dining room. Once there, I walked over to the couch to lie down. Then I shut my eyes—only for a moment, however, because Russel came over and told me it was time to eat lunch.
Before sitting down, I placed my elbows on the table to prop up my head. I carefully watched Russel, Deleena, and Leala make their way to the table.
“Still nothing?” Deleena said, concerned when she noticed I had not eaten at all.
“I am just not hungry. I am sorry!” I said apologetically.
“Just take a bite. Please?” Leala pleaded.
“Okay, I guess I will.”
As I pushed my plate in front of me, I sunk into my chair. I shut my eyes tightly, hoping that the whole week had been just a bad dream. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, so I opened my eyes and looked up to find Russel standing behind me.
When I saw him, I attempted to smile. He proceeded to pat my back as I pushed my chair away from the table. Before I left, I thanked them for the meal.
The next thing I knew, it was time to change for bed. Buttons was already asleep on my pillow. As I walked to my bathroom to brush my teeth, my gaze was fixed on the roses. I bumped into the doorframes, which made me giggle. Again.
Once I finished in the bathroom, I ran and jumped onto the bed. Buttons bounced into the air with a frightened look upon his face. He did not look happy.
A little while later, Deleena and Leala came in to tell me good night.
“Hey, sweetie, how are you doing?” Leala spoke softly.
“Um, I am okay, I guess,” I whispered.
“Do you need anything? Food? Water?” Deleena asked.
“Some water would be nice. Thank you.”
She nodded and walked out of my room to grab me a glass of water.
I was struggling with my covers; Leala came over to try to help me. After I was finally situated in my bed, I looked at the roses. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
I must have been staring at the roses for a while, because I could feel Leala’s eyes on me. After I realized she was staring at me, I quickly glanced at her, back to the roses, and then back to her.
“What?” I squealed.
“Oh, nothing. You love those roses; I can see it in the way you look at them.”
“Yes, ma’am. I think of my parents whenever I look at them. It relaxes me and is the only thing that can. Is that weird?”
“I do not believe so, honey. We all have those things that can calm us down or give us something we need at that moment in time.”
“Oh, okay.”
Deleena opened the door a little more, with the glass of water in her hand; Russel followed closely behind her with something in his hands.
“Here you—” Deleena began.
“What is that, Russel?” I interrupted.
“Ha, it is just a little snack in case you get hungry at night, since you really have not eaten all day,” he explained as he handed me two pieces of bread.
“Oh, okay. Thank you, Russel.”
“But do not let Buttons eat them.” He chuckled.
His laugh was deep—so deep that it made Buttons stare at him intently.
He walked across the room, grabbed the water from Deleena, and put it on the nightstand by the roses, along with the bread he had brought to me.
They tucked me in, and Deleena and Leala kissed my forehead. When they left, they shut the door behind them. I grabbed the water and took a sip. After I drank some water, I sunk down into my bed and laid my head next to Buttons. He licked my face as I shut my eyes.
Chapter 4
E very day, I went out to care for the roses, but it never seemed to make a difference. They continued to look worse. On the other hand, the roses in my room were becoming more beautiful. Their scent always filled up my room, bringing me such joy.
I spent a lot of my time staring at the roses in my room, practicing the piano, reading in the library, or staring at the Rose House.
That house occupied a lot of my time. But those things were the only things allowing my mind to forget reality. At least I was able to escape from it for a little bit of the time.
As the
Before sitting down, I placed my elbows on the table to prop up my head. I carefully watched Russel, Deleena, and Leala make their way to the table.
“Still nothing?” Deleena said, concerned when she noticed I had not eaten at all.
“I am just not hungry. I am sorry!” I said apologetically.
“Just take a bite. Please?” Leala pleaded.
“Okay, I guess I will.”
As I pushed my plate in front of me, I sunk into my chair. I shut my eyes tightly, hoping that the whole week had been just a bad dream. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, so I opened my eyes and looked up to find Russel standing behind me.
When I saw him, I attempted to smile. He proceeded to pat my back as I pushed my chair away from the table. Before I left, I thanked them for the meal.
The next thing I knew, it was time to change for bed. Buttons was already asleep on my pillow. As I walked to my bathroom to brush my teeth, my gaze was fixed on the roses. I bumped into the doorframes, which made me giggle. Again.
Once I finished in the bathroom, I ran and jumped onto the bed. Buttons bounced into the air with a frightened look upon his face. He did not look happy.
A little while later, Deleena and Leala came in to tell me good night.
“Hey, sweetie, how are you doing?” Leala spoke softly.
“Um, I am okay, I guess,” I whispered.
“Do you need anything? Food? Water?” Deleena asked.
“Some water would be nice. Thank you.”
She nodded and walked out of my room to grab me a glass of water.
I was struggling with my covers; Leala came over to try to help me. After I was finally situated in my bed, I looked at the roses. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
I must have been staring at the roses for a while, because I could feel Leala’s eyes on me. After I realized she was staring at me, I quickly glanced at her, back to the roses, and then back to her.
“What?” I squealed.
“Oh, nothing. You love those roses; I can see it in the way you look at them.”
“Yes, ma’am. I think of my parents whenever I look at them. It relaxes me and is the only thing that can. Is that weird?”
“I do not believe so, honey. We all have those things that can calm us down or give us something we need at that moment in time.”
“Oh, okay.”
Deleena opened the door a little more, with the glass of water in her hand; Russel followed closely behind her with something in his hands.
“Here you—” Deleena began.
“What is that, Russel?” I interrupted.
“Ha, it is just a little snack in case you get hungry at night, since you really have not eaten all day,” he explained as he handed me two pieces of bread.
“Oh, okay. Thank you, Russel.”
“But do not let Buttons eat them.” He chuckled.
His laugh was deep—so deep that it made Buttons stare at him intently.
He walked across the room, grabbed the water from Deleena, and put it on the nightstand by the roses, along with the bread he had brought to me.
They tucked me in, and Deleena and Leala kissed my forehead. When they left, they shut the door behind them. I grabbed the water and took a sip. After I drank some water, I sunk down into my bed and laid my head next to Buttons. He licked my face as I shut my eyes.
Chapter 4
E very day, I went out to care for the roses, but it never seemed to make a difference. They continued to look worse. On the other hand, the roses in my room were becoming more beautiful. Their scent always filled up my room, bringing me such joy.
I spent a lot of my time staring at the roses in my room, practicing the piano, reading in the library, or staring at the Rose House.
That house occupied a lot of my time. But those things were the only things allowing my mind to forget reality. At least I was able to escape from it for a little bit of the time.
As the
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