Chapter 35: Back home

Helena P.O.V

When I woke up this morning I realized that it was already 10 in the morning usually I don't wake up so late but I was so excited yesterday before bed that it took a long time before I was able to fall asleep Anthony had already left the room hmmph this man didn't wake me up Ace and Alicia should be here soon and I didn't even take my shower I thought

going into the bathroom and starting the shower to let the water heat up a bit I noticed the clothes I had bought with Alicia not long ago were put on the side close to the towels Anthony must have put them there so that I wouldn't have to choose and waste time on this hehe at least he his considerate I can forgive him for letting me sleep later than I'm used to he's not the most expressive man but he knows how to let me feel his love through these little gestures every now and then I thought

Coming out of the shower and dressing myself up I made a beeline toward the kitchen I needed to eat before they arrived when I stepped into the dining room Martha was sitting there drinking tea and looking through documents as the head maid she was like a butler and took care of almost everything related to the mansion she was accompanied by Joan the next head maid that Martha was training to anticipate her future retirement it has already been 2 years since the training begin but Martha didn't show sign of wanting to quit yet

-Good morning Martha when do you plan to stop doing this kind of tiring work you know that Joan is more than ready to replace you even Nigel as found his successor a long time ago I'm pretty he is just waiting for you

-Humph you want me to quit so bad after everything I've done for you little girl snap back Martha

-You know that's not what I want I'm just worried about you I sigh

-I know ... I'm just not ready yet but soon don't worry also you might want to hurry up to eat because Nigel left to pick Ace and his girlfriend up 10 minutes ago

-Damn it, I'll go make myself something quick to eat, see you later love you I shout running to the kitchen

Nigel P.O.V

My wife woke me up really early this morning which made me more tired than usual so I took this chance to watch my pupil working I've been training him for 4 years already I knew he was good this was more of an excuse for me to slack off a little if it was just for me I would've stopped working 3 years ago I was starting to feel the weight of the years on my body each morning I woke up was a happy occasion, in my opinion, ok I was not there but I was getting old there no denying it Mark was a good guy I've known him since he was in diapers so I knew I could trust him that's also why I felt asleep in route toward the tarmac

with a tap on the shoulder, Mark woke me up we were already at the hangar where the jet would park looking at my watch, a gift Ace bought me when I was in New York with them last time he must be landing between 10 and 10h30 we are on time I thought

-Mark parks the car the other way so it will be easier to load the luggage when they are here also make sure everything in the back is in order and take out the wine we bought for Andrew and his crew and give it to them before we left I trust you so your on your own today

-You can count on me Nigel don't worry you trained me well said Mark back to me

Anthony Smith P.O.V

I knew Helena would be tired I woke up at 1 am this morning to take a piss and she was still reading her book so I cut off the alarm but I still pick clothes for her and let the chefs know that she will surely need ingredients to make herself something when she finally wakes up I just hope she won't me mad I didn't wake her up I thought

Since our visit to New York, I've been keeping tabs on the music Ace and Alicia had put out needless to say Lotus Music branch got a call and inquiry about who the singer and writer were etc... the most surprising thing was that Alicia's song was way more popular than Ace song when I call Ace to tease him about it I hit cotton because he was happier about the situation than when is manga hit the shelves he also said to me that he had foreseen this happening so he wasn't surprised and with Alicia talent that was a given ... this kid really likes to brag about his girlfriend

I woke up pretty early today I wanted to take care of my work quickly so that we could spend time together when Ace and Alicia arrived I also had a gift prepared for her even if I would do it again doing a background check on her still made me feel a little guilty the more I knew about her this gift was more for me to let my consciousness finally let go of my guilt but Im pretty sure she will like it and that will piss-off Ace so it was a double win in my book (giggles)

Ace P.O.V

I was reading a book with Alicia's head on my lap while she was playing with her phone when I felt our jet starting its descent even before Andrew could call for us to sit straight I tapped on Alicia's should and told her we were about to land I thought she would be nervous but all I could see was boundless excitement form her that's a relief I thought

Looking through the window I could see our island in the distance even if I wasn't homesick I still missed this place, and the people here even more so I can't wait to show Alicia around, its totally not because I want to see her shocked face mind you ... hehe who I'm I kidding that's probably the number one reason I'm this eager to show her the place hahaha

After landing MArk and Nigel were waiting for us 10 minutes later we were already on the road 

-The first thing you will see will be the road and the gardens and yes there's more than one you'll see it's really something up close I said to Alicia kissing the back of her hand since she was too busy looking outside and taking everything she could into sight

Alicia P.O.V

Ace said something to me but I was so focused on everything around me that I didn't quite get what he was saying 3 minutes later the car stopped in front of a huge iron gate when the gate opened and the car started driving forward again I could hear Ace say something to Nigel or the other men who I dint know the name yet but I then again I didn't get what he was saying because in front of me was one of the most beautiful things I had ever saw in my life besides music flowers and gardens were my favorite hobby 

With the distinct change of color in the leaves of many deciduous plants, we could clearly see that autumn has arrived. The warm autumn glow radiating from The Gardens is nature's way of signaling the change of seasons, and nothing says "autumn is here" more than the feel of cool crisp air on your skin along with sparkling dew that coats the lawns. Winding our way down the pathways I was fascinated by the gorgeous scenery throughout the gardens.

Autumn officially begins in late September but we often see subtle hints of fall in early September. One of the first things that we notice is the hints of color beginning to develop in the Acer (Japanese maple) trees. These colors include brilliant scarlet, burnt orange, and golden yellow. while we were going through the gardens Ace was explaining to me that there were many Japanese maple trees located throughout the gardens, but to truly appreciate its immense Japanese maple collection he suggested that you visit the Japanese garden. The emerald green moss that covers much of the garden floor accentuates the vibrant colors in the trees.

He continued by saying that they were incredibly attractive plants to be admired right now in the gardens, especially during early autumn. Nestled within the fall foliage these gems are sure to attract some attention, the shorter days, longer nights, and cooler temperatures are exactly what these plants prefer. He listed a few of his personal autumn favorites, but there is one tree in particular that he found stunning, and this is the Heptacodium miconioides (Seven–son flower). With its creamy white fragrant flowers, this tree is sure to impress! There are a few Heptacodium miconioides in our collection and the two most visible trees are growing on either side of the Star Pond he said honestly at this point he looked more like a guide than my boyfriend but I was glad to know he loved nature as much as me if not more Nigel laugh then decided to take the relay

-Excuse him Miss Alicia when he starts talking about the things he loves he can stop but I must say I'm also the same Martha loves gardening I heard her talk about it so much I can probably be a professional guide I got all sorts of knowledge I thought were useless but Ace wouldn't agree every knowledge is precious he said one time to me, for example, did you know that after a warm and dry summer, the autumn rains are a much welcome sight, not only to garden enthusiasts but also to the plants. It takes many good rainfalls for the soil to properly absorb moisture after a dry summer season. The water we receive from rain is quite different from our irrigation water and benefits the plants in many ways; rainwater contains nitrate – the most bioavailable form of nitrogen, and it is naturally slightly acidic which most plants prefer. Speaking of rain, we are pleased with the measures that we have been working on in order to reduce water consumption, e.g. adding organic matter to our soil, paying close attention to the timing of our irrigation, mulching, and increasing shade to the soil by planting densely. These examples can be implemented by anyone and can foster a garden that requires far less water. Over time this can lead to large savings to one's pocket book, but even more importantly it can help reduce the demands from our local water supply. Hector really worked hard on this so when you meet him later talk to him about this that will make him happy wink Nigel before starting to talk again

-The precipitation that we are so thankful to see also poses a challenge to our summer annuals, especially at the tail end of the season. Cool wet conditions can be a spawning ground for disease and these conditions are not ideal for summer annuals. Gardening staff work hard to prolong the summer season by performing tedious work like deadheading, pruning, and cleaning up dead foliage to keep the show going. Regardless of how much work our gardening staff do to try to extend their season, some flowers cannot be saved, and therefore need to be replanted. at peak season there's more than 300 people working in these gardens on the island 

Martha my wife, well Ace probably told you she called her Mammy her favorite flowers are the Dahlias, these are plants that thrive during this change of seasons. A lot of work goes into planning, growing, and maintaining the Dahlias so it's always a welcome sight to see them drawing plenty of attention in September. This has been an exceptional year for the Dahlias, and one Dahlia in particular is almost 9 feet tall! Not only do the Dahlias catch the attention of our visitors like yourself (giggles), but they are a hit amongst our bee population. Each week during the summer, gardening staff deadhead, removing the spent blooms from the Dahlias to promote continuous flowering. While staff are deadheading they are also tasked with relocating sleeping bees! I couldn't believe my eyes when I witnessed this for the first time 8 years old Ace at the time was fuming mad when he learned we were killing bees instead of relocating them that's also why we got our own beekeeper now and produce our own honey. Apparently, Dahlia flowers provide a comfortable place to nestle down for the night, and in order to continue on with their jobs, staff manually move the bees to other flowers as they cut the spent blooms. This is satisfying work knowing that these small steps are helping the native bee population. It also makes for a variety of honey that taste different from one beehive from the other before this I didn't know honey could taste so different depending on the flower the bees were feeding on 

Nigel could really have been a good guide his voice as a certain soothing effect and the fact that he knew what he was talking about made it easy for me to understand what he was saying I wasn't an expert but I knew that maintaining a garden this big was surely a colossal task, now I'm a little afraid to see how big ace home is I thought looking at him