Ryder's Plaything

CHAPTER THREE:Then why are you sad.

Ava's POV

She didn't even notice my uniform as I hoped she would. Strange indeed.

‘’Then why are you sad Marie, you should be happy he's returning. You always light up when you talk about him’’.

I asked Marie, because I did not understand why she is sad about Ryder coming back home. Even though I've lived with the Santos since I was a baby, I've never really met him and barely even know the man.

He started boarding school at a young age and flew to England for college at Oxford university, enrolling at one of the best in the world.

Ever since he took over as CEO of The Santos Engineering Incorporated five years ago. He moved to Germany where he was trying to open the first overseas branch. I knew that he married a German woman and now has kids.

But that's all I know about Ryder Santos really. I only just returned home to the Santos mansion myself.

I just graduated from Nursing school and this is my first year back home. So I'm kind of in the dark if you put it that way.

So I didn't understand why Marie was sad and looking heartbroken. I did not want to push her by asking so many questions just yet, so I let her be.

I try to use her favorite strawberry cake to distract her, but it wasn't working. So I pleaded with her to come back inside the room where it was warm, since she stood at the balcony in only her night gown.

Reluctantly, she followed me into the room. We sat on her bed. Since she apparently did not want the strawberry cake, so I asked her if she wanted some coffee. When she nodded her head in affirmation, I poured some into her mug and handed it to her.

But she held the cup and just stared at her coffee. I knew she had a lot on her mind and wanted to say something, so I took her left hand in both my hands and squeezed gently the same she squeezed mine years ago when I was little.

She smiled, a pained one. ‘’I used to light up like a bulb when I talked about my son indeed, you're quite the observer Ava'’ she says trying to make small talk. I just smile and nod my head.

‘’ You know how I always screamed at Greg for being so stubborn. Because he wouldn't change his stance on anything, no matter what the issue was. Even though his life depended on it. You see Ryder is just like his father. I wonder which of them was worse.’’

I've heard her several times before. Talking about her ‘stubborn men’ like she always call them, usually a smile follows her bold declaration everytime.

I smile again, still holding her hand. She takes a sip of her coffee, I can see the gloom was leaving her face. She was getting back to her normal self.

‘’You know Ava, I can scream my head off about my Greg and Ryder being very stubborn. But that is what I love most about them. That was what made them special the most’’. She took another sip of her coffee and then placed the cup on her bedside table.

It seems she has transformed in an instant. While I still sat at the foot of the bed, she stood and went to her dressing mirror. Removing her hair bonnet, I watch her run her fingers through her locks. I didn't say anything.

If I wanted her to tell me what was really on her mind, it was very important I let her get comfortable. She sat down facing the mirror and took her hair brush this time, she began combing her hair. With slow, smooth strokes.

‘’ It was typical of Ryder Santos to not come back home after college. Even though his father and I wanted him back, he remained in Europe. Getting contacts, making the right moves just like his father. Greg was proud of him you know, his son was finally living up to his expectations. I was just happy for my boy’’.

Still running the comb through her hair still. I only just sat and listened to her speak. There was still a sadness in her voice. Still I said nothing.

‘’ So after a full year and a half he left for France. He still did not come home you see. Only sent letters back, I could only manage to get him on Skype twice or maybe three times in two weeks before I saw his face.

Even when he took over the company officially from his father, his first conference with his staff was on Skype. I had never seen my Greg Alvarez Dos santos a more prouder man. The Santos Engineering Incorporated changed drastically under the new leadership. The company was doing well in fact, I was only happy for my boy’’.

Now she stood up from her dressing table, and walked over to the opened balcony we just came in from. She closed it this time and came back right in.

Returning to the bed and joining me where I sat. This time she took hold of my hand and gently rubbed circles on the back of my hand.

‘’We got a wedding invitation via mailbox one cold winter morning, inviting us for a wedding in Germany. Ryder had found a wife and he wished to start his own family.

When I told Greg I was not happy with the way Ryder just ambushed us with such a life changing decision, he just told me to stop stressing too much. He's a grown man who can make his own decisions, he chided me.

We only had a week to get there in time for the wedding you see, I could not carry much of the presents I wanted to give to his bride. The wedding was a blur for me, I can only recall standing at the departure terminal of Long Beach Airport waiting for my plane to take off.

I saw my twin grandbabies for the first time on Skype. They were too young to fly half way round the globe. His kids were his world’’.

Marie carefully placed my hands on my lap and stood up. For a minute or two she stood still, and finally she said.

‘’His world was crushed Ava. And I never got to meet those little angels’’.