Grown Up

When all of this started, she was just a scared little girl. She didn't understand what much of anything meant anymore. I knew her well, I remember her sobbing quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, in the middle of the night. But since that time, which was not very long ago, she has changed.

She has grown up.

* * * * *

Carefully she twirled her dagger in her fingers, smiling a little as she thought about what she had just accomplished. She had beaten that demon. She chuckled softly and thought, Only a million more to go.... But that was the one that she wanted gone so badly, and though she had relapsed into it several times, this time she knew she had it beat. "He'll be so happy."

Her mom opened the door and she quickly hid the knife, hoping her mom didn't see it and think the wrong thing. "Time to come upstairs, food's ready."

And she shut the door with just that. "Of course, always barging in without knocking."

She was also happy because she knew that she had finally found the man for her, well, the person since she had dated girls. She knew that he was the right one, the only one who could make her happy. And she was going to him. It wasn't exactly a fairytale since she wasn't running away from an evil stepparent or anything, but it was fairytale romantic for her. And she was always a sucker for romance. She looked down at her cell phone and started flipping through the messages.

You know that I will always keep you safe and try to be the best man I can for you?

Like he ever had to ask...that one always made her smile. All of them did. But the one that made her heart leap like nothing else, that made her feel safe and absolutely wonderful... And I want to be your husband.

She giggled. She was going to marry him and he was hers forever. She fell back on her bed, all but forgetting her mom's words as she began to daydream.

It was night, the stars were up and the moon was full and bright. His fingers lingered on her cheek as he drew her close to him, as tightly as he could. She looked up at him and softly pressed her lips to his-

"HEY! Time to eat now!"

She growled and rolled her eyes. "Brought me out of a perfectly good fantasy just to eat."

She went up the stairs to the living room to see her mom with her hands on her hips. "Hey, I'm sorry."

"Next time I won't come get you again."

Yeah right, you always say that. She sat down and grabbed some food, spending her required family time. It was never as bad as she made it out to be, but she wanted to get back to the man she loved.

Finally she went back down to her room and heaved a sigh of relief. She giggled again as she remembered that he was going to come up and see her in a month or so. Not that she really ever forgot...but she knew that once she had her arms around him, she would never want to let him go.

It was a Friday and she smiled to herself and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She loved Fridays. Not only because usually she didn't have to work, but also because she could call and "bother" him anytime she wanted. It rang several times before he picked up.

"Hey baby."

She sighed happily and closed her eyes. "Hey sweetie..."

She absolutely adored his southern accent. It was sexy and cute and silly all at the same time...just like he was. She knew she had gotten lucky and she continued to dream that instead of being on the phone, he was right there next to her.

"Thank you," she said without actually giving voice to it. She thanked him everyday, whether he knew it or not. She thanked him for giving her the strength to be herself and to fight against those things that hurt her, including herself. He had saved her in everyway that she needed it.

He is my prince, and I love him more than life itself. And I thank god that he knows that.