The Chocolatiers

The whole truth

(So the video is a song by Taylor Swift called The Best Day. Enjoy the story! 😊)
*Grace's P.O.V.*
A few minutes later, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. The entryway had an arc over it, and on the arc, I had carved 'In memory of Nicholas And Mary Jones, the two most amazing people that I have ever known.' We stepped out from under the arc, and entered the garden. The three of them gasped. It is very beautiful. Full of my parents favorite plants. With several trees, flowers, and hedges that I had cut into their favorite animals. Horses, dolphins, pandas, and mockingbirds. There was birds and butterflies flying around. You could hear the sound of animals calling out in the distance, and the sound of water twinkling, in a nearby stream.
"How long has this been here?" Willy asked. "Seven years, nine months, and a day." I said. "Almost as long as I have been here. " I said. "So you are her. The one who has been fixing my mistakes, helping me." I looked down. "Yeah. Sorry about that." "No, I'm not mad." He said quickly. Charlie and Grandpa Joe looked a little out of place. "Where are my manners?!?" I asked, smiling at all of them. "Come inside. I'll make hot cocoa and cookies." They looked at me, confused. I simply smiled and walked off. They began to follow me.
*Willy's P.O.V.*
The elevator stopped, and that doors opened. We got up, and got out of the elevator. Outside of the elevator was an archway. On the arc, Someone had carved, 'in memory of Nicholas and Mary Jones, two of the greatest people I will ever know.' I felt a little sad for her. We went under the arc, and entered the most beautiful garden. it was full of a bunch of different plants: trees, flowers, and hedges. I could hear the sound of water and birds in the distance. There was a stone pathway. The hedges were shaped into animals. There was a horse, a dolphin, a panda, and a mockingbird. I then began to wonder. "How long has this place been here?" I asked.
"Seven years, nine months, and a day." Grace said. "Almost as long as me." She just admitted it. "So you are her. Your the one who's been fixing my mistakes." I knew it. I was really happy, and had so many questions. Like, how did I not see her before? How did none of the Oompa-Loompas see her? How did she build this, and I didn't know about it? She looked down. "Yeah. Sorry about that." She looked a little frightened. I panicked. I don't want her to be scared. "No, I'm not mad." I quickly said to her. She relaxed a bit. But not much. Something else was bothering her. Now I'm really worried. She looked at Charlie and his grandfather. Suddenly, she said. "Where are my manners?!? Come inside, I'll make hot cocoa and cookies." I liked both of them, but. Inside? Inside where?!? She walked off, and we followed her, down the cobblestone path. A few moments later, I saw what she meant. Hidden by the trees and bushes of roses, was a little cottage. Made of stone and wood. There was a little chimney at the top, and smoke was coming out of it. "Home sweet home." She said. Well. This explains some things.
"Come on in." She said, opening the door. She was then tackled to the ground by a big, furry thing. "Yes! Yes! It's good to see you too! Now get off of me, Loca!" She exclaimed. The massive dog got off of her, and she sat up, wiping a lot of slobber off of her face. I laughed. She glared at me, and then she perked up, smiling evilly. My eyes widened. She wouldn't. "You wouldn't!" I said. "Oh. Yes, I am. Come here, let me give you a little kiss!" She said, smiling. My heart bested a little faster. I heard the gramps chuckling. She then jumped at me, wrapping her legs around my waist, and her arms around my neck. Even though I liked it, I really don't want dog slobber on my face. She then started rubbing her face on mine.
"Ew! Get off of me! Stop! Please!?!?!" I begged. She giggled, and stopped, then wiped it off, using her jacket. I looked at her. Her eyes were so full of light and wonder, and happiness. But then again, it held a world of sadness. I really want to take that sadness away. See her fully smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Charlie and his grandfather turn away. "There. Slobber free. She started to let go, and I panicked. I quickly pulled her close, and kissed her. For a moment she didn't do anything, in shock. But then, she kissed back. I smiled. All too suddenly, she pulled away.
"What?" I asked, worried that I did something wrong. "Did I do something?" She got down. "No. It's me. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve to be happy." She said, looking away, and looked at her dog, Loca. The dog whined a bit. "What do you mean? If anyone doesn't deserve someone, it would be me. I don't deserve a great girl like you. But you know what?!?" She looked at me. "I'm too stubborn to stay away." I went up to her again. She looked even more sad. "But you don't know me." She whispered. "I can learn. I'm a fast learner." I said back. She started crying. I pulled her closer, hugging her. "Shhh. Tell me what's wrong." I said. She pulled away, nodding towards the cottage.
"Charlie, Grandpa Joe? You coming?" She asked them. The gramps smiled at her when she called him Grandpa. "Of course. But are you sure you don't want to be alone together for this?" "No, I want you to hear this." She said. I was a little bummed. I wanted to be alone with her. Oh well. Whatever will make her happy. The interior was just as beautiful inside, as it was outside. "Please sit down. I'll get the refreshments." She said, gesturing at the sofas. I sat on one, while the other two sat on the other. The cottage had three rooms. The one that we were in, had the kitchen, the sitting room, and the dining room all together. Then the other two must be her bedroom and bathroom. She returned seconds later. That was quick. How did she do that? I took a cookie. "Thank you." I said. "Your welcome. They're fresh from the oven." In fact, they were. The chocolate chips melted perfectly. The egg, butter, and sugar all combined with that. Making it one of the best chocolate chip cookie, I have ever had. And that is saying something.
"It's my mom's secret recipe." She explained, putting out cups of hot chocolate on the coffee table. I looked over at the fireplace, that the couches were facing. It was carved, and looked exactly like my edible room. Weth me, standing in the meadow. My eyes widened. Above the fireplace, was a portrait. Of a man and a woman who looked a lot like Grace. But, they had wings. Angels..? No. Where are their halos? Grace saw me looking at the portrait. "That's my parents." She said, smiling sadly at them. "Why do they have wings?" I asked. She looked at me. "Because they actually had wings." I was confused. She sighed, and suddenly, a pair of beautiful brown with black tipped wings surrounded her, hiding her face. She slowly peaked at me and the others. We were all shocked.
"They're beautiful." Charlie said. She blushed, and folded her wings. "Thank you." She said, looking at the fireplace. I scooted forward a bit closer to her. "May I?" I asked, holding a hand up. She nodded, and unfolded her right wing, stretching it out to full length. I slowly and gently stroked it. It was really soft. I looked at her. She timidly looked back. "They're really soft, and beautiful." She blushed, then hid underneath her wings. "Thank you." Came her muffled reply. I smiled. "So, what else is there? Is this it? Is this why you don't think you aren't good enough for me?" I asked her. She looked at me. "It's only a fraction of the reason." She sadly sat in the couch.
"I am the last of my kind. At least, I think I am." she said. "What is your kind called?" Charlie asked. "We are called, the Keepers. We keep everything safe, and in balance. My kind aren't magical, but they do have wings, and can see bits into the future. I am a pureblood Keeper. My family's never married anything outside of the Keepers. So. I am a very strange being to both my kind, and everything else on this planet, and no. My mother did not cheat on my father. The Keepers, when they marry, they stay loyal no matter what. Anyway, a keeper first gets its wings at the age of ten. Along with their sight into the future. Well, this, this didn't happen to me. Sure, I got my wings. But, I didn't get my sight." I was very interested. "That mysterious fire, that my parents died in, that was my fault." She then started crying. I instantly went to her, cradling her in my arms. "Shh. It's okay. I'm sure it wasn't." She pulled away. "Yes it was. Right after I got my wings I started feeling funny. The animals around us could sense this, and quickly ran out. We didn't think anything of it. I started to feel very hot. My mom was about to ask me what was wrong, and the next thing I knew, everything was up in flames. Fire, pouring from every inch of my body. My parents incinerated within seconds, upon impact. I was freaking out. The next thing I knew, I was here. I had calmed down a bit, to where there was no more fire. And I sat in here. For the rest of the day." She cried. I hugged her. Grandpa Joe came over, and knelt in front of us.
"I knew Nick and Mary better than anyone else. They were my closet friends." He told her. "I met them at the hospital. Nineteen years ago. You were just an idea for them, and that idea was growing very fast. They were the greatest people I have ever met in my days. They were kind, and unselfish. They really helped my family in a great time of need. They wouldn't have blamed you for what happened. No one could've predicted what was going to happen." She opened her mouth.
"Or 'see' it coming. Life has a funny way of doing things."he chuckled. She sniffed. "Thank you." She said, then hugged Grandpa Joe. "You're very welcome, honey cups." "So, what else can you do?" Charlie asked. She giggled, and looked at him. "What else can I do?" She asked in his voice. We all looked at her in surprise. Well that answers some more questions.
"That's so cool!" I exclaimed. She smiled at me, then looked around. "Hey, Willy." "Yes?" "You see that flower on the coffee table?" "Yes. I do." "Tell me, what does it look like?" I raised an eyebrow, and said, "it looks dead." "And why do you think it looks dead?" "Because it has fallen pedals, is withered, and has some brown on it." She smiled at me, then looked back at the rose, and waved her hand over it. The flower instantly changed. It regained the fallen pedals, and the brown color went away, leaving the rose back to its original red and white colors. She then placed it in my jacket pocket, next to my heart. I smiled at her. She smiled back. I leaned in close to her. She turned her head, and I kissed her cheek. I poured at her.
"It's not your fault, Grace." I told her. "I know. It's not my fault." I was confused. "Then why are you turning away from me?" I asked. "Because, I'm weird, a freak of nature. Even to my own kind." She said, standing up, and running outside. I quickly got up, and followed her.
She ran straight to,(place in the picture) a bench that was next to a water fountain. She sat down, and out of nowhere, she pulled out an to acoustic guitar. She strummed it a bit, humming. Then started playing a song.
"I'm five years old, it's getting cold, ice got my big coat on. I hear your laugh, and look up smiling at you, I run and run." I heard something behind me, and turned to see most of my Oompa-Loompas. I opened my mouth, but they shushed me. 'Are the rest here?' I asked them in Oompaish. Bob nodded. I smiled.
"Past the pumpkin patch, and the tractor rides. Look now, the sky is gold. I hug your legs and fall asleep. On the way home. I don't know why all the trees change in the Fall. But I know your not scared of anything at all. Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away. But I know I had the best day. With you. Today. I'm thirteen now, and don't know how my friends could be so mean. I come home crying, and you hold me tight, and grab the keys. And we drive and drive until we found a town. Far enough away. And we talk and window shop, until I forgot, all their names. I don't know who, I'm gonna talk to now at school. But I know I'm laughing, on the car ride home with you. Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay. But I know I had the best day. With you. Today. I have excellent father. His strength is making me stronger. God smiles on my little brother. Inside and out, he's better than I am. I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run and I. Had. The best days with you. There is a video, I found from back when I was three. You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me. It's the age of princesses and pirate ships. And the seven dwarves. And daddy's smart, and your the prettiest lady in the whole wide world. Now I know why all trees change in the fall. I know hat you were by my side, even when I was wrong. And I love you, for giving me your eyes. And staying back, and watching me shine, and I didn't know if you knew, so I'm taking the chance to say, that I had the best days. With you. Today." She ended the song beautifully. We all clapped, and cheered for her. She looked up, and looked around, to find that she was surrounded by Oompa-Loompas. She then looked at me.
"How? When?" She asked, her face stained with tears. I went up to her, and hugged her. "The whole time. It was beautiful. Your singing. My little angel." I pulled back, and she was blushing deeply. She tried to hide her face, but I didn't let her. I pulled her close. "Your not a monster. No monster could create such beautiful things." I said. I looked around at her garden. "Look at this place. Did you build it?" "Yes. It was forgotten, and was unused. So I thought I could make it feel useful again. I made the leak turn into a stream, that flowed into this here pool and fountain." She said. " And planted the plants. And built the cottage on the remaining left over stuff from the cobblestone pathway and the little bridge over there. I hope you don't mind. I was gonna ask." I smiled at her. "I will be fine with it, if," she looked at me. "You promise me, that you'll be mine?" I said playfully. She giggled, blushing. "I promise." She said, blushing. I smirked, and leaned in, kissing her. The Oompa-Loompas and our winner cheered. I smiled into the kiss.
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Heyo! Please comment what you think, and feel free to ask questions and tell me what you think! And please vote! 😎
~GraceRi