Beautiful Even In Death

This is a fairytale rewrite of Rapunzel.

His Daughter

He ran across the street of the posh neighborhood in modern day Atlanta only stopping to check the houses surrounding him. His eyes roamed and roamed the neighborhood until finally his eyes came to rest upon the house. It was a beautiful two story brick home with a gazebo to its left and screened off side porch to its right. The young man’s greasy hair fell in limp, golden curls just barely over his brow and his clothes fit loosely over his scrawny body. In his arms lay a bundle of wild curls and soft gurgles. “Hush Adara, my beautiful dove.” cooed her father into the blanket. This only aroused soft giggles from the bundle of joy and a sad suppressed smile from the man. “Mi amor Adara. Please forgive me.” he murmured one last time before kissing her head and laying her down on the steps of the beautiful two story home in front of him. He rang the doorbell twice sharply then scurried off into the darkness. Not too long afterwards, a short red headed woman appeared at the door mumbling curses.  “Who the f-” She stopped short upon seeing the sight upon her. On her steps lay the most beautiful baby girl she had ever seen. She had eyes as blue as the sea that seemed to pierce straight through ones soul and golden locks as wild and untamed as a lioness. Her rosy cheeks only defined her pale complexion even more and three freckles danced across her nose while her pinks lips mouthed a surprised O. The younger woman let a smile play upon her lips before she stooped down and picked her up. “What are you doing out here sweetie?” she whispered to no one in particular. A note peeked out of the corner of the blanket. It said, “This is my daughter Adara. Today is her first birthday and I could not think of a better present for her, a family who could learn to love and financially support her. I hope she is not too much trouble and I wish your family the best.”

That was seventeen years ago though. The day where I should have been off celebrating my first birthday with my family but instead spent it on the lavish doorsteps of my foster family. I can’t recall most of that night though since I was only an infant but our fiery, foul mouthed, red headed maid told me about it when I was 12. She told me how beautiful and bubbly I was and how she could not understand how someone could just leave me like that. I like to believe it was for a good reason but I just cannot bring myself to understand the whole situation. Why would you leave someone of you have love? I may have all the money in the world with my foster family, but they do not really love me. I am like a charity to them. They are only providing for me to boost their image yet they do not love me. I do not know what to feel though. I grab the knife I keep beside my bed side table and look over the faint scars across my wrist. I’m snapped out of my reverie though from the tweet of my cell phone. I pick it up smiling knowing it can only be one person. “Stupid Lorne.” I mumble even though I am practically glowing inside. Lorne and I have been best friends for about twelve years now but I have secretly had a crush on him for three years. Our whole friendship started when my first grade teacher, Mrs. Applebottom, was ironically passing out apple slices to all of the students in class. Lorne had already finished his slices when Mrs. Applebottom had made it to me. She gave me three apple slices just like all the other boys and girls but before I could even pick up the juiciest slice of the bunch, Lorne had come by and snatched all three up! I was so infuriated with him that I stood up and punched him square in the nose! After that, I remember the teacher marching us both up to the principal’s office and Lorne telling me he liked my hair down because it looked like “a long golden rainbow coming out of your big head” and I told him I liked how the blood tricking from his nose ran like a river. For some strange reason, that weird bonding experience made us become the best of friends and strangely we have stayed that way ever since.

Lorne over the years became a heavenly devilish prince. His long chestnut curls were always unruly but perfectly poised and his ember green eyes could stare a hole right through you. He always carried himself with dignity and always had a self-assured knowledge of his looks. He was quite the ladies’ man in town breaking many of his young groupie’s hearts yet I could not tear myself away from him. I knew he was the only person in the world who loved me and who was not just using me. I cannot even begin to imagine going through life without him. My foster family was never that accepting of him due to his bad boy reputation and various jail records, but I refuse to allow myself to see the bad in him. He is just a caged dove in need of being set free. I read his text silently before stumbling to get up and find an outfit. Lorne had just invited me to go for a ride since it was my birthday and he refused to let me spend it alone. I searched for an outfit in desperation deeming all of my stuff unfit for tonight. Tonight was going to be special for me not only because I was turning eighteen, but because it would be the night that I told Lorne Braxton how I felt about him. But how do you dress for that? Casual or Formal? Preppy or Hipster? Classy or Trashy? I do not even know! Eventually though, I settle on a baby blue V-neck, skinny jeans, and my nude Prada heels. I decide to keep my golden locks down knowing Lorne prefers it that way. I throw on just a tad bit of make up going for a more natural look. Another tweet from my phone lets me know that he will be here in ten. I give myself a onceover one last time before heading downstairs.

I take the steps two at a time and am surprised when I run into my evil foster mother, Elizabeth. “Adara,” she purrs, “just where do you think you are going at this hour?” I sigh and check my phone seeing that is only seven o’clock. “I am going out with Lorne tonight and I will be back in time for curfew. I will be here at midnight and not a minute later mother.” I say pronouncing the last word rather sharply. She gives me her best practiced pouting look and I roll my eyes. “You are going out tonight with that incredulous dirt bag?” she hissed. “I thought I had raised you to have better taste in men. You deserve a man with class and money who can spoil you with all of the finest things this world has to offer. Not some cooped up criminal who you met in grade school. And if you are to go against my wishes and meet up with him anyway Adara, for the love of God do to something to your hair! It is the only good asset on you and I refuse to let you go out of this house letting it look the way it does.” I stand there in disbelief shocked at her sudden outburst. She only raises an eyebrow at me and glides up the stairs as if nothing has happened. The nerve of that woman! I continue my descent down the stairs refusing to let her ruin my special day. I am practically an adult now and will not take such advice about my image from a lady who has had more surgery done on her entire body then Dolly Parton. A honk outside announces Lorne’s arrival. I grab my Chanel handbag off of the side table and hurry out of the door before she decides to come back down.

As soon as I step off of the sidewalk, I see Lorne’s 1976 cherry red Corvette that I have grown to fall in love with just like I fell in love with him. First with my head and then with my heart. He revs the engine when I walk out and yells loud enough for the neighbors to hear, “Look at Goldie tonight! You look like a trillion bucks!” I give a soft laugh and climb into the car while asking “So what do you have planned for tonight? A movie? A stop at Bob’s Burgers?” He only smiles and says “None of that childish stuff, tonight we are to have a picnic under the dark where only the moon and the stars can hear us. Tonight I will treat you like the young woman you are Adara.” He puts the car in drive and we began our descent into the darkness where only the night can hear us.

“Adara wake up.” Lorne said shaking me slightly. I opened my eyes slowly letting them adjust to my new surroundings. Before me lay a checkered tablecloth with the cutest set up of food I had ever seen before. There were finger sandwiches, grapes, Italian bread, Swiss cheese, salami, and even a baked apple pie. “Aw Lorne…” I whispered slowly taking everything in. We were on lush green hill where we could see the city beneath us. If I were to reach my hand up, I probably could have touched the stars. I quickly slip out of my heels and onto the green grass. I close my eyes and take a deep breath forgetting about my problems and the world around me. Lorne grabs my arm gently and helps me sit down to the feast in front of us. “You look beautiful tonight by the way.” he said as a slight blush swept across his cheeks. What the devil just happened? Lorne blushing over me? I must have just imagined it. He brushed back a curl from my face and let his hand just lay there. I pulled back at his touch and immediately his eyes widened in disbelief. He quickly tried to mask it though by preparing me a slice of the pie. I watched as his skillful hands go into work cutting into it. I feel I need to say something to fill the awkward silence between us so I decide right then and there to tell him how I feel. Probably not the best thing to say after what has just happened but I feel like he needs to know. “Lorne, I need to tell you something.” I half mumble praying he will not hear me. He glances at me quickly but not before I see the pain flash through his eyes. Has it always been there?  “Well go ahead then Goldie.” I look at him long and hard watching his muscles stretch in his perfectly fitted white t-shirt. “I am in love with you. I have been in love with you for three years now and I cannot imagine not having you here beside me. I need you. Every day I realize that and I do not care what people say about you. They just do not understand you love. But I do. You are my caged dove and now I am here to free you.” He only stared at me in disbelief before putting the knife down slowly. “You know I’m no good for you.” he whispered while shaking his unruly curls back and forth. “Every day for the past twelve years I have told myself that. When I moved out on my own, you understood me when I felt like no one else did. You did not taunt me for the crimes I have committed or even my constant mood swings, you would just give me space and then all I would be able to do was fall more in love with you. Every day I have denied myself of you. But tonight I will not anymore because I know you want me the way I want you.” And with that, he kissed me and I allowed myself to be lost in him. Only the stars and the moon could testify to what these two unholy doves had done.

It has been almost two months since my eighteenth birthday and I have yet to hear a word from Lorne. I have tried calling him every day since that night but he keeps letting his voicemail take my calls. Just when I am about to call him again a sudden feeling of uneasiness overcomes me. I rush to my bathroom and just barely make it to the toilet when everything comes up. I ran the back of my hand along my mouth as I caught my reflection in the mirror. The small bump was becoming more noticeable to the eye and I did not know how much longer I could keep it a secret. I was starting to look less and less like myself. My hair was starting to take on this coppery tint and now hung limp around me. My face was more shallow and paler than normally and my usual glow was gone. Lorne had left me. Just like he had left all those other girls. But I thought I actually meant something to him. How could I be so stupid? No one loves me in this world. “So why not just end it?” I whisper to myself silently. I could end the pain, the loneliness, and get rid of this numb feeling I have been feeling for a while. I grabbed a pair of scissors out of my cabinet and wrapped my locks around my hands four times. Snip snip. I watch my hair fall to the floor. He loves me. I take the scissors and do the same to the rest of my hair. He loves me not. I imagine continuing my life without him, raising our child without him. He loves me. I stare at my protruding baby bump. He loves us not. I take the scissors and drag them across my wrist before doing the same to my neck. Sweet sweet escape, I now know what freedom is. Everything is numb and the darkness envelopes me with open arms. Just then, Adara’s phone flashes. Lorne: I am so sorry I have not kept in touch with you. We found out my mother had Stage 2 Breast Cancer and so I caught the first plane I could back to Michigan. I truly am sorry for not informing you sooner but I did not want you stressing about it. But allow me to make everything up to you tonight Adara. I finally have got my own little place to call home and I would love for you and our little one to come join me. Mi amore Adara.