Chapter 5 - The Green Thumb
The siblings took a break from their new commission. The two headed to The Green Thumb that wasn't too far. The the store was owned by Linden family. They had been good friends of the Taylors for a long time, even before the siblings were born. It became normal to ask favors of each other without a price, visit each other's homes and such. The Green Thumb was the only plant shop in town. According to the family, the original owner loved plants so much that they grew them in their home. They grew so many over time that they had to get rib of some and that's how their business started. Now it was normal for people to have plants in their homes or by their doors in Bastia. When festivals were held in town, the Linden family always had a hand in decorating the square with beautiful flowers. They were one of the few families that made their mark in their town.
On their way to there, Terrence was a bit heated that they left Ilena alone in the shop and certainly wasn't pleased about going on fetch quests for her. He began to sign to his sister, "Why can't she just come with us? That would make life way easier." His sister wasn't too bothered by this and their father approved of them running the errand for their mysterious guest. Terrence was the more protective one of the family while their father was more relaxed. That didn't mean Allen wasn't a cautious man, it was just that a lot of times he could tell if someone was being sincere. It's something that his children never caught onto.
When they entered the store, they were greeted by an elderly lady, Laurel. Terrence greeted her with a strong hug and Lynnette waved with a smile. By now, she was used to Lynnette not giving her hugs anymore. For Laurel, it was great to see her out and about. "What are my precious ones here for?" she asked. Terrence claimed they wanted to try to grow a few of their own vegetables for while. Laurel gave them a few recommendations that would be easy their first go around; tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and lettuce. Lynnette hoped that what they got would be enough since their guest didn't request anything in particular.
Laurel let out a little shout for her grandson Jarred. The young man frequently helped his grandmother in the shop and was always glad to see the siblings whenever possible. They shared plenty of memories together from when they were little ones. As he worked, he caught up with Terrence, "I've noticed you guys have had quite a few customers lately. Glad I have it easy", He teased.
"Ugh, it's the summer season man! We got a bunch of outsiders coming through and wanting new stuff they don't find in their town." Terrence sighed, "Maybe I should help you guys out for a while."
"You'd kill all of our plants."
"No I wouldn't!" His sister nodded with a little smile on her face. The two old friends continued to banter as the young seamstress and Laurel had a little conversation of their own. Laurel wanted some help this year from Lynnette. The town's festival was coming up and they needed to plan how they would decorate the square. She thought it would be a good idea to have Lynette help her this time around and she really wanted an opportunity to bond with her. The young seamstress wouldn't attend family dinners with them whenever her family was invited. Lynnette was always working so she figured it would be best to bond with her over something work-related. Lynnette would think it over since she has to worry about the silver-haired woman. It was unsure how this would play out, she would much rather sort the situation out that she already had before adding more to her plate.
Jarred handed everything to Lynnette when he was done, "I'm sure these will grow just fine with you caring for them." She thanked him and the siblings headed home.
When they arrived, they head entered at the end of a conversation between their father and their guest. While they were gone the two had a much more detailed conversation. Allen had a better understanding of Ilena's situation which he promised to not reveal his family. They agreed that the family would be of assistance to Ilena by helping to provide for her for some time. Of course the entire family would have to agree to never mention Ilena to anyone for this arrangement to work. Allen had already spoken to his mother and she was fine with it then again the way she saw it was since she was old and going to die soon she could care less. Terrence was livid and thought his father wasn't thinking of his family. He ensured his son that this arrangement was a means to an end of making sure Ilena would no longer come around. "Fine, whatever you want pops!" Terrence made his way back upstairs, he couldn't be in the presence of his father right now.
Lynnette was disappointed that this was just a long-term way of making sure the strange woman would permanently be gone. Despite the fact that Ilena was odd she found her intriguing and that was a little exciting for her. It had been a long time since anything has interested her besides work. Lynnette agreed to keep Ilena a secret not only for their safety but because she wanted to keep seeing the silver-haired woman.