Page 6 of Sherry and Sunflowers
"Not at all. In fact …"
"Were you on your way out?"
"I… I was, yes. I was going to … I promise I'm not slacking off. But I need to feel the place. Want to walk among the vines—do you think that would be all right? I won't get in the way."
A slow smile spread across his face. "I think that's a great idea. And if you like, I could show you around." He must have noticed her hesitation. "I can keep quiet and act as a silent tour guide—I don't need to get in the way of your creative process. I have no idea how that works, but I do know how to keep my mouth shut."
She took a tentative step toward him. "Thanks, I think I'll need a guide to make sure I don't go anywhere I'm not supposed to. And you don't need to be quiet. I want to get a feel for the place and … well, you're part of it."
~ ~ ~
In the hallway, Alara glanced toward the kitchen. "Zia's with Faye. I should …"
"I know. I hung out with them for a little while before I came to see you."
"And she let you leave?"
He chuckled. "She didn't want to, but Faye wanted me out of the way. Something about too many cooks, and the two of them were already elbow deep in cake batter."
Alara let out a short laugh. She did that a lot—as though humor had caught her off guard and managed to slip out for a second before she could hold it in, like she seemed to hold everything. "Why do I feel like that's a literal description?"
He grinned. "Because it pretty much is. In Zia's case anyway. She was covered in the stuff, she had a little bit of batter on the end of her nose, and she'd even managed to get it in her hair." His smile faded. "Don't worry, Faye was talking about letting her take a bath when they're finished. We can go check on them if you want to but they're fine. I promise."
"I wasn't worried. Not about Zia. I do worry about Faye though. She does so much already and …"
"And she loves it. I'm not just saying that. Faye's been with us forever. I remember making those same butterfly cupcakes with her when I was Zia's age—and using that same step stool Zia's standing on right now."
He couldn't read the expression on Alara's face as he opened the door and she stepped outside.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No. I …" She looked around. "I was just wondering what it must be like to live in one place your whole life."
"I went away to college, and I have my apartment." He said it too fast and then felt foolish. Yes, he'd been here his whole life while she traveled with her daughter and her camper. But that wasn't her point.
She looked wistfully back at the house when they reached the bottom of the steps that led from the terrace down to the driveway. Then she surprised him by asking, "Will you tell me about it—about what it felt like growing up here?"
He caught himself hoping and reeled it back in. She wasn't suddenly interested in getting to know him better—she was seeking a better understanding of the estate.
"Sure. What do you want to know?" They set out toward the vines, her shoulder close to his as they walked.
"I wish I even knew what to ask," she said after a while. "Although, what you said about you making cupcakes with Faye when you were small maybe answered a lot of it already."
"Yeah, I think it might have." He looked around, wondering how the estate must look to her. To him the vines, the house, the gardens were simply the backdrop of childhood. Seeing it all through her eyes, he appreciated it more than he had in a long time. "I remember standing where Zia's standing right now, being loved by Faye."
Alara glanced at him, and he shrugged.
"That's what she's doing. That woman has more love to give than maybe anyone else I've ever met. She loves Zia, lovesspending time with her, showing her stuff, helping her grow into herself. I know because I've been there. And …" he looked around at the vines again, "… that's what this place is and does. It keeps on giving. Faye's love and nurturing. The vines' grapes and wine. My dad, too. They've all been here doing what they do for years, decades. They give because it's what they're for."
He frowned. "If that makes any sense. It did in my head, but …"
"Oh, it does. Don't stop. It makes all the sense in the world to me. I've seen places like this, when we're on the road. You drive by and you can see that a place has history. I've always wondered about the people and the lives they hold. What they feel like and what it might be like to be a part of something like that."
"And now you can know for yourself. You're a part of this place now, you and Zia." He didn't dare look at her as he said it.
She didn't say anything for a long few moments as they kept walking. Eventually she stopped and reached out to touch the leaves on one of the vines. "You and your dad, and Ollie of course, you've all been so good to us, Reaves. But that doesn't make us part of it."
"It could, if you wanted to be."
