Make me a Promise.
Helga turned around, taking great pleasure in the sigh her dress made. It was finally happening. She was marrying Arnold. Her beloved. The boy, the man she had craved her whole life to belong to. Long ago she had given her heart to him, and no one ever stood a chance to take it from him. She sighed and dropped down, watching as the big skirt puffed up. She smiled.
"I don't believe I have ever seen you smile so much," Lila said, smiling at Helga in the mirror. Once Arnold had left the picture, her and Lila had developed a sort of truce that turned into a deep friendship.
"I can't stop smiling!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you!"
She threw her arms around Helga's shoulders. Then she looked at the door as a knock came. The tree girls looked, then Lila went and opened the door. Bob Pataki stood there.
"I want to speak to my daughter alone," he said quietly. Helga's heart stopped. Lila and phoebe looked first at each other then at Helga. Then quietly they left, closing the door behind them.
Then quickly putting their ears to the door to listen.
*Bob looked at his daughter who was sitting in front of him, in white, her blonde hair curled, half piled up, the other down, a veil sitting just under the bun part.
"I'm proud of you girl," he said in a gruff voice. Helga kept her face still, though inside, although she wasn't happy about it, her heart soared. Her dad was proud of her. She looked down and smoothed her hands over her dress and reached up to touch her hair.
"Thank you dad," she said, finally looking up at him.
"I want you to make me a promise," he said suddenly. Helga cocked an eyebrow.
"What?" she asked carefully.
"I want you to promise me you wont make Alfred responsible for your happiness," he said.
Helga blinked and tilted her head to one side. "Huh? And his names Arnold, Dad."
Bob smiled. "I know." Helga shook her head. "Don't make him responsible for your happiness," he repeated.
"What do you mean? Isn't that what a guys supposed to do?" she asked.
"Yes and no," Bob sighed. How do I explain this? He asked himself. "You need to realize that he wont and cant always make you happy. There'll be a time he'll let you down," he looked at her. "You need to remember he's human."
"I know he's human dad," she said.
"He'll make mistakes," he said. "It's the mistake your mom and I made. I promised to make her happy. I made her so many promises, Helga. And I worked so hard to keep them that I let her down. I let you down, and to a degree, I let Olga down," he looked down, ashamed. "I was so busy trying to make you girls happy that I made you miserable," his voice broke.
Helga sat quietly, watching this man who had always been gruff, and strong, try to keep himself from crying. She got up and walked over to him.
"It's okay dad," she said, giving him a hug. "You tried. I get that."
"I always knew you were the strong one," he said. "Your sister . . . She was always sensitive. Crying at the drop of a hat. You had to indulge the girl. And I did. Made a mistake there,"
"Really, dad, it's fine,"
"Please, just remember, he will stuff up. Don't hate him for it. Don't go silent on him. Talk. Your mother and I, we never talked. That was our problem."
"Me and Arnold talk dad. a lot."
"Good. He's a good boy. Sorry, young man. And I wish you two the best."
"Thankyou dad," Helga said. "And I promise,"