Page 59 of Never Been Gargoyled
I started by opening the windows, then clearing out the dead plants and broken pots, making trip after trip to the compost pile behind the garden shed. The physical work felt good, giving me an outlet for the frustration and helplessness that had been building all day.
As I worked, I found myself thinking about what I was doing. Doing all I could to show her I cared. A gargoyle providing for his mate, creating a space where she could pursue her passions and build her dreams.
But what if those dreams couldn't be built here? Rebecca could win and Dazy would have to leave. What would happen to us then?
I'd never considered what my life might look like away from this estate. For years, my entire existence had been tied to this place. I was the house gargoyle, the guardian of these grounds. It was my purpose, my identity.
But watching Dazy work in the gardens, seeing her light up when she talked about her plans for the estate, I'd realized something that should have terrified me.
This place was just stone and earth and growing things. It was beautiful, yes, and full of history andmemories. But it wasn't alive. It couldn't laugh at my awkward jokes or hum unconsciously while we worked side by side. It couldn't kiss me breathless or look at me like I was precious.
Dazy could do all those things. Dazy was alive and vibrant and everything I'd never known I wanted.
I worked through the evening, cleaning and organizing and setting up the greenhouse. This was my way of showing her what she meant to me without having to find the words.
By the time I’d finished, the space had been transformed. Clean glass let in the moonlight, revealing organized shelves, sanitized growing tables, and neat rows of pots ready for planting. I'd even managed to get the old heating system working again.
It wasn't perfect, but it was functional. A place where Dazy could grow things, nurture them, watch them flourish under her care.
A place where she could be happy, even if everything else fell apart.
I stood back and surveyed my work, dirt under my fingernails and satisfaction warming my chest. Tomorrow, when she discovered what I'd done, maybe she'd smile that brilliant smile of hers.
She might even look at me the way she had earlier, when I'd showed her the bath. Like I was someone worth keeping.
The sound of the kitchen door opening drifted across the garden, followed by the warm scent of herbs and melted cheese.
“Feydin?” she called out.
Dazy must’ve finished cooking, and she'd probably want to eat while the lasagna was hot.
After washing up at the sink, I headed back through the house, already planning how I'd reveal the greenhouse to her. I could do it after breakfast tomorrow, when she was rested and more herself again.
Maybe then I'd find the courage to tell her how I felt.
Or maybe I'd just keep showing her through my actions, one restored greenhouse at a time.
Chapter 22
Dazy
After dinner, Feydin excused himself to look into my legal situation online, and I found myself wandering through the estate with restless energy. The lasagna had been perfect comfort food, and our conversation over dinner had been easy and warm, but I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was balanced on a knife's edge.
I walked through the first floor, cataloging all the work that still needed to be done. The floorboards in the front parlor creaked ominously in one corner. The wallpaper in the dining room was peeling near the windows. The kitchen cabinets needed fresh paint, and half the light fixtures probably weren't up to code. Actually, I doubted any of the electrical system was up to code. The panel sure had looked old.
So much to restore, and I might not get the chance to finish any of it.
The thought made my lungs ache,so I stepped outside into the evening air. The gardens looked better already from our work, but there was still a lot of potential waiting to be unlocked. I could envision pathways winding through flower beds, a pond with water lilies, definitely seating areas where visitors could rest and enjoy the beauty. Twinkle lights strewn everywhere. My version of magic.
That assumed there were going to be visitors and that this place would be mine to share.
I was so lost in my planning that I almost missed it at first. The greenhouse at the back of the house looked different. Clean windows and… I walked closer.
Stopping outside, I gaped through the glass. The greenhouse had been a disaster zone of dead plants and broken glass and high on my priority list for renovation.
I went inside, gasping at what I found.
It had been completely transformed. The glass panels sparkled, the floors were swept clean, and neat rows of pots and planting supplies had been arranged on long tables. Even the old heating system looked like it was working again, based on the gentle hum coming from inside.
