The manor was buzzing with activity that day.
"Baby Ava, you just stay right here," Frank exclaimed as he carefully placed a comfortable chair in the courtyard and gently guided Ava to sit down.
Natalie, alongside Jasper, was busy adorning the yard with vibrant balloons while Trevon, sleeves rolled up, meticulously arranged the flowers. Each bloom had been handpicked by Joseph himself. There were lovely pink roses, elegant purple orchids, and delicate white baby's breath. All contributing to the simple yet luxurious theme of the decorations.
"Dad, this book's for you. Uncle said to follow the instructions inside and not mess it up," Jasper handed the book to Trevon, offering a subtle reminder amidst the bustling preparations.
Having arrived early in the morning, Trevon and his family were there to assist in preparing the manor for the impending wedding. Once everything was perfectly set up, they planned to head back to Athana. Despite Ava moving to Athana after the wedding, they wanted the manor to be lively and celebratory, keeping the essence of festivity intact.
"Yeah, you go hang those balloons."
Jasper shrugged, his expression playful yet conveying the seriousness of his message, leaving it to his dad to decide whether to heed it or not.
Alex, another early arrival at the manor, couldn't help but remark, "Jasper, you're even more dashing than before,"
Jasper glanced at Alex and sized her up. "You're not bad either."
"Hey, Natalie, this little dude's turned so cool," Alex complimented.
"Jasper, it's not polite to talk this way. You should call her Miss Johnson," Natalie emphasized, hoping to instill some manners.
Ever easygoing, Alex laughed it off, saying, "No worries. You can call me bro if you want. Call me however you like."
"Okay, bro," Jasper agreed, casting a mischievous glance at Natalie.
Natalie frowned, kind of speechless. However, Alex seemed delighted by the playful interaction with Jasper.
"Darling, don't tire yourself out. Supervise me; I'm afraid of making mistakes," Trevon handed the notebook to Natalie, looking rather earnest.
"Well, can't we just hang it over there? You can take a look from a distance," Natalie said in jest, but ultimately ended up taking the book and instructing Trevon on how to arrange things.
Christina and Joseph hadn't returned yet; The Turner Corporation was granting a five-day holiday post their daughter's wedding. Therefore, today, the couple was wrapping up final tasks at the company.
Meanwhile, Emma and Daniel were busy decorating their daughter's room while the household staff and security guards were in the living room.
"Yana, what kind of wedding do you fancy?" The nearby guard, sensing Benjamin's playful itch, couldn't help but ask.
"Shut up if you don't want a beating," Yana retorted.
However, it seemed like her words acted more like a mute button to the former's chattering, as Benjamin persisted, "The gentleman just now was Mr. Wilson. I think he looks quite approachable. He's tall, handsome, and has a pleasant demeanor. Why's it so hard to get along with him? See, he's always smiling at Miss Natalie."
No one paid much attention to Benjamin's verbose comments.
Frank gave Benjamin a light pat on the back of his head. "Seems like you're fond of him. We'll arrange something for you when we get to Athana."
There was something odd in the way those words sounded, a lingering suspicion that Frank wasn't entirely sincere. Yet, there was no concrete evidence to support that feeling.
As they reached the door, Frank turned to Trevon. "Benjamin thinks you're easy-going. He'd like to spend some time with you."
His words drew laughter from everyone. Even Jim thought Trevon might be suffering from hormonal imbalances, yet someone perceived him as approachable. Benjamin must have a bad eyesight.
Trevon, however, remained silent, only offering a faint smile, remarking that Benjamin was indeed the first to find him easy-going.
With everyone pitching in, the entire manor was beautifully decorated within two hours. Christina's child, George, remained quite well-behaved, sleeping in his room while everyone was busy. He only woke up once everything was done.
Natalie held George, sitting on the couch, then motioned for Jasper to hold him. Jasper took the little one, cautiously positioning him on his lap, crossing his arms to prevent his brother from slipping. "Isn't he too heavy for you? Can you do it?"
Jasper nodded, stating calmly, "I can manage; he's quieter than his sister."
"Natalie, Trevon, you've got to rein in your two daughters; they seem to be unstoppable," Natalie had the same perspective toward the chaos caused by her daughters. However, Trevon, unlike his wife and son, didn't perceive their activities as noisy and hardly intervened in their everyday mischief.
The man raised his eyebrows slightly and said, in a casual tone, "They'll be more quiet next year."
Jasper, upon hearing his dad's words, didn't feel like expressing any opinion. Every time his mom criticized his sisters, his dad always said this.
Frank helped Ava inside to rest, and as soon as they entered, they overheard Trevon's words. So Frank said, "You're spoiling your daughters."
"This is exactly my intention. After saying this, Trevon looked meaningfully at Frank. Frank understood the implicit meaning behind that look. Whether it was a son or a daughter, he would treat them all the same. He wouldn't be biased toward anyone.
"Almost done, let's head out. Christina and Joseph mentioned they'll come over later in the evening. Seems like they haven't finished things yet. We won't wait; let's go ahead. They'll make it on their own. Ava, don't worry. Your brother won't be late," Daniel explained.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Turning Of The Tide (Natalie and Trevon)