I watched Father's hand tremble as he released the pellets into the water, and then I looked in his face. Was he sick? I studied him closely. Now that he mentioned it, his skin did have sort of a yellow tinge to it, and his hands trembled. He’d lost a lot of weight. How had I missed the signs? Was it just that I so badly wanted him to be healthy? I dropped to my knees and lifted his face. “Father I'm so sorry. I…”
His eyes took on a smile as he realized I'd finally woken up to the truth. He shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You are a wonderful daughter and you have made my life very happy. One day, maybe not today, but one day soon, I will go to bed and I will not get up. I want you to be okay with that. Just let me go and remember the life we had together with joy, not mourning. Will you promise me?”
Why did life have to go so fast? Everyone else's sped by as mine crawled along like a turtle. I nodded softly. “Yes, Father. I promise.”
He lifted the corners of his mouth, his smile half forced, but then it traveled to his eyes. He was at peace. I could take refuge in that knowledge. But for now, I wanted to hear a story. “Tell me about the first time you saw me.”
“Oh. Now there is a favorite memory, sweet girl. I looked upon your big, blue eyes and your sweet, rosebud lips. You were already squirming in your mother’s arms by then. Bigger than the average newborn, I think you waited a little longer than usual to be born. Stubborn even then. But once you got here you sure didn't let us forget about you.”
“What do you mean?” Not that I hadn't heard the story a hundred times before, but I’d have done anything to keep words coming from Father as long as I could.
“Well, you seldom cried. You just had a way of getting positive attention anytime you wanted it. It was like you entered a room or approached a person and said, here I am. Notice me. And they did, every time. If I had a coin for every time someone said you were a beautiful child, I'd be a wealthy man.”
I looked up at the castle. “You are a wealthy man.”
“Well, you know what I mean.” We both laughed.
“What else?”
“Oh, it seemed like you did everything fast. Walked early. Ran early. Talked early. Read early. Smart girl. Beautiful girl. Happy girl. You were so perfect that we decided it would be best not to have other children. How could we do it again as well as we’d done it the first time? You were enough. You were everything. You are everything.” Father leaned back against the bench in the garden, his eyes wistful and longing for days gone by.
“Tell me about the horse.” I scooted into a somewhat more comfortable position in the sun.
Father grinned. “Oh, that horse. That was an experience none of us forgot. Wasn't it?”
I nodded and laughed. “No, I never forgot it. But tell me anyway.”
Father nodded. “Oh, it was a beautiful black stallion. A rare specimen. Gifted to me by a customer who was grateful for the help I’d provided over the years when he had no money. I provided things for the family and helped them along. Then when things turned and they came into money and horses, he wanted to do something to show his appreciation. But that black stallion was not broken yet, so I hired a hand to come break the horse.
“But before that expert arrived to do his job, you decided you could do it. You went out to that pasture where that bucking stallion was tied. You were going to make friends with that horse no matter what.”
Father smiled and shook his head. “I'll never forget what it felt like to see you from afar and not be able to get there in time and stop you. I couldn't yell as you approached the stallion, because it would startle the horse and he might kick. One kick could have been deadly. They sure have a knack of planting it right where it can do the most damage—right in the solar plexus, in the face, or even the stomach. I was terrified for your life, but you had no idea.”
“I remember it like it was yesterday. I wasn’t scared a bit.” I laughed. “I didn’t know enough to be scared.”
“You just walked up to that horse like he was your best friend. It was your confidence that won him over. Not to mention those blue eyes and long blonde hair. But he never even snorted at you. He never twitched. Never even blinked. He allowed you to approach him and befriend him as though you were his mother. It was a beautiful thing, though very scary to watch. When that hired hand showed up…”
I laughed. The vision of that poor boy trying to break that stallion still vivid in my mind.
“He arrived and got to work. Did he have his work cut out for him that day. That stallion was having no part of any of the attempts to break him. No way. So I waited a couple of hours. I let the horse wear that kid out. And then I turned to you, Rapunzel. What did I say? Do you remember?”