VULNERABILITY

Doves

I was lost. Very lost. All the honking and pedestrians were making my head pound. My eyes were overwhelmed at all the sights Times Square had to offer. I couldn't see a single forest in sight. It was beautiful to see the lights twinkling. I had to shove away my touristy vibes and focus on finding my apartment.

I was looking down at my phone when my shoulder roughly knocked against someone else's.

"Watch where you're fu-" the man raises his voice but it dies once he fully takes me in. His eyes widen.

Meanwhile, I was a nervous wreck. I had been in the city for only two hours and I already made somebody mad.

How am I supposed to live here for more than a year if all I do is get in the way?

"I am so so so sorry sir, I did not mean to budge your shoulder, you see I was looking at my phone and wasn't paying attention. I'm just a little frazzled I can't find my apartment and I'm just really sorry," I stammered out my life story basically. Mentally I was smacking myself in the face.

All you had to say was sorry, Jesus, Poppy you are a weirdo.

When my eyes met his, I gasped. His blue eyes were as light as the ocean waves in the sunlight. The winter air had made his cheeks a rosy pink. The tip of his nose was pink too. His black coat was tight in all the right places. The flaps protected his ears. I noticed that he was watching me as much as I was watching him. If my cheeks were red before, they grew super red then. The corners of his lips turned up into a smile.

"My name is, Daniel," he introduced himself and stuck his gloved hand out to me.

I couldn't help but smile as I took his big hand in my own. I had expected the throwing of hands, not the shaking of hands.

"My name is Poppy."

He looked me in the eye and smiled.

That day he helped me find my apartment and a good coffee shop where we sat down and talked. We talked for hours about real things. We talked about dreams and our wishes. We hit it off right away. I felt the spark each time I looked him in the eye. 

I was always content and happy with Daniel Hillshire.

Now his life is on the line.

I think about the day Daniel and I met as my dad grabs my elbow and my mom thrusts a bouquet into my unwilling hands.

It really is like a horror movie. Strange people I didn't know sat in the aisles with dull looks on their faces. They kept their eyes straight ahead as I took small steps to the man who was destined to ruin my life and keep me prisoner. My dad's hand felt heavy on the crook of my elbow. My only wish was to shove him off me and make a run for it. It is a chance I can't take. For Daniel's sake.

My dad gave me to him. On a silver platter, basically. I stared at his outstretched hand. It reminded me of when I met Daniel. However, this hand in front of me was not welcoming and warm. I grabbed it and forced the tears down. His hands were larger than Daniel and much colder. The texture was rough. I felt a big scar run down the middle of his palm and fought the urge to wince.

"We are gather-" the miniser starts but is halted.

"Skip it," is snapped from the man who is clutching my hand too tight.

He looks startled but nods quite quickly. It looks like his head is about to fall off. The wrinkled fingers quickly flip the pages 3 times before he starts again. I use all the energy in my body to not cry.