One Short Year

Rosamond put her ear against the large double doors that lead to her parents’ bedroom, listening for any movement. All was quiet. She walked down the large spiraling stair well with her shoes in her hand. The click clack of her heels were sure to wake someone. She walked through the kitchen, easing the door open slowly. She walked across the soft grass to the servants’ gate. It was much easier to get through than the main gate. Well at least with no one knowing. She followed the gate along the outside of the property to the main road outside the gate. Her carriage waited her in the form of a beat up blue pickup truck. And her prince charming sat in the front of the wheel in the form of a gardener.

Rosamond climbed up into the truck and slithered into the middle of the bench seat. Travis pressed his lips against hers. He smelled like freshly cut grass. Rosamond loved that smell. He sang along quietly to the radio. That sweet voice that you would miss if you didn’t listen closely enough. Rosamond just smiled.

Rosamond absolutely loved everything about Travis. The way he said her name. The way he looked when he was concentrating on something, he stuck his tongue out and squinted his eyes. It was adorable. The way he made her feel like she was the only girl in the world. The way he could take her from a bad mood to a good one in 2.5 seconds. She loved his dreams for the future and hearing about his past. She loved the way he told stories when she was lying in his arms. Rosamond loved Travis with all her heart. But if her parents ever found out she wanted to marry a gardener they would lose their minds.

Rosamond easily slid under her parents’ radar for the last seventeen year of her life. She was the youngest of three. When your family is royalty and you’re the youngest you aren’t really worth much more than a pretty face. Her older brother, Charlie, had to be married off fast because someday he would inherit everything. So for a while Rosamond’s parents were busy making Charlie the perfect son and soon to be ruler of land. Then there was the search for a suitable wife to rule silently by his side. After that they had her sister, Adelaide, to worry about. They main concern with her was who she would marry. Being married to the right person is a huge part of being in the royal family. With all the prepping for her siblings, Rosamond easily got by without much criticism. Which is how she found herself falling helplessly in love with Travis.

The truck pulled into the spot by the creek they always went to on late nights. Rosamond slid out of the truck, her heels sinking into the soft ground. Travis spread blankets out in the bed of his truck and helped Rosamond up. She sat against the back and threw the Harry Potter blanket she made him across her lap.

“Rosie, why do you always wear heels when you know you are going to take them off the second you get here?” Travis asked sitting down next to her.

“Have you seen my closet? Do you know how many pairs of non-heels I have?”

He rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead. They spent the hours talking. Eventually they both feel asleep cuddled together in the bed of his truck.

At three in the morning Best of Friend from The Fox and the Hound blasted from under Rosamond’s ear. She was startled awaked.

“What do you want Will?” Rosamond asked groggily.

“I just went through all the trouble of sneaking into your house and you aren’t even home.
Where the hell are you?”

“Shit, we feel asleep. I’ll be home in twenty minutes. Why are you sneaking into my house
anyway?”

“Oh I’ll just tell you once you are home.”