“I’d walk a mile... to see my Papa’s again, to see the man I miss the most.”

A lonely girl sat on the ground, the head stone next to her reading Ronald Everett Blankenship. He was a man, a girl’s best friend, someone taken away from a family fat too early. Small sparkling tears fell in a symmetric pattern down her cheek, leaving marked down her shirt as they descended. She twirled the fresh lively wild flowers the scent gently drifting into the air.

“You know Papa it’s a shame that such a pretty day is here and I can’t even enjoy it because I miss you too much.”

The wind gently tussled her hair, leaving everything around her energized. But still all she heard was quiet. There was no response, but then again there never was. All there ever was, was a lonely girl with big hazel eyes and hidden black hair crying or talking. Some passerby’s may call her crazy sitting there talking to herself. But I knew that she wasn’t talking to herself. She was talking to her Papa. I knew everything about her. I knew her perfume a mile away some days. I knew her attitudes and her moods just by the way she glanced around. And I knew that still after 13 years she was still heart broken.

“Hey Sammie,” I made my words as gentle as I could be.

“Hey Jessie,” her words came full with tears.

“Come here girl,” I pulled her into my arms, “Everything is going to be alright I promise.”

Her head burrowed into my chest, her tears like warm drops hitting my body. I ran my fingers back and forth on her soft yet gritty black hair. Her head slid deeper, the warm drops decreasing in amount on my shirt. She didn’t want to walk, she couldn’t the pain welled in her throat like molten lava. Everything rushed past us, time ignoring us. We were motionless time wasn’t possible in our minds. Slowly her grip began to loosen from around me. The Pain loosened its grip on her, giving her some relief. Her breath began returning to normal the short tiny hiccups vanishing.

“Here let’s give these to your Papa, cuz I girl I know you don’t want to give them to me.”

“Jessie you are such a dork!” he words were sounding more and more like her.

Her hand was like smooth apple butter in mine. We began to walk together our steps in unison a habit we grew into long ago. The beautiful wild flowers danced in our hands, tussling with the gentle wind. So beautiful, so much like her soul. Beautiful was the only word that did this girl justice. She was beautiful inside and out. She was caring, sweet, and jokester. The hazel in her eyes always shined, even through the pain she held inside. Her eyes were always beautiful, even without being marked up by eyeliner and mascara. Her only makeup was nature’s sun light. And it worked perfectly for her.

“Girl, you know today is too beautiful for you to be so sad, Your Papa wouldn’t want you to be sad. You know that girl, so quit being sad.”

“Jessie you know that it’s not that simple.”

“Well then I will just have to tickle the sad out of ya!”

I lunged quickly grabbing her sides with my huge hands. Her body jumps and jerks with every tickle. I push on her sides, my fingers moving quickly. Giggle erupt from her, the purest sound she ever mad. The sound always pulled out my smile. So big sometimes that I thought it would stab my eyes out.

“Okay Jessie, okay, okay!” She screamed with one last giggle before plopping onto the ground.

I gently plop onto the ground next her, a huge thud following my drop. My arm gently brushes hers. My arms turn into my chair, holding up my torso, looking into the blue sky. Her head lies upon mine perfectly meshing together.

“You’re too perfect Jessie You know that?”

“Girl, I am far from perfect, and you know what? If I was perfect I would be boring and then who would be my best friend?”

“I’d still be your best friend. “

Playfully our heads bumped, her way of proving her point. She was the perfect, sweet, smart, playful, and free. I knew that the last one was a lie, I wish to god it wasn’t. She was still caged by the heartbreak she held. Her Papa’s death and her grief still held her prisoner, from happiness. I wish I could take her burden so that she could be free. I wish I could tell her that I want her to be my perfect girl. In another way than I already had her. But she was far too fragile for that. I had to be just her best friend.

The day passed by faster than our minds could have imagined. The sky’s blue began to exchange for its beautiful blood and orange hues. The yellow orb falling lower and lower in the sky. Her black hair became darker as the time reflected how much time had passed. Her eyes began to lull reflecting how tired she was.

“Come on Sammie, my trucks just down the road, let me take you home.”

“Jessie I don’t want to go home.”

“Well you can’t stay here, it’s getting dark kid.”

“Take me anywhere Jessie, take me away from all this pain, Papa, I miss him being in the house makes me just miss him more.”

“Alright Sammie,” I sighed,” Let’s go into town and get some dinner.”

“Okay Jessie,” she smiled, “Okay.”