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She brought light to his world.
And with her he finally found the peace his soul craved.
Because only her love had the power to heal him.”
Octavius
Ten years later
Octavius
Thunder echoes in the sky, and dark clouds gather while the wind whirls around us. The trees shake under the force, and a smile shapes my mouth at the sight.
Ah, fall.
The most beautiful and perfect season because nature doesn’t try to impress you, yet it’s magnificent and hunting.
Wrapping my hand around my steaming coffee mug, ready to take a sip and enjoy the upcoming rain, I still when three voices echo in the air, one louder than the other, and judging by their tones, a fight is about to erupt.
“It’s not fair!”
“How is it not fair?”
“Uncle Callum bought it for all of us, and you’re hogging it!” I go to the terrace and lean on the doorjamb, watching three identical seven-year-old girls glare at one another.
They all have dark hair and gray eyes, along with the ability to drive me insane with their antics.
Gloria taps her bare foot on the grass and crosses her arms, her ripped jeans and black T-shirt bringing attention to her tan skin and deadly expression. “I’m not hogging it. He said the oldest gets the flower.” She taps on her chest. “I’m the oldest.”
Ah, my little stubborn rebel who hates to be called the oldest because it comes with some responsibilities unless it benefits her. I guess, despite her looks, she took my cunning nature, and I couldn’t be more proud.
Even if her desire to compete in motorcycle sports one day might send me to an early grave.
“He said no such thing!” Catalina exclaims, placing her hands on her hips. Her pink dress skirts over her tiny legs when a gust of wind billows it. It’s smeared in soil and a bit wet, so she must have watered some plans recently. “Aunt Giselle said the one who can take care of it gets it.” She taps her foot. “That’s me.”
Sometimes I think my little princess was born loving the nature around her as she flourishes among flora and fauna, always chatting with Giselle about different plants and her dreams of becoming a landscape designer one day. I’ve lost count of how many books we have lying around about it and how she always buys or brings something to the house to grow in the garden and takes countless pictures. The first thing she does after coming home from school is check on her flowers, and I find it adorable, even if I hate how some people fail to see her caring and artistic nature.
While she’s usually shy and reserved, her stubbornness comes up in arguments, and she never backs down to Gloria.
They both open their mouths, ready to say something else, when a third girl stands between them, placing her hands on their chests, and sighs. “You need to stop arguing.” Valentina’s softly-spoken words are so gentle one might listen to her voice for hours and not get tired. Her long, flowery dress wraps her whole body as her braided hair and endless bracelets give her this rather ethereal and fairy-like look that matches the happiness shining in her eyes. “This is not how we do things,” she reminds them, and her sisters hang their heads in shame.
The youngest among the three, Valentina is the peacemaker. She has her own ways of controlling her sisters’ tempers while never once raising her voice.
When she notices them arguing, that is. My girl loves to read books and imagine living far away and conquering different lands. She’s already writing stories in her small notebook and dreaming about becoming a writer one day.
All of them are unique in their own way and so very loved by us all.
“We can come up with some kind of plan for the plant.” She points at the potted twisted cactus their godmother brought during their visit earlier this year, and Callum joked it was a gift for all of them.
Big mistake because just like their father, my girls never liked to share.
“Okay.” Gloria agrees and draws a circle with her toe. “Maybe it can stay in Catalina’s room since she knows what it needs.”
Valentina glances at Catalina, awaiting her reply, and she sighs, nodding. “That sounds good. And Gloria can come and visit it whenever she wants. Maybe sometimes even keep it in her room.”
“Yay!” Valentina claps her hands, and I’m not surprised she doesn’t much care about the argument, considering she has no interest in plants or winning their fights. “Let’s get some cookies and turn on audiobooks. It’s about this girl—” Collective groans meet her suggestion, and she frowns. “It’s an interesting book!”
“Yeah, for you.” Gloria waves her hand. “I have no interest in that. Let’s watch bikes instead!” she says dreamily. She’s already created a list of bikes she’d like me to gift her in the future, and when I told her no way in hell was I doing that…she went straight to her godfather, who promised to buy her whatever she wanted.
