Come in 11
Posted on July 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Chapter 11

โ€œStay close to me, dear,โ€ Sofia murmured, squeezing Zinniaโ€™s hand. โ€œNo one will trouble you here. No one.โ€

Zinnia followed Sofia downstairs, where Henry and the others waited at the set tableโ€”none had wanted to eat without her.

โ€œZinnia, do you still feel unwell?โ€ Henry asked anxiously when he spotted her. โ€œCharlie can help if you need anything.โ€

โ€œGrandpa,โ€ Zinnia said, her voice still a little hoarse but much better than it had been that morning.

โ€œZinnia, sit here,โ€ Jackson offered, standing and pulling out the chair between him and Charlie.

They were siblings, so it was obvious to Jackson that Charlie cared just as much about her.

With their parents away on vacation, the house held only the two brothers, their grandparents, and now Zinnia.

โ€œAlright, Zinnia, sit between your cousins,โ€ Sofia said. Sheโ€™d wanted her granddaughter beside her, but Jackson had been quicker.

Zinnia didnโ€™t mind where she sat. She settled calmly between the two brothers, her usual cool expression softening slightly as she glanced at Henry and Sofia.

โ€œZinnia, I wasnโ€™t sure what you liked to eat, so I had the chef prepare some light dishes for you.โ€ Jackson kept his voice soft, watching her reaction.

โ€œOnce youโ€™re feeling better, Iโ€™ll take you out for a proper meal. Just tell me what youโ€™re craving, and the chef can make it for you,โ€ he continued.

Zinnia had only just joined the Shaw family, and Jackson still had no idea what her favorite foods were.

Heโ€™d even asked Maelis earlier while Zinnia was asleep, but she didnโ€™t know either. It seemed no one in the Shaw family had a clue about Zinniaโ€™s preferences.

Since she wasnโ€™t feeling well, the chef had kept the dishes simple and easy on the stomach. Everything was nutritious, if a little bland.

โ€œThanks,โ€ Zinnia murmured.

Truthfully, it didnโ€™t matter much to her what she ate. Nothing would ever compare to her masterโ€™s cooking. Right now, she was just eating to keep her strength up.

Jackson sighed as he noticed Zinnia keeping her distance, but he quickly accepted it.

โ€˜This is our first real meetingโ€”she barely knows us,โ€™ he thought. โ€˜After everything the Shaw family put her through, no wonder sheโ€™s not ready to trust.โ€™

โ€œHey, Zinnia, shrimpโ€™s good for you. Have some more,โ€ Charlie said, noticing her gaze on the shrimp. He wiped his hands on a napkin before peeling one and dropping it onto her plate. โ€œThere you go.โ€

Zinnia glanced at the shrimp, then followed the fork back to Charlie. He was smiling at her gently, his eyes warm and encouraging. She just lowered her gaze without a word.

โ€œZinnia, you need to eat,โ€ Sofia urged, serving her another portion. โ€œYouโ€™re not well, and we want you to get better soon.โ€

โ€œThanks, Grandma,โ€ Zinnia murmured, her voice barely audible.

โ€œSweetheart, youโ€™ve been through so much lately,โ€ Sofia said softly. โ€œYour mother can be careless sometimes, but donโ€™t you worry. Iโ€™m here for you.

โ€œJust make yourself at home with us. Take all the time you need.โ€

Her chest tightened as she watched her granddaughter sitting so still and polite. โ€˜Zinnia is such a good girlโ€”how could the Shaw family have failed to see that?โ€™ she thought.

โ€œGrandma, Iโ€™m not going back,โ€ Zinnia said quietly, meeting Sofiaโ€™s eyes before glancing at Jackson nearby. โ€œI only came to check on you because Jackson said you werenโ€™t feeling well. Iโ€™ll leave soon.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s right, Zinnia. I havenโ€™t been feeling well lately. My whole body achesโ€”must be my age catching up with me.โ€ Sofiaโ€™s voice wavered dramatically. โ€œWho knows how many more chances Iโ€™ll have to see you? Wonโ€™t you stay and keep me company?โ€

The second Zinnia mentioned leaving, Sofia sprang into action. She clutched her chest with a groan, secretly pinching Henryโ€™s arm for good measure.

Henry, married to her for decades, didnโ€™t miss a beat. He dug his fingers into his thigh until his eyes watered, then turned to Zinnia with a pitiful look. โ€œYour grandmaโ€™s right, dear. Weโ€™re not getting any younger, and our time with you isโ€ฆ limited.

โ€œOne day, I might just drop dead,โ€ Henry said, his voice trembling. โ€œHave a heart, Zinnia. Stay with us a while longer.โ€

Zinnia watched their performance in silence. Her sharp eyes gave away that she wasnโ€™t fooled.

Sheโ€™d trained under her master in medicineโ€”she wasnโ€™t an expert yet, but she knew a fake illness when she saw one. There was no way she was buying this act.

Zinnia turned and fixed Jackson with an icy glare. โ€˜Liar. Grandma is obviously fine,โ€™ she thought.

Jackson squirmed under her stare, an odd twinge of guilt hitting him. Then it struck himโ€”Sofia pulled this trick all the time with him and Charlie, and they always fell for it. He figured Zinnia wouldnโ€™t see through it.

What Jackson didnโ€™t know was that Zinnia had already seen right through himโ€”she knew enough about medicine to spot his lie instantly. By the time he realized his mistake, heโ€™d already earned himself weeks of Zinniaโ€™s icy treatment.

โ€œStay with us awhile, wonโ€™t you, Zinnia?โ€ Sofia coaxed, eyes twinkling.

Zinnia wasnโ€™t even grown. The thought of her leaving set the Lynns all on edge.

โ€œYour grandmaโ€™s right. Just stay with us, okay?โ€ Henry added gently. โ€œIt gets too quiet around here with just the two of us.โ€

โ€œTheyโ€™ll be keeping you company,โ€ Zinnia said, nodding toward the brothers.

โ€œOh, Zinnia, donโ€™t even get me started on those two,โ€ Sofia huffed, shaking her head. โ€œOneโ€™s always buried in his company, while the otherโ€™s holed up in that research lab.

โ€œThey are always awayโ€”disappearing for weeks on end. Sometimes, your grandpa and I wonder if we even have grandsons anymore,โ€ she added, rolling her eyes for emphasis.

The Lynn family had never been large. Sofia and Henry had just two children. Their son gave them three grandsonsโ€”Jackson, Charlie, and Isaacโ€”who brought some life to the family.

But things changed as their grandsons grew up. Jackson had taken over the family business the moment he was old enough, while his parents retired to travel the world.

Charlie, after graduating, split his time between a research institute and a hospital, barely sparing a day to visit.

And Isaac was the unpredictable one. This summer, he could be scaling a mountain, trekking through a desert, or throwing himself out of a plane.

Most of the time, he was completely unreachableโ€”except for the occasional grainy video update to prove he hadnโ€™t been eaten by a bear. His antics kept the entire family in a constant state of low-grade panic. Once Sofia started on her grandsons, there was no stopping her. Zinnia simply listened, silent, as Sofiaโ€™s complaints rolled on and on.


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