City Boy Rehab {ManxMan} [Complete]

Chapter Four || Gardenias

Chapter Four - Gardenias

A L E X A N D E R

I had a few days left before my dad arrived, I wasn't ready. I knew when he got here he would question me, ask me how I have been doing. My dad has always made things hard on me, I don't know if he ever meant to do it or if that's just how things ended up.

He's never really been there for me when I needed him, he was always working, drowning himself in work. That was how he grieved. I know he didn't really want to leave me in the dark but that's how things ended up. I know both of us haven't gotten over her death. There's not enough alcohol or work in the world to cover up that hole where my mom used to be.

I sighed as I got out of bed, I hadn't been able to sleep and it was already two in the morning so I just decided to get dressed and go to the flower garden. The gardenia's reminded me of my mom, their strong scent and there delicate look.

As I approached the calm garden I saw a silhouette in the bench beside the garden.

"Can't sleep?" She asked before I could turn around and go back.

It took me a minute to realize that it was Autumn in the bench. He long brown hair no longer restrained in a braid but flowing beautifully in the light breeze.

"No, you?" I asked walking closer.

"Same, what has you up this early?"

"My thoughts." I said taking a seat beside her.

"It's beautiful out here isn't it?" She asked looking at the sea of flowers dancing in the breeze.

"Very."

We sat in silence for a while until she finally spoke up, "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" I asked lightly, not looking away from the white flowers that my mother was obsessed with.

"What happened to your mom?"

I was silent for a moment before I answered, "Cancer."

I knew Autumn was looking at me and I knew she wanted to say sorry but when see got up and picked a single gardenia from the bush and handed to me I smiled. That was better than pity that I was likely to get from anyone else.

"How did you know?" I asked taking in the strong, unique scent from the flower.

"That's all you've been looking at this whole time. Do they remind you of your mother?" She asked sitting back down beside me.

"Yes, she always wore perfume that smelt like this and she always had a vase full of them."

"When you speak about her I don't see the boy that was sent here for partying to hard and coming home drunk. I see a strong young man remembering the good in life."

I finally turned to face her, "You are very wise for your age." 

She smiled and then asked, "You don't seem to happy about your father coming to visit, why is that?"

"Me and my father haven't really gotten to properly grieve for my mom, so there's just a lot of cracks in our relationship because of it."

We were silent for the rest of the morning until Lee walked out, "What are you two doing out here?"

"Talking." Autumn said getting up as I did, "See you later, Alex." She said as she gave me a hug.

Lee gave me a confused look but didn't question it, "Do you want to go with the girls today to work at the sale or stay here and help us?"