie. And ye cut yer hair too."
Merida reached for her messy ponytail. "I did cut it. Musta grown back already."
"You need food and all that, Merida." Eleanor smiled as she touched her daughter's shoulder. "We've got a fine deal of roasted veal. You look so malnourished."
Merida beamed, but for a moment. Her smile soon disappeared and her shoulders slacked in realisation. "You mean, I should come back?"
"Of course, darling." Eleanor frowned too. "What's wrong m'dear?"
"I...I dunno. Coming back, coming back to be more careful, right?"
"What do you mean?"
The redhead sighed, her eyes resting on her handcarved bow. "Mother, I love archery. I love it so much, too much. And I..." for the first time, her eyes went to the two gentlemen behind her parents. "I know I hurt somebody but I... I still don't want to give up archery."
"Is that it?" Her mother huffed then threw her hands in the air. "Then don't give it up, goddamn it! I think that's the least of all our problems right now."
Merida's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"I've watched you grow with the bow and arrow." Fergus suddenly interrupted. "You've been practicing this skill for over 15 years now. You'd never miss a target. I'm pretty sure if that accident happened, it happened because..." Fergus gave a short pause, eyeing Philip without turning around.
"Because there was some alteration."
Philip slunked back, eyes on the ground.
"I should have reasoned it out that day at the school." Her mom went on. "I guess I overreacted. I mean, who wouldn't. You were getting suspended. But still. I guess I should have reasoned it out. I'm sorry too."
Merida looked at both of them, staring lovingly back at her. Her heart began to do somersaults as she flung her arms around them both in a hug.
"I'm really sorry. But thank you."
"Pack up, Merida. Let's go home."
* * *
It was quite quiet between the three teenagers as the stood near Merida's parents' car, waiting for Angus and Eleanor to sort everything out with her madam.
Philip bit his lower lip, deciding to be the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry."
Rather than looking up at him, Merida just shrugged and continued jabbing the toe of her sneakers into the dirt.
"I should never have made you feel that way. I should have had more trust in you and I shouldn't have interfered with your act. I also take the blame."
"You're sorry now because I ran away, huh?"
Philip quickly turned his head to her, in total shock. "Hey, I also got to thinking."
"Must have felt real guilty for a moment there." Her eyes remained on the ground and a shadow of a smile crossed her face. "Everyone gave you those crazy judging eyes when ye walked by, aye?"
Philip parted his lips but not a word came out.
"That'll do for me."
"No. I'm real sorry though. I really am. Nobody deserved that. I shouldn't have let you take all the blame when I obviously had some hand in it."
Merida breathed then folded her arms. Did that mean she forgave him or not? Even she couldn't tell.
"And..." Hiccup finally spoke too.
She shivered at hearing his voice. Here it comes.
"I guess I'm sorry as well. I did nothing to ease what you felt when you visited my ward that day. I kinda threw you out. It's so unlike me. But I guess we were all caught up in the moment back then. It was all too new."
"I basically rendered you a one-leg deal." Merida mumbled, her shoulders sagging in fatigue.
"It's very temporary. Less than two months and I think I'll be good." He looked at his casted leg.
"Sorry you had to go through that. I'd never purposely make someone limp." She said softly.
"I guess we all got hurt that night and the day after it. Some more than others."
"I guess we all did." She finally looked up at him. When he looked back, she couldn't help but smile. Him reciprocating the action.
"What's going on with your hair though?" Philip made them turn to him at once.
"What's wrong with it?" Merida asked defensively.
"It's like...all over the place. Like..." he shot both his hands up and patted the air some distance from the sides of his head, signifying a probable afro. "It's like humid makes it alive or something."
Hiccup laughed as well. "Thought you said you cut it."
"I did. Last month." She aggressively began to bun her messy ponytail up. "But it was shoulder length, of course it grew back." She had to admit, she was grateful to Philip for trying to lighten the mood.
Though forgiveness for him for now was clearly out of the picture.