The Royal Contract

Her face was still the same upon gazing in the mirror, just tired and needed a few exfoliants and pampering to remove the dead skins and the eye bags. Other than that, she believed she was still the same.

“Are you truly, absolutely doing this?” She asked herself upon looking at her reflection in the mirror after taking a long warm bath to relax her nerves.

But the face that stared at her had no answer. Her reflection was as clueless as her as she debated again within herself. Things were different now, she told herself.

She did not even know if she was convincing or trying to talk herself out of doing it. She was so conflicted with her current situation that she could not even move out of the bathroom to pick up a dress, and time was running out.

“The difference is...” She mumbled to herself, trying to weigh the pros and cons of her situation. “I have a child now.” She pointed out her number reason not to go through with it. “But you are also alone and lonely.” Her mind reminded her.

But did she need a companion in life? She believed having a child should be enough. But her friend insisted that she should go out and date again. But it did not feel right. Or was she just afraid to try again?

.....

She stared at her face, focusing on her eyes, wondering if she could read something in their depths, an answer to her dilemma. But all she saw was confusion. The same thing she felt inside.

She wondered how the single ladies with kids did this. How did they forget the past and move on to the following chapters of their lives? Did they ever love the father of their child? Or they could just easily fall in love with the next guy.

“Sarah, hurry up! Luisa and I want to take pictures before you leave.” Amelia teased her outside her door, probably carrying her child in her arms as they waited for her to finish fixing herself with her date.

Yes, she finally agreed to go out on a date. But now, she was having second thoughts. Was she feeling guilty? She believed so. She was in love with the father of her child. By going on a date, she felt like she was cheating.

But the man she loved was about to get married to another woman. He was about to father another child with her. Therefore, she was also free to do the same. But then again, her heart would not seem to want it.

She felt she was still a prisoner in that relationship. Would she ever be free? She doubted as her heart continued to long for him. Maybe this was her fate. It was her punishment for all her wrongdoings, whether in her previous life or the present.

“I am not going to the prom.” She shouted back, hurrying out of the bathroom and quickly picking a dress she could wear to this dinner date.

She might as well get this over with, not wanting to stand her date when she already agreed to go out with him this once.

After seeing the story about the Prince and his impending marriage to a beautiful and probably deserving woman, she decided to focus her life on the future of her daughter.

There was no more need for her to mourn her loss because she did not lose something she did not have in the first place. All she could do was move on and concentrate on things she still had control of, like her child’s life.

“But this is your first date after a while. Luisa and I want it to be memorable.” She heard her friend behind the closed door, giggling with her little princess.

She could already imagine her daughter making those gurgly smiles as Amelia forced her to laugh. She learned that Luisa was ticklish in her toes, remembering the same trait that her father had.

Now, why did that thought enter her mind? She quickly tried to shove it at the back of her memories, not wanting to ruin what could be an enjoyable evening. Those were Amelia’s words replaying in her brain.

“Just let me finish in peace.” She smiled as she stared at her face in the vanity mirror, hoping her friend was right about this.

Maybe she just needed to meet new people. Not necessary to hook up with them, but to make friends. She had been living in this city for months now. Yet, she barely knew anyone except the people she worked with at her job.

“Fine, but let us see the finished product before you leave,” Amelia said as she and Luisa walked away from outside her door.

She had asked her date not to pick her up. Instead, they would meet at the restaurant for their dinner reservation. Yes, it was the owner of the establishment they had their celebration.

Yesterday, she noticed the card was inside her purse, stuck with her things. She did not remember putting it there. Truthfully, she remembered leaving that card on the table, untouched.

But when Amelia saw it on her desk, she immediately texted him and set up a date with the man they met the other night. Her friend was pretending to be her, of course.

Nonetheless, Amelia and Angela had convinced her to show up to this date, saying that she needed to get laid. But that was not the reason she was going.

She only wanted to prove to her friends that she was happy with only Luisa at her side. She did not need a man to complete her. It was the only reason why she was dating this man.

She only wanted to confirm that she could be happy and content without a man in her life. She and Luisa were better off with just the two of them, a perfect team of mother and daughter, the dynamic duo.