Lady Of The Island

The Offer

When I finally pulled away from Azure, he wiped my eyes and kissed my cheek.
"Are you okay, Sugar?" He smiled.

"...I will be, thanks."
I kissed his hand.

Suddenly, there was a loud SMASH behind us.
We zipped around to see Lavender standing next to a brick.

"Mrs Ruth said she doesn't care what I do! I wanted to test if her window can stop a brick. Long story short, it can't."
She didn't seem at all guilty, though she had a hand behind her back.
"What? Where's Ruth?"

Azure slowly made his way over to her and crouched down.
"Ruth has gone away for a while. I do not know if or when she will be back."

"Oh, she died?"

...

"What? No, she just left." I turned my head. "Why is that your first thought?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It just seemed to be like that from your eyes."

"My eyes?" Azure asked, then lightly laughed. "You have got your dad's inquisitivity."

"I know." She cheekily grinned.

"What's behind your back?" I asked, slowly getting closer.

"Nothinggg...."

"Don't lie to me, Lavender. You can lie to Azure-"

"Hey!"

"-but you can't lie to me. I'm a journalist, I get information from anywhere."

Lavender chuckled and revealed that she had been holding an instant cup of coffee.
An EMPTY cup of coffee....

"....." I took a deep breath. "What is your obsession with sugar, young lady?"

"It's nice...." She giggled, jumped and sprinted away towards Becca.

Azure placed a hand on my shoulder.
"She is certainly your daughter."

"I know.." I smiled.

"Hey?!" Becca screamed from afar. "What the FU-"

***

Becca is not good with kids.

Anyway, she took us back to the harbour, where we interupted the most interesting conversation.

"If you were to do one job for the rest of your life," Rawlinson giggled. "What would you do?"

"Fish Train." Clarence replied. "Like Fish. Smells Nice."

"Eugh, no it doesn't." Derek snarled. "I think I'd take a stone train. The trucks don't talk to you."

"Wouldn't that be lonely?" Rawlinson asked again.

"Maybe..." Derek trailed off as Becca sounded her whistle and stopped, letting us three off.

"Woah! This place is dirty!" Lavender shouted aloud.

"Well, that's a pleasant introduction." Derek hummed.

"Oh! This must be Lavender!" Rawlinson smiled.

"Lavender? Oh, Gray's daughter? We've heard much about you!" Derek honked his horn in welcoming.

"Mmmmm....sweeeeeettttsssss."
Lavender sounded quite monotone, yet excited.

"...what?" Clarence was rather confused.

"I'm all hopped up on SUGAR!" She jumped up and down, before tripping and grabbing onto Azure's leg to not fall.

"Yes. That is Lavender." He smiled. "Lesson to learn, keep her away from sugar."

Azure expected me to respond or pipe up. I didn't. I was thinking about the job offer.

I slowly walked over to an oil drum and sat down.

"Baby?" Azure looked quite concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry, I'm just thinking..."

"Thinking of?"

"What you told me. The job offer. I don't know what to do." I buried my head in my hands as he dragged another drum next to mine and sat beside me.
"On one hand, I'll be here, with a new job, friends, but on the other hand, we'll be away from family, and Lavender will start a new school. Sure, her best friend is here, but what else?"

"It would be great for you. Look around, you have made friends on this island. I know the memories may hurt, but-"

"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about you. You've never really been good with big changes, and your botanist job. I'm not sure how many botany jobs are on this island..."

"Oh, baby..." He kissed my nose. "You do not need to worry about me. I have been asking about botany and there is a little botanist studio near Crosby. Lavender is fine with everything too, it is just you...You need to be selfish for a second, think about yourself. What do you want?"

"I want..." I paused. "I want to make you happy."

"Gray..." He sighed and brushed my hair. "Do not think about what I want. It is what you want."

"....." I thought for a while, they all remained quiet. "I think it would be in our best interest to move here."

Azure's face lit up.
"Are you sure?"

I kissed his nose playfully.
"I'm sure, Sugar."