The Butterfly Keeper

27

TWENTY-SEVEN

BEFORE, WHEN my mom wasn't so cold, she would tell me these stories about her childhood. I don't remember much of them because I was pretty young when she told me, but I do remember one specific. While she was pregnant with me, her and my dad moved into a neighborhood that had homes with huge backyards and one of the neighbors had this butterfly garden. My mom would say that butterflies would flutter outside her office window and stand on the sill all throughout spring and summer.

      She was convinced the child inside her called to the butterflies, so she named me Vanessa.

      Rubbing my hands together and breathing in deeply, I walk out the front door and head in the direction of the small church where Mia will be waiting for me. Yesterday, I had ask her to introduce me to the other kids our age and she told me to meet her in front of the church today when the sun looks to be about setting down.

      I bite the inside of my cheek as I thread down the dirt path and begin to see Mia' silhouette in the distance. I was never the type to get anxious meeting new people, but for whatever reason, this feels different and I have yet to decide if it's a good thing.

      Mia twists a strand of her hair that was framing her face around her finger and uses her other hand to wave at me. Despite still being a fair distance away from her, I offer a faint smile in return as if she could see it and attempt to swallow my anxiety down.

      I stop my fidgeting movements as I watch Mia walk my way, unable to stand still any longer.

      "They're going to be so excited." She eagerly juts as soon as she's standing right in front of me and grabs both of my shoulders. "You look tense, though. Are you okay?"

      I lick my lips and raise my eyebrows to erase any trace of stiffens on my face. "Yeah...yeah." I bite down on the tip my tongue to hold myself from continuing to repeat myself. It's a habit I began to form.

      "You sure?"

      I nod.

      "If you're not ready they can wait, I mean, we have all the time in the world."

      Mia's last words don't help my uneasiness, but I eat the ill feeling down and shake my head. "No, it's fine. I'm fine." I grab her hands and remove them from off my shoulders. "I promise." I squeeze her hands in reassurance and smile.

      She claps her hands a single time and grins widely. "Alright." She nudges her head towards the church and turns around, signaling for me to follow.

      I walk up to her side and notice she wearing a dress I would never think I would ever see her in. Mia is a soft girl and the way she dressed really mirror that, but today, her choice of clothing said otherwise. The dress is tight on her body, reaching just above her knees and exposing her lower back. It's a muted color compared to the vibrants I'm use to seeing Mia in, but it futher compliments her skin color beautifully. In other words, the dress is both broad yet moderate.

      It also looks new.

      "You look nice." Mia tells me, breaking the silence, and I wonder if she saw me staring at her dress.

      I snicker at the compliment. I'm wearing my regular outfit that consist of denim shorts that are an ugly wash, an oversized T-shirt, and sandals. I'm far from looking nice. "I wish, but thanks."