Heartly Botanical: The Angel Camellia

Prologue

A young man with light brown skin stood in front of a full body mirror. He adjusted his black tie before tucking it in his elaborate black vest with its white floral patterns. Putting in his sapphire cufflink on his left wrist, he noticed his light brown hair was slightly unevenly combed. Rolling his hazel eyes, he combed his hair back four times. Satisfied, he winked at his reflection and grabbed his white suit jacket. “Ry. Ryan. Ryan!” he stepped towards the doorway, noticed whimpering, and ran to the connecting room.

“Ry!” The young man went to his twin brother who was crying on the bed. “What happened?!”

“I found it. And it… it. It.” Ryan sobbed.

“Found what Ry?”

Ryan opened his hands to show a tiny bracelet of multiple different colored heart shapes.

“I remember that. It was our fourth birthday. Grandma Angel met us for the first time.”

“She was so upset that i lost it and you took the blame Drey… it was the start of you always getting in trouble for me…”

“What?” Drey looked at Ryan with an oddly confused expression. “It’s been 14 years since then but you normally have better memory than me. That’s not how I remember it.”

Seeing that Ryan was still very upset, Drey promised to retell the story if Ryan can get ready before they leave. Ryan asked Drey to tell him while helping to get ready. Drey agreed but refused to do his hair. Ryan joked that Drey only knew two hairstyles anyway. Drey rolled his eyes and began to tell the tale of their first time meeting their grandmother, Angelic Maria Heartly.

The two four year old boys woke up wearing their identical pajamas in a giant clam shaped bed. Drey yawned. Ryan rubbed his eyes. They jumped out of the bed, holding hands. Drey moved his hair back then moved Ryan’s hair so he could see, tucking some behind his ears. They climbed up the bench to the vanity desk. They hummed Alouette, Gentille Alouette as they played in the make-up. It wasn’t long before they heard soft giggling behind them. They saw a woman with wavy brown hair, pink eyes, tan-ish skin, and a rose tattoo on her chest that was partially hidden by her somewhat open red silk button up pajama romper

“Encoute! Gentilles alouettes!”

They both ran over to her, “Mom!”

“Getting into my make-up early, aren’t we?”

She tickled them while kissing their faces, making remarks of how it would take her forever to get the make-up off with kisses. She playfully commented how a bubble bath would be so much faster. They yelled, “Bubble bath escape!” before running away to the large bathroom down the hall.

Inside; they undressed each other, pulled the step stool closer, and cheered on their mother to hurry. She pretended to be getting weaker the closer she got. The boys continued to cheer her on. She slipped during one of her twirls towards them. Only to be caught by a brown skinned male with curly dark hair, hazel eyes, and black nails wearing black cotton pajamas.

“Amour, don’t you think that the boys should be getting ready for their big day?”

“Bonjour Amour, I seem to be experiencing a strange bout of weakness. Only curable by true love’s kiss.”

Drey began to shout for them to kiss. Ryan covered his eyes as he giggled.

“James, look to me and let the world disappear.”

“Saint, the keeper of my love, there is no world when you’re in my arms.”

“Then kiss me like no one is here.”

“The boys being here restricts my full affection.”

“Is that gold or silver that forges your tongue?”

“Have you forgotten the taste already?”

“Two hours is too long. You starve this combion.”

“That won’t do, now will it?”

James closed the bathroom door as he went in for a kiss. The boys could hear Saint’s muffled giggles.

Hours later, James walked into a more traditionally designed children’s room. He adjusted the cufflinks of his black suit as he approached Saint fixing the boy’s suits. Drey demanded that his hair be slicked back like his father’s. Saint offered to do it since James was already fully dressed. James let her know he didn’t have on his gloves and didn’t mind. Taking off his suit jacket, James combed Drey’s hair back. Saint asked Ryan if he wanted a particular hair style. Ryan shook his head but, seeing how his hair easily covered his eyes, Saint took out one of the pins in her hair to keep his hair from his eyes. Liking the look, Ryan stared at himself in awe. Ryan asked in a very sheepish manner, “Do I… Do I stick out too much?”

Saint smiled and redid her hair to imitate his, “It looked so good on you that I wanted to be like you. You’re such a trendsetter!” Saint nuzzled the smiling Ryan as he hugged her. James smiled. Drey squinted, “Am I a trendsetter too?”

“Of course, have you met you?”

“Yes!” Drey said in triumph.

“Come now. We’ve wasted enough time. We must finish getting ready. You two have a special quest.”

The boys looked to each other then their parents, “Who is it?”

Act 1

Hearing the soft chimes of the doorbell, Saint giggled. She glided through the halls in her red dress shirt and black flowy bell bottom pants. She moved as if she was dancing on air. Jumping down the steps to the surprise of the boys. They had never seen her so excited. They stayed behind their father as he walked, adjusting his gloves. James stood at the top of the staircase. They looked down to see Saint hugging a woman in a dark blue peacoat and large hat. James cleared his throat. The two women stopped and looked toward James and the boys.

The boys held hands as they followed James down the steps.

“Long time, no see, ma'am.”

“No need to be as formal James. We’re family now. I’d love for you to call me ‘mom’.”

“That will take some time for me, my apologies.”

“Good thing we have plenty of it.”

“Speaking of which, Angel, meet your grandchildren. Drey Micheal Hertly and Ryan James Heartly.”

Angel took off her hat to show her long dark brown hair. Her light brown eyes almost seemed amber as she moved her hair from her face. The boys squeezed their hands tighter. Angel squealed and hugged the boys tight, “They’re so cute!” James sighed then smirked. Saint smiled, “I know right?! My babies are such creative and handsome men!”

“Amour. Angel.” James tried to interrupt.

Saint and Angel continued to gush over the talents and appearance of Drey and Ryan. James’ attempts to get their attention continued to fail until he gently directed Saint’s chin until their eyes met. “The boys.” Saint and Angel finally took notice that both Drey and Ryan were clearly uncomfortable. Angel apologized for getting carried away and put them down. Ryan ran behind James. Drey stood his ground, glaring Angel down. “Manners.” James reminded him as he kneeled to put his hand on Drey’s shoulder. Drey took a deep breath, put his hand across his chest and bowed slightly, not taking his eyes off of Angel. “Bonjour visiter. Welcome… uh…”

“Welcome to our home.” James completed. Angel held her hands together up to her mouth. Her eyes sparkling with joy and excitement. James cleared his throat. Angel took a deep breath and curtsied, “It is a pleasure to meet my first grandchildren. It is an honor to be here.”

James stood up. “Shall we get to the venue?” Saint walked closer and expressed concern that the boys weren’t ready to be alone with Angel. James agreed, despite their other surprise, he decided they should all go over together.

The five departed the Heartly Estate and began to walk through the Botanical. The boys ran through the red roses, laughing. James cleared his throat. The boys got back on the trail ahead of the adults, holding hands. Saint gave James a look. They exchanged a few blinks. Angel giggled at them.

As the adults talked, Drey had his eyes closed.

“Well?” Ryan inquired.

“They’re just talking about love and stuff.”

“Can we trust her? She’s mom’s mom but they don’t look alike.”

“Something must be up.”

“You think she’s trying to be our nanny?”

“Nah. We have Aunt Sofi to watch us when mom and dad are out.”

“Then… maybe… our new mom?”

“Dad would never replace mom… right?”

“We can’t let that happen…”

“We won’t.”

Act 2

The five of them walked up to a large Japanese minka inspired modern home. The boys’ ran over to the entrance and rang the doorbell enthusiastically. The door creaked open to an eight year old girl with golden hair rubbing her sapphire colored eyes. The boys hugged her, “Shina!!” She giggled, “Hey boys.” Shina waved as the adults got closer.

The boys tried pulling her away as she bowed and greeted the adults. They complimented her on her recent mastery of her father’s knife throwing skills. She blushed, reminding them that she still has a long way to go to be considered a master of anything. The boys struggled to move her but kept trying to get her to leave with them. James looked at the boys and raised an eyebrow. Saint suggested she play with the boys while they go talk to her dad about the party. Shina bowed and excused herself as she walked away with the boys.

Shina took the boys to the dojo in the backyard. She reminded them to take off their shoes before leaving the entryway. Once on the main floor, Shina picked up her throwing knives and began to practice throwing at targets on the other side of the room.

“Shina! We think that lady is trying to be our new mom.” Drey declared.

Ryan watched her practicing, “Wow… You’re like. Really good at that.”

“We plan to run her off before the birthday party tonight.”

“I don’t think she’s missed yet.”

“And we want your help.”

Shina finished but kept her eyes on the target, “I can confirm that she is a good person. I am sorry. I cannot help you.” Drey demanded to know her reason. Shina looked over at them, “Trust me. Miss Angel is a very kind person. Watch her and you’ll see.” Drey folded his arms and looked away. Ryan bowed and walked onto the main floor. He whispered into Shina’s ear. She nodded. “Hey Drey, Imani is probably awake by now. You think you can handle being away from Ry for a few moments?” Drey gave her an intense stare. Shina smiled and sighed. Drey walked past her, grabbed Ryan’s hand, and walked out with him. Shina shook her head and went to recollect her throwing knives.

Drey and Ryan walked around the compound. In his high emotions, Drey took a wrong turn and got them lost. Ryan was aware of the right way but didn’t want to upset his brother further.They both looked at the koi pond. Realized they had walked past it three times and sat down in defeat. They settled for just watching the fish since they forgot what they were supposed to do by that point. Ryan scooted closer to the fish and watched them move about. Drey followed not long after. They seemed to be having a conversation in their heads with each other as they barely exchanged looks but expressed frustration, comfort, peace, and interest in the koi with just their faces and movements. They shared a gasp as they saw a fish jump up and get stuck on land. They both panicked and rushed to put it back in. As they did, they saw Saint walking with Angel.

“They’ll like you.”

“I don’t know. I may have come on too strong.”

“Mom, please. The boys are just very cautious around strangers. Trust me.”

“Maybe I should have come before their birthday, I don’t want to ruin it for them.”

The boys snuck behind a tree to hear better.

“They can be a handful but that’s why I wanted you to take them for a few hours before their birthday.”

“Do you think James will be okay with me taking them now?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe I should just give them their surprise now.”

“Slow down, it’s okay. Let’s save it for tonight.”

The boys nodded and snuck off towards the entrance of the compound. As they walked by they saw James leaving. Ryan squeezed Drey’s hand. They looked into each other’s eyes. Drey’s eyes opened wide as Ryan’s eyes watered.

What if it’s not mom that’s being replaced? What if it’s dad?

The boys paused for a moment. Drey took a deep breath and wiped Ryan’s face. They changed direction and went inside the guest house of the compound. They made their way to the room that they would often stay in. To their surprise, there on the bed were two bracelets made of heart shapes with each different colors. They had gotten used to their father leaving them. And every time he left, he would leave them gifts on their bed. The detail and care of what was obviously a handmade gift, made both their stomachs twist. In a burst of sudden rage, Ryan took the bracelets and threw them out the window. Drey, shocked, ran to the window.

Drey looked out to try and see where it went. He glared back at Ryan. Who had started crying. “Drey?” he looked down to see his mother, “Everything okay?”

“Yes ma’am…”

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“Drey. Something went out the window. What was it?”

Drey looked back at Ryan curled on the floor, crying. He took a deep breath and looked out the window to his mother. “That woman will not replace dad!” Saint looked at him confused as he slammed the window shut.

Drey tried to comfort Ryan by telling him that he won’t let anything happen to their family. Hearing footsteps getting closer, Drey sighed and told his brother that he’d be right back. Ryan didn’t register what Drey said until he was almost completely out of the room. As Drey shut the door behind him, Ryan reached out. “No….”

Act 3 The Gentle Memory (Gentleman Ending)

James walked into the small ballroom of Raven Castle for their birthday party. He adjusted his gloves as he looked around. Ryan noticed him and ran up to him. Hugging James’ leg tight, he began to cry. Confused, James kneeled down.

“Ryan, what’s wrong son?”

“I thought you were going to leave us for good!”

“Don’t shout, I’m right here.”

“We saw you leave. Then we saw the gifts. And and and”

“Ryan. Take a deep breath. Please. I needed to do something really important.”

“You say that every time you leave! How will we know if you’re ever coming back?!”

James took a deep breath. His hazel eyes became green with yellow rings. He took off his gloves and picked up Ryan. They made their way towards the fancy two tier birthday cake.

He remembered 10 years ago when he was in his early twenties. He was sitting in a limo, staring out the window. “I don’t get it, Young Master.” A slightly older man with the same eyes wearing the same suit as James, square glasses and dark blue nail polish remarked. “Why such an interest in such a filthy place and a filthy creature.” James’ eyes darted to the man. “I am simply saying that getting attached to creatures that are below you is not something you should be worried about. If it is flesh that you crave…” the man paused as James’ gaze felt as if it was taking the air from his lungs.

“Avery. You’ve lived a long life of being my personal tutor and guide.”

“That is correct, Young Master.”

“So explain to me. How is it that you skate so carelessly on thin ice? You speak as if you don’t understand my morals. That sounds like a mistake that only a stranger could make. Please clarify. Do you wish to be a stranger or are you turning a blind eye to me in this matter that you are unfamiliar with?”

“.... my apologies, Young Master. I will remember my place.”

“You are my gloves. Not my hands. Keep me clean as I work.”

“Of course, Young Master. May I know your reasoning for this visit?”

The limo stopped in front of a club called the Sweetheart Club. James stepped out, “The owners made a mistake that we cannot ignore. A gentleman is mindful, is he not?” Avery came out behind James, smiling. Other cars parked as more men in the same suits stood beside Avery. “A gentleman is a gentle man. Treat the women with kindness. Treat any child with care. Any filth you come across is to be cleaned. Understood?” Everyone adjusted their gloves as they responded, “Yes, Young Master.”

James sat Ryan by Drey at the table. He wiped Ryan’s face, took off his gloves, and moved Ryan’s hair from his face. “You want to be your best self, correct? So do I. A gentleman would never abandon his family. I would never abandon mine. I promise.” Ryan smiled and commented on how warm his father’s hand was.

Act 4 (The End)

Ryan and Drey smiled at each other in the mirror. They imagined their parents watching them from the doorway. Saint gushing about how handsome they look. James commenting on how proud he is of them for respecting those that came before them.

The boys walked out the Heartly Estate and began to walk. They calmly walked the stone tiles that pathed out the routes of their botanical. Ryan blew a kiss as they passed the roses. Drey bowed as they passed the platycodon grandi-florus. They walked to the patch of pure white camellias, approaching the large cluster of camellias on a black stone platform. They each picked one closest to the path and put it in their left pocket of their suit jackets.

Drey stepped forward, “Bonjour grand-mère. Happy birthday.”

Ryan chuckled, “I’m still jealous you got to be born on Christmas.”

“Ryan is, I’m not. I think that would be too much in one day.”

“But it would all happen at once.”

“My point. Too much.”

“Grandma never had an issue with it.”

“You really didn’t, did you? You were someone special from start to finish… We miss you.”

“We appreciated you coming by after mom and dad died. Even if it was just the once. It meant a lot to us that you thought of us.”

“Putting on that smile. Being cheery and energetic for that week couldn’t have been easy.”

“Especially since we didn’t make it easy for you. Sorry again by the way. Also… I…”

“Ry found the bracelet you got us. It doesn’t fit anymore but it will make an awesome necklace.”

Ryan began to tear up, “Drey wasn’t the one who threw it. It was me. I’m sorry for being such an impulsive little kid.”

Drey rubbed his back, “That was a long time ago. Who knows, maybe we can finally visit her hometown to try her favorite meal like we were supposed to when we turned 11.”

“You found out where she grew up?”

“Are you underestimating my amazingness?”

“Grandma, I really am sorry. I wish we got off on a better foot. But I promise I’ve taken everything we learned from mom to heart.”

“Everything you taught her, still lives on through us. We won’t let the legacy die.”

“When you’re reborn, can you find us again? I’d appreciate a chance for us to become best friends. I think you’d really like the person I’ve become.”

Drey pinched Ryan’s face, “Of course she would. Our parents were too. I’m just glad that you aren’t as much of a crybaby. You growing up fills me with great pride.”

Ryan blushed and pulled away from Drey. Hearing a chime in the distance, the two bowed and said their parting words. As they walked away, Ryan joked about he can’t wait to get changed out of the suit. Drey commented how he was considering staying in. Ryan told him how he didn’t really like wearing vests. Drey smirked and put the camellias in Ryan’s hair over his ear.

“The flower looks great in your hair.”

“Oh. Uh. Thanks.”

“White isn’t your color though. Draws a lot of attention to your eyes.”

“What if I want people to notice my eyes more?”

“Try a yellow rose.”

“Do we have any?”

“Let’s check out mom’s section on the way back.”

“Oh…”

“What?”

“I… forgot where I hid the presents for the Christmas party.”

“You…”

Ryan ran laughing while apologizing. Drey chased after him demanding he remember soon.

Some flowers need time to bloom. Some need time to be appreciated. All flowers are precious.