Wildflowers | Alec Volturi

huit

"She was like a whirlwind, a force of chaos and destruction."

The sun came in full force, beating down on her back as Robyn sat patiently out of the way, hands crossed daintily in her lap as she watched them work, a cool, fresh bucket of water set to her side.

The twins had changed, yes, but Alec still looked as remarkable as ever in his work clothing. It was a dark colour, something like brown that dyed easily and wouldn't be terribly missed should it be ruined -- though, if the stitches were anything to go by, then it was safe to say that he had mended many times before.

It reminded her of Rodick when he was a few years younger and still energetic and reckless he was to come home with torn clothes filthy and worn after a day's work.

Jane was with him, the pair slowly working to finish up the front fence to protect their flower and herb garden -- an envy of many of the women in the village if she was honest, the herb seeds a gift that they had received from a passing tradesman when they had sheltered him from a storm when the twins were six or seven.

She could remember well her Mother complaining loudly up until the point that Robyn had returned home one evening with a couple of extra seeds that Mrs. Law had given her as thanks for aiding in her garden.

Each year now they had the best, well kept and fruitful collection of herbs that they sold in the village and in the nearest market simply because they had such large yield.

On her end, Jane struggled to hold the plank still as they worked on putting together the outside portion. They were layering it twice over for extra protection. It was more costly, but it would hopefully discourage heedless vandalism.

At times she grew worried that they were too forgiving, too passive, but then she remembered that they were nicely balanced with Alec's calm demeanour and Jane's perpetual anger.

She did not envy them a thing, not when they had earned what they have just as she. No, envy was a sin that Robyn had no use for.

If anything, her wants were always lustful and filled with passion, driven by her desire to be with Alec before anything else as she was stupidly in love with him. The lengths that she would go spurred on by her feelings alone.

Her resolve never wavered, she never faltered. It was a tentative union that slowly began to grow with each encouragement that she gave him for the show of his affections, for the return of hers. She hoped that he would not pull away this time as they began to make slow advancements.

Robyn was still young, still at the age that she could push off offers of marriage until he was ready. She was thankful that she was late to commence her monthly bleed compared to the other girls, that her slow progress allowed for her to remain unwed longer.

"The nails are not high enough," she hears Jane snap, struggling to hold the weight of the plank.

"It is not my fault that you are not holding it up for me," he says as calm as ever. "It is difficult to bear the weight and hope to hammer correctly."

"Then allow me to bear more of the weight," Jane argues, readying herself to hold more of it.

Seizing the opportunity, she surges up, rushing to grip the plank with a pleased grin as they both immediately stagger under from the shift in weight. "That should be better now," she says brightly, holding it straight in place. It pulled at her arms only a little but the shared burden was easy to carry. "I told you earlier that it would be easy for me to help."

He hammers in the nails with a pout before moving swiftly over to the other end. The job was easily finished afterward.

"I asked you not help," he says, not meeting her eyes. "I swear I will not help any longer. It is simply that you were both growing rather frustrated."