The garden room was filled with lush plants, gorgeous flowers and creeping vines. The skylit ceilings , floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors allowed sunlight to stream into the room and provide stunning view of the lush trees outside. It was furnished with elegant wood carvings, a small water fountain, sculptures and intricate tile work.
"Did Grandma make all these too?" Avery's eyes lingered on the life-like sculptures, each molded to perfection.
"No," a smile of nostalgia curled on Vicente's lips, "your uncle Liam made them." His eyes strayed from the sculptures and remained firm on the delicate rose flowers he was pruning.
"He's talented." Avery's speech had returned to normal in the past two weeks thanks to speech therapy, his vision was still slightly blurry and he needed a wheelchair to move, but Doctor Watson had assured him that he was improving tremendously and Avery shared in her optimism.
"He is." Vicente smiled. "Took after his mother in every way."
Spending time with Vicnete in his garden room had now become Avery's new pastime; he was eager to return back to work but Doctor Watson said she would only give him clearance in a month.
"Your grandmother was the one who suggested me moved here, designed the house and all." Vicnete played with the petals of a wilting rose. "I was never a man of nature, but she could have told me she wanted to live on the moon and I would have followed her." Vicnete laughed— soft and pained
"She didn't want to be buried, she was cremated and we— Liam, Laura and I— scattered her ashes in the wind around this house, so she could become one with nature." He was kneeling on a cushion, delicately tilling the soil.
"I like to think that she lives in nature now, so whenever the leaves rustle, or the flowers bloom I know she's there, watching us; how disappointed she must be with what I did to Laura and Liam." Vicnete sighed.
Avery placed a hand on his shoulders; sometimes people didn't need words, they didn't need encouragement, they just want you to be there and listen.
"The desert rose had always been her favourite flower, it used to bloom wonderfully when she planted it, now know matter what I do, no matter how hard I try they just wilt." Vicnete chuckled sadly. "It's like she's telling me there's no remedy for the mistakes I have made."
"I never knew grandma, never got the chance to know her, but I believed she would have forgiven you and she would have wanted you to forgive yourself as well." Avery said softly, as he wiped a stray tear from Vicnete's cheek.
"I can't believe you went with Emerald and gold over Ivory and champagne." Vicnete scoffed. The change of conversation was evident, but Avery appreciated the lighter conversation.
"I can't believe you're still holding a grudge over this matter grandpa." Avery groaned in exasperation. "Ivory and champagne is soft and elegant I will admit, but Emerald and gold is regal and sophisticated, besides I prefer it." Due to Avery's health, they had postponed the engagement party, but it had been scheduled for next week owing to Avery's insistence.
"You sound like Amara." Avery giggled.
A low cough turned their attention to Matthew, who had stepped in without their knowledge.
"There a visitors waiting for you in the gazebo." Matthew informed Avery.
Avery arched a brow in surprise; he didn't have much visitors. Amara had dropped by a few times but she was away for a business trip currently, Sloane didn't visit and Vicnete had banned the Ford's— though Ian and him exchanged a few messages via their social accounts.
"Go out and meet your friends, don't just stay in here cooped up with your old man." Vicnete laughed good-naturedly. Nobody could meet Avery without his permission, so he was already a privy of who the guest's were.
**********
"Oh my gosh!" Arianna gasped. "This is amazing." She giggled.
"Yeah." Natalie nodded. "It's giving out fairy vibes, I mean a Mansion in the middle of a forest and are those canaries." She huffed in disbelief.
Vivianne felt intimidated by the grandiose show of wealth and watched with silent awe. Where in the four corners of Calonia had the money that could afford this kind of luxury been kept while children died in the streets of Cinderfall from infection.
The gazebo they were led to was just as stunning at the mansion. Surrounded by a variety of trees and flowers, with granite floors, ornate carvings, velvety furnitures and Ottoman chairs. The soothing birdsong and gentle sound of water added to the relaxing ambiance.
Arianna was still clicking pictures when Avery was wheeled in.
"Oh my God! Aves." Arianna shrieked. "We have missed you terribly." She gripped Avery in a suffocating hug.
"Let the boy breath Arianna." Natalie rolled her eyes. "We get it that you're excited to see him, but killing him isn't the way to show it." Vivianne snorted.
"Right, sorry." Arianna moved away with a sheepish smile.
"I didn't know you people were coming." Avery smiled, pleasantly surprised.
"Duh!" Arianna rolled her eyes. "It's supposed to be a surprise." She smiled.
It's been weeks since Avery saw them and he was happy.
The weather had become hot, so the girls dressed light.
Arianna was wearing a sundress and sandals, her pink hair was let loose and a pair of sunglasses were nestled in her locks.
Natalie was dressed in flowy maxi dress, her hair was currently dyed a violet colour and she wore no eye contacts today, her brown eyes looked like honey.
Vivianne was dressed in a white tee and jeans that fitted her snugly, matched with a pair of white sneakers and her black hair styled into a messy bun.
"Avery if I knew you lived here I would have visited sooner." Arianna teased.
"So you wouldn't have come if I was poor?" Avery gasped dramatically.
"Don't put words into my mouth." Arianna laughed.
"He isn't putting anything in there that you aren't already saying." Natalie scoffed.
"Avery how are you?" Vivianne asked worriedly.
"I am getting better." Avery replied.
"Good, we can't have an engagement party with our two grooms on wheelchairs." Arianna teased.
"I shouldn't have left that day, if I didn't leave you alone—"
"It's alright Vivianne, it's not your fault, I was the one who insisted on working late." Avery smiled softly. "Besides, I owe you my life, if you hadn't come back I wouldn't be here." Avery said.
"I was so scared." Vivianne sighed. "I came back for my car keys and there you were, dying on the floor, I didn't know what to do." Arianna gripped her arm.
"Well your life has become a real tv series hasn't it?" Natalie arched a brow. "Assassination attempt and all." Avery shrugged.
"The rumors at the office are wild." Arianna laughed. "They say someone's trying to off you because you're the chairman's son."
Natalie's phone rang, she glared at the screen and left it to ring. When they were about to resume their conversation, the phone rang again, her looks turned cold and she excused herself to answer the phone.
"I think something's off with Natalie." Arianna whispered.
"Gossiping behind your friend's back? That's a new low." Arianna elbowed Vivianne in the ribs.
"Ouch!" She groaned.
"Ouch my ass." Arianna glared at her. "I am being serious here."
"She seems normal, her usual bubbly self." Avery shrugged.
"Something's wrong, she's overly happy, almost like she's trying to keep up a front, like she's pretending everything's normal." Arianna argued.
"So being overly happy is a bad thing?" Vivianne shot her a skeptical look.
Avery looked towards Natalie— she was standing far, so the conversation couldn't be heard, but she was gesticulating and frowning— seemed like she was arguing with whoever was at the other end of the phone.
"She doesn't want us to know, so it's best we respect her boundaries." Avery said. "If she feels comfortable about telling us, then we will listen and try our best to help her." Avery said.
They settled into a lighter conversation of Avery's approaching engagement party, discussing clothes and jewelries, soon Natalie joined them— she looked fine.
"Young Master Avery." A maid approached them, a smile on her lips and a bouquet of orchids cradled gently in her arms.
"Today's delivery." She beamed as Avery's cheeks turned red. Sloane didn't visit, but he had taken to sending bouquets of orchids and get well cards everyday— the maids had begun to anticipate the flowers as much as Avery.
"Thank you." Avery said. The maid smiled and handed the flowers to him.
Avery never thought much of Orchids; he felt they looked better and smelled nice, but now the flowers had become his favourite— he didn't even have a favourite flower before— but if anybody asked his what his favourite flower was now, he would scream Orchids.
"I recognize that lovesick smile, Mr Sloane Delaney has got some charms." Arianna smiled teasingly, Natalie and Vivianne joining her in her laugh as Avery turned red.
"It's not like that, he's just being gentlemanly." Sloane had been open about the fact that he didn't need love, and Avery was aware of his past relationship— seven years of love didn't just disappear overnight— yet he eagerly opened the get well card.
Sloane's handwriting was just like him— powerful, elegant and regal. You are stronger then you think , you will get through this.
"Aww! How romantic." Avery didn't know when Arianna had snuck behind him; but she stood there reading the card.
"Hey!" Avery shot her an accusing glare. "Respect my privacy.", She waved him off dismissively.
"Someone is in love." Natalie teased.
"I am not." Avery argued, refusing to admit to himself that the flutter in his heart hadn't been from the ICD.
"Oh you are!" Arianna laughed knowingly.
"He just doesn't know it yet." Avery shot Vivianne a glare, where had the rumored ice queen gone?
Admist all the laughter, Avery admitted to himself that there might be a small, very small, intsy winsy part of his heart that was developing a crush on Sloane.
What a disaster.