Her Runaway Prince

Perhaps it was an attraction that she kept trying to deny and fight. Whatever it was, she wanted to heal him. She wanted him to find whatever it was he came there for.

She heard the kettle whistle as the water reached its boiling point. The sudden whistle woke her from her daze and she shook her head. If she kept thinking so deeply then she might as well kiss sleep goodbye. And she needed her sleep. So she pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind.

She focused solely on what was happening right then. She focused on the tea bag she placed into her favorite mug. She focused on the sugar she put in. Only two. Any more and it would have been too sweet. Any less and it would have been too bitter. Two was perfect. Just like most things in life, two was the perfect amount. And just a little bit of cream. Not too dark, not too light. A perfect balance.

She sipped at her tea and tried to relax. She had learned how to calm herself down after all the things that happened in her past. For too long she’d been an emotional wreck. So she’d taught herself that when emotions became too much to bear she should only focus on what was currently happening. So that’s what she did.

She focused on the balanced taste of her tea. The warmth running from her lips and down her throat. She focused on her breathing. She tried to keep a steady rhythm. In and out, in and out.

She focused on her steps to her room. Left, then right, then left, then right.

She felt like somebody who was learning to function for the first time. But it was working. She felt all the thoughts slowly fade away to the back of her subconscious. She never did like having to bury her feelings, but she was feeling way too much tonight. And, most importantly, she didn’t know how many were true feelings. She thought about how emotional she’d felt all day. She thought about how the anniversary was approaching. Maybe that’s why she was so emotional. The anniversary of that dreaded day. She didn’t even want to think about it.

She sat down on the edge of her bed and sipped at her tea, focussing on not letting her thoughts wander too much again. Yet, she had to admit that that night was definitely more than coincidence. Whether it was just to give her a fond memory or something more, she had yet to discover. She finished her tea and placed the mug on her bedside table. Usually she hated leaving dishes around, but she was simply too tired and confused to let it bother her. She sighed and laid down.

She rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. She let her mind wander to positive thoughts. Positive memories. Happy memories. She recalled all the fond memories she had and focused solely on them. She felt her worry dissipate as she focused only on what brought her joy. Her home, the woods, food, tea. All the little things she enjoyed.

She felt herself start to give in to the calming grasp of sleep. Without fighting it, she relaxed and finally let sleep take her.