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“Hey, Strelitzia,” Ventus started as he moved a ceramic pot of vibrant, orange-red marigolds to a better spot to keep them in full sunlight. “Thank you for trusting me to help you take care of your garden. I know how much all these plants mean to you, and I—I will do everything I can to help them grow to their fullest potential.”
He gently set the pot down and was immediately rewarded by Chirithy, who was rubbing affectionately against his legs before sitting on his shoes to gaze into those baby-blue eyes and offer a soft little meow. Ventus picked up the gray tabby cat and immediately gave it a gentle pet on its furry head.
“And Chirithy will also help take care of the plants,” he said while Chirithy purred loudly.
Strelitzia watched the scene before her with a big smile. How could she not? This boy and cat, before her, had gone through so many things she couldn’t begin to imagine with only each other. Lauriam hadn’t told her everything, but she knew that before Ephemer had become Ventus’ legal guardian, he’d been living on the streets for many years. Despite it all, he’s still standing here, being ever so careful with the petals of the flowers and the amount of water he pours into the soil. A warm laugh escaped her as she made her way to them.
“Of course, I trust you, Ven. You’re super kind and caring, and my plants need someone like you,” she declared, joining in on petting Chirithy.
It was not long before the feline hopped into Strelitzia’s arms. She caught them very quickly as Chirithy made themselves comfortable. Ventus was shocked, as Chirithy didn’t trust others very easily and usually needed “bribes” to gain their affection from anyone who wasn't him. However, his shock dissipated as quickly as it arrived. It made him happy to know Chirithy has become comfortable with other people now.
“We should probably get out of the sun before we overheat. I heard on the news earlier that today’s high is in the 90s,” Ventus muttered, starting to get overwhelmed by the heat.
“Yeah, we’ve been on the roof for a while.”
The two moved over to a shaded area with lots of scenery and a wooden hanging bench. Chrithy decided that Strelitzia’s lap was the perfect place for a nap and very quickly fell asleep. Meanwhile, the two teens had decided to talk about what they’ve been up to since they last got the chance to see each other. Due to Ventus being homeschooled, he didn’t get the typical high school experience, so Strelitzia tells him about the experiences at her school.
“Are you serious?” Ventus exclaimed.
“I’m so serious. I didn’t believe it when I heard it, but the next thing I knew. The school resource officer was rushing into the classroom to break up whatever was happening in the classroom,” she replied.
“And this all happened because someone lost their earbuds in the Spanish classroom?”
“Yeah!”
Ventus couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “High school sure is something else.”
Strelitzia’s cheeks had reddened, and she looked away, a bit embarrassed. “It might just be my high school. It can be a bit much at times…but I love it nonetheless.”
After that, the conversation didn’t continue too much, and eventually the teens had tired out from all the work they’d done that morning. By the time Lauriam came to get them for lunch, he found Strelitzia deeply asleep right on the shoulder of an equally sleepy Ventus.