Chapter Five

Aria and Deagan walked silently, hand in hand across the backyard towards a vast bush that lay on the other end of the grassy open space which seemed to surround the beautiful cottage. It was a quaint little place, but the homey feeling was unmistakable and hard not to fall in love with. Deagan hadn’t said a word since they stepped out of the house; it was obvious that he was having a tough time; she knew it had something to do with his parents, but what lay beyond the bushy wall was a mystery. One that made her slightly nervous. 

He had only spoken about his parents once before when she asked; she knew his mom and dad passed away in a plane crash on their back from holiday in the Netherlands where his dad had taken his mom for their twentieth anniversary. Other than that the topic of his family was a mystery.  

   

Beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking, was more like it! Aria’s eyes were open wide in awe of the sight before her; the lush, vibrant colours of the array of different flowers contrasted against one another. The layout of the landscape was such that the colours remained separate and grouped together to form a beautiful picture. The grass that separated the various blooming flower beds gave the illusion of a green carpet and the bushes that contained the picturesque scenery was a vivid Kelly green that enhanced the crisp atmosphere. 

Deagan and Aria both stared in wonder; it felt like he was seeing it for the first time, yet the more he stared, the clearer he could see his siblings running through the little pathways playing hide and seek in the bushes, the more vivid the image of his mother on her knees pruning her plants became. The memory of his father holding her in his arms bridal style as they laughed and danced in the first rains of spring replayed before his eyes as if he were reliving the memory. 

His reminiscing was cut short as a certain golden-haired beauty appeared in his vision; the morning sun shone proudly reflecting off her golden mane, making her look every bit like an angel as she strolled through the garden fingering the petals on her favourite coloured flowers. 

“This place is stunning Deagan!” He chuckled lightly at the excitement in her voice and in a few strides he was standing by her side as she admired the purple roses that grew along the barrier bushes. 

“It is. My mother loved this place, she planted this entire garden. She always said the moment she laid eyes on the landscape of the place she knew she would marry my dad just to come here all the time. She spent three years creating this place, and every weekend after that maintaining it. It was her pride and joy, we used to joke that she loved her garden more than her own children, she never confirmed nor denied, just smiled secretly. My Grandfather had originally bought the house for him and Grandma, but after seeing mom’s love for the place he gifted it to mom and dad as a wedding gift, when they passed away Grandma Lacy  moved in here to take care of the place.” Aria listened carefully as he opened up about his family for the first time. They made their way to a bench that stood beside the large fountain in the centre of the garden and sat down.

She felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude towards him for trusting her enough to show her such an intimate part of his life. She placed a comforting hand on his arm urging him to continue, “I haven’t been here since I heard about the plane crash; they were on their way back from the Netherlands where dad had taken her to see the famous Garden of Europe, as a surprise for their twentieth wedding anniversary. This was the first place I came to when I heard that there were no survivors from the crash. After that everything changed, we moved in with my dad’s brother and his family; that had always been my parent’s wish should anything happen to them before we were old enough to take care of ourselves. I had just started college and was turning eighteen a few weeks later. I was old enough to take care of myself, but my brother and sister needed me more than I did my independence; so instead of going back to college like my dad and I had always planned, I stayed back to be with them.” he stared off into space as he recounted the events after his parents’ untimely death, Aria could see the pain in his eyes, she saw a young man who needed the guidance of his parents as his life began, but instead was left with the responsibility of growing up and looking out for his siblings. As she stared into his sorrow-filled eyes she wished nothing, but to take away all the agony that he felt. Right there she vowed to herself that she would do everything in her power to make sure he never feels pain like that again.

“Dad was a remarkable businessman. He could navigate the markets like it were the lines of his own palm, he had an array of investments and was the CEO of the number one business advisory in the United States. He was my role model; I remember growing up wanting nothing, but to become at least half the man my father was.” He shook his head in disbelief; a look passed through his eyes but disappeared before she could decipher what it was. “Mom, God she was beautiful! I remember her smile being the sweetest thing in the world and her temper fierier than her fiery red hair. She was a Paediatrician, she loved kids and medicine was her passion. She was a spectacular woman with a soft, but passionate heart. She always stood up for what she believed in and never failed to help someone in need. 

My dad was crazy about her. When I was a teenager I used to tease my dad; he could never win against her, one look and he was a goner. Every time I did, he would just smirk at me as if he were enjoying his own little inside joke.” He recalled fondly and she felt a smile creep up onto her face at the sight.

“They sound like incredible people, Deagan. I know that they’re up there somewhere smiling down on you, they must be so proud of the people you and your siblings have grown into.” Aria spoke with such conviction that he found himself smiling up at the sky which was littered with odd clouds. 

They sat in the garden for hours talking and sharing childhood stories till it was time for lunch. He took her to a small diner in the town much to Grandma Lacy’s dismay; Deagan however handled the situation easily by promising her that the both of them would join her for dinner the following Friday.