The warm summer breeze tickled my face and I couldn’t help smiling as I closed my eyes, lying back in the tall grass. It scratched my skin, making me itch, but the sun felt so good on my body that I refused to move. I felt so peaceful—something that had been rare in the past few months.
I reached out, smiling as I pulled a dandelion from the dirt.
“Row!” Ivy yelled and I sat up to see her running towards me. She crashed into my arms and then fell to the ground giggling.
“What are you doing, silly girl?” I asked her. “Where’s Tristan?”
“He’s fine,” she shrugged, looking around. “I like it here. It’s pretty.”
“Mhmm,” I hummed. “It’s like a little oasis.”
As if she didn’t hear me, she smiled widely, pointing to the flowers surrounding us. “Can you make me one of those braided crown thingies with flowers?”
“I’ll try,” I grinned, picking the flowers surrounding us. “It’s been a long time since I’ve made one of these.”
Ivy sat down beside me, crossing her legs as she watched my movements. I finished the crown and laid it delicately on top her head. “Now, you’re a real princess, Ivy,” I ran my fingers through her long wavy hair.
She beamed at my words. Since my mom died, Ivy had really come out of her shell. She was always so happy and smiling. She thrived on words of praise and I tried to give them to her as often as I could.
“Now, you need one, Row,” she stood, skipping around to gather more flowers. “Then you can be a Queen!”
I laughed, adjusting the skirt of my dress.
Once she’d gathered enough flowers she sat down once more. “Can I help make this one?” She asked.
“Of course,” I carefully showed her how to braid the stems together. In no time she had it mastered and I let her finish it.
When it was done, she placed it on my head in the same manner I had done hers. “All hail Queen Rowan!” She squealed, jumping up and running in circles around me.
I laughed, turning my head to watch her run.
I marveled at how much a few months of not being in a toxic environment had changed her. She wasn’t as timid and shy anymore. She was blossoming, and so was I.
For the first time in all my life I finally felt like…me.
I was no longer a ghost, drifting through the shadows.
Trent had given me that gift, and I was thankful for it every day.
I’d done a lot of growing since New Year’s when Trent found out about Tristan. With the loss of my mom, it had been easy for me to become the person I was always meant to be. She couldn’t harass me anymore, and Jim was serving life in prison for what he’d done to Trent.
Life wasn’t perfect for me, not by a long shot, but it was getting there.
Ivy skipped through the field, picking wildflowers and arranging them into two bouquets. When she deemed them perfect, she returned to my side, handing me one. “For you, my Queen,” she giggled, her cheeks rosy with happiness.
“Thank you, Princess,” I took the flowers from her, inhaling their scent—then trying not to sneeze.
She twirled some more, her dress fanning out around her legs.
“Oh, look!” She pointed towards the back of the Wentworth mansion. “Here comes the King and Prince now!”
I smiled, enjoying her little game. All I had wanted for so long was for her and Tristan to have the opportunity to be children. I’d finally gotten my wish.
“Mommy!” Tristan cried, running straight for me, much like Ivy had when she’d found me hiding out back here.
I liked the shade and privacy that the tall grasses provided. When I was here, in this spot, I felt like I was in a new place all together. There was something magical about this place. Once the weather had warmed I’d claimed this area as mine since I had been spending so much time with the Wentworth’s. Lily and I had grown close, and she was beginning to feel like the mother I never had.
Tristan collapsed onto the ground beside me, his chest heaving with every labored breath from his long run.