Chapter 25

In his last few months of life, despite sometimes experiencing crippling pain throughout his entire body, Gilbert Bougainvillea made sure that his girls would be treated with as much love as he could acquire and give to them. In an effort to give them a place to go and feel like he was there with them he, along with Dietfried and Hodgins, bought a large piece of land near the city and had it turned into one of the countries largest and most peacefully designed public flower gardens in the country, and they named it "The Evergarden." On most days that's where Violet and her daughter could be found. They would pack a large picnic basket, if they needed a new book they would stop at the universities library.

For only five years old the Bougainvillea girl was already an avid reader, although mostly sticking to books with large photos and small descriptions, she was all too eager to learn to read and understand every word put to a page.

The day before his reading Leon flew into Leoden early, wanting to enjoy the city a bit he walked around, window shopping until it was time for a midday meal. So he stopped at a cafe to get a meal that he could take to the gardens he had heard so much about, the gardens his friend Gilbert, who had written him once before passing to thank him for sharing his adventures so that people like him could still feel like they were seeing the world, had commissioned. As he approached the large metal arch at the entrance of the garden that read "The Evergarden" with violets planted all around the bases he sighed a smile at the clear to anyone who knew Gilbert personally, devotion to his wife.

He grabbed one of the little maps that were available to guests to decide where to rest and eat his lunch. When he saw an entire section dedicated to his favorite flowers he made his way there and found a nice spot on a bench surrounded by the various purple and white flowers that remind him so much of the stars he saw at the top of the mountain. When he had finished his meal he decided to close his eyes and let the fall breeze lull him into a meditative state.

"Aster! Has anyone seen Aster!" A woman's voice, sounding panicked, yanks him from his thoughts.

"They're over here!" He yells a friendly response.

As the woman with graying blonde hair, caramel colored eyes, wearing a black dress enters the area, she is searching the area frantically as she speaks without even looking at Leon. "Where is she?!"

"She? I thought you said you were looking for aster?" He tilts his head.

"No. I'm looking for a little girl, named Aster. She's this tall," she rests her hand near her hip to show him. "She has long black hair that she has probably pulled out of the braids I just put it in and bright green eyes. She does this to me every time because she knows it gives me a heart attack! Would you help me look for her?" The woman stops for a moment to nearly beg him and he just laughs before saying he would be happy to help.

"There's just one more thing." She says as she picks one of the flowers and extends it to him. "She's deaf. So use this and she'll know you're a friend."

The woman dashes off towards the tulip fields before Leon can ask anymore questions. Right as the woman disappears is when he hears the smallest giggle he'd heard since his time in the village at the other side of the world.

He pretended to leave the area and circled around it until he saw the tiny stocking covered legs, ruined at the bottom of her feet , and probably the front as well, from grass stains where her shoes should be.

He carefully got down and crawled under the bush until he was just beside the small child in her purple dress that was now covered in grass, dirt and bark. When he came into her peripheral vision she squeaked in surprise. Leon pointed to the aster bloom in his hand and then to her with a friendly smile that she returned with a giggle before taking the flower and nodding.

He had only learned the basics of sign language but was able to spell what he didn't know the sign for and spoke as well, not knowing if she was able to read lips or not. "Hello, my name is L-E-O-N. How are you?"

She smiled and signed back to him. "Hello L-E-O-N! I'm happy! How are you?"

He laughed before responding. "I'm happy too."

They exited her hiding spot and after brushing the dirt away as much as possible she grabbed his hand with a smile and started to tug on his arm. When he looked a bit conserved she signed with a sigh. "Come meet my mom."

Assuming her mother was the woman he had met earlier that handed him the flower, he let her lead him. Out of the asters, past the dragons app and honeysuckles, until they entered a grass clearing, surrounded by violets. At the far end is a rock waterfall that creates a stream, and if they hadn't turned into this section they would have crossed a bridge that went over the stream. Sitting in front of the waterfall was another blonde woman, no signs of greying. She wore a sky blue skirt that pooled around her legs and a cream colored long sleeve shirt with lace flowers overlapping the fabric.

Aster ran towards her mother and as Violet turned to see her daughter her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Leon Stephanotis.