"Of course, Mel and I are very fond of nature so no complaints here." Mom assured with a small smile of reassurance.
"I'm happy to know that I chose the right venue for our breakfast, if that's so." Nolan smiled at Mom before his eyes drifted to me with a twinkle of happiness shining brightly in his emerald green orbs. Even if our eyes only connected for a few seconds, I felt breathless by the time he turned his gaze to my mom.
"Please make yourselves at home," He gestured to the round, glass table and transparent tiffany chairs that were placed in the middle of the garden," I'll quickly go fetch the food."
"Will you need help?" I impulsively asked, making me want to slap my forehead not even a second later.
"Yes, I will." He smiled at me with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll help." I offered.
"Alright, thank you," He smiled at me in a way that sent me a silent message that left me confused and curious because I couldn't read it." Please follow me." He softly asked.
I nodded at him before I followed him back to the hall and to the kitchen. There on the white countertop laid silver dome covers, glasses, a jar filler with an orange, thick liquid in it and white, empty plates.
"I hope you drink Orange Juice." He softly asked with a soft smile that melted my insides.
"I do." I cheerfully reassured.
"I'm sorry we didn't ask before, we could have bought you something you didn't like. I guess Zane just assumed that everyone likes Orange Juice." He lightly chuckled, taking the plate of the Dome cover and lifting it.
"Well, I honestly wouldn't say it's my favourite drink flavour, but I do drink it," I assured," Should I take these?" I indicated to the tray with the juice and glasses to which I got a nod in response.
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion when I counted three glasses and a sippy cup.
"Won't Zane be joining us?" I couldn't help but to ask as I followed behind his now retreating form. His shoulders tensed at my words, making me raise an eyebrow questioningly as I stared at his tensed back muscles.
"Unfortunately Zane doesn't feel quite well. He has been feeling a bit lightheaded this whole morning so he decided to go take a nap after making us breakfast." Nolan replied, making my own muscles tense at the thought of Zane being unwell.
"Oh, I hope he gets better." I said with a small smile even as an inkling of disappointment and concern nagged at my heart for unknown reasons.
"He'll be fine, it's probably just exhaustion from his long business trip last week." Nolan reassured as he turned to me with a reassuring smile.
We walked into the sunroom slash greenhouse and made our way to my mother who sat patiently in her seat as her eyes roamed the beautiful setting which I really didn't blame her for. The way the sun easily entered into the room from the glass ceiling and walls was so mesmerising and jaw dropping. The sunlight freely roamed the room and filled it with its natural light. The short trees covering two of the walls, leaving the one leading to what I assume to be the backyard, bare. Even that wall had clear, glass French doors leading outside. There were two, brown stone pathways leading to the two glass tables in the middle of the garden to avoid the rows of plants from being stepped on.
The garden was seperated into three parts. There were two parts that were seperated by the pathway. One side had vegetables such as onions and cabbages while the opposite side had fruits, including an apple tree and orange tree. When you continued, you reached the sitting area in the middle, then behind it, a few feet away was a bed of different flowers. It was absolutely beautiful.
"You like?" A masculine voice surprised me out of my awed state with a slight jump as my heart raced with sudden adrenaline.
My hand ached to go to my chest to clutch at my racing heart, but with great determination, I simply nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, it's beautiful." I replied with genuine honesty.
"I'm glad you think so." He smiled in response, showing his straight pearly whites that definitely put my creamy white teeth to shame.
I'm such a teeth person.
"Oh!" My mom's surprised voice filled my ears as we stood in front of the table as she clutched at her chest with a smile," I'm sorry, I was caught in your mesmerising garden."
*****
Nolan's POV
"I hope you don't mind me dismissing myself for a moment. I need to go fetch Grace from her playroom upstairs." I softly explained, making Alex whine in disapproval.
'I don't want to leave my mate,' Alex whined with a whimper,' Please, Nole!' He weakly begged, earning a raised eyebrow in amusement from me.
'No Bud.' I plainly responded at him which earned me a huff from my childish and dramatic wolf.
'You're a bore, you know that? A complete and utter bore.' He whined before disappearing back into the depths of my mind.
'And you remind me of a petulant child more days than none.' I countered with amusement lacing my words.
"Of course, that's no problem at all," Anne waved a hand in dismissal as she smiled at me," We don't mind waiting, patience is a virtue." She reassured to which Melissa smiled and nodded in agreement with her mother.
"Thank you," I smiled in gratitude at both of them even as my eyes lingered a second longer on my mate before I teared them away," I'll be back in less than five minutes." I assured before I practically jogged out of the garden with a pair of eyes following my movements until I was out the door.
A light chuckle left my lips as I ran up the stairs. How coincidental would it be if I were to say that I already knew to whom those eyes belonged to.
The sound of distant chatter infiltrated my ears the moment I reached the stairs which I followed to Zane's room as Grace's giggles filled the hallway.
A smile instantly laced my own lips as I pushed the door open.
"Heyy!" Zane instantly complained as he threw a playful glare at me," Knocking was invented to ensure that people didn't walk into rooms while others were in uncompromising positions, remember? You should get used to it, Little Brother."
"Pardon me, but I highly doubted that you'd be in an uncompromising position while Grace is in your presence." I countered with a smirk.
"Touché, Little Brother," He softly laughed in agreement," Touché," He winked with a playful grin lacing his own lips," So, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
"Well, Anne and Melissa are here so I came to get Grace for breakfast." I responded earning the same turmoil filled stare as earlier, but this time, two emotions were more visible. There was a hint of joy swirling in those emerald green orbs with a mix of clear sorrow that flicked into nothingness as he concealed them, leaving me asking myself if I had really seen them or if I had just imagined them.
"Oh." He all, but whispered in such a way that concern bubbled in my chest at his disappointment and pain filled voice that he worked so hard to conceal with a grin.
"Meli here?" Grace asked innocently cocking her head questioningly as she crawled over to the edge of the bed, reminding me of her presence. It's a surprise that she didn't chastise me earlier with her dad as she normally did.
"Aha." I cooed at her earning myself happy cheers from the excited toddler as she clapped her hands joyously.
"Up up, Papa. Up!" She excitedly demanded as she lifted her hands in my direction.
"Alright, alright. " I chuckled as I walked the few steps to the bed and lifted the little munchkin into my arms.
"And like that, I've been abandoned by my daughter." Zane pouted at Grace who giggled and hid her face in my neck.
"Are you sure you don't want to join us? I'm sure Anne and Melissa would enjoy your company." I reassured with an urging smile that went either unnoticed or was simply brushed off as Zane brushed me off with a wave of his hand as he relaxed into his pillows with his feet comfortably hoisted up onto the bed.
"No, I'll be okay up here, besides Little Brother, third wheeling was never my forte." He teasingly winked even as his eyes remained void of emotions. His features contradicted his empty eyes as they shone with brightly painted glee and teasing.
"We both know you wouldn't be third wheeling," I stated with a bit of sternness lining my words, but one look at his tired eyes had me sighing," Fine, you should rest in the meanwhile. You look terrible." I teased in order to brighten the atmosphere.
"Really?" He enthusiastically smiled," You don't look too bad yourself, Little Brother."
A laugh instantly left my lips as I shook my head at my slightly rambunctious brother.
"If you need me I'll be in the garden." I shook my head with a small smile.
"Yes Sir," He mock saluted me," Now go, I'm sure your mate is missing your presence by now," He suggestively winked at me, making my cheeks feel warm as they turned a reddish hue," Besides, it's rude to keep your guests waiting, Little Brother. Mother would be so disappointed in you, for goodness sake, I'm disappointed in you, Young Man." He tsked.
"Papa, let's go!" Grace impatiently whined from where her head laid comfortably cocooned in my neck.
"You heard the young lady. Go. I'll be okay, Nolan. Stop worrying so much, you'll get wrinkles before the end of the year. We don't want your mate opting for my youthly features over yours just because you're such a worrier." He sighed feigning disappointment as he shook his head.
"Your incorrigible, Zane." I plainly stated before I made my way out of the room.
"I'm glad you see yourself in me." He threw behind my retreating figure just as I closed the door behind me and Grace with a chuckle and shake of my head.
"How I wish all these rambunctious acts were purely genuine and sincere rather than a cover-up for the turmoil that's truly growing and boiling inside you." I muttered under my breath in hopes of him hearing my words, even as a whisper.
Turning around, I left the room and made my way downstairs, my mood now more dampened than it was on my way up.
Zane has always practically been an energetic ball of energy, but nowadays, his rambunctious actions are there as a mask to cover the demons that eat him everyday. I'm only disappointed that he does not wish to combat those demons with me. As his brother, his happiness matters to me and because of that, I want to help him as much as I can. I can tell that I'm losing him with every passing day and clearly so can Mom and the sad part is, he's not willing to let us help him.
Soft, small hands gently cupping my cheeks had me snapping out of my gloomy thoughts and to the owner of the little, warm hands.
"Papa sad?" Grace softly asked me with worried eyes.
Forcing my lips to tug at the sides in a small, warm smile I shook my head and placed light kisses on her palms.
"Not at all, Munchkin. I'm just thinking is all," I reassured the little girl in my arms who looked at me with genuine concern as her eyes glistened with unshed tears," Now, are you ready to see Miss Melissa again?" I enthusiastically asked.
In less than a second, happiness filled her light brown eyes as she eagerly nodded. Her tears retracting into nothingness as she eagerly responded,"Aha."
"Good, because I'm sure she is excited to see you too." I grinned at her as I pushed the glass door opening, instantly filling my nose with the sweet caramel scent of my mate, infused with the scent of the flowers that loitered the garden. And of course, Anne's sweet, cupcake like scent.