𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Thick Skin And Elastic Hearts.

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞

An hour after leaving the roof I went outside to take a walk. That horrid experience with Kazimir, CJ and my father left us all shaken. Seeing that gun pointed at Sabrina was one of the scariest things I ever went through. The very thought of something happening to Sabrina and Gia made my heart pound in my chest and sent shivers of terror up and down my spine.

To take my mind off of it I decided to visit the garden in front. As one of the world's top flower producers, Colombia holds the record for having some of the most diverse, vibrant flowers from lilies and chrysanthemums to roses and carnations. Because of our incredible biodiversity Colombia has more than 130,000 species of plants and our climates and ecosystems are considered one of the best in the world.

We had thousands of flowers growing on our soil but three of the most popular were roses, carnations and orchids. Each flower has its own meaning and significance. Carnations are known for their beauty, quality and longevity and are often placed on buttonholes at weddings and corsages at prom. Roses are special too. We give the red ones to our lovers, white ones to brides-to-be and yellow ones for our loved ones who have passed away.

I loved all flowers but the orchids have always been my favorite. Uniquely enough, Colombian orchids have adapted themselves to thrive all over the country from the coolness of the Andean region to the humidity of the Amazon rainforests. They come in an astoundingly vast array of shapes, sizes and colors and play a significant role in our culture.

Our flowers are so reputable we even have a flower festival in August.

"Beautiful aren't they?"

Glancing behind me I saw Abuelo standing there with Gabriella in his arms. "I planted these for Sierra since she loves them so much. These days she hardly pays any attention to them. Thank God for the gardeners or they would've withered and died years ago."
"I'm sure she still loves them Abuelo," I said kindly. "I know I do."
"Do you have a flower garden back in New York?"
"Sure, but none like these. I would've loved to take some back with me. That and a big sack of Colombian coffee. I missed drinking it."

With a humourous laugh Abuelo gave me a side hug and kissed me on my temple. "Coffee is nice and all but nothing beats your ginger tea. What say you come in and make your Abuelo a cup?"
"I'd love that," I say with a grin. "It's almost lunch time but maybe I can convince Mom to make some-"

Upon hearing rustling behind us Abuelo and I stopped walking and turned around to see something moving in the rose bushes. Curious as to what it was I went over there and moved some of the leaves aside. What I saw made me gasp in absolute horror.

𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨

Outing my third cigarette for the day I threw it away, stuck my hands in my pockets and walked off the rooftop patio where I've been standing for the past hour, staring into the distance while I tried to shut out the disruptive thoughts that constantly plagued my mind. It was mostly about Ivan and Kazimir— two of the most callous, soulless individuals I've ever met.

Just as I was about to enter my room Father came out of his and we met up in the hall. Still ashamed of what I did today I walked up to him and bowed my head. "Please forgive me Father. I've been so foolish earlier. I not only raised my voice to you I lost control of my anger and without any thought I-"

Father interrupted me by pulling me into a hug. "It's okay my son. You did nothing wrong, you were just doing what I told you to do: protect what's yours. You reacted in the way a husband is supposed to when he sees his wife in pain. It's not your fault."
"But it is," I murmured. "Because I had my gun pointed at Ivan CJ had hers pointed at Sabrina. At Gia. Sabrina was crying and Damen looked so scared, for his wife and his child. He must be so furious with me. I would be too if I were in his place. I wouldn't blame him if he never speaks to me again."