Chapter 51 - White Tulips

Instead of answering with a straight answer, Gabriel decided to probe the child with a question first.

"Why are you asking this?"

From his demeanor, the teenager didn't seem to take offense at the rude insinuation as his tone was calm and indulgent, albeit a bit helpless. There was even an amused smile stretching his lips.

"A hunch!" instantly replied Misha while nodding heartily, his small, serious face filled with righteousness.

The way he said it made it sound like his answer was the most natural, rational, and logical one. No decoration accompanied it; it was just the plain truth. His instinct told him that something was off with Gabriel's amnesia, so he simply blurted out his thought.

Well, it was also true that Gabriel protected him in a manner that was far too similar to how he did it in their past life. If he had lost his memories, the teenager wouldn't be so keen on defending him from his half brother. Although it was not surprising that he chose to protect a child, there was still too much emotion involved.

Of course, Misha couldn't tell him such a thing, so he opted for 'a hunch,' which wasn't too far from the truth.

Before long, Gabriel burst out laughing, burying his head in his hands. That pair of siblings was always full of surprises, leaving him taken aback each time.

Firstly, there was Masha, who immediately realized that something was off when he woke up, waiting for everyone to leave before interrogating him. She was always on his side and angry on his behalf, wanting to tear apart everyone that hurt him, no matter who they were.

Secondly, there was Misha, who simply followed his instinct, not caring at all about others and such. He stood up against his family without hesitation and didn't even question his sudden coldness, naturally accepting it.

And although his pranks were tiring, they also carried a hint of warmth amiss the mischievousness. In the end, it was only a child who was trying to draw his attention, or so Gabriel thought.

How could his frozen heart not feel warm with those two siblings around? As time went by, the layers of ice were gradually melting, and the teenager felt like his heart started to beat again, albeit slowly.

"Why are you laughing!" pouted Misha as he vigorously tugged the teenager's hospital gown. "And why aren't you answering me?"

"Sorry," apologized Gabriel as he straightened his back and ruffled the child's soft hair. "And how would you react if I was indeed pretending to have amnesia?"

"Then, I would hit you!"

That had the merit to cut straight to the point.

"And sulk for a few days!" admitted the boy before adding with a glare, "And unless you have a good reason to lie to my sister, I will not forgive you!"

"Don't worry, Masha already knows," sighed Gabriel, deciding that he might as well tell the truth to the child, or at the very least, parts of it.

It seemed like Misha had already made his mind, and he wouldn't let him off the hook until he answered his questions honestly. On this point, he was the same as his older sister, obstinate like no one else.

The boy foolishly blinked, stunned into silence by the teenager's words.

His sister knew!? Since when!?

With furrowed brows, Misha mumbled to himself, "Why didn't she tell me?"

"Probably because you're not a very good liar," teased Gabriel before adding with a more severe tone, "And also because she didn't want to involve you in my problems. Honestly, I would have much preferred that she didn't notice my lies, but she knows me too well."

Gabriel helplessly shook his head, a small smile lifting the corners of his lips. Since long ago, he couldn't hide anything from her, as she couldn't hide anything from him.

"Also, I would appreciate it if you forget everything you've seen and heard today, for your own good."

"I don't want to!" retorted Misha in a loud voice, pounding on the teenager's t.h.i.g.hs with his small fists. He glared at him with pursed lips, appearing quite wronged.

"I don't want to be left in the dark anymore! If you don't tell me anything, I can only fill in the blanks myself, and I can't guarantee that I won't misunderstand you!"

Upon hearing the child's words, Gabriel slightly frowned, but still, he didn't point out their oddness.

Right now, it felt as if he was talking with a small a.d.u.l.t, not with a little boy with development disabilities. It wasn't the first time that he had felt this way, but today was particularly vivid.

Again, Gabriel pretended to be clueless, and instead of questioning Misha, he said with a gentle tone:

"I don't mind being misunderstood. You have seen how my family is, isn't it?"

"But I mind! And yeah, your mother is a–"

Misha abruptly closed his mouth, pursing his lips. Although that woman was a bitch, he shouldn't say it aloud. It was still Gabriel's mother, after all.

"You can say it. Angela is not my mother. She's my stepmother, and the two boys were my half brothers."

"Oh, then I won't hold back. That woman is a freaking bitch. And the teenager looks like a snobbish asshole. I should have crushed his balls while I still had the chance," tsked the child, not realizing how vulgar his words were.

"Well, yes, they aren't the best people in the world, and I don't want them to target you because you have accidentally offended them. The way they do things isn't very proper."

"Ok, I get it. They are bad people, but why do you have to pretend to have amnesia? By the look of it, they still won't leave you alone. They are worst than bloodsuckers."

"Well, that's…"

Before the teenager could finish his sentence, the door unexpectedly opened for the third time today, and Misha's family entered the room, cutting short their conversation.

Masha was first in line, a big bouquet of white tulips in her hands. Their mother followed behind her, holding a few snacks and whatnot. Their stern-looking father came last, closing the door behind him.

When the trio saw the two boys, they froze for a second, unable to help but raise an eyebrow as they wondered what exactly they were doing.

Misha was on tiptoes, his clenched fists still on the teenager's t.h.i.g.hs, whereas Gabriel was oddly positioned, half-sitting and half-lying on the bed, with his upper body bent over to talk with the child.

The question was, were they fighting, or were they chitchatting? It was hard to tell.

"Sorry, Misha ran off the moment we arrived," chuckled Masha as she walked up to them, wisely deciding not to comment. "This little one didn't want to come with me to the flower shop, even though it's just next door."

Upon hearing these words, Misha turned his head sideways, pretending that he hadn't heard her.

Besides the hospital, there was indeed a flower shop. Since Gabriel had finally woken up, Masha and her mother had decided to buy a bouquet to celebrate, even planning on writing a small card that wished for the teenager's quick recovery. Without caring for the boy's opinion, they dragged him to the shop while Alexis went to park the car.

However, the moment the mother-daughter duo took their eyes off of the child, he sneakily went to the hospital, poping in Gabriel's room soon afterward. He deliberately waited until they became engrossed in shopping before escaping.

When Mrs. Brown realized that her son was missing, she almost had a heart attack. If it hadn't been for her daughter's comforting words, she would have gone crazy.

Therefore, now that her son was in front of her, she just wanted to grab him and scold him for three days and three nights, but she couldn't do this in the room of a patient.

So instead, Mrs. Brown simply rushed to her son like a bolt of lightning, hugging him as if her life depended on it.

She whispered in his ear, "Sweetie, don't leave us without saying anything! I was worried sick!"

There was a silence before the boy guiltily murmured, "Sorry. I won't do it a second time, but mom, you're crushing me."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to," apologized Mrs. Brown as she loosened her grip and patted his shoulders.

For the past few years, he had seen the same flower lying beside his mother and sister's grave at each of their death anniversaries. Seeing them again brought back many memories, reminding him of those long lonely days.

Suddenly, it was as if a lump got stuck in his throat, depriving him of his voice.

Oblivious to her little brother's state of mind, Masha put the flowers on the night table, saying with a laugh:

"These flowers are the first ones you ever gave me, so they are quite special to us. Consequently, my mother loves them very much too. So, well, we decided to buy a bouquet for you. Anyway, I don't really know what flowers you love."

The little boy's eyes grew wide, and his clenched fists started to tremble slightly. He had always wondered why someone would lay white tulips on a grave, and what kind of meaning did it have.

As a child, he had never paid attention to what kind of flowers Gabriel gave to his sister, much less what flowers his mother loved. It was something that he had long forgotten.

Back then, that giver of flowers that had piqued his curiosity, was it Gabriel?

Well, even if he were to ask now, he would never know.