Garland of Flowers

"But it's not my first time here…" Emma started to say but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Whether it's your first visit or your hundredth visit, as long as you're a guest, you are a god," Quiana explained before she went to the door and received the snacks brought by Uncle Arjun.

Emma blinked once then twice before raising her hands up in surrender.

"Alright…Alright. I'm sorry. You can continue. Ignore me." Emma said before turning her attention to the designs in her bag while Quiana placed the snacks and drinks on the center table.

There was no helping it. Even if she talked from now till tomorrow, there was no way Quiana would listen to her.

At least this was way better than her first visit. On that day a small ceremony was held to welcome her. 

Quiana's mother, Yasmine Kumar, lit a lamp on a plate and waved it in front of her face. She applied a red powder on her forehead and offered her a sweet while Quiana put a garland of flowers around her and gave her a welcome drink.

All in all, she couldn't deny that she felt really special that day. No one had ever celebrated her in such a way before.

The custom and tradition of her friend's family was something she had come to love from the bottom of her heart because of their hospitality and amiability.

Who would have thought that she'd be best pals with the daughter of her landlord in a foreign country? 

Emma shook her head in mirth at that thought, her hands separating the design sketches she created earlier that day on the table before her.

 A plate of exquisite snacks appeared beside her hand and she heard her friend say, "Emma, my brother is coming back from our home country in a few days."

Emma's gaze followed Quiana who sat directly beside her on the bed as she plopped a small cookie into her mouth.

"Dad called him back because he wants him to take over the family business but I know my brother, he clearly doesn't want to get involved in something like real estate. He has a mind of his own."

She picked up a chocolate bar and placed it by Emma's mouth, "He actually left home for over two years just so he could pursue his passion in the fashion design industry."

Looking her squarely in the eye, Quiana said, "That's where you come in."

Emma bit into the chocolate bar, the crunchiness and sweetness enveloping her mouth before she asked, "What do you mean?"

Quiana dropped her hands and pursed her lips, her jhumka earrings twinkling under the light, "I know you've arduously burnt the midnight oil night after night just to learn more about jewelry design but you lack practical experience in the jewelry world."

"You're into jewelry design, my brother is into fashion. There'll definitely be a bridge that connects both of you and leads to mutually beneficial cooperation."

"So, I wanted to ask for your permission to show my brother your designs and see what he thinks about it. Who knows? He might know someone who knows someone in the jewelry industry. Plus your designs are too good to be kept hidden for so long." Quiana said, her almond eyes eager as she looked at Emma hopefully.

Emma frowned subtly, her heart beating in anticipation. If this pulls through then she'll finally be able to break into the world of jewelry.

As she sat in her small apartment, clad in gray sportswear, she reminisced about Quiana's offer. This wasn't something that she could rush into just because of how tempting it was.

Her designs were her life. 

She had already pushed the limit by letting Quiana see them because she trusted her and did not have any knowledge of jewelry design.

But showing her design to someone already versatile in the fashion industry was like putting a fat piece of meat before a wolf.

What would happen if her designs were stolen or modified?

She wouldn't have anyone to run to.

Emma trusted Quiana but she hadn't seen her brother before so she couldn't say that she trusted him. 

As Emma contemplated her next step with her portfolio of intricate designs before her, she received a call from her mother. 

"Hello, mom," Emma called out enthusiastically.

"Hello, my darling Emma. How have you been?" Rosa asked, a gentle smile on her face as she picked a handful of sunflower seeds from the bag beside her. 

It's been just a week since she last called her daughter but it felt like ages.

"I'm fine. How about you and dad?" Emma asked as she reclined on the bean bag and pulled at the shorts of her sportswear.

"We're good dear. We're doing just fine. It's the weekend and your dad is snoring away right now. He had a drinking competition last night with one of his partners and wouldn't get up no matter how much I pinched his face." Rosa chuckled as she put the phone on speaker and carefully planted each seed in the ground.

"Haha! Dad will always be Dad. His alcohol tolerance is so low! Why did he even bother competing?" Emma giggled before asking seriously, "But how is Dad's business coming along?"

Rosa patted the soil and sighed, "It's coming along fine. But you know there are a lot of risks to look out for in the beginning. So he's just trying to be careful and that is slowing him down." 

"I tried talking to him about it that avoiding taking risks isn't going to help him but you know your dad. You know he can be as stubborn as a mule when he wants to be." Rosa said before slapping the soil hard with a short spade in annoyance.

Gabriel who was sleeping upstairs suddenly coughed and mumbled something in his sleep.

Emma sighed with a light chuckle. 

Ever since her dad resigned from K he had decided to start up a company of his own in the Food processing industry but because he didn't have enough funds, he had put it off till the beginning of this year.

Rosa threw the spade into the bucket beside her, got up, and approached a bed of vibrant sunflowers. "Well, his company is doing better than I presumed though. In just five months, he has already signed up to three contracts. I guess his plan is working in his favor. Anyway, let's not talk about that stubborn man, that's not why I called."

"Emma," Rosa began, her voice filled with warmth and concern, "I've been talking to an old friend of mine, Rebecca Xanzi. She's a well-connected woman in the business and jewelry world, and she's always looking for bright, ambitious individuals to join her team."

Rebecca is a successful businesswoman, well-connected in the jewelry industry. Being one of Rosa's close childhood friends, she visited her when she gave birth to Emma and came by often in later years.

She suddenly stopped visiting when she traveled for a business trip and became permanently based in Diadyn. 

Emma paused and looked up from her designs, a mixture of surprise and gratitude in her eyes. 

"Aunt Rebecca? I remember her. She used to come to our house for dinner parties when I was a child." Emma replied animatedly as she stood up from the table and walked around excitedly.

Rosa smiled, her hands gently tending to the sunflower in her garden as she answered, "Yes, that's her. You know she's always liked you since you were little. I called her yesterday and we spoke for a while." 

"When we were catching up, I just told her about how you started learning about jewelry design since your divorce and she said she admired your determination.

"She thinks you have great potential and offered to help you find a job where you can work part-time and continue your studies."

As Rosa explained the situation, Emma could sense the genuine care and concern in her mother's voice.

Emma's heart swelled with gratitude.

She had been waiting for an opportunity like this, a chance to prove herself in the professional world. 

"Thank you, Mom," Emma said, her voice filled with emotion. "I appreciate it so much."

"You're welcome, honey. I'll send her contact details to you right now. Whatever happens always know that Mom is always proud of you my darling. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," Emma said before ending the call, her heart racing in anticipation.

Back at Crystal Hill,

Rosa pulled the phone off her ear and sent a message containing Rebecca's contact information. She kept her phone in the pocket of her gardening apron and stared at the sunflowers before her.

'This is just the beginning Emma dear. Mom has more surprises for you than you could ever imagine.'

'I'll make sure that you'll stand at the highest point in this world just as I once did.'

'I did it before and I can definitely do it again.'

**** 

In Diadyn,

Emma was still feeling excited about the news her mother just gave her. Since she delved into the jewelry industry, she had read up about the most successful people in the industry and had naturally come across the name Rebecca Xanzi.

Every article and magazine described everything about her. How she started her career at the age of sixteen with her best friend, how she ran into an investor who recognized her talents and invested in her, her first ever viral jewelry design at age nineteen...

These articles captured everything yet there were no pictures of this woman on there or on the internet.

So she never in her wildest dreams did she think that the Rebecca Xanzi she had come to admire was the same Aunt Rebecca that always came for a visit when she was younger.

"What a small world! I have to tell Quiana! She'll be over the moon!" Emma exclaimed before reaching for her phone again.

She was just about to call her when she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh no. Queen wants me to work with her brother. How am I going to explain this?" Emma bit her lip in silent contemplation.