Unexpected Encounter: A Second Chance at Love

"Men are like that, they always need someone to nag them." Aunt Maria grabbed Rachael's hand. "I am so happy Andrew has someone to nag him now."

Rachael smiled but she couldn't picture herself being a wife that nags her husband. She wondered if she could pull that role off.

"Since you don't wanna eat now, do you want me to give you a quick tour of the place?"

"Yes, that would be lovely."

…..

[Garden]

After taking a tour of the entire house, aunt Maria brought Rachael to the garden. They were sitting on a bench near the fountain.

"This garden—why is it like this?" Rachael inquired. The garden was quite big with a fountain in the centre. There was also a beautiful porch where one could enjoy their morning and evening coffee. But the only thing that bothered her was the garden did not have a single flowering plant. There was only a big old tree on one corner and a few shrubs.

Aunt Maria sighed but did not say anything. This made Rachael more curious. "Is it because he just moved in?"

"The renovation started almost a year ago." After a long pause, aunt Maria added, "When Andrew's mother was still around, both of them used to take care of the garden together. She loved gardening and so did he but things changed after she—" She stopped and sighed in dejection. "Since then, I have never seen him taking care of the garden. He barely looks at it. He has instructed everyone to leave it the way it is."

Looking at Rachael, she added, "I can't tell you everything dear, all I can say is he has been through a lot—things you can't even imagine. He may look tough from the outside but I know there are still many things which are bothering him, things he can't forget. After madam's death, I never left his side. But I am just a housekeeper, there is a limit to what I can do. Though I was there for him physically, I could never be there for him emotionally. But now you are here—"

Aunt Maria grabbed her hand. "Andrew adores you and I can see it. You have no idea how happy I am that he finally found someone he is willing to share the rest of his life with."

After listening to aunt Maria, Rachael felt very overwhelmed. Every time someone told her about Andrew's parents' unfortunate demise and how much he had suffered, her heart ached for him. She could only imagine what he had gone through.

...

[Bedroom]

After talking to aunt Maria for a while in the garden, Rachael came back to the room and took a quick shower. She then looked at the pile of suitcases lying in one corner. She had to arrange her things and the closet but she was also feeling very tired.

Contemplating for a while, she crawled into the bed. A short power nap did not sound that bad.

...

[Three hours later]

When Andrew arrived home, the first thing he did was ask aunt Maria about Rachael. "Where is she?"

"She is upstairs."

"Did she eat?"

"She did not eat anything yet." When he frowned, aunt Maria added, "Madam said she will wait for you to come back."

He glanced at his watch and his frown deepened. It was almost five in the evening and she hadn't eaten anything. Though he had told her he would be back in a couple of hours, he decided to stay back a little longer and finish everything. He didn't want to leave her alone and go to the office every other day when he had taken a special break to spend time with her.

"Is the food ready?"

"The morning food is already cold but I can quickly make something for the two of you."

"It's okay, I'll take her out for supper," Andrew remarked. "You should also rest early." He then walked upstairs.

…..

[Bedroom]

When he entered the room, the scene he witnessed brought a smile to his face. Rachael was soundly sleeping on the bed.

Andrew sat on the edge of the bed near her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. Her presence made the room feel so warm and cosy and he loved it.

Now he had a reason to return home as early as possible. And she was the reason.

Not wanting to disturb her, he dimmed the lights. He then grabbed his towel and entered the washroom.

…..

[Fifteen minutes later]

Rachael slowly opened her eyes when she heard a loud sound. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly got up. She was still trying to figure out where she was when her eyes landed on Andrew's beautiful face.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He was very careful not to make any noise that would disturb her sleep. But the hand brush slipped out of his hand and crashed on the dressing table.

Rachael on the other hand, couldn't take her eyes off him. He was wearing a pair of grey joggers and a white t-shirt. His messy wet hair made him look hot and even more handsome.

"Wow—" she involuntarily exclaimed. The sight was so pleasing to one's eyes.

"Huh?" He frowned and placed his hand on her arm. "Rachael, are you okay?"

When his cold hand touched her warm skin, she came back to reality. "Y-Yes, I am fine." She awkwardly cleared her throat. "When did you come back?"

"A while ago, you were sleeping so I didn't disturb you," he answered. "I had to stay at the office for a little longer."

"That's fine."

"Did you eat?"

She shook her head. "I wasn't that hungry so I thought we could eat together when you are back."

"Rachael it's almost time for dinner, you can't skip meals like that." He didn't want her to skip meals. She was already very skinny.

"Did you eat?" She inquired.

"No."

"Andrew it's almost time for dinner, you can't skip meals like that," Rachael exclaimed.

…..