The Final Wait

Chapter 16

Song: OPEN UP

Artist: Daniel Caesar

Chapter 16

The next day Octavia thought it was best to meet up at Kings, where no extra ears joined the conversation. She filled them in on the sleepover she was planning with Eirene. Wahid thought it was useless, but Frederic found it as another opportunity to mingle with Cressida Perkins. Their plan set in place for Octavia to indirectly ask questions about the party, then the two boys will show up with food and stay awhile. She only hoped they'd all come.

'Lunch is on me since I have to go.' Octavia stood up and called over the waiter. 'I completely forgot that Ezekiel is coming over today.'

'Did he see your grandma yet?' Wahid stuffed his mouth with cheesy fries.

'Not yet, he's first gonna set-up and everything. It's a long process Wahid.'

'Long process which you like since that gives you more time with him.' Frederic looked up to see Octavia's face flush. She rolled her eyes. Wahid wiggled his brows and howled for the entire room to turn heads.

'Shut up, you two,' She said. 'It's clearly business, nothing more.'

Octavia repeated that to herself the entire ride home with Dustin. Part of her wanted it to stay business since Ezekiel was passionate about art. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea. That she only lured him to her house because she had a massive crush on him. Every time he posted artwork on social media or they'd text, those feelings increased. It was about time until it was her turn to lean in for that kiss he expected.

There was a bicycle parked near the fence with Ezekiel in a Hawaiian shirt and khakis pants. His converse peeked under his pants when he got off the bicycle and waved. Dustin nodded and left the gate open for him.

Ezekiel's backpack slouched his shoulders and the weight of it only released when he took everything out and laid them on a table in the pool house. A large canvas paper spread out on the floor next to it. Octavia left him to set up and walked into the kitchen to find Dustin preparing snacks. She helped him this time, to ease her nerves of going back to the pool house.

She entered the pool house twenty minutes later with a tray filled with cheesy breadsticks and two ice coffee cartons. Ezekiel had his back to her and crouched in front of the canvas. She set the tray on the table and looked at all of his supplies. 

He requested only a canvas, oil paint and old newspaper while he took care of the rest. Octavia and Dustin were clueless to the colours he wanted, so they got a whole bundle of them. Bottles of different coloured oil paints filled one corner of the table. Ezekiel's paintbrushes lined the newspaper from thinnest to thickest. Sketchpads for drafts, a box of charcoal pencils and different size palettes.

'You're welcome to stay.' Ezekiel pointed at the sofa behind them. 'Keep me company.'

Octavia didn't hesitate and grabbed her ice coffee. She watched him from the sofa and only turned away when he stood up and walked to the table. The silence bothered her more than it bothered him. She took out her phone and connected it with the speaker on the table.

'I'll play some music.' The longer it took to pick a song, the more nervous she got. What if he doesn't like the song? I should've asked him to pick a song. Oh, no, he's looking over here because I took too long. I'll stop scrolling, and hopefully, it'll land on a good one.

A loud pop song blared through the speakers, which made him jump. She avoided eye contact and looked through her phone for a calm song. The only playlist she had was the one she made with Nikolai years ago. They'd add songs they thought they both liked. For the past year, Octavia only added songs.

'Ugh, I love Aquilo.' Ezekiel smiled when Seagull played. 'They really set the mood.'

Octavia couldn't agree more and set down her phone. For a while, they listened to the serene music in silence. Ezekiel sketched most of the time from photos. She laid on the sofa and swung her feet over the edge. With her eyes closed and the songs playing, it felt when Nikolai tried to teach her how to drive. She stopped fifteen minutes in because anxiety got the best of her. That's when Nikolai started the playlist.

'Why flowers?' Ezekiel asked over the music. Octavia opened her eyes and sat up to raise her brow. He chuckled and walked over to sit beside her. 

'You're always wearing flowers. Why's that? I know it isn't because of that roses trend because you've worn flowers that I didn't even know existed.'

Octavia looked down at the violets lined across her collarbone. Ezekiel pointed at the violets on her ripped jeans that she painted herself. 'Oh, it's a long story.'

'I'm all ears, plus my hand needs a break.'

'I don't know. The first time I fully took in flowers was at Mama's funeral. As weird as it sounds. Her coffin was just surrounded in them and not the basic white but... all different colours. I stood there and just took it all in. I found it... unfair that how beautiful and alive they were around a dead person.

'Yet I couldn't stop looking at them. So many kinds. It's the only thing you can really tell is dying and just watch it. You can try to save it, but it'll eventually die. Like us... like her. I asked Papa if I could take them all home. He found it odd, but eventually asked someone to send it to my room.

'They were everywhere, and they lit up my room. The flowers watched me grieve, and I watched them die. I'd spend hours in my room crying for her. They became part of me. When I was out, I felt like it separated us. That's when I forced Dustin and Nikolai to take me shopping for an entire wardrobe of clothing full of flowers.'

Octavia told Ezekiel about all the different flowers and her favourite clothing to wear. He nodded but barely listened since his attention drew to the light in her eyes when she spoke. How often the corners of her mouth turned when she'd remember something, then blurt it out. As if she relived the experience and was the narrator of an Octavia back then.

'Also, when Nonno visits Nonna, I tell him to take a fresh bunch of flowers once a week. That way she never has to see them dying and even think about death herself. I know it's silly, but she can look at the bright side and how beautiful they look and fresh they smell.'

'Well, I promise to paint you as many flowers as you want, in their most beautiful state so you'll never have to worry about them dying.'

Ezekiel stretched his arm and took Octavia's hand in his. The roughness of his fingertips from the pencil and erasers made them grasp each other's touch. Their shoulders brushed when he leaned forward and gazed at her lips. A knock on the door made her pull out of his hold. She leaned back into the sofa and turned to her phone. He grabbed the sketchpad and pencil and tried to retrace his focus.

'Anything I can get you? Mr King? Miss Mora?' Dustin entered with his back straight and chin high. 

They both shook their heads, then returned their gazes. He gave a sweep of the room and recognised the song Nikolai once played in the car on the way to their dad's and Eirene's wedding. It brought back memories that made him smile. He trotted over to the sofa and looked down at the sketchpad. 

'How's it going, Mr King?'

Ezekiel stood up and shared his ideas with Dustin. Everything had to be finalised with Grandpa Mora first. While he showed the butler sketches, Octavia watched. She thought back to his promise and didn't know how to express the joy and peace she felt. It was a small gesture that meant the world to her because no one ever said something like that.