Chapter 2 - The Greenhouse Secret
For two weeks, Maya avoided the main house. But the Vance estate was massive, and its abandoned Victorian greenhouse had always been her secret sanctuary.
One rainy Tuesday, she pushed through the rusted glass doors and froze. Sitting on a stone bench, surrounded by overgrown ferns, was Leo. He was holding a massive encyclopedia of marine life.
When he saw her, he didn't look annoyed. He didn't put his mask on. He simply smiled, set the book down, and raised his hands.
Hello. Friend.
May you like
Maya’s heart did a joyful leap. She sat across from him. Over the next month, the greenhouse became their hidden world. Maya brought her uncle's ASL books and her sketchbook; Leo brought stolen pastries from the kitchen. They taught each other. Maya learned the signs for ocean, turtle, family, lonely. Leo learned that conversation didn't have to be a chore. It could be a lifeline.
But in a house with twenty staff members and a billionaire owner, secrets never stay buried for long.
