Disclaimer: I seem to be writing so many of these... I DON'T OWN THE
CHARACTERS, AND WHATEVER ELSE THAT BELONGS TO V.C. ANDREWS!
Author's Note: I love author's notes... hehehe. Extra special thanks for anybody who helped me fix stupid mistakes! you guys are THE best! lol. Oh ya! and '...' means thoughts.
Arden and I stared at him pointedly before politely looking away. Michael looked stern and serious in the light while he ignored our glances. I was almost dying of curiosity but I couldn't ask because I wasn't a direct sort of person.
We all sat there awkwardly while we watched Sylvia play with the yo-yo. I wanted there to be an adult version of a light up yo-yo so much. I would be able to play with it and just ignore everything else. Sylvia was lucky in some areas. She would never have to concern herself with complicated issues like interaction with other adults.
We didn't discuss much after that. All we talked about was the weather and such. Nothing like a comment out of the ordinary to ruin a conversation! I was definitely glad when Michael announced he had to go. Not that I minded his presence as much as he made me uncomfortable. There was just something familiar about him that I couldn't pinpoint.
"We should do this again sometime," Arden smiled graciously while standing at the door. He would have opened the door for Michael but it would seem like we were in a hurry to get rid of our guest.
"Maybe next week on Saturday. You can come to my house for dinner this time. "
My husband nodded eagerly. "That sounds great." He was about to go get a pen and a piece of paper when Michael reached into his wallet and pulled out his business card. He handed it to Arden. "My office number is on there. I'm there most of time but if I'm not, call again later. Sorry for the inconvenience but my secretary just recently quit on me."
Arden nodded and turned on the porch light for him to walk down the drive way. Michael opened the door and was on his way. After he was out of hearing distance, my husband faced me. "You don't like him." It was a comment, not a question.
I carelessly shrugged, not interested in explaining. "I guess I don't."
"But why? He seems like a decent enough guy."
"I don't know. Maybe I'll like Michael in time."
He shook his head in agreement. "Damn right you should like him. I don't see anything about him you shouldn't like. He DID help you find Sylvia after all. It's like he's the hero of the day." Arden chuckled at that.
"If you know for sure he wasn't just lying to us, I guess he is," I stated unpromisingly, beginning to walk back to where Sylvia sat.
"You should learn to trust people more." Did Arden want me to change more? Wasn't I good enough for him as I was?
He must have sensed my mood when I didn't reply back. He grabbed my arms before I had a chance to reach my sister. "Come to bed now. Let Maria handle it. She complained to me today that you won't let her do her job." Arden was saying it like I was the one who suggested we hire her in the first place! But then again, it was considerate of him.
'If I'm ever going to achieve a real relationship with Arden, we must compromise,' I reminded myself severely. "Sure, you go to the bedroom first. I'll be there after I tuck Sylvia into bed." I noticed the strange look he was aiming at me. "It's a tradition. I have to." He accepted the answer and walked up the stairs.
Continuing to stroll towards my rambling sister, I happened to pass a mirror hanging on the wall. A beautiful array of natural hair colors surrounded a haunted face. The face looked more pretty than beautiful. The fact that I looked triumphant and my eyes twinkled eerily didn't make a difference. Not wanting to be one of those women who spent countless hours admiring themselves in the mirror, I ran the rest of the way until I saw Sylvia. When I reached a certain distance, I noticed that Maria was already standing guard over my sister. She had taken over while I was away and was now doing the job like she should.
I stood there briefly at the doorway, wondering how to take over the situation without being overly rude. "Sylvia!," I called out after a moment.
Her angelic head searched around the room, her expression distressed until she saw me. "Au-au-drina!," she stuttered childishly. I stretched out my arms and she stumbled awkwardly into them.
"Aw, you must be tired out." I smoothed out her hair as I looked at Maria. "Mind if I take her to bed?"
Sylvia's governess must have been afraid she would get fired. I wasn't at all helpful since I was constantly hanging over her ward. Maria's face showed absolute disapproval but what could she do? I was the boss's beloved wife. "Go ahead," she replied hesitantly.
~~~
The sunlight streaming into my eyes almost blinded me. I yawned and stretched my arms until they were covering the bright light. I guess Arden had opened the curtains before he went to work. Since I was already awake, I might as well get up.
Trudging over to the window, I looked through it and spotted the wide open fields and the dangerously majestic woods. I did a double glance at the next thing I saw on the green grass. There, baby sitting Audrina, was Maria.
'Sylvia shouldn't be up at this hour! She needs her sleep. Girls especially need their slumber around these times,' I thought while looking at the clock that reminded me that it was only 8:30am. I was outraged that some outsider would disrupt our close relationship like this. I stamped my feet hard against the carpet while I proceeded to the suite's bathroom to calm myself down.
After I had washed my face, I glanced at the mirror again. A normal sister my age shouldn't be so possessive of her sibling so why was I? Was it because my sister wasn't exactly right in the head? I was a strong believer in the fact that everyone should be treated equally, no matter their circumstances, yet I was I behaving like this? Maybe I was a hypocrite.
I sighed and gently brushed my tangled mass of hair before walking out into the master bedroom. It was time to preoccupy my spare time. It was time to let Sylvia associate with other people.
After making my way to the nearest bedside table, I flipped through the pages of an address book before lifting the bulky phone and dialing some numbers. It rang a couple of times until it was answered.
'Hello. Is that you Diane? You sound so different on the phone!'
Even though I didn't have any real friends, I had quite a few acquaintances from high school. A couple of phone calls later, I had managed to get involved in an organization. I was now officially a member of a reading club. They met every Thursday. It wouldn't totally fill all my spare time but it was a start. Maybe I could get a job. But who would hire me? I was a twenty-something woman with no skills or work experience. I hoped the saying, 'when there's a will, there's a way,' was right.
~~~
The next morning was a Sunday so both papa and Arden were home from work. It was their day off. Our family wasn't an overly religious one so we rarely, if ever, went to church. Arden had just finished with the local newspaper and I quickly snatched it up to read the ads section for any available jobs that fitted what I was looking for. I wanted flexible hours that I wouldn't shame myself doing. (A.K.A. no fast food restaurants).
Papa gave me a quizzical look and peered over the newspaper. "Ads, Audrina?"
I shrugged my slim shoulders and answered while not bothering to look my father in the eye. "Yes, I want a job. Since Maria's looking after Sylvia, I have a lot of available time on my hands."
Arden's eyes brightened at that. I had finally given up Sylvia... just what he wanted.
"Then look no farther. You can work with Arden and me. It'll be great. The whole family will be working together."
"Except Sylvia," I reminded him. Papa was always trying to ignore the fact that my younger sister was alive too. It used to bother me but I was beginning to get used to it.
He put his hands together and said solemnly, "Yes, except Sylvia." Papa instantly cheered up at the thought of me working with them. "Well, what do you say? You can get hired right away."
It was a great job, advising people on stocks, but working with family just didn't seem right. The thought of having my husband and my father watching my every move made me shudder. "No, that's ok. I'm hoping to find an occupation not involving stocks."
"What's so bad about investments?"
"Nothing," I stated cautiously. I was now treading on hazardous waters. One wrong word and I would be insulting him.
Arden instantly came to my rescue. "Oh well, maybe women shouldn't be working with bonds. Perhaps she could work at a jewellery store. A sales clerk at some clothing place sounds good too. All you'd have to do is tell some person they look good in the outfit they're trying on. Sounds easy enough." Even though his comment was downright sexist, I didn't argue. It appealed to papa and I didn't want to get into a fight.
"We'll see." Father didn't debate the issue as he ended the conversation. He cut up another piece of a waffle and put it into his mouth.
While papa seemed to be losing interest in my newfound courage of finding a career, Arden appeared to be encouraging me. "Find anything?," he'd say every few minutes so he could interrupt the silence that irritated him.
"No, not yet."
"Don't worry, you will soon."
I would just smile and continue scanning the ads, wondering what exactly it was that I was looking for.
~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~
Another pointless chapter by yours truly, lol. *Hopes something's gonna happen in the next chapter*. Well, since I'm already wishing about things... *Hopes she knows what this story's gonna be about* hehe oopsies, you didn't hear that ~.^
Author's Note: I love author's notes... hehehe. Extra special thanks for anybody who helped me fix stupid mistakes! you guys are THE best! lol. Oh ya! and '...' means thoughts.
Arden and I stared at him pointedly before politely looking away. Michael looked stern and serious in the light while he ignored our glances. I was almost dying of curiosity but I couldn't ask because I wasn't a direct sort of person.
We all sat there awkwardly while we watched Sylvia play with the yo-yo. I wanted there to be an adult version of a light up yo-yo so much. I would be able to play with it and just ignore everything else. Sylvia was lucky in some areas. She would never have to concern herself with complicated issues like interaction with other adults.
We didn't discuss much after that. All we talked about was the weather and such. Nothing like a comment out of the ordinary to ruin a conversation! I was definitely glad when Michael announced he had to go. Not that I minded his presence as much as he made me uncomfortable. There was just something familiar about him that I couldn't pinpoint.
"We should do this again sometime," Arden smiled graciously while standing at the door. He would have opened the door for Michael but it would seem like we were in a hurry to get rid of our guest.
"Maybe next week on Saturday. You can come to my house for dinner this time. "
My husband nodded eagerly. "That sounds great." He was about to go get a pen and a piece of paper when Michael reached into his wallet and pulled out his business card. He handed it to Arden. "My office number is on there. I'm there most of time but if I'm not, call again later. Sorry for the inconvenience but my secretary just recently quit on me."
Arden nodded and turned on the porch light for him to walk down the drive way. Michael opened the door and was on his way. After he was out of hearing distance, my husband faced me. "You don't like him." It was a comment, not a question.
I carelessly shrugged, not interested in explaining. "I guess I don't."
"But why? He seems like a decent enough guy."
"I don't know. Maybe I'll like Michael in time."
He shook his head in agreement. "Damn right you should like him. I don't see anything about him you shouldn't like. He DID help you find Sylvia after all. It's like he's the hero of the day." Arden chuckled at that.
"If you know for sure he wasn't just lying to us, I guess he is," I stated unpromisingly, beginning to walk back to where Sylvia sat.
"You should learn to trust people more." Did Arden want me to change more? Wasn't I good enough for him as I was?
He must have sensed my mood when I didn't reply back. He grabbed my arms before I had a chance to reach my sister. "Come to bed now. Let Maria handle it. She complained to me today that you won't let her do her job." Arden was saying it like I was the one who suggested we hire her in the first place! But then again, it was considerate of him.
'If I'm ever going to achieve a real relationship with Arden, we must compromise,' I reminded myself severely. "Sure, you go to the bedroom first. I'll be there after I tuck Sylvia into bed." I noticed the strange look he was aiming at me. "It's a tradition. I have to." He accepted the answer and walked up the stairs.
Continuing to stroll towards my rambling sister, I happened to pass a mirror hanging on the wall. A beautiful array of natural hair colors surrounded a haunted face. The face looked more pretty than beautiful. The fact that I looked triumphant and my eyes twinkled eerily didn't make a difference. Not wanting to be one of those women who spent countless hours admiring themselves in the mirror, I ran the rest of the way until I saw Sylvia. When I reached a certain distance, I noticed that Maria was already standing guard over my sister. She had taken over while I was away and was now doing the job like she should.
I stood there briefly at the doorway, wondering how to take over the situation without being overly rude. "Sylvia!," I called out after a moment.
Her angelic head searched around the room, her expression distressed until she saw me. "Au-au-drina!," she stuttered childishly. I stretched out my arms and she stumbled awkwardly into them.
"Aw, you must be tired out." I smoothed out her hair as I looked at Maria. "Mind if I take her to bed?"
Sylvia's governess must have been afraid she would get fired. I wasn't at all helpful since I was constantly hanging over her ward. Maria's face showed absolute disapproval but what could she do? I was the boss's beloved wife. "Go ahead," she replied hesitantly.
~~~
The sunlight streaming into my eyes almost blinded me. I yawned and stretched my arms until they were covering the bright light. I guess Arden had opened the curtains before he went to work. Since I was already awake, I might as well get up.
Trudging over to the window, I looked through it and spotted the wide open fields and the dangerously majestic woods. I did a double glance at the next thing I saw on the green grass. There, baby sitting Audrina, was Maria.
'Sylvia shouldn't be up at this hour! She needs her sleep. Girls especially need their slumber around these times,' I thought while looking at the clock that reminded me that it was only 8:30am. I was outraged that some outsider would disrupt our close relationship like this. I stamped my feet hard against the carpet while I proceeded to the suite's bathroom to calm myself down.
After I had washed my face, I glanced at the mirror again. A normal sister my age shouldn't be so possessive of her sibling so why was I? Was it because my sister wasn't exactly right in the head? I was a strong believer in the fact that everyone should be treated equally, no matter their circumstances, yet I was I behaving like this? Maybe I was a hypocrite.
I sighed and gently brushed my tangled mass of hair before walking out into the master bedroom. It was time to preoccupy my spare time. It was time to let Sylvia associate with other people.
After making my way to the nearest bedside table, I flipped through the pages of an address book before lifting the bulky phone and dialing some numbers. It rang a couple of times until it was answered.
'Hello. Is that you Diane? You sound so different on the phone!'
Even though I didn't have any real friends, I had quite a few acquaintances from high school. A couple of phone calls later, I had managed to get involved in an organization. I was now officially a member of a reading club. They met every Thursday. It wouldn't totally fill all my spare time but it was a start. Maybe I could get a job. But who would hire me? I was a twenty-something woman with no skills or work experience. I hoped the saying, 'when there's a will, there's a way,' was right.
~~~
The next morning was a Sunday so both papa and Arden were home from work. It was their day off. Our family wasn't an overly religious one so we rarely, if ever, went to church. Arden had just finished with the local newspaper and I quickly snatched it up to read the ads section for any available jobs that fitted what I was looking for. I wanted flexible hours that I wouldn't shame myself doing. (A.K.A. no fast food restaurants).
Papa gave me a quizzical look and peered over the newspaper. "Ads, Audrina?"
I shrugged my slim shoulders and answered while not bothering to look my father in the eye. "Yes, I want a job. Since Maria's looking after Sylvia, I have a lot of available time on my hands."
Arden's eyes brightened at that. I had finally given up Sylvia... just what he wanted.
"Then look no farther. You can work with Arden and me. It'll be great. The whole family will be working together."
"Except Sylvia," I reminded him. Papa was always trying to ignore the fact that my younger sister was alive too. It used to bother me but I was beginning to get used to it.
He put his hands together and said solemnly, "Yes, except Sylvia." Papa instantly cheered up at the thought of me working with them. "Well, what do you say? You can get hired right away."
It was a great job, advising people on stocks, but working with family just didn't seem right. The thought of having my husband and my father watching my every move made me shudder. "No, that's ok. I'm hoping to find an occupation not involving stocks."
"What's so bad about investments?"
"Nothing," I stated cautiously. I was now treading on hazardous waters. One wrong word and I would be insulting him.
Arden instantly came to my rescue. "Oh well, maybe women shouldn't be working with bonds. Perhaps she could work at a jewellery store. A sales clerk at some clothing place sounds good too. All you'd have to do is tell some person they look good in the outfit they're trying on. Sounds easy enough." Even though his comment was downright sexist, I didn't argue. It appealed to papa and I didn't want to get into a fight.
"We'll see." Father didn't debate the issue as he ended the conversation. He cut up another piece of a waffle and put it into his mouth.
While papa seemed to be losing interest in my newfound courage of finding a career, Arden appeared to be encouraging me. "Find anything?," he'd say every few minutes so he could interrupt the silence that irritated him.
"No, not yet."
"Don't worry, you will soon."
I would just smile and continue scanning the ads, wondering what exactly it was that I was looking for.
~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~
Another pointless chapter by yours truly, lol. *Hopes something's gonna happen in the next chapter*. Well, since I'm already wishing about things... *Hopes she knows what this story's gonna be about* hehe oopsies, you didn't hear that ~.^