The cold hands of Regret clasp my neck.

Regret whispers to me "hold my heart."

Her lips press on my skin.

I beg for her to let go, let me forget.

I keep my picked flowers in a jar, I can not open.

—𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘴

-

-

-

"Pleasure to meet you," Ambrosia said letting go of his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, I'm sorry for your loss" Elias spoke, his voice was deep and hushed.

He smiled at her and Ambrosia couldn't help but smile back. Her eyes traced the defined lines of his face and his rosy lips.

He must have realized how she was studying him and she glanced away.

Slightly embarrassed, Ambrosia looked down and cleared her throat.

Mrs. Henway watched the two with a plastic smile.

"Feel free to go upstairs and get unpacked my dear, there are plenty rooms for everyone!" she said chuckling.

Ambrosia nodded and turned to go and get her bags when a hand caught her wrist swiftly.

"Would you like me to help you, Miss?" asked Elias.

"Oh no it's fine I'll manage," she said as he slipped his hand away brushing the palm of her hand.

Ambrosia hurried outside and held her hand in a fist.

That was a little strange.

She grabbed her luggage and Sadie's cage and followed Elias up to her room.

As she walked she remembered the large spiraling steps she used to run up as a kid. The hallway she used to skip down. She finally made it to an empty room and she groaned in relief dumping everything down.

Ambrosia sat on the bed and looked around the room.

It was her grandmother's.

The only thing left of her belongings was an old patterned rug resting at the foot of the bed... Ambrosia stared at the rug and bit the inside of her cheek.

She was really gone.

"Are you alright Miss?" Elias asked gazing down at her with much intrest.

"Yes I'm alright, this is just my grandmother's room.."

"Oh..if you like I could show you too another room," Elias said beginning to pick her things up.

"No, this is perfect!" Ambrosia said pulling off a fake smile and falling back on the large king sized bed.

She shuddered at the thought of her grandma who used to sleep in here.

She tilted her head looking at Elias who stood quietly at the door for a few moments his eyes wandering around the room, searching.

"You don't have to call me Miss you know, my name is Ambrosia" she stated.

Elias flashed his eyes to her as if she had plucked him out of a trance.

"A-Ambrosia," he repeated as if it could be his last word," the flower of love."

Ambrosia's face heated up, she had never heard of that one before.

She muttered to herself while sitting up and pulling her kinky hair back.

"A truly beautiful flower," he said lowly before dropping his smile, his eyes came down to his feet.

He was kind of shy.

"Elias!" came a voice from downstairs.

Elias ran his hand back through his hair and quickly fixed his posture. His face held a look of slight annoyance and Ambrosia could tell he was trying to hide it.

"I've gotta run, so I guess I'll catch you later Ambrosia," Elias said quickly looking out the door, for something else caught his attention.

"Nice meeting you Elias" Ambrosia called out as she watched the dark-haired young man slide out of her room closing her door.

She didn't even realize how much she was grinning.

The perfect distraction.

Not even a minute after Elias left someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," Ambrosia said while unpacking her suitcase.

It was her aunt Tania, dressed in some rather fancy clothes. A red dress with splashes of white, and old jewelry to ornate her. Tania looked around the room and gaped.

"Well look at you with your own large room!"

"Yeah" Ambrosia replied sheepishly.

Tania sat on the bed and patted the mattress.

"Oh I miss her..." she sighed deeply.

Ambrosia organized her clothes out on a dresser.

"Tania, may I ask you something?"

Tania turned to Ambrosia and nodded wordlessly.

"How did grandmother die?"Ambrosia questioned as she put her clothes down.

The room was silent, and the eerie musk of old perfume filled the air around the two.

Finally, Tania spoke and her voice was full of lament.

"She had a stroke while she was out by the lake and drowned"

Ambrosia held her hand to her heart, it hurt. Nonetheless, she found that strange, her grandmother was very healthy...well that was what Ambrosia had remembered from the last time she had seen her.

It thumped heavily against her hand, and she breathed deeply.

"My dear, are you okay?" Tania said quizzically putting a hand on Ambrosia's shoulder.

"That's-that's h-horrible" Ambrosia spoke with a quavering voice. Aunt Tania squeezed her shoulder and then let go.

"It's a shame, your father's mother was not the most sensible person from his side of the family," Tania said concisely, "living in a big house by herself!"

"Who's to say she wasn't robbed and murdered."

Ambrosia's stomach dropped and she clutched her sides with a look of distress.

How could she say something like that so freely?

"But it's best not to dwell on it, dear," Tani said pressing her pink glossed lips together.

Ambrosia stood up and nodded in agreement. As if the conversation had switched, Tania's face seemed to reset to default cheeky smile.

"Dinner will be ready at 7:00, sharp!"

With that Aunt Tania strode out of her room her black heels clicking down the hallway, leaving Ambrosia too roam around the large room questioning what she knew about her grandmother.

-

-

-

-