โCome on, letโs hurry to the rooftop terrace and set off some fireworks!โ Zinnia cheered, brimming with excitement. She quickly changed.
โPut on your scarf. Itโs cold outside,โ Nathan reminded her as he and the others were clearing the dishes, noticing Zinnia coming out.
โOkay,โ Zinnia chirped, then ducked back into her room to grab her scarf. After carefully browsing through her favorite pretty scarves, Zinnia finally settled on a strawberry pink one knitted with tiny hearts.
By the time she finished carefully selecting her scarf, Zinnia emerged to find the three men had already cleared the dining table, with the living roomโs ventilation system humming softly and the air feeling fresh.
โLetโs go.โ Zinnia adjusted her scarf eagerly.
The three men quickly grabbed their coats and headed for the door.
Yannis shrugged on his coat and bent down to pick up a box of fireworks from the floor. Jackson grabbed a box too, leaving Nathan and Zinnia with nothing to carry.
They all piled into the elevator, heading for the rooftop terrace. The rooftop was spacious. For the New Yearโs celebration, someone had decorated the area, stringing up festive lights. Tables and chairs were arranged, laden with drinks, fresh fruit, and candies.
Jacksonโs assistant had even brought up several crates of large fireworks, ready for the celebration. โPut the fireworks down. Letโs play together.โ Zinnia bounced over to Yannisโs side, reaching eagerly for some sparklers.
Yannis lowered the box, letting Zinnia grab a box first to indulge her eagerness. Zinnia grabbed a box of sparklers, tore it open with excitement, and eagerly pulled one out.
โMaster, can you light this for me?โ Zinnia bounced over to Nathan, eagerly holding out her sparkler. Nathan took out his lighter and gently lit the sparkler for her.
As beautiful sparks burst into the air, Zinniaโs face lit up with a radiant smile. โSo pretty! Master, you should try too,โ Zinnia exclaimed eagerly. Without waiting for a reply, she lit another sparkler and pressed it into Nathanโs hand.
โJackson, come on.โ Zinnia lit another sparkler and skipped over to him.
Jackson took it. โThanks, Zinnia.โ
โNone for me?โ Yannis asked, stepping up beside her, his deep gaze lingering on her.
Zinnia looked confused. โBut arenโt there a whole pile of sparklers right in front of you?โ she asked.
Why is he giving me those puppy-dog eyes? There are so many sparklers right there on the ground in front of him. Why doesnโt he just grab one himself? Zinnia thought.
โYou gave them some, but not me? How can my sweetie be so double-standard?โ Yannis raised an eyebrow, his voice languid and teasing as he drawled out the words.
Everyone else got one, and Iโm the only one left out? Yannis thought. He fixed on her, his voice honeyed as he drawled out, โSweetieโฆโ
โY-Youโฆ Why are you calling me that too?โ she stammered, her ears burning as if scalded, the tips turning crimson with embarrassment.
โSweetieโ was what Maisie and the others called me first. I have no idea when he started using it too. I never thought heโd call me that, Zinnia thought.
โSo, everyone else gets to call you sweetie, but I canโt? Why are you playing favorites, sweetie?โ Yannis teased, drawing out his words with a lazy smile. โYou handed out sparklers to everyone but me, and now you wonโt even let me call you sweetie?โ
โIโฆโ Zinnia stammered, her gaze dropping as she fidgeted nervously. His teasing remarks came one after another, leaving Zinnia speechless. She glanced at the empty box in her hands. She had wanted to light one for Yannis too, but they were all gone.
โHow about you take mine?โ Zinnia said, thrusting her sparkler into Yannisโs hand.
Zinnia then bent down to grab another box from the pile, eagerly tearing it open.
Yannis looked down at the sparkler Zinnia had pressed into his hand, the spot where her fingers had gripped it still warm from her touch.
โCome a little closer and help me light this,โ Zinnia said, pulling out a fresh sparkler. She tugged Yannisโs hand toward her, pressing her sparkler against his.
The sparklers were pretty long, probably about three feet, so they lasted for quite a while. The sparkler flared to life, sending golden sparks dancing into the night. Zinnia beamed, taking two playful steps back, her eyes sparkling with delight.
Waving her sparkler, Zinnia chattered to Yannis, โLet me tell you, back in my town, my sparklers were always the prettiest. All the kids were so jealous. Every New Year, theyโd trail after me like little ducklings.โ
โIsnโt that right, Master?โ Zinnia turned around again to look at Nathan, who stood not far behind her, holding a sparkler.
Through the shimmering fireworks, Nathan gazed at her. Bathed in the soft, flickering glow, Zinniaโs expression was both playful and radiant. He smiled gently and said, โYes.โ
โLet me tell you, Master spoils me rotten. Every year he buys me sparklers and they take up half the storage room,โ Zinnia chattered away excitedly.
Zinnia noticed Yannisโs sparkler had died out. She quickly grabbed a fresh one from the box on the ground and thrust it into his hand. โOh no, yours went out. Light it. Mineโs about to go out too,โ she urged.
She pressed the last glowing tip of her own sparkler to him, helping him reignite it. โThey went out,โ Zinnia said, sounding a little disappointed. She frowned slightly.
โHere, let me light it for you,โ Yannis said. He took out his lighter, gently accepted the sparkler from her hand, and lit it, then pressed his own sparkler against hers to ignite it.
โMaster, Jackson, arenโt you playing either? Why did you go sit down already?โ Zinnia turned around and saw that Nathan and Jackson were already seated at a table nearby.
Nathan was brewing coffee. โLet Yannis play with you,โ he said. Hearing her voice, he looked at her with a gentle, affectionate smile.
โZinnia, Iโll just watch you play from here.โ Actually, Jackson wasnโt really into this kind of thing.
โGuess they just arenโt into this stuff,โ Zinnia said. โLooks like Iโll have to play by myself then.โ
Zinnia waved the sparkler in her hand and glanced at Yannis standing beside her. โWant to go join them for coffee and a chat? Master and Jackson donโt seem to like it, so you probably donโt either.โ
โIโm not going. Iโll stay and play with you.โ Yannis said with a smile. โLook, weโve got some ground spinners here. Want to try them?โ He crouched down, glancing at the colorful assortment of fireworks at their feet.
โYes. I want to play with fairy sparklers too.โ Zinnia nodded eagerly.
โAlright,โ Yannis said with a smile, pulling out the fairy sparklers Zinnia had mentioned. Fairy sparklers are different from sparklers. The fairy ones produce finer, twinkling sparks. Sparklers, on the other hand, burst with more colorful and thicker sprays of light.
Yannis carefully lit the fairy sparkler for Zinnia. Zinnia played to her heartโs content.
On the rooftop, one side buzzed with laughter and playful shouts, while the other remained quietly tucked away in their own corner. Yet as they watched the two figures at the center, gentle smiles slowly bloomed across their faces.
โLooks like Zinnia and Yannis really get along. Theyโre both just kids at heart,โ Jackson remarked, sipping his coffee as Zinniaโs cheerful laughter rang out nearby.
Zinnia skipped ahead playfully, while Yannis ambled behind her at a relaxed pace, arms laden with sparklers, his eyes crinkling with tender amusement.
Nathanโs fingers cradled a coffee cup, the rising steam softly blurring his features.
He fixed on the distant figure and murmured, โYeah.โ
โAre you still planning to return to Mealinia? Things are booming back home now, and with Zinnia here and us looking after her. Why not come back too?โ Jackson turned his gaze at Nathan across the table.
Nathan, for his part, had never really mentioned whether he planned to return. With his talents, coming back home wouldnโt hinder his career in the slightest. If he wanted to, he could succeed anywhere, anytime.
Nathan lowered his gaze, his voice soft and unhurried, so faint it might vanish with the slightest breeze. โWeโll see when the time comesโฆโ
โWhatโs your plan for Zinnia? Sheโs in her senior year now. If you donโt come back, she canโt really be apart from you. Are you thinking of transferring her to a school in Mealinia?โ Jackson asked, concern in his voice.
Heโd already avenged his enemies in Mealinia, and with Zinniaโs adoptive parents gone, now that she was here in the country, there was no reason for Nathan to go back to Mealinia alone.
โThereโs no rush. Letโs see what Zinnia wants first,โ Nathan replied gently.