Prologue
It began with the want of a garden. She got the best soil she could find, planted the plants she'd always wanted to have. She even made sure to water it and went as far as singing it a song every day. The girl always cared for the plant even when months passed and not even a single stem sprouted.
As time passed, she watered it less, did not bother to use her beautiful voice to sing to it. More time progressed, and she didn't even bother to check on her garden at all anymore.
Her grandmother’s eyes fell to look at the abandoned garden with a frown. On that day, she went up to her granddaughter and asked, "why have you given up on your garden?"
The girl had a look of hopelessness on her face as she and her grandmother strolled over to the not-yet-bloomed garden. Her shoulders hung in defeat as she pointed towards it with a look that said, 'it's obvious.’
Her grandmother could see the failure on her face.
"I care for my garden, granny. I watered it. I bought the best soil I could; I even sang to it just to get them to grow. I put so much care into them. I just wish they could give something in return," she whispered sadly—her eyes on the plot before her.
"You care? Well, that is an excellent start. Sometimes, caring can be enough, but I didn't raise you by simply caring for you. I raised you by constantly trying new things to make you better; by loving you, by supporting you, teaching you, and most of all, never giving up on you," she told her granddaughter before getting down and pulling out the seeds the girl had planted.
"Granny, what are you doing?" the girl asked with her shock evident on her face.
She could not believe her grandmother was tearing apart her months of dedication. It may have been nothing, but at least it was hers.
"Silly girl, the only reason your garden hasn't grown was because you placed them in the shade. Plants need sunlight to prosper," the grandmother told her, chuckling lightly.
"I never thought about that.”
"You see, girly. You gave up on something without ever giving it the chance to grow. Before you stop caring and you give up, make sure you remove the darkness," her granny said.
The girls' eyebrows eased as she nodded her head.
"When I continue to care without ever giving up again, and since we took it out of the darkness—does that mean my garden will finally grow?" the girl asked her. Her big doe eyes watching her grandmother curiously.
"No, but it means you are giving it a chance to."
CHAPTER ONE
Care for Butterflies
"I used to have sex all the time. I did it every day, every minute, almost every man. It didn't matter if he was married or single. I was a woman who loved to be satisfied," Miss Paola had stated as Avelina finished making her food.
"Sounds like you were never bored," Avelina chuckled in response.
Her back was facing the older woman, but she knew that Miss Paola was rolling her eyes. A scoff left the woman's mouth, leaving Avelina to smile softly. "I wasn't bored because I didn't spend my days taking care of old women like me.”
"What if I said that I have fun taking care of others?" Avelina questioned just as she placed the Chicken Alfredo on a plate.
Once again, Miss Paola was rolling her eyes.
"Then you'd be a goddamn liar.”
Avelina set the plate down on the glass table; her smile never faltering. "It’s not a lie, Miss Paola.”
Despite her age, Miss Paola didn’t look a day over forty. She had her hair up in an elegant updo, and she wore her usual business-like wear. For her to be older, she never seemed to be dressed down. Even her makeup looked professionally done.
"Aren't you, Brazilian?" The woman asked annoyedly.
Avelina watched Miss Paola get up from the couch and walk over to her seat at the table, grumbling underneath her breath.
Nodding her head, Avelina sent her a smile to ease the older woman from her grouchiness. Miss Paola always seemed to be in a cranky mood, no matter how hard Avelina tried to be kind.
“If I hadn't had gone through menopause already, I might be jealous of you," she said with a slight eye-roll.
Avelina couldn't stop her eyebrow from rising as she processed her words. It didn't seem like much, but it was the closest Avelina had ever gotten to a compliment.
"And why is that?"
"You have a nice figure, and your facial features don't make me want to throw up. I believe you should be out there putting your body to great use rather than here, taking care of me like I'm some sort of toddler," Miss Paola spoke.
Avelina couldn't hide the small smile on her face.
"I guess I'm just not the type. I prefer to be home or out doing my job.”
"You know, I own this hotel. All you have to do is come by for a room, and I'll let you have it for the night," she chuckled after thoroughly chewing her food and swallowing it.
Avelina turned towards her with a playful look on her face just before shaking her head.
"Fine, I give up trying to live my youth through you. You're just boring," Miss Paola muttered.
Miss Paola was ridiculously wealthy. The hotel she was currently living in was not just a simple hotel. It had to have had many penthouse suites, one in which she resides. The building reaches the sky, and only the classiest of people seem to live in it. Avelina would've never guessed that she had to take care of the millionaire who owns it.
The caretaking agency in which Avelina worked had seemed to grasp an upgrade. She went from taking care of people who lived in small apartments to people who were the richest of the rich. The only thing that she disliked most about the upgrade was that the wealthier the person was, the crueler they treated her. Luckily, she had gotten used to the treatment.
When Avelina had finished the dishes, she searched for Miss Paola until finding her sitting outside on the balcony. The woman seemed to be in deep thought as she looked out on all the color New York had to offer her.
Quietly, Avelina walked out and stood right beside her, leaving the wind to whisk through her hair.
"When I was little, my grandmother used to tell me about New York. She said all my dreams would come true. It hasn't yet, and I don't think it ever will," Avelina said randomly.
"What were those dreams?" The woman asked her.
The colors danced around the city as the loud honks and conversations of people joined in. If looked at too closely, no one would be able to detect the beauty in it all.
"To become someone I could be proud of, like a caterpillar to a butterfly,” Avelina said with a small smile gracing her lips at the memory.
"You know, you're the first caregiver that I didn't fire in the first two weeks," Miss Paola stated.
"Let's get you to bed, and then I will see you tomorrow,”
Avelina pushed open the double doors to the penthouse before stepping inside. Miss Paola let out a groan as she followed the girl. They walked up the stairs and to the vanilla-scented master bedroom.
Avelina aided Miss Paola to her bed. Peeling away the duvet, she left enough space for Miss Paola to get under the covers. The woman seemed irritated because someone was tucking her into bed as she laid down on the sheets.
"Goodnight, Miss Paola," Avelina smiled just before switching off the lamp.