Chapter 1

"DON'T FORGET TO stop and smell the flowers, Abe!", yelled Marge as she punched the arm of Albert.

Smitten out of the trance, he yelped, "Hey! What was that for?" 

"You're not being your usual self and it's creeping me out. Has the island life changed you?" Marge replied with her brows displaying horror mixed with concern. 

He suddenly got transported back where he is. With Pierre Albert’s invitation, he accepted to be a part of his great friend’s mid-summer garden tour and water party. It was a long and dreadful flight from south Asia but he had to go through it.

“And what is my usual?” 

Margaret shrugged, “I don’t know. Usually more bantery and level-headed; in that your head is never up nor down, just level headed.”

“I think my ears are still ringing from all the noises of the masses a while ago,” Albert says as he rubs his ear to upsell the statement.

The mansion botany cruise was a company “fieldtrip”, but moments ago, he and his long-time friend-slash-family separated from the crowd realizing that they've seen every petal and pistil in the garden already more than once. They were now sat in a small orchid gazebo trying their best not to let the pollen defeat them.

Albert looked at the sky. It was a pretty great summer day. Not as great as the lights of the islands, but pretty acceptable. The light threw itself around everything and wrapped itself hugging the foliage of the diverse flora around them. "Plus, it's really hard to be my usual self when I'm surrounded by vegetation." 

"You know you could've just skipped all these. Last I heard you were having fun in the beaches of Maldives."

Albert stood up, raised one of his legs and skipped. All whilst keeping the same deadpan look on his face towards his company. 

Margaret was on the middle ground of laughing and confusion when she uttered, "What?" 

Albert just started walking toward the end of the flower garden with Margaret close behind him. "I know how you missed me so much so I went back as soon as I heard.”

Another punch was felt by the same arm that received it. “Ow!”

Margaret covered her blushing cheeks with her hair.

“But seriously, I promised Pierre I would come. He has been extra great ever since I got into that fight with Caine." 

Margaret nodded understandingly with her head still slumped towards the ground and her auburn hair covering parts of her face. She recalled Pierre mentioning the sibling fight, and how awful it was. 

Albert looked towards the direction and noticed the red blotting out her face. Sensing the awkwardness, Albert got his phone, fumbled through it a bit and placed the screen just inches from Margaret's nose. Upon seeing this, her face lit up with excitement. 

"You finished it?" she asked shockingly as she swiped the phone from Albert's hands. 

"Mmhm. I was going to show you after the whole lawn gnome beach party of Taffeta but I'd figure we won't have time then," he said smirking.

"I won't be able to read this now anyway, the Baron will need my full presence after we get our asses out of his Botanical Garden." 

"I know. I just want you to have something to look forward to when get home tonight. I know how lonely you get."  

Margaret put on a weirded-out face. "Are you showing concern for a human being, you robot?"

Albert paused for a while when he was asked. Margaret was genuinely joking, but now she's worried as she stopped in her tracks as well. She respected the dead air and waited for him to respond.

He sighed deeply and uttered, "I have some bad news." 

“There is only news, Abe. Remember the wise turtle’s teachings.” She tried to break the ice.

The red panda-lookalike nodded. “Of course. Anyway, what I was trying to say is I have some news-"

He got cut off as the door opened in front of them. They didn’t notice that with all the talking and spaces between the talking, they’ve arrived at the mansion front. And when they heard it open, they took a few steps between each other. A good-looking, fine-dressed man greeted them.

"Oh hello, the meeting had just adjourned. I'm sorry if it took a while." He smiled a familiar smile that almost everyone in the city recognizes.

"Mayor Charles! We were separated from the group. I thought they were here already here." Margaret panically replied as she climbs the few steps towards the patio to meet the honorable. 

"No need to be so formal in front of Mr. Meyer, honey," Charles said as he leaned down for a kiss.

Albert slew his head to give the couple respect. 

"I already told VP to send the group to the pool area if they get here. As for you honey, my dad's waiting for you. I'll send Mr. Meyer in after a brief chat." Margaret went inside with a concerned look in her eyes. Charles' smile faded as long as she does this. He turns to Albert. 

"Albert," he greeted. 

"Charles," he replied with a bit of a side bow. 

A moment of quiet air surrounded the two as a stare off ensued between them. 

Inside the building, Margaret hesitantly walked away from the door, worrying what might happen. She does a double take at the window and sees the two gentlemen. Charles' back was turned to her so she can only see Albert. His lips are moving but never to form an upward curve. She's known him for a while to know he's not enjoying the conversation, more so the man he's having the conversation with. She didn't plan to intrude so she just slowly walked up the stairwell. 

VV cut her deep thoughts with a sharp, "Hey! What're you waiting for? Rocky VII?"

When Margaret heard the passive-aggressive bread handler, she immediately sprinted up the rest of the stairs with her head down not saying one word. She took the hallway to the left and passed at least a dozen doors to reach the large meeting room in the furthermost edge. She entered the end room to meet Baron Charles Pierre Alfred IV, the CEO of Alfred Enterprise; Pierre to his friends. 

"Pierre, I'm sorry if I took a while to get here."

The Baron, sitting in his wheelchair, is a man of stature. Even in his disabled state, he still has that charming yet powerful look in his demeanor. A man in his 80's who still has the hunger pangs of a 30-year-old alpha wolf of Wall Street. 

"Nonsense little lady, we just finished. Your timing is impeccable." he spoke softly while adjusting his posture to a slouched one. He never wants anyone seeing him vulnerable in his weakened state but you can only sit at attention a few hours a day when you’re him. Plus, he only slouches for people he trusts; his caput nutrix perhaps is one of them. 

Margaret nodded in agreement. "How's the meeting?" she asks as she began to take some meds and a syringe from the kit sitting in the cabinet.

"Uneventful. Same old story. My son suggests something, the majority of the board agrees but me and some the senior partners go the other way. Then he throws a tantrum after everyone is gone. How you put up with that attitude I'd never know." He and Margaret giggled a bit. They may be two of the few people that know of Charles' temper tantrums. For the entire city see him as a cool, collected man; a mayor of cold-but-not-too-cold conditions.

"You're one to talk, Pierre." A voice came out of the blue.

Margaret and the Baron swiveled their necks and saw Albert leaning on one side of the door frame. Genuine joy was seen in Pierre's face. He almost fell out of his wheelchair trying to traverse the cramped office just to meet the missed. Margaret smiled as well. When the two men met halfway, they hugged how brothers would hug.

Pierre took one good look at Albert's face and laughed. "You shaved your goatee and sideburns! You look 10 years younger!"

Albert let out a volley. "Hey brother, how's the old age treating you?" 

"Better than how your mother treated you," Pierre replied.

"Oooh low-blow, Mr. I-can't-pee-if-my-son's-fiancé-isn't-here."

While they continued their bickering, Margaret interrupted. "Seriously ladies, get a room," she said nonchalantly while checking the blood pressure of the Baron.

The two men looked at each other and towards Margaret with a face that displayed a 'not bad' kind of expression. 

"I see you're rubbing off on her, Pierre," Albert observed.

"You know I try my best.” 

The three kept their unwavering one-upping's towards the others for several more minutes while the participating nurse pours all the maintenance towards the sickly CEO. After a while, they simmered down for the Baron’s sake. 

"Anyway, Abe why don't you join the others at the pool area? Take your car. I'd tuck the Baron to his crib and sing him a lullaby before I join you," Margaret instructed. 

"How will you get there then?" 

"I'll get VV to take me," said Margaret as she holds on to the wheelchair getting ready to push it towards the aforementioned crib. 

"Alright then. Suit yourself," Albert replied to Margaret. Then he shifts toward the Baron. "See you, Hawking!"

"Oh, you kiss your brother with that mouth?" They glanced a last glance and nodded at each other as they went each their own ways; Albert towards his way out to his car and the Baron being escorted by Margaret towards his cradle.