Always, Tulip

▫️Thirty-nine

Grey's pov

The day was dragging out much slower than I could bear.

Everyone at work had forced me to stay home, they didn't seem to believe that I was already recovered.

The commander had even gone an extra mile by applying a two week leave and banned me from doing any work related activity.

I thought of all this as unnecessary because I had already been idle for the past three weeks.

Not to mention that Ginelle was busy with work today so I couldn't hang out with her all day like I wanted.

I flipped my phone to read her last message. She had send me a picture of her laughing with her workmates and then asked whether I had taken lunch.

I had replied with a picture of myself in the kitchen and told her that I had taken the rice and beef stew she had reminded me since morning not to forget.

She then replied with some laughing faces saying that I looked funny in the picture but I couldn't care as long as she was happy.

I honestly loved how easily we communicated; we would share with each other where we were and what we were doing through these pictures.

I smiled at my phone and relaxed into the couch, replaying a recent basketball game on TV as I waited for the evening so that I'd go pick her up.

Halfway through the game, the doorbell rang and I had to drag my feet to answer the door knowing Reece normally did that despite having a copy of the keys.

Something about privacy, he had talked about it numerous times but at times I found him really annoying.

The small girl beside him was the opposite version of him so I picked her up as soon as I opened the door, her sniffles making me panic for a second.

"Masha, Reecie refused to buy me this doll I wanted." She gripped the sleeves of my t-shirt and looked up at me with teary eyes.

I glared hard at Reece who shrugged and complained that she already had so many similar versions of that doll.

"Tomorrow I'll go buy you the doll, okay?" She wiped her face with her small fists and nodded, a temporary smile on her face.

I heard Reece sigh behind me but I didn't care much about him at the moment. Mayella was still a child, there was no need refusing her these things.

I carried her into the kitchen where I took out a small tub of strawberry ice cream and a small spoon for her.

Just like Ginelle, Mayella was a bubbly person. She told me about school and the new friends she'd made though the conversation was mostly about Dalton.

I listened to all of it, at times asking a few questions on what I didn't clearly understand and that kept the conversation going.

She had just finished her ice cream when she suddenly ran to the living room and peeked at her brother and then came rushing back towards me.

She looked at the kitchen entrance and whispered softly as she leaned closer to my ear. "Masha, can I ask you something?"

"Yes," I was now confused on what was happening but I replied, watching her look behind her again.

"Don't tell Reecie okay?" I didn't understand where this was going but I gave in to her request even after hearing her say Reecie had refrained her from asking.

Thinking it was just child talk and that Reece was just being strict with his sister, I nodded and her smile brightened.

"Why were you leaning very close to Elle's face yesterday?" She looked up at me innocently, her smile still as wide as before.