Page 136 of Salute, To Bravery
Ophelia
It’s been a week since the confrontation. Violet helped me clean my apartment, and we’ve set up systems to keep it clean. She also found another group that she seemed to like. It felt like it had been forever since the encounter. I needed it, though. I needed someone to make me snap out of my depressive state.
Violet might not know that she was my savior, helping me when I needed it most without judging me, teaching me how to be a better me, and opening my eyes. I knew I still had a lot to do to get better. I needed to get back to therapy, which I would be doing this week. I needed to focus on myself right now.
I was standing in front of a full-length mirror trying to figure out what outfit to wear to dinner. Violet invited me to supper with her father. I was excited to get out of the house and meet him. There was a pebble of fear in my stomach at the same time.
My mind was running a million miles an hour, yet everything was still.
I went back to my closet,back to the drawing board. Feeling the different textures of the dresses and shirts kept me grounded. I gravitated towards a dark red dress that showed my figure, yet was modest enough for a family dinner. It was soft as I put it onto my skin.
I went to the mirror and was pleased with what I saw. The dress still fit me perfectly. It was perfect for the occasion. This was the first time in a while that I felt beautiful. There was nothing I wouldn’t change. It was. . . freeing.
I heard a knock at the front door, bringing me back to the present.
“Yes,” I yelled from my bedroom.
“Are you ready?” Violet asked sweetly.
“You can come in,” I continued to yell. I heard the door unlatch and footsteps walking in. That’s when I saw her. “You look beautiful.” She was wearing a purple shirt with a little black skirt with combat boots.
“I know, so do you. Now let’s go. My father hates it when people are late,” Violet said in a rush as she grabbed my bag that was on the couch. “He’s going to love you.” She opened the door for me.
???
We finally arrived after thirty minutes of driving. He lived in the middle of the mountains, right outside the city. The house was a mansion with floor-to-ceiling windows looking into the three-story house. There were towers on either corner of the house; it was beautiful. The scenery was unbelievable. The mountain peaks were white, and there were trees all around. It was something I’d never experienced.
We walked into the house with our hands intertwined. There were goosebumps on my arms. My nerves were making it hardfor me to breathe. My breathing was becoming shallow as we walked through the house. The furniture matched the aesthetic of the exterior.
“Hi, Dad,” Violet said to the man who appeared from the kitchen; she ran up to the tall man and hugged him. “This is my girlfriend, Ophelia.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” I said with my hand outreached, ready for a handshake.
“I’m Sargent Bride, the pleasure is mine.”
He reached for my hand, but something inside me shook.
“You never told me that your father was Armed Forces.”
“I didn’t think much of it,” Violet stated. “Anyway,” she turned her attention to her father, “what are we having for dinner?”
“We’re having chicken with rice,” he said plainly.
“I love your chicken,” she said cheerfully.
He nodded and guided us towards the large kitchen table. He went behind the counter and grabbed the chicken. The spices smelled amazing, but that wouldn’t keep me grounded.
Was he the man that my sergeant was talking about? Was this the man that sent me away from Violet? What did he have against me?
Panic filled every breath and every movement that I made. The air became heavy on my chest and became harder to breathe. Was this man the reason for my spiral?
Take deep breaths. You’re gonna be okay, just make it through this dinner, I repeated to myself.
I took a deep breath and tried to stop my shaking hands. “So what branch are you a part of?” I asked, trying to keep my voice straight.
“I’m part of the Air Force. Which I assume you are in, too.” His deep voice sent goosebumps in between the hairs on my arm.
“Yes. You assumed correctly,” I said excitedly, trying to pretend that I wasn’t terrified of the man that was in front of me.
