Chapter 11
โStay close to me, dear,โ Sofia murmured, squeezing Zinniaโs hand. โNo one will trouble you here. No one.โ
Zinnia followed Sofia downstairs, where Henry and the others waited at the set tableโnone had wanted to eat without her.
โZinnia, do you still feel unwell?โ Henry asked anxiously when he spotted her. โCharlie can help if you need anything.โ
โGrandpa,โ Zinnia said, her voice still a little hoarse but much better than it had been that morning.
โZinnia, 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.
โAlright, Zinnia, sit between your cousins,โ Sofia said. Sheโd wanted her granddaughter beside her, but Jackson had been quicker.
Zinnia didnโt mind where she sat. She settled calmly between the two brothers, her usual cool expression softening slightly as she glanced at Henry and Sofia.
โZinnia, I wasnโt 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.
โOnce youโre feeling better, Iโll take you out for a proper meal. Just tell me what youโre 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.
Heโd even asked Maelis earlier while Zinnia was asleep, but she didnโt know either. It seemed no one in the Shaw family had a clue about Zinniaโs preferences.
Since she wasnโt feeling well, the chef had kept the dishes simple and easy on the stomach. Everything was nutritious, if a little bland.
โThanks,โ Zinnia murmured.
Truthfully, it didnโt matter much to her what she ate. Nothing would ever compare to her masterโs 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.
โThis is our first real meetingโshe barely knows us,โ he thought. โAfter everything the Shaw family put her through, no wonder sheโs not ready to trust.โ
โHey, Zinnia, shrimpโs 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. โThere 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.
โZinnia, you need to eat,โ Sofia urged, serving her another portion. โYouโre not well, and we want you to get better soon.โ
โThanks, Grandma,โ Zinnia murmured, her voice barely audible.
โSweetheart, youโve been through so much lately,โ Sofia said softly. โYour mother can be careless sometimes, but donโt you worry. Iโm here for you.
โJust 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. โZinnia is such a good girlโhow could the Shaw family have failed to see that?โ she thought.
โGrandma, Iโm not going back,โ Zinnia said quietly, meeting Sofiaโs eyes before glancing at Jackson nearby. โI only came to check on you because Jackson said you werenโt feeling well. Iโll leave soon.โ
โThatโs right, Zinnia. I havenโt been feeling well lately. My whole body achesโmust be my age catching up with me.โ Sofiaโs voice wavered dramatically. โWho knows how many more chances Iโll have to see you? Wonโt 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 Henryโs arm for good measure.
Henry, married to her for decades, didnโt miss a beat. He dug his fingers into his thigh until his eyes watered, then turned to Zinnia with a pitiful look. โYour grandmaโs right, dear. Weโre not getting any younger, and our time with you isโฆ limited.
โOne day, I might just drop dead,โ Henry said, his voice trembling. โHave a heart, Zinnia. Stay with us a while longer.โ
Zinnia watched their performance in silence. Her sharp eyes gave away that she wasnโt fooled.
Sheโd trained under her master in medicineโshe wasnโt 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. โLiar. Grandma is obviously fine,โ she thought.
Jackson squirmed under her stare, an odd twinge of guilt hitting him. Then it struck himโSofia pulled this trick all the time with him and Charlie, and they always fell for it. He figured Zinnia wouldnโt see through it.
What Jackson didnโt know was that Zinnia had already seen right through himโshe knew enough about medicine to spot his lie instantly. By the time he realized his mistake, heโd already earned himself weeks of Zinniaโs icy treatment.
โStay with us awhile, wonโt you, Zinnia?โ Sofia coaxed, eyes twinkling.
Zinnia wasnโt even grown. The thought of her leaving set the Lynns all on edge.
โYour grandmaโs right. Just stay with us, okay?โ Henry added gently. โIt gets too quiet around here with just the two of us.โ
โTheyโll be keeping you company,โ Zinnia said, nodding toward the brothers.
โOh, Zinnia, donโt even get me started on those two,โ Sofia huffed, shaking her head. โOneโs always buried in his company, while the otherโs holed up in that research lab.
โThey are always awayโdisappearing 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 grandsonsโJackson, Charlie, and Isaacโwho 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 unreachableโexcept for the occasional grainy video update to prove he hadnโt 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 Sofiaโs complaints rolled on and on.