Every Rose Has Its Thorn

I drove to Safeway, purchased a single pink rose, and went to her school picnic which I was 45 minutes late to attend. I had learned of the event just that morning and was busy all day at work. I had not told her I was going to come because of my ignorance of the lunch festivities.

All the food had been eaten and parents congregated in small circles distributing small talk. Children were spread throughout the playground like busy ants on their hill.

I walked into the school inconspicuously with the plastic wrapped flower and gently inserted it into the dirty purple backpack she had hanging on her hook. As I was zipping up the bag, her teacher, Ms. Aly caught me in the act. She had a mother right behind her.

"Oh how sweet." Ms Aly cooed.
"What's that?" the mother asked.
"Someone is getting a rose." she informed the questioner.

I turned with that broken lump in my gullet and tried to act manly.
"That girl just broke my heart today. She started crying because she is going to miss us this weekend while we are gone."
I turned and quickly walked out the back of the school to find Emma, but not before I saw the same swelling tear I had seen in the truck that in the eye of the questioning mother. My throat clenched more.

Wiping my face, I spotted the familiar pretty dress and the tightly pulled ribbon in her hair. I meandered through the groups of people and approached my little girl who was playing with her friend, Loren in the center of the playground. When I was about 15 feet or so away, she spun right around and caught my eyes immediately.

"DADDY!" she hollered with a glowing happy mouth as she ran right to me. She nearly knocked me off my feet when we met.

I talked a bit with her as she continually smiled at me the way her mother has so many times - with the most beautiful loving smile. The type of patient glance that will forever be embedded in my memory. Soon, out of nowhere, another girl came running over and started to hug me too. It was a good thing, I would of been a blubbering idiot in the middle of that wood chip covered park. Prying the strange kid off of me, I said to Emma, "I am sorry I didn't make it for the food."

"I knew you were going to come." she interrupted me as she hugged me yet again.

I couldn't stay long. I had to return to work, but before I said goodbye, I told her that I had left something for her in her backpack. Something she could look at this weekend and remember how much her mother and I love her.

Then I scurried back to my vehicle and slowly returned to the place that gives me the lifestyle and comfort to make sure that I can afford to take care of my life, my treasures, my roses.