The Leap

                “Randy! Please be careful!”

                “It’s all right, Angelique. It’s perfectly safe.” He smiled and waved. “Just watch.”

                She held her breath as he took a running start, then jumped across a chasm that seemed too wide for a normal person to jump across. He’d promised her that the power of the wind would keep him from falling. It looked good after all. And then. . .

                Barely a foot away from the other side, he started to plummet. She fell to her knees, sobbing. This couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. “Randy. . .” Nothing in her life would ever matter again. Monique nudged her, unaware of why her mistress was consumed by despair. Angelique hugged the puppy, her tears soaking into the soft fur.

                “What’s wrong?” she heard someone say.

                “Randy. . .” That was the only word she seemed to be able to say.

                A hand stroked her hair. “I’m right here.”

                She looked up into his eyes. “But I saw you fall. . .”

                “Fall? Where? The last time I fell was when I fell in love with you.”

                She blinked and looked around her. They were nowhere near a chasm of any kind. Monique was   chasing a butterfly in the park. It must have been a dream. No, a nightmare. Randy would never do anything like that. She wrapped her arms around him and put her whole heart into her kiss. She’d never tell him what she had dreamed. She just wanted to be in his arms and never wanted to let go.

               

Confrontation

                “Angelique!” Rosalia burst into Angelique’s room without waiting for permission.

                “Oh, Rosalia, you found Monique! I’d wondered where she’d gotten to. Thank you!”

                Rosalia thrust the puppy into Angelique’s arms. “She was in my room. Starting to chew a book I’d borrowed from Luva. He won’t be very happy with you when I return it and tell him how it got damaged.” She glared at the two of them. “That animal doesn’t belong inside. Maybe you should ask Randy to build a pen for it outside.”

                “Rosalia. Get out. Now.” Randy’s voice was like ice.

                Monique barked happily at the sight of her favorite guardian and wagged her tail. Rosalia tossed her head and left.

                “Oh, Randy, is she right? Should Monique be kept outside? She’s never done anything like this before.”

                He took the puppy from her arms. “Don’t let Rosalia bother you. She’s never been very kind to you, has she?”

                “Well, no, not really. But I’m sure it’s just the way she is. I wish she and I could be friends and not just rivals.”

                He kissed her forehead. “That’s one of the reasons I love you so much. You always want to see the best in everyone.”

                “Everyone has good in them. We just need to look for it. And, you know, maybe Monique would like having a safe place to play outside when I have to be at my lessons or taking care of other queen candidate duties.”

                “I’ll try to put a fence around an area so she can have a safe place to play when one of us can’t be with her.”

                “And maybe that will help Rosalia look at me as a friend and not just a rival for becoming queen.” She smiled at him. “I love you.”

Eyes

                Angelique knew she’d have to decide soon. Her indecision was hurting both her efforts as a queen candidate and her relationship with Randy. Which was the most important?

                They met in the park for lunch. It was a warm, sunny afternoon. She almost wished she didn’t have a lesson with Olivie later that afternoon.

                “Angelique.” Randy’s voice was barely more than a whisper.

                She looked up into his eyes, a blue that rivaled the color of the sky. As his eyes flickered closed and he lowered his mouth to hers, she made her choice. Yes, she still wanted to become queen. But she realized she wanted Randy more.