I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses

“That was just unfair! I don’t see how that should be allowed at all!” Sylvia was furious as she bit into her cheeseburger, ignoring the juices dribbling down her face.

Amelia sighed, and raised her napkin to the girl’s face to wipe away the sauce. “Mind your manners,” she said in snappish tone, though she sounded a lot angrier than she actually felt.

She just wanted Sylvia to not chew with her mouth open. That didn’t seem like too much to ask.

Sylvia wasn’t even paying attention to the teacher though. The fire in her eyes was directed solely at Nick, and she glared at him with everything she had.

“Hey, I just read you the book,” Nick said, holding his hands up. “‘The **** of Roger Ackroyd’ is a classic!”

“It’s a dumb classic,” Sylvia sniffed, setting down her half-eaten burger and turning up her nose. “A **** mystery where the culprit is the narrator? And he intentionally doesn’t reveal things to the reader!? That’s the definition of unfair!”

Nick shrugged, not having much else to say on the topic. Honestly, he sympathized with Sylvia a little. But he’d only meant to surprise her! He didn’t expect her to get so… animated.

It was suspiciously reminiscent of when he first loaned the book to Mary back in college. She’d sent him a 2,000 word email outlining how the book was not a fair mystery and that she couldn’t be blamed for not being able to figure it out when the author straight-up cheated.

Then she gave him the same tirade the next day, just in case he hadn’t checked his emails yet.

Mary could be very passionate about things being unfair, especially when those things were mystery novels. It was one of the things Nick loved about her.

Seeing that reflected in Sylvia was frankly kind of adorable.

“Nicholas, did you read a **** mystery novel to Sylvia in the bookstore?” Amelia obviously could infer that, but she verbalized it anyway simply to emphasize her personal qualm with the decision.

Nick winced. He wasn’t quite sure what else he should say in that regard.

“Well, uh… I mean… I thought she would like it,” he said lamely. He liked mystery novels, and Sylvia had a very calculating mind, if she could be naïve in a lot of ways. He thought that she might enjoy a good mystery. And she had- right up until she got to the big reveal of who the culprit was.

She didn’t even try to solve it as she read the way he or Mary would have, so it wasn’t even like she felt cheated out of her hard work. Apparently, just the fact that the book didn’t end in a way she deemed “fair” was enough of an affront for her to get upset.

“I did like it,” Sylvia chimed in, with a tone of voice that suggested exactly the opposite. “But it was still a dumb ending!”

Amelia didn’t know what to say to that.

“It’s not like I’m a little girl or anything,” continued the woman who had just had a **** mystery novel read to her in its entirety by a man she called “Daddy”. “You don’t have to baby me!”

Amelia raised her eyebrow, and looked at the burger Sylvia had devoured. It had been her idea to come to the burger restaurant in the first place, and Nick had obliged her. Amelia would have to make do with a small salad.

If she was grading him on that, Nick would probably score pretty low. But Amelia didn’t care much about food regardless.

“I can’t believe that was the same woman who wrote ‘And Then There Were None’,” Sylvia pouted, slumping back in her seat. “Now THAT was good!”

“You read that?” Nick was shocked. She hadn’t said anything, and the last thing he would have expected would be for Sylvia of all people to read a book, even a classic like that.

Sylvia shook her head. “No, Dakota made me watch the movie version, way back before I became the host. She said that it would be important for me to study the behavior of people when they’re stranded on an island.”

“Uh… well, I suppose that makes sense,” Nick said. He could very easily picture Dakota putting on a movie like that and making Sylvia sit through it. Heck- back in college, didn’t she actually make him watch the miniseries or something? Was he remembering that right? It was hard to tell, because his memories were still a bit of a jumble from the conflicting backstories that had been generated from Dakota’s transformation.

…Still, it made sense for Dakota to do that.

“And Gilligan’s Island… what a tragedy,” Sylvia said somberly, shaking her head. “Six people stranded with a crazy lunatic who keeps sabotaging their attempts to escape, all the while fooling them by pretending to be the biggest idiot in the world…”

Nick and Amelia shared a look.

Sylvia had an… interesting interpretation of that show.

Amelia cleared her throat and took a sip of her coffee. “This is very enlightening, Sylvia. But if I may ask… **** mystery aside, did you enjoy yourself? At the bookstore?”

She gave Nick a sharp glance and he winced.

I should have asked that! Darn it! Amelia set me up for it and everything! How could I be that stupid!? Nick knew that he should have been attentive to Sylvia’s needs, and he’d never even considered asking her whether or not she’d enjoyed herself at the store.

“It was okay,” Sylvia said, shrugging noncommittally. She glanced at Nick with starry eyes. “But the important thing is I got to spend time with Daddy. And it seemed like he really enjoyed himself a lot, reading to me!”

Nick felt a blush coming on. When Sylvia was actually being sincere, she could sound genuinely sweet. And the way she looked at him, it really felt like she appreciated and adored him.

As nice as that feeling felt, though, he also knew that their relationship was far from ordinary, and he wasn’t sure exactly how he should feel about that.

He cleared his throat. “So, um… on that topic, when it comes to what we’re going to do after lunch, I was thinking…”

“Yes?” Amelia and Sylvia responded at the same time, but with very different tones.

Sylvia sounded hopeful and excited, while Amelia sounded cold and judging. Nick anticipated that she would still be testing him on this next idea of his, and frankly… that worried him.

While he and Sylvia could get along, they didn’t have much in the way of shared interests. Sylvia was too focused on making him happy for that. And with that in mind, he wasn’t exactly sure what interests she herself had, if any.

It almost felt like being with Mimi again, trying to get her to experience new things. But where Mimi was just starting out with human experiences, Sylvia had a whole bucketful of them.

Nick had spent some time thinking about what they should do together, and what Sylvia would enjoy… and he was still drawing a blank.

So he went with an idea that was kind of a copout, but was also the best thing he could think of given the circumstances.

He just had to hope that the two of them would go for it.

Nick resisted a pleading look he wanted to give Sylvia, and focused his attention on both girls.

“…I thought we could go to the garden,” he said. “You know, the Botanical Gardens, out past the hotel over there?”

He gestured out the window, towards the outskirts of the Shopping Center, which transitioned into the Botanical Gardens. They could have gone by elevator, but a walk on a day like today would be nice to experience too.

It was the best he could come up with on such short notice. Sylvia was a bit of an enigma, but one thing he knew about her was that she loved plants. She had spent a lot of time in that garden, and he had a feeling it wasn’t just because of Mimi. And Amelia should like going for a walk in the garden too! It seemed like the kind of environment that his detached, introverted stepmother would enjoy. Getting outdoors, but not too wild and outdoors. And it was rather picturesque as well. If he could come up with anything specific for Sylvia that Amelia would also enjoy, it would be that.

Nick held his breath and waited to hear what the ladies had to say.

“The Botanical Gardens?! Oh my gosh!” Sylvia exclaimed, her eyes shining with glee. “That… I can’t wait! What are we doing here?!” She grabbed the remains of her burger and devoured it in a flash, making an absolute pig out of herself and not caring in the slightest.

Amelia sighed, but it was aimed at Sylvia’s sloppy table manners and not at Nick’s idea. At least, he hoped that was the case, anyway.

“A walk through a garden… I see.” She adjusted her glasses and looked closely at him, and Nick once again felt like he was being studied.

“I-I chose it because Sylvia really likes plants,” Nick said unprompted, gesturing to the eager girl as a prime example. “And I thought that you would enjoy yourself, too.”

Amelia nodded thoughtfully. “I see… I see. Well, I can say this for sure, you’ve certainly thought long and hard about this issue, Nicholas.”

He perked up hearing that. “I-I did, I really did,” he nodded firmly. “It took a lot of time to come up with, but I think it’s the best for everyone!”

Amelia wore a neutral expression on her face, but she still nodded. Nick took that as an absolute win.

“That sounds like a nice plan then,” she said. That was all. No “well done” or “good job” but that wasn’t really her style.

And even though she usually had trouble conveying those feelings without speaking them directly, Nick didn’t feel that issue at all in this instance.

“Ah! We’re here!” Sylvia stepped out into the sunny light of the Botanical Garden and took a deep breath, feeling the nice wind blow over her. “The Botanical Gardens!”

She stepped out onto the wooden platform and spun, sighing in joy. “This is nice… yeah, this is so, so nice,” she murmured, and turned back to Amelia and Nick. “What do you think, Daddy? Isn’t this place just the most relaxing thing ever?”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed, walking over to join her on the walkway. “It really is relaxing!”

“Kim knew what she was doing, taking you out here on her first date,” Sylvia said, scanning the wide variety of plants. “That girl’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

“I see, so you’ve already gone on dates with other women to this garden, then?” Amelia noted, her voice impossible to read. Nick wondered if he heard a hint of amusement in her cold tone, but no way, right?

She wasn’t that twisted.

Nick shifted awkwardly. “I mean, yeah, but it’s not that big of a deal,” he said, rebounding fast from his feelings of insecurity and putting a forceful spin on his position once again. He wasn’t going to back down over something like this! “I just think it’s a good dating spot,” he assured the other woman. “We’re here for Sylvia’s sake, after all.”

Amelia gave him a cool look and pushed her glasses a little further up her nose. “…Well in that case, you should take care to spend time with Sylvia, wouldn’t you agree?”

It took Nick a moment to realize what she was indicating with that, but when he figured it out, he whirled around to see that Sylvia hadn’t waited up for them.

She was so excited that she had already run practically halfway across the garden!

“S-Sylvia!” Nick stammered, hurrying to catch up with her. What a mess! They were supposed to stick together on this date so he could show both of them a good time, and Sylvia had just up and booked it without hesitation!

He needed to keep in mind that she could be a little bit of an airhead. Most of the time.

When he finally caught up with Sylvia, she was standing in front of an assortment of massive sunflowers. The center of the flowers were larger than her head!

“This sure looks nice, don’t you think, Daddy?” She asked, turning back to look at him with a bright smile on her face.

Nick returned the smile and nodded.

“Yeah,” he agreed, checking out the flowers. “They really do look good, huh?”

They didn’t just look nice, they even smelled nice. There really was something relaxing about coming to a garden like this. It set his whole mind at ease.

Even though he should be worrying about Amelia and her judgment, he wasn’t. He could see that Sylvia was enjoying herself, and that was enough for him.

Maybe I’ve been worrying too much about this date, he thought, shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight streaming down on the two of them.

“I know all about the plants in this garden, Daddy,” Sylvia boasted. “Even if they aren’t as special as the ones in my special garden.”

Nick didn’t say anything. He remembered Sylvia’s “special” garden and the special plants that she grew in there.

The last one had sprouted into a slime girl, who had become Nick’s lover, and been transformed into the twin sister of one of his other lovers.

Needless to say, he was going to give that part of the Botanical Garden as wide a berth as he could.

He wanted Sylvia to have fun, but not THAT much fun.

Nick could see that Sylvia was teaming with energy, and against his better judgment, he asked a question that he knew he would immediately regret.

“Why don’t you tell me a little bit more about the plants, then? If you’re such an expert?” He asked, cracking a smile.

Sylvia’s eyes widened, and a massive smile stretched across her face.

It was the kind of smile that told Nick he’d made the right decision, but also that he’d made a very, very wrong one.

Amelia walked through the garden at an even pace, enjoying the feeling of nature around her.

This was nice. Nick had chosen a pleasant spot for his little date, which was impressive given how little preparation he’d had for it.

At the same time, though… Amelia wasn’t exactly thrilled by his decision to ditch her in order to catch up with Sylvia.

It’s clear that boy still has a long way to go, she thought, watching the two of them from a distance.

She smiled when she saw how much Sylvia seemed to be enjoying herself. But I don’t have to tell him that right now.

“You two look like you’re having fun,” she said as she joined up with them. “Forgot all about me, did you?”

She’d meant for that to come off as a joke. But the tense expressions on their faces told her that she’d missed her mark again.

Amelia sighed. She was always messing up like that.

“Sorry, we kind of ditched you,” Nick apologized, scratching his head sheepishly. “I was just so caught up in listening to Sylvia…”

“I was telling Daddy all about the flowers here!” Sylvia gushed. “I took really good care of all of them! Mimi was my favorite, of course, but I had a few more that were just darling!”

Amelia blinked and raised her eyebrow. “Mimi?” She looked at Nick questioningly, and saw a complex expression cross his face. Clearly this was something she would need some backstory on.

Nick just shook his head. He sighed an exasperated sigh. “It’s… a very long story,” he answered, not really sure what else to say. “I’ll tell you the rest later.”

Amelia raised her eyebrow. This ought to be good.

“But we don’t need to worry about any of that right now,” Sylvia said, continuing with what she was talking about. “Amelia, Daddy says he likes my flowers, but it really doesn’t seem like he does. What about you? Do you like them?”

“Hey!” Nick’s cheeks reddened. “I-I like them! I like them just fine!”

Sylvia raised her eyebrow. “I might be acting a little like a child, Daddy, but we both know I’m not,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I’ve spent enough time with you being upset and disgusted to know when you like something and when you don’t.”

“That’s…” Nick didn’t really have anything he could say. It wasn’t that he disliked the flowers- really, he didn’t! He did like the calming ambience of the Botanical Garden, and he really admired how passionate Sylvia was.

“…It’s okay, though,” Sylvia said, finishing up with a lopsided smile. “I’m just glad you stayed with me to listen, Daddy.”

She looked down sadly. “…Not everybody woulda done that,” she muttered under her breath.

Nick felt a pang in his heart.

“…Sylvia, I’m gonna be honest with you,” he admitted, not having the strength to lie to that face. “I don’t dislike gardens or anything like that. I’m really happy to be here now, with you. It’s just that the way you feel about flowers, it’s not something that speaks to me, you know? I’m never going to love plants the way you clearly do.”

Sylvia sniffled a little. Behind her smile, it was clear she was trying not to cry. “I know,” she admitted. “And you really mean it? You’re having fun?”

“I’m having a good time,” Nick assured her. “I wouldn’t exactly call it fun… but I’m enjoying myself with you.”

It just wasn’t something he would enjoy on his own. “…Your passion for it really lights up the day, though,” he added. “That’s the part I like most of all.”

As he said that, he realized what Amelia had been getting at earlier this morning. He finally figured out what she’d been trying to make him see, when she talked about his own enjoyment.

He turned back to her. “That’s the last part, isn’t it?” He asked quietly. “The other thing you wanted me to learn? It isn’t just about you two having fun, is it? It’s about me having fun, too.”

Amelia smiled, and nodded. “That’s right,” she confirmed. “Yes- when planning a date, particularly a date with two women, it isn’t enough to plan events that the women will enjoy. Your enjoyment is also crucial, Nicholas. But that’s not all. You need to consider how you’re enjoying your time with them on your date, as well.”

Nick blinked. “Wait… how I’m enjoying my time? What do you mean by that?”

“When you read to Sylvia in the bookstore, were you enjoying yourself?” Amelia asked.

“Of course I was,” Nick nodded.

“And what about now?”

“I’m still enjoying myself,” he asserted.

Amelia raised her eyebrow. “Even though you don’t like flowers as much as you like books?”

Nick winced. But he held firm. “That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he said firmly. “I’m still enjoying myself just being around the two of you.”

“Aww, Daddy!” Sylvia looked like she would just about burst with happiness.

Amelia felt the same way, but she didn’t show that on her face. She wasn’t convinced yet.

“But there is a fundamental difference,” she pointed out. “That was what I wanted to show you, Nicholas.”

Nick didn’t understand. “A… a difference?” He asked, looking at Amelia in confusion. “What do you mean by a difference?”

Amelia turned to Sylvia and looked pointedly at her. “Your time in the bookstore, you enjoyed it because you enjoy reading. It wasn’t just something for me, it was something for you as well, isn’t that correct?”

Nick nodded. “Well, yeah.”

“But this garden was only for Sylvia. Even if you’re enjoying yourself spending time with her, it isn’t the same as enjoying the activity for the sake of enjoying the activity.”

Nick frowned. “I don’t think that really matters, though,” he pointed out. “Because I enjoy being with Sylvia. Isn’t that enough?”

“It might be,” Amelia said, still looking at Sylvia. “Depending on the person. But this is something I want you to keep in mind, Nicholas. If you’re on a date with two women and split the date up like you decided to do, with one activity for one woman and the other activity for the other… it won’t do if you obviously like one of the activities more than the other.”

Nick winced. Now that she said it out loud… Yeah. Obviously, right?

“I’m such an idiot,” he groaned. He could already imagine it now, going on a date with Mary and Rose, and showing a lot of interest in the things Mary wanted to do, but not as much interest in the things Rose wanted to do. Even if he’d tailored activities for both girls that they would enjoy, if it seemed like he was enjoying one of them more than the other, obviously the other girl would feel hurt and rejected by that.

The only reason Sylvia didn’t feel that way was because she’d gotten used to nobody caring about the things she was passionate about.

Just like Dakota didn’t.

Thinking that way made Nick feel even worse.

“It’s not as bad as you think, though!” Sylvia protested, shaking her head quickly. “I don’t mind! Really, I don’t! Because even in the bookstore… Daddy was still reading to me.”

Amelia nodded. “That’s true,” she admitted. “Because Nick spent so much time trying to accommodate you, it seems he did an excellent job of making this a nice date for you, even if he doesn’t share your passion for plantlife.”

Of course, what went unspoken was the fact that in doing that, Nick had greatly neglected Amelia herself on their date.

Even if she didn’t say it, though, Nick still picked up on exactly that issue.

He sighed. Apparently, I’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to pleasing two women on a date.