In The End

Where we belong

"Good Morning." My voice croaked as I peered around the kitchen door and found Eden sat at the breakfast bar picking at a croissant whilst she scrolled through her phone.

"Good Morning." Isabelle was the first to reply offering a warm smile as she refilled the coffee pot. "I wasn't sure what you girls would want so I put cereal out and I've baked these fresh this morning." She placed a batch of cinnamon swirls next to the croissants.

"You really didn't have to go to any trouble, we'd eat whatever or grab something when we were out." I responded casually just as my stomach growled from the delicious warm smell filling the kitchen.

"Not at all." Isabelle placed the canter down and nodded for me to sit. "It's nice to be able to properly use the kitchen again. Axels very rarely here now things are taking off. I'll end up taking myself out of job saying this but, I honestly don't know why a young guy like him needs a house a large as this, especially as he's hardly in it. A nice penthouse apartment closer to the city would do him well."

I nodded as she placed a cup in front of me and began to pour out the coffee. "It's a beautiful house." I added before taking a cautious sip from the steaming cup.

"It is, it's a bit too dark for my personal taste, but he's put a lot of work into it." She moved to refill Edens cup.

"What work has it had done?" I quizzed, pulling apart one of the soft flakey croissants.

"Everything!" she laughed, letting the hearty sound fill the room and Eden finally looked up from her phone. "I'm sure it would have been quicker, and far cheaper to pull the whole thing down and rebuild it, but he was adamant on keeping some of the original features." Isabelle continued to talk, telling us all about the major remodelling that took place, from the reconstructed exterior to give the place it's gothic turrets and distinctive gloomy fascia to the extensive interior work done to make it a smart, sustainable home underneath it's dark gothic decor.

"I don't mean to sound rude." Eden cleared her throat, but, if he's not here as much as you say now, then why does he need a house keeper?"

I shot Eden a glance, something was off, she would never normally ask a question like that, even if she was thinking it.

Isabelle smiled fondly as she placed her cloth on the sink, then turned to face us both. "I have worked with Axels family for a long time, my mother before me. I was very young when I took on the roll of nanny for the Blackthorns. My mother got sick very quickly, so I ended college early and stepped into her roll to ensure that money was still coming in. As you'll know Axel has been building the band from a very young age, so when he moved out here, I came as a sort of chaperone if you will, and then here we are today. I'd built a life and family out here and Axel asked me to stay on in this role. We're very much a family, and my mother got better and went back to work as a housekeeper for the Blackthorns until she passed two summers ago."

"That's lovely." I smiled at Isabelle. "I'm sorry about your mother." I added.

"Who the heck are the Blackthorns?" Edens face contorted into a confused ball.

Myself and Isabelle shared a knowing glance. "It's Axel's real surname." I softly answered.

"Oh...Oh!" Her eyes rose as her face relaxed. "Interesting" She added before going back to her phone.

"So where is he?" I turned my attention back to Isabelle.
I was a little surprised to have woken up in bed this morning, after falling asleep next to him on the sofa last night, and I admit there was an unexpected emptiness that he wasn't still with me.

"He's in the garage with them bikes." Isabelle cut through my daydreaming thoughts. "Mustn't have slept as he was in there when I arrived this morning and he hasn't surfaced since. Right. I'm going to leave you ladies to finish your breakfast in peace. Just call me if you need anything ok?"