It was now Tuesday. I was to resume work next week so that meant I had the rest of the week to myself. I was currently on my annual leave. It was the only time I had to plan and have the wedding.

So the only time of the year when I didn't have to receive shit from people was wasted going through the emotional and physical stress of planning to marry a man I didn't love and eventually marrying him.

Though, I would put on a small fake smile and I looked fine. I could hide my emotions pretty well and sometimes my emotions would be mistaken for something else.

Like when I would be angry, Daphne would think I was sad and that would make me more angry. Especially when she would all so suddenly want to play the consoling sister when all she had ever been good at was playing the jealous type.

Or when I would be anxious and Caleb would think I was sad. 

According to him, pacing around could be a sign of sadness. And every time I would explain to him I wasn't sad. I would only become less anxious as I would have to explain to him why I was anxious in the first place and it would seem to be a normal reason. 

He would just laugh when I would ask myself why I was anxious in the first place. I really miss him so much.

The only person who knew me so well was my dad. He knew when I was sad, angry, happy and all other emotions I could show. He knew me so well and I missed him.

Ansel had talked to me a few times yesterday, but it only ended in me arguing with him and eventually walking out on him.

I had eaten lunch and dinner in the room while he ate downstairs. I didn't want to eat with him.

Now I had just eaten breakfast and I hadn't seen him since I woke up. I was watching TV when he came in, he was sweaty with an earpiece in both ears and I was guessing he was exercising.

"Have you eaten?", he asked
"Yeah.", I murmured.

"What'd you say."
"Maybe you should take off your earpiece before talking to me.", I said.

"Or maybe you should talk louder.", he said and I turned to look at him.
"You walk in with an earpiece in your ears and you expect me to shout a simple yes. That's just silly."

"You have an issue with everything I do when it's always for you.", he said.
"Well I don't ask you to do anything for me, neither do I beg you to.", I said.

"I didn't say you do that."
"Well then what are you implying.", I said standing up. "Look, I'm not some charity case okay so you don't have to make me feel like one."

"Well I'm sorry if pleasing you makes you feel like one.", he said raising his voice a bit.
"How many times should I tell you? You. Don't. Need. To. Do. That." I said my voice higher than his. I glared at him for a while.

He sighed and opened his mouth to say something but I just turned around and went to the garden.

The garden was well-kept. I guess Cory always did an excellent job. The shrubs were neatly pruned and the flowers looked like they were being well taken of.

It was huge and there were various kinds. I finally found my favourite, Daises. I took one and sniffed it. I heard a sound which made me jerk back just to see Cory, with an apologetic look.

"I didn't mean to startle you ma'am.", he said
"Oh it's nothing, I should have known you would be here.", I said.

"So how does the garden look so far?", he asked moving to drop his pruning shears in the wheelbarrow, which I was now surprised I hadn't seen.
"It's beautiful. You're doing a very good job, Cory."

"Do you like it?", he asked and he was looking at the daisy in my hand.
"Oh yes, I love them, they're my favourites.", I said.

"And would you like a vase of them in your room?", he asked and my eyebrows shot up in excitement.
"Oh yes, that would be lovely. I would have it by my bedside and I would take care of it.", I said.

"But I could do that for you, take care of it I mean.", he said.
"Oh thanks, but I would love to do that myself. It strengthens my connection to it.", I said and he chuckled.

"Connection huh.", he asked.
"Yeah, I don't know about other people, but I always have a connection to things, especially flowers. You know."

"Oh I know, that's exactly how I feel when I'm here. It's like my home.", he said and a private question popped into my head and me being me blurted it out.

"Do you have a family?", I asked and his facial expression dropped. I immediately wanted to take it back when he answered.
"Yeah, I had.", he said.

"What happened?", I asked in a small voice.
"I had a wife with two girls. The two of them died in a car crash and my wife died a while after, she was depressed. She used to work here.", he said.

Then he walked to the rose bush and ran his hands carefully on the petal.
"These flowers remind me of them. Lily loved roses, she was my first daughter. While Lucy loved sunflowers. My wife loved both.", he said.

"I'm sorry about what happened.", I said.

"That's alright, I've come to learn how to deal with it. Plus, Mr Ansel has been really helpful. He funded my daughters' treatment though they were futile in the end. He's done a lot for me and the least I find myself doing is gardening.", he said ending with a humourless laugh.

"Hey, you're doing a lot, even if it's only gardening I'm sure it means something to him still.", I assured. "Your flowers are the best and this garden looks like it was made by an angel.", I said truthfully.

"Oh please don't flatter me.", he said and chuckled.
"No. I am serious, and those daisies being in my room would make me smile anytime I see them in the morning no matter how terrible the night was.", I said.
"Thank you, ma'am. That means a lot.", he said.

We heard some sounds and looked to see CJ approaching us.
"Oh ma'am, the young master requests your presence in the living room.", she said and I smiled at her formality.

"Why is anything wrong?", I asked.
"I think he's expecting some visitors. I heard him when he was on the phone.", she said.

"Hey I thought I've warned you to stop that.", Cory reprimanded.
"Well...I..."

"That's alright, thank you CJ. Anyways, Cory I would love to have those daises before our supposed visitors arrive please.", I said politely.

"Sure thing.", he said
"Thank you.", I said and left.

I noticed CJ following behind me, so I decided to start a conversation with her.

"So these visitors, do you know who they are?", I asked.
"Well, I think it's his mum and sisters.", she said.

"Oh, well when would they be arriving?", I asked and we both heard the engine of a car. We looked ahead to see a car drive in.

"I'm sure that must be them.", I said and went ahead to go greet them.

Natalie, his mum came out from the back seat along with Angel, who seemed to be smiling but as she saw me her smile turned into a scowl. Anika got out of the passenger's seat.

"And how is my beautiful bride doing?", Natalie asked as she hugged me, pecking my two cheeks while doing so.
"I'm fine and you?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful. I wanted to come the day after the wedding, but Angel didn't want to. And I didn't want to come without either of them.", she gushed.

Natalie Winson was a very sporty woman. She was always active, some people would say she was too active for her age. To me she was just happy, her smile would make you want to please her more so you would see it grow wider. Yeah, she was that kind of person.

"Oh please. We can't just stand out here.", I said gesturing for them to come in.
"I do hope you're treating my son well, 'cause if not then I won't be happy with that.", she said.

"I'm sure she isn't."
"Oh Angel don't be rude.", Anika reprimanded and Angel made a face at her as they entered.

Anika always acted older than Angel. She always behaved like the responsible one, and she respectably carried herself. Not that Angel was terrible, but she was more daring and could do things Anika would never even dream of doing.

We entered and I saw Ansel standing.
"Mum!! Sisters!!", he said as Angel rushed to hug him and afterwards he hugged Anika, before finally hugging his mum.

"How are you all."
"We're fine and you.", Anika asked and I went to stand by Ansel.

"Yeah I hope you're all good, and that...."
"Angel you don't have to worry we're both fine.", I said taking Ansel's hand. I could feel his stare on me, so I looked at him. "Right honey.", I said sweetly.

He hesitated, "Y..yeah, we're doing great.", he said slowly.
I called CJ to serve them something while we all sat down.

We all started talking. Anika and Ansel were so much alike. They were both calm and collected. While, Angel was more like Natalie, though she was more outgoing.

Soon, it was time for lunch and we all ended up at the dining table.
"Oh this is so delicious Cecilia.", Anika complimented.
"Thank you.", CJ said meekly, before leaving.

Anika and Angel started talking with Ansel, they were deeply engrossed in a conversation I knew nothing about. Ansel was seated at the head chair of the dining table. Natalie was on his right and Angel was on his left, with Anika beside her and me beside Natalie.

"I always tell these children but they don't listen. They end up always talking in the dining like they're in the living room.", Natalie said to me and I looked at them as they were all talking at the same time.

"I guess they just miss him and he misses them too.", I said.
"They've been at it since they were kids.", Natalie sighed.

"Then they're used to it. Take me for example, when I lived with my dad I never brought my phone to the dining table.", I said.

"Why so?", she asked as the other three were now oblivious to our conversation.
"I would not want to receive any calls. I hated when calls would disrupt one of the family times I had in a day. Now I'm used to it.", I said.

"Hmn, that's true. If there's anything I hate, it's interruptions.", she said.
"True.", I said and after a while I added, "Hey we have something in common.", I said and she laughed.

"I, myself didn't realise that.", she said still laughing. "Well, that's a good thing right, for a woman and her daughter-in-law to have a lot in common."

"I can't wait to see what the others are.", I said gleefully and this prompted another laughter from her. I noticed Ansel giving me short glances as he listened to Anika narrate an event that had happened at her office.

I was now in the room. I had changed into my night robe. I was about to call it a night when Ansel walked in and sat on the bed. He was backing me.

"You sure hit it off with my mum today.", he said.
"Yeah, she's nice.", I said.

"And we looked like a happy couple.", he said.
"Ansel I'm not in the mood for your arguments right now, I've had a long day and I'm tired so can we just call it a night? I said and laid down.", I pulled the sheets to cover me and the silence made it easier for me to fall asleep.

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The Sparkling Authoress
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