Trust in You

Chapter 18 - Madeline

It's a gigantic mansion. Or should we call it a palace? I didn't know this kind of house exists. The building is huge and luxurious. The garden is sooooo beautiful and for sure, if you left me there, I wouldn't find my way out.

"Have you ever lost in this garden?" I ask him warily while we are walking into the maze.

He chuckles. "Nope. Relax Sweetness, I won't let you lose in the middle of this garden." We walk side by side. He doesn't kiss me anymore or initiate any intimate moves. I'm relieved but I also feel... disappoint? Ugh, my libido messed up again.

We arrive in the middle of the maze. There is a fountain. The top of the fountain is 2 baby angels. One playing the harp, the other one playing the violin. The statues are pristine white. The fountain voice is so calm. Roses surrounded us. Red, pink, blue, white and many other colors. Some of them I never saw before.

"Wow!" I say breathlessly.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Ethan asks me. I nod "this is... breathtaking. You often come here?" I ask him.

He looks at me, and slowly he shakes his head. "Not anymore. Last time I came here... before my mother's funeral. This is her favorite place."

I gasp. "Oh my God Ethan, I'm sorry. Let's go. We don't have to stay here any longer if you don't want to." I take his hand. "Let's go!"

He holds my wrist "it's okay, Sweetness. This place holds too many memories of my mom. Lot of things happened, Madeline." He sits on the bench, pulling me gently to sit next to him.

"Did you know my mother had depression?" He looks at me and I shake my head. "It happened when my dad died 8 years ago. Mom was so sad. Not even an army of shrinks could help her. She tried to act normal in front of us. But once she returned to her room, she would have cried and cried and cried until her tears were dry, her voice was gone, and she fell asleep crying."

I study Ethan. He's looking at the fountain. His eyes glassy but he keeps continuing the story. "Remember the chair you sat in the annual meeting?" I nod. I assumed there was a story about the chair. But I didn't ask anyone about it.

"Did you realize it surprised everyone when Helen asked you to sit there?"

"Yeah. Their eyes almost popped out," I say to him. And he chuckles and nods.

"That was my mom's seat. Helen put that chair because she wanted her daughter-in-law, Amanda Hall, back. Back as a normal person. She loved her so much. That was why she tried to keep my mom as busy as she could. Asked her to join to the meeting, joined the gala and charity, anything.. When my mom died, nobody asked Helen what they should do with the chair. Not even me. We're all too afraid to watch her reaction. You are the first person she asked to sit there after Amanda Hall." He looks at me deeply. "No one knows why Helen asked you to sit there. I'm proud to say that I'm the closest person to her. But even me... I'm clueless why she did that."

My eyes widen. Now I understand why everyone's reaction was obvious that day. It wasn't just a mere chair. "Did you upset I sat there?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "No. Surprised yes, upset no." He clears his throat, looks at the fountain and continues, "my mom died at one of our vacation houses in Hawaii. People said it was because the weather was bad. But I'm aware my mom did nothing to help herself when the wave took her. The night before her death, she came to my room. She caresses my hair. She thought I was sleeping, but I wasn't. Mom kissed me and left the room. Just like the old times when I was a kid." Ethan's voice is shaky, his eyes still lock to the fountain, but I can sense he is bleeding inside.

"I shouldn't have pretended that I was sleep. I should have talked to her, because it was my last chance. I still regret it until now that I didn't take my last chance." He shakes his head. "I was so stupid," he chuckles, trying his best to hide his misery. He looks so vulnerable.