Another day of work after a long weekend of fun was not something that someone could wake up to easily. Cassandra groaned as she pushed the silk sheets off her face and rubbed her hands over her eyes. She looked from her right to her left, finally noticing the silhouette of a woman standing behind her curtains. Cassandra grabbed a pillow from behind her, hurling it at the shadow with a groan.

"Close the window, Ursula."

The housekeeper jumped at the sound of her croaky voice, and she turned and smiled at Cassandra even when she could see Cassandra was not smiling. She was sure her mother had something to do with this. There was no way to read her mother's mind. It was either she was working too much, or she was resting too much.

"The madam asked that I wake you up because you had slept past your normal time. She said it might be best to step out and enjoy some sun before the day passes you by."

Another groan slipped from her lips as she kicked the sheets from her body and crossed her legs. Ursula still stood beside the window with one of her hands wrapped firmly around the edges of the curtains. The bright light coming from the curtains were like needle pins in her eye, so she turned away.

Ursula was the housekeeper and the oldest worker in the house. She managed everything, including Cassandra's care after the devastating marriage sham she went through. She appreciated the woman extensively, always enjoying the little joke she made each time they talked.

"I was awake for nearly the entire night, and I need the sleep because I believe I am entitled to a little nap."

"Your mother is glad you are taking a well-deserved break from work, but she also believes it is not to be spent idling about in the house."

"Never satisfied." she shrugged, pulling her hair out of the ribbon and allowed it to roll over her back before she shook it around. "I work, then I am working too much, I don't work, and I am idling about. You guys need to tell me which you prefer."

"Find something or someone to make a good meaning of your day. You used to be so energetic and outgoing. You didn't need the sun to rise for your day to be brightened, harvest whatever joy is left in you and use it."

"Inspirational." She said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she pulled her nightshirt up from above her shoulders and tossed it over to the washing basket. Ursula moved away from the bed so she could stand up her stretch her stiff limbs. They seemed more cramped than usual, almost resistant to the commands of her brain.

"Your mother already stepped out, and I have turned on the heater. The water would be warm enough for you to enjoy your bath. Maddie prepared breakfast, and you'll have it in the study as it seems."

Cassandra smiled then closed the bathroom door so she could have some alone time in the bathroom. Though her hair was frumpled from sleep, her eyes were wide, and no dark circles were lurking beneath them. The blue in her eyes seemed to stand out more. Why? She had no idea.

She stood in her tub, hit by fast-flowing shower water, but she didn't blink for a second. Her eyes remained on her phone, lying on the wooden plank on the wall. Her teeth entertained her nails as she debated whether she called Shantel to stay home with her or the drowned in work secretively in her room. With a sigh, she slid deeper into under the shower, washing her hair and body down before she reached for her phone. She dialled the number, giving herself no time to change her mind.

"Shantel, are you busy?"

There was a rustle from the other side of the phone and a whisper she couldn't pick up on the words before Shantel replied, "No, not really. I mean am busy, but you can totally interrupt because it's not really...mm."

"You are with your boyfriend aren't you?"

"Yes." She sighed and then a small giggle came through the phone.

"I'll call back when you are not...busy."

Shantel groaned, "No, there is no need to call back because you didn't really interrupt anything. He is trying on clothes for dinner, and some just look...well they are really disappointing. What do you need?"

"Company."

"You have a company."

She laughed, rolling her head against the cool tile of the bathroom wall, and drumming her fingers on the back of her phone. "I need some company."

"Really? Like you are not joking at all?"

"Nope. I would have usually called Julia, but she has been working really hard these past few weeks and deserves a break from even me. I am not really in any mood to go out, maybe you wouldn't mind coming over to my place. A lot is going on, and I need someone to talk to."

"You want to hang out with me as a form of venting?" Cassandra could literally sense Shantel's confusion through the phone.

"What I need you for is not to vent. I just want to have some company over that's all, and if venting happens to occur, then it does."

"I would be there in an hour, tops."

"Great."

*

Cassandra sighed, toeing her feet out of the slip-on shoes she had on before sitting on the stony edge of the pond. The cold waters rippled when she dropped her feet into it, and she hissed at the temperature. She swung her legs in the water, smiling to herself as it rippled across the pond, bending her reflection as it moved.

The garden had been one of her father's biggest pride. He built it piece by piece, day by day. Any free time he got, he would spend it in the garden, either relaxing or working on something. He planted different seasonal flowers so that no matter what time of the year it was, there would always be flowers to brighten up the garden.

Her fingers brushed back over the trim grass. She planted her hands behind her and tilted her head back, enjoying the feel of the wind blowing over her skin. When she was engaged, she brought her fiancée here to spend time with her. They would sit on the edge of the pond with their feet in the water, laughing and sharing stories from their long weeks. Sometimes, they would sit on the swings and build pictures of their lives together after their marriage.

Looking back, Cassandra felt like she was the only one making those plans, fueling the conversations. He usually smiled and agreed or just looked at her adoringly while she ranted on and on. She built her castle with a perfect prince in her own mind, not realising her prince didn't want to live in that grand castle with her.

She sighed, opening her eyes to look at the bright blue sky. Back then, her heart was young and foolish. Yet, years later, her heart still seemed foolish even though she aged.

"This..." she snapped around to see Shantel saunter towards her, "is amazing. Hey, sorry, hope you didn't wait long?"

Cassandra pulled her feet out of the water, standing to hug Shantel quickly with a smile. "No. I should be the one apologising for interrupting your fashion lessons with your boyfriend."

"All's well." Shantel eyed the pond and then the benches. "Should I join you down there or..."

"Oh no. please come on." Cassandra scooped her shoes from the floor, padding over to a large white bench underneath the shade of a tree. Shantel had come dressed in sailor pants. She didn't want to inconvenience her with sitting by the pond. "Please, sit."

"Thanks. This place, I have to say, is enthralling."

"Thanks. My dad was equally as proud of it." She folded her legs on the bench, taking in the space of trees and grass in front of her. "I come here to be closer to the memories. I sit, and it's like I can hear his voice, so clearly."

"I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a parent," Shantel muttered somberly, looking around the garden as well. She laughed suddenly, her finger twisting together. "My parents drive up the wall, but I can barely imagine a world where they are not my parents."

Cassandra smiled sadly, nodding in agreement. Her parents' relationship was what she grew up on. It was the main reason she had believed so strongly in her relationship with her fiancée. Her mother and father argued like cats and dogs, over the simplest of things but with the funniest reasons. People usually made their own opinions, stating that their marriage would not last, but her parents survived. Fighting or arguing didn't trump the fact that at the end of the day they loved each other. Cassandra thought she would have that kind of marriage; strong, even through complications.

"What usually happens here?" Shantel mused. "You know, aside from meditating."

"Depends, I guess. When I was younger, I would run around while my parents chased me. I had a few friends then, and when they came over, we would play hide and seek or climb the trees. Now, I just walk, sit, and mostly...meditate."

"Something I learned, growing up, don't let age be the excuse for changing." Shantel beamed and jumped so quickly from the chair that Cassandra's eyes widened with shock as they both shared a hearty laugh. "You can still run around this maze of plants, climb the trees and jump on the swings. Sure, you won't be able to do them as athletically as when you were a child, but you can still do them. Even more, try new things. This is a perfect place to learn something, like a new hobby. Painting, singing, dancing, comedy, playing an instrument."

"New things, like we have discussed before, are not really my forte."

"Yes. I also remember discussing the fact that you are fighting against yourself. You want to try new things, but you just don't know-how. Case in point, your crush on Harrison Clark."

Cassandra laughed outright, throwing her head back. "I do not have a crush on Harrison Clark."

"Really?" Shantel stalked closer, her pants and hair whipped around by the wind while she tried to look serious. "Then how would you describe why he gets you so riled up? Please don't tell me it's your company because we both know that's a lie."

"I feel like the next line out of your mouth is going to be there is a fine line between love and hate'."

"There is a fine line, and you know it. Just as you make excuses for pursuing whatever might be happening with Harrison, you make excuses for why you can't be free and wild in your own garden. What scares you?" Shantel asked bluntly, a trait she shared with Julia and one that Cassandra appreciated.

"Who says I am scared?"

"If it's not fear then what is it?"

Cassandra sucked on the inside of her cheek, pondering on her words. "Fool me once..." she laughed. "I have been foolish or at least ignorant with many things. Everything about Harrison looks and feels like a bad idea, yet I am edging closer and closer. It's like there is something in me that is drawn to self-destructive situations. I faced it once years ago, and I am facing it now. I don't have a crush on Harrison, but I have to admit that he does get under my skin."

"What would be self-destructive about it? You don't seem to be the type to shy away from a challenge."

"It's too familiar to a situation I have been in before."

"You mean with your runaway groom?"

"Yes. With him."

"He is your past." Shantel shrugged. "I told you that I spent many years single after a breakup, then I found my boyfriend and got back on the rollercoaster. It has been a fun ride so far, but it has not been perfect. Your first guy made a selfish decision to change his mind at the last minute, and he took off like a criminal on a high-speed chase. He should be irrelevant to your future. In fact, I would tell you how irrelevant he is...he is so irrelevant, I haven't even cared to learn his name. that's how far back he should be in your past."

Cassandra grinned. "His name. His name is one of the reasons I am familiar with the situation between Harrison and me."

"I don't understand. What does his name have to do with it? What's his name?"

"You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

"Shock me."

"Harrison." Cassandra exhaled, turning her eyes towards the skies. "Harrison Williams."