DEVUÉLVEME MI CORAZÓN(Joel Pimentel/CNCO)

Chapter 51 : The garden of reason

-Jade-

"We clearly told you not to go, and yet still you disobeyed us. " He sighed, his eyes flickering back to the carpeted floor.

"Dad....yo...." I tried to search for the right words, but nothing seemed to fit.

"Mija, the last time you went up against our word was when you were eleven. " My father's frown seemed to disappear if only for a second, at the thought of a memory. "Our next door neighbor was being quarantined at the hospital, and her once beautiful garden was slowly dying at her pace. We told you to stay away from it, but you wouldn't listen. Every morning you'd get up at five, just to go water it and trim off the bad leaves and weeds. Two weeks later when your mother found out, she angrily asked why? And all you could answer was, Because it's special, because special things deserve to be taken care of, but mostly, because I love her garden."

"You knew about that?" I asked, taken aback, for I thought he'd found out through our neighbor, Mrs.Phillip's words.

"You always left mud from your shoes on the kitchen floor,and yours truly was your cleaning accomplice. " My father smirked playfully, " But anyways, what I haven't told you, is that, the last thing Mrs.Phillips saw on her last moments on earth, was her garden. The one she expected to see with dry leaves and ugly gray colors. But instead, she died with a smile plastered on her face, and that was all thanks to you. Because out of her five children, not one of them ever came to visit her, much less touch her garden. Pero you, mija, you did something good. Something that you wouldn't have done, if you'd listened to us."

"I always liked Mrs.Phillips," I smiled.

"Ven, siéntate." My father motioned for me to go sit next to him. "So this got me thinking, that maybe we're not always right. That we just want what's best for you. That we don't want to see you fail in life, but perhaps, that doesn't mean we'll always know what's best for you," He paused, "Sometimes we're just gonna have to let you make your own decisions and just hope for the best outcome."

"Yo amo mucho a Joel, my feelings for him are much stronger and more pure than anything I'd ever felt before for any other boy." I explained softly, for I'd never admitted my love for Joel out loud, and especially not in front of my Dad.

"I know. I mean, besides Christopher, you'd never snuck out to go see a boy, especially when you knew you weren't supposed to. "

"I'm sorry but I gotta go dismiss Joel at the airport!" I stood up immediately as I remembered why I was back in my room in the first place.

"Oh I don't think that's gonna be necessary," My father smiled mischievously, as he held up the four wheeled packing case.

"Holy Jalapeños, you didn't!" I couldn't help but wrap my arms around him, and squeeze him tightly into a hug.

"And if you fail, we'll always be here to help you back up." He said soothingly. "Now go chase after your galán." My father chuckled," Oh and the permission slip is in the front pouch, next to the plane ticket and a credit card, now go before your mother returns. "

"She doesn't know?" I gasped.

"Of course not." He shook his head, "Now go on, today's my home alone day and I've got it all planned out!" Grinning, he ushered me out the door, and tossed a sweater at my face as I grabbed the packing case. "And don't forget to call me when you arrive!"