CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING, OF SORTS

The roar of the aeroplane tearing through the clouds made Samuel turn his head to the sky. There was an airport close to the town area. Most flights that took off flew so low that the vibrations could be felt when they passed. He couldn't help but think of his older sister, Ember, as he watched the aeroplane disappear into a cloud. 

She had left the family ten years ago when he was eighteen. She had been his closest friend in those early years. His greatest confidant. And she still was. Even when she lived an entire continent away from home. He understood why she had to leave. Hell, if he had more courage, he might have done the same when he finished high school. Instead, he stayed.

Still, things had gone well for him the past ten years. Despite his rocky relationship with his mother, he was happy. He had a girlfriend, a flourishing business, his father and his older brother, Peter. Ember was content with her life in Germany, and they kept in touch. In fact, he was just about ready to tell her of his decision to propose to his girlfriend in the coming weeks. 

Samuel grinned as he jogged up the stairs to knock on the door. It flew open almost immediately, and Flora jumped into his arms. Samuel chuckled, lifting her off her feet to kiss her on her glossed lips. Her arms remained over his shoulder when he set her down, admiring her beauty. 

She wore beige high-waisted trousers with a fitted white top and nude wedges. Her jewellery, as usual, was light. She wore a silver necklace on her neck and some butterfly pin earrings. Flora always managed to seem lovelier each time he saw her. He adjusted the pendant on her chest and smiled at her wistfully. 

“Come in, my love.” She scattered kisses over his face. With their hand intertwined, she led him into the living room. “I was finishing with the lunch for the day. I would be ready in no time, and we can leave.”

Samuel let her go on with her work as he sat down to wait for her. It was afternoon, so her father was probably at work. He occupied himself with his phone until she finished in the kitchen and joined him on the sofa. 

"I haven't had you to myself for so long." Flora sighed, snuggling into him and clutching the sleeve of his shirt. "I missed you so much."

"Missed you too." 

They shared another kiss, and then he pressed his lips to the side of her head. Flora gazed up at him, combing her fingers through his hair. Delicately, she traced the features of his face, moving down his nose and across his jaw. 

"How's everything going with work?"

"Good. No. Great."

"I am happy for you. And your grandfather?"

Samuel roughly exhaled. "He is still in the hospital, and the doctors are doing everything to help him improve. Things don't seem to be working."

His grandfather had gone into a coma caused by a heart attack earlier in the month. No one thought he would survive, but his grandfather was hanging on for dear life. Unfortunately, as the days passed, things either worsened or stayed the same. It never improved, but they held out hope that he would soon start recovering. 

"A lot of vultures are circling in the company. Each of them hungry for something while the man is still alive."

"It's a company worth billions. If they have a way to make it theirs, they would. But your mother stands to inherit everything."

"Only after he passes. Before then, Brandon Coral is in charge, and that man is a snake if I have ever seen one."

Flora's lips thinned as she frowned, soothingly massaging his shoulder and arm. "I'll make sure to put him in my prayers."

Samuel chuckled. "That's sweet of you."

Flora was softhearted and kind. She knew what little regard his grandfather had for her. Since they started dating, his father had looked down on their relationship, belittling Samuel for choosing someone below their status. His mother shared the sentiment, but they knew better than to involve themselves in his personal life. 

It had taken years, but he set his boundaries with them. More with his mother than with his grandfather. The old man barely registered his existence most times, but his mother made it a point to constantly show her presence in his life. 

"I want us to celebrate one of these days." Samuel gently steered their conversation in a much heartier direction. "I don't know when, but I have been thinking about it."

"About?"

"We haven't had much time together these past few months. I want us to take a trip together, out of the city. Somewhere nice, beautiful. For a week or so, spend every second with only us."

"A trip?"

"Yes. 

"To where?"

"Not sure yet. Maybe a beach. But somewhere nice and quiet. Tropical. Lots of sun."

She moaned as he massaged the back of her neck. 

"I like that idea a lot. I want sunny too, and the beach doesn't sound too bad." she chuckled and pressed her lips against his neck. "After the year we've had, I think we deserve a vacation."

"Then we will find a good time for both of us to get out of this place."

Flora turned her hand on his shoulder, looking at the face of her watch. "It's getting late, but I want to stay here just a bit longer."

He hitched her legs higher on his and leaned back on the couch. "We can do that. Nothing will please me more than sitting here with you in my arms. We can put on the television and eat all the food you made until the sun sets."

Flora rolled her eyes, tugging on the collar of his shirt. "But..."

"But you are low on groceries. You need to buy some new materials for your store and refill your dad's prescriptions."

She pretended to think about things and then emphatically shook her head. "No. I would rather be here."

"Yeah."

"Yeah!"

She squealed as he threw her up in his arms and stood from the chair. Her hands were wrapped firmly around his neck, her legs dangling off his arm. 

"Sammy put me down." 

"Of course. Here or in the car?" He pecked her nose, and she slapped his shoulder. 

"Fine. I'll get my coat, and then we'll leave."

Samuel picked up his phone and went to wait for her by the door. 

“Alright.” Flora sauntered out, struggling into her coat and flashing a piece of paper she held. “I have the list, my coat, and my handsome boyfriend. Should we?”

“Of course.”

"First, we get the materials and then the groceries."

Flora lived in the town area, between the city and the village. It was a small part of the state, with a few houses scattered about. The town was at the centre of everything; it sat between the city and the village. 

As they drove to the local market, she filled him in on all the designs she had prepared for the new month. Samuel loved watching her work and enjoyed hearing her lay out her plans for the store. Her eyes glowed, and her smile brightened when she talked about her passions.

Samuel stood behind her, looking over her shoulder as she pondered the mix of fruits in the stand. The to-do list for the day was groceries, sewing materials and then some alone time before he headed back to his apartment. 

“How’s your dad?” Samuel asked, reaching around her to pluck a pineapple out of its pile. “He eating well? Doing everything the doctor said he should?”

“Yeah.” She picked out some fruits and pushed them towards the vendor. “I cleaned the house of all traces of alcohol, got all his pills and schedule plastered on his door, the fridge, and his bathroom mirror. I drive him to check-ups and whatnot.”

“And you? How’s it all been on you?”

“Stressful. I wake up most mornings in a panic to check in on him to see if he is still breathing, but I am slowly working out of that.” She paid for the fruits and handed him the bag before leading him through a clutter of stores to the next destination. “I want us to have dinner sometime. Dad has been asking after you. When do you think you will be free?”

“You pick a day, and I'll make time.”

“What do you think about…Thursday. Next week.”

His arms went around her front, and he pulled her closer. He tried to think of any other plans he might have made for that day and came up blank.

“Works fine.”

"I didn't ask about your dad earlier. How are things with his painting?"

"He's finished," Samuel answered as they sorted the bags. She took a few, and he carried the rest. "He is sending them to the gallery today."

"Must be a huge weight off his shoulders."

Samuel agreed. He took her hand in his and then pulled her to a stop. 

"What would you think if I buy one of those paintings, and then you and I can hang it up in my apartment when you move in." 

“You are still on that?”

“Yeah.”

“Last time you mentioned that to me, you mentioned us getting married.”

“I remember. I remember meaning it as well.” They continued walking, and he slung his free arm over her shoulder as they strolled towards the exit. “You and I have been together for quite some time, and I think it's about time we started thinking of our future. Everything is right with us right now. I love the idea of spending the rest of my life with you as my wife."

"I love the idea of that too. Flora and Samuel Madden. You know I would love to be your wife, but there are various things to consider aside from resolving our problems."

"Like?"

“Your family doesn’t like me much.”

“Not true. My dad and siblings adore you. Mom’s off-putting, but she’s like that with everyone. Besides, you are marrying me, not my family.”

“Kind of a double-edged sword, you know. Marry one, marry all.”

"If we wait to change my mother's mind about you and your father, we will never get married. You have to know her well enough by now to know that."

She slapped his chest, and he coughed out in surprise. “You know what? You always talk about our future as a married couple so carefreely. Acting like you've asked me, and we are simply counting down the days. You haven’t.”

“Timing and all.” He whispered thoughtfully, putting his hand back over her shoulder. “I just have this feeling, call it confidence, that you’d say yes.”

She rolled her eyes and dug her elbow into his side. Everything they bought went into the back seat, and they shared some street food together before heading back to her house. Samuel kept Flora company after unpacking all her groceries in the kitchen and her sewing materials in her bedroom. 

He left her home just as the sun began to wash away from the sky. Samuel arrived home late in the night after all traces of the sunlight were gone. The street lights were on and bright. 

His keys clattered to the desk when he got into his apartment, and he pushed his door close. Sighing heavily, he stripped his jacket off and tossed it on the back of the closest chair before snailing off to his room. The lights flickered on after he flipped the switch, and he crawled into bed. He reached into the bedside drawer to pull out a silk velvet box he had stashed in there only a week earlier.

In the solemness of his room, he opened the box and grinned over the ring it held inside. Samuel had picked up the engagement ring from the jewellers earlier that morning. All that was left was the reservations. He planned on making it a special day for both of them. 

"Not long now." He whispered with a smile. "Not long at all."