Evolution - The Oasis Project Book 3

Fourteen - Linkin

TWO MONTHS LATER

Though we now lived in a farm complete with chickens, horses, and cattle in Australia, it seemed that I was the only person able to get up at the crack of dawn. It was peaceful in the morning. The coffee pot was scheduled to be ready for me every morning when I awoke. Since no one was anywhere near awake at 4am, I took thirty minutes for myself to drink my coffee before I started to work.

After spending my entire life in a packed city, the endless space of the country took a weight off my shoulder which I never knew I had. There wasn't a neighbour in sight, no roads, just pure, hot, bliss.

Despite the farm being just a cover, the animals that lived on the property were real and someone had to take care of them. Currently, there was no plan to do anything with the animals, but there was nothing like fresh eggs in the morning - at least that's what Ira said.

I took care of the cattle and horses myself, making sure they had clean water and food. It was rare we took the horses out, but I also made sure to brush them down everyday. All the animals were free range so I didn't ever try to move them to another pasture, not that I'd know how to do it if I wanted to. Everything I learned about farming, like most other things, was from a book. While the book claimed to be for dummies, I still felt just as clueless as the day I arrived.

Four, though she wasn't on the farm, made it clear that we couldn't hire help. She was still paranoid about Asmar though the situation was as resolved as it was going to be. I had the trackers removed before left. They went to South America and we did not. It took nearly a weeks and a half for Asmar to realize something was wrong, but at that point it was too late.

Ira volunteered to deal with Asmar and I was all too happy to oblige. I gave her my cell phone and since then, I hadn't given it a second thought. I knew he wasn't dead because Ira hadn't left the farm other than to run into town with me or Stuart, but other than that, I was in the dark.

Just like every other day, once the cattles and horses were taken care of, I headed back to the farmhouse. The place we now called home was a simple, old, yet beautiful cream farm house. Some spots were falling apart, like certains areas of the front porch, but others were brand new.

I always knew Thierry was good with his hands, but the work he and Trevor did together neared professional. Trevor even admitted the work to be therapeutic as he slowly remembered who he was before the Oasis Project.

Alessia was making a slower progress. Some days were better than others, but she had also been with them for nearly nine years. Oasis was her life, and she was having a hard time adjusting to her new one.

"Mom, you're late," Fang said, sitting impatiently on the front porch. He was doing the best of everyone.

I sighed and wiped the sweat away from my forehead. It took me a second to reply to my new title - mom. It had only started a few weeks ago and I stopped trying to correct him; the boy needed some normal in his life. "Sorry, Honey, it took me a bit longer this morning."

This had gotten to be our ritual: I'd deal with the four legged animals alone, then I'd some back for Fang to feed the chickens. He made the process take twice as long as it needed to, but it was worth it. "That's okay," he smiled, my lateless already forgotten as he skipped down the stairs and hugged my legs.

I placed a hand on his back and smiled, running my fingers through his hair. "You need a haircut again, eh?" I observed, rustling his shockingly long bowl cut.

"Tonight?" he asked with a frown, not wanting his haircut to take away his time with the chickens.

I nodded. "Whenever Stuart has time." There wasn't a rush as long as it happened within the week. "Ready?"

"Wait," Fang said as he let go of me. In his hands was a small purple, folded-up piece of paper. "I made you this," he smiled nervously before offering what looked like a half-heart.

Kneeling down to his level, I beamed as I took the purple heart. "What is it for?"

"Valentine's Day."

I didn't have time to be taken back as he watched me anxiously; I never even realized it was February. My eyes scanned the card as my mind counted the days we had missed: Ira's birthday, Christmas, New Years, Chinese New Years. "It's beautiful. I love it." I smiled. The heart opened up to be a full heart and had a new drawings and stickers, most were illegible as to what they were, but my heart swelled nonetheless. I pulled Fang into a tight hug to hide my teary eyes. He had never made anyone anything before and I could almost hear Thierry's jealousy.

"Really?" Fang questioned hesitantly.

"Of course!" I chuckled and rustled his hair once again, standing up straight. "You have to wait for your present after breakfast when everyone is awake, alright?"

Fang jumped excitedly. "You got me a present?"

No. "Of course we did. Let me bring this inside and you put some feed in the bucket?" I suggested.

Before I finished my sentence, Fang was already running to where we kept the chicken feed. "Don't take too long!"

I rolled my eyes. "Eight going on eighteen," I mumbled to myself as I headed inside, going straight to my room where Thierry slept peacefully. Not anymore. I gave Thierry all of five seconds to wake up before I gave him a list of chores to do - mainly running into town and getting a present for Fang. ASAP.