Hearts We Mend To Break (Book I)

.82.

💫GISELLE💫

Working on a farm, shoveling shit, feeding chickens, and helping to shelter farm animals from the cold, was never in a mental scrapbook of things I'd like to do in the future. I honestly never saw myself in love with another man either. So, I suppose I had no clue what my future looked like to begin with. I tried to focus, be serious, take it all in as a lesson rather than find every complaint humanly possible. Some may say I was trying to impress Angel or his father, but really and truly, I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of change; I was capable of achieving something new; And by the end of that morning, I was.

Angel was right about one thing. His parents were so old school and traditional, it was ridiculous. Just as soon as we were done on the farm, we came into the house to shower and clean up. The moment an inch of my toe crossed the threshold of his room, Angel's dad handed me fresh linen and towels, escorting me to the other end of the hall where I would be sleeping and showering. As his father walked away, I turned to peep down the hallway where Angel stood in his doorway, grinning with way more satisfaction than I cared to witness. I threw the middle finger his way and mouthed, "fuck you", disappearing into my quarters and letting out a loud sigh.

Looking around, I could tell that no one stayed in there much, if at all. The bed was neatly made, the walls were crisp and a pale blue. Not a stain on the almost white carpet as my bare feet sank into the plush comfort of what felt like home. The room smelled like a garden. Everything felt so fresh with a slight scent of lavender and something green. I began looking around, thinking maybe there were plants in the room, but there weren't. That's when I realized the window was open. Just as soon as my eyes scanned past one of the windows facing the side of the house, the white sheer curtains swayed towards me. I walked over to get a better look, and what I saw when I pulled those curtains back took my breath away. A beautiful plot of land, that looked as though It was a garden during less cold months, lay beneath that window and spread out further than my eyes could see. And then there was the beauty of empty grasslands with a beautiful tree line circling around beyond their home. From that window, I could even see a small section of the farm we'd just worked so hard on. I took a few deep breaths, inhaling and releasing that cold fresh air that ironically made me feel warm inside. Before opening my eyes, I heard someone speak from behind me.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Her voice was like silk. I turned quickly to face her. "I didn't mean to startle you sweetheart."

"Oh, no. It's okay." I smiled, taking a step towards her. "You didn't startle me, Mrs. Trapp. I just—"

"Oh darling. Call me momma."

I fought the urge to frown, remembering my first encounter with Angel's mom. She addressed me as Lina, battling some kind of memory of some sort in her head, confused. Instead, I gently brushed my hand across the back of her arm and nodded.

"I know I met you already. I know my Angel introduced you, but do you mind telling me your name again?"

"I'm Giselle."

"Giselle?" She chuckled. "Oh! What a beautiful name. What's it's origin?"

"Well...for my whole life I thought it was French. I only recently learned that it's German, like my mom."

"German?"

"Yup. I'm half German." I raised both hands in a 'ta-da' type motion. That got a rise out of her, as she laughed and patted me on my shoulder.