The Sweet Encounter (Completed)

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Garden

Brie sat in the garden admiring the flowers and inhaling the entire vibrant aroma that emitted throughout the air. Every morning he brought her out here to glorify the beauty of their garden. She remembered the first time he admitted his love for her. She must have loved him then already too. That was over forty years ago. So many things have happened since that day.

"Brie. Would you like your breakfast outside or in the breakfast room?"

She turned around and saw the gleam in his eyes. She never imagined seeing him at this age, and every detail in his deep wrinkles to the deep color of his eyes made her feel loved all over again.

"I'd like to eat outside today." She returned a soft smile at him as he stepped inside the house to grab her breakfast. She closed her eyes again and giggled at their first time meeting at her shop. She had assumed he was married, but she was so fortunate how life had granted them the sweet encounter.

"Why are you chuckling like a young school girl?" He stood in front of her placing the different selection of breakfast items for her. She was famished looking at every item he had prepared.

"Oh, Trey, you know. I don't think I ever told you that I was hoping you were single the first time we met. Do you remember? When your ocean eyes met with mine at my shop?" Brie was embarrassed at her own ­confession. Lacy had etched that name forever into Trey.

He stopped for a moment, his eyes furrowed and it took him a moment, but he released a smile. "Of course I remember. How could I ever forget?" He took a hold of her hand and then brought it forward to his lips and left a tender kiss on her hand.

"Trey?" She didn't understand. She thought he would be overjoyed.

"It's nothing, Brie. As long as you know that I will always love you for the rest of my life." He tried holding back his tears because he knew his love for her was truly incomparable. As he looked at her frail hands, they no longer baked like she used to. Arthritis caused her too much pain and it was unbearable for her especially now. He stared at the wrinkles around her face. For the longest time, she didn't have any wrinkles, and now they were becoming increasingly deep these past few years. But he knew it was the fact that she was completely happy now, and it showed through.

They were both interrupted by the voice coming from the kitchen, "Mom. Dad."

"Brie, it's our son, William."

His attention went towards William. He slowly paced himself back up and felt the ache and pain from his knees. He whispered to Brie, "Stay here and I'll go grab William a plate to join us too."

He walked into the house and William gave him a look of sorrow. "Dad."

"Yes, William."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"To Mom. It hurts me to see you with that look of pain in your eyes."

He had this talk briefly once before with his son, but he didn't realize his son felt this way.

"You know I love your Mom and would do anything to see that beautiful smile on her face." He didn't want to argue with William.

"Dad. Listen." William closed his eyes and pinched between his brows. He was getting uncomfortable at what words he was about to speak, but he continued. "I know I never knew my birth father, and I know you and Mom have both spoken highly of him. But when she believes you are him, I don't know how to respond. It's as if she's forgotten the last forty years that you two have been together."