et's
dreamed of be
as dressed
th mirror, watching my ball gown sh
elain skin and the lace along the neck
ife Papa had made sure I had. It felt surreal
w decade of my life,Th
from the floral arrangements to the
ation - Our estate would be filled with music and the laughter of
self it wo
until -Papa - Roberto Fernandez
cked or remo
a ghost in my life
ow I could n
read me bedt
the father-daughter outings my frie
s on every birthday and brief
ent, his eyes seemed
disapp
as used
ifferent because papa promised to
," he had said, kissing the
doubtful but I wan
o give him
the mirror and left my bedro
was in f
echoed in every corn
omen in sparkling gowns, danced togeth
e crowd, offering champagn
ything I ha
efore me, I scammed the
y given up, my e
staircase in deep conversation
, with silver-streaked ha
ead the tension in his posture, a rigidness
as...
ly so I wouldn't trip a
d look at me and give me that warm, rare smile
ead slightly and
aze landed on me but he
ritation before he refocused
he -"P
wouldn't hear me.If he d
weight in my chest as I
we talk? Even
to me but he didn't say t
and I could clearly read t
thing else I
et," he said in
our party."
-""I said
sparing me another , h
t to hi
nd him with a quie
s ov
t keep hi
s up again, Violet? It's
my fists curli
atening to fall but I blin
seen crying on
e to, V
ce called
r housemaid and the close
mpathetic look a
is," I muttered, my
expect tonight
sig
Violet, and every daughter hopes their
efly before disappearing
surrounded by the echo of music an
hanging on the wall - the one I had
only image I
eyes and long brown hair, sitting beside p
was, a baby
ed the outline of her
r knew
ed when I was young,
then a few times I had ask
you we
hisp
answer but I h
the hall wa
e else hear
I
out and my legs moved
-Papa, slumped in his office chair, crimson pooling across his crisp
y throat before I
a
him was the silver-ha
sound of the door
nt, neither
iled and ra