Take My Wings: A Mail Order Bride Novel with a Deeper Meaning

Chapter 10: Eden

"We made your favorite." Cynthia winked at him, and Michael warmly smiled.

"Thank you. You're too kind." Michael looked inside to see the beautiful desserts.

"You helped us when we needed it most. Least we can do." Cynthia hugged Autumn as she ran to her side.

"Oh!" Michael pulled his wallet from his back pocket, and I watched the woman hold her hand up.

"On the house. You're family. You don't need to pay us. We love when you come in." Cynthia winked at him, and he still pulled out a few euros.

"I insist." Michael placed a bunch of euros into her hand.

"Michael... this is- this is too much." Cynthia tried to argue, but he closed her hand around it.

"Never. You do so much for me." Michael kissed both of her cheeks.

"You're too good to us." Cynthia touched his cheek and warmly smiled. "Now, go. Her food is going to get colder."

"Right." Michael spoke his goodbyes and walked over to hold the door open for me.

I walked out of the building and made my way to his car. Michael unlocked it and opened the door for me. "Did you have fun?"

I nodded and sat down in the car, waiting for him to close the door. I didn't know what to think about him. My emotions were all over and I didn't know what was right or what was wrong. I didn't know much about who he was. I had only known who his father was for a short time, and it was enough to know the type of man he was. But Michael was harder for me to read. I didn't know if he was really as charming as he was letting on or if he was hiding something from me. My trust had died years ago, and I struggled to grasp it back. I was trying though, in my own way. Trying to accept the possibility that he wasn't like his father or anyone else I had encountered in my short life.

The ride hadn't felt like it was that long and soon I was pulling up to this massive home. One that was way beyond the size of the one I had grown up in.

Michael opened a garage and drove in as the massive shop lights flickered on, one at a time. I gasped as I was faced with ten expensive cars, each parted diagonal.

"Yeah, uh." Michael awkwardly laughed as he parked his car beside a red Ferrari. "This is... one hobby of mine."

He turned off his car and got out, walking around to open the door for me. I lost all of my words as I took in all of the fancy cars. I had only seen the cars online or on TV. Seeing them up close and tangible was a whole other experience.

"C'mon I'll give you the tour." Michael warmly smiled and gestured for me to follow him inside of his place.