The Billionaire And His Son Want Me Back (Paisley)

Paisley glanced up at Grayson, who was standing not far away, staring blankly at a tree. She then turned to Serena and asked, "Aren't you playing with Grayson? What are you doing over here with me?" Serena pursed her lips awkwardly before replying, "I was not playing with him."

Paisley nodded, thinking, 'Oh, geez. Both of them are so stubborn.'

Serena fidgeted awkwardly for a moment before grabbing Paisley's hand and pulling her toward Grayson. They stopped in front of a tree, and Serena said, "Mom, come help us check this out."

Paisley saw that the tree wasn't particularly tall, and its leaves were still green. Hanging from its branches were long, pod-like fruits.

Serena pointed at the pods and said, "Mom, Grayson said these are green beans. Can we pick some and take them home to eat?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she stared at the pods, already imagining them as part of Maria's green bean salad, her favorite dish.

Paisley looked at the tree and couldn't help but chuckle, "Nope, these aren't green beans."

"They're not?" Serena's disappointment was obvious.

Meanwhile, Grayson scratched his head, looking puzzled. He'd eaten green beans before, and these looked pretty similar to him.

Paisley crouched down and patiently explained to the kids, "This is a Catalpa tree. Those long pods are its fruit, and they're actually used in medicine."

The mention of medicine made Serena scrunch up her face in distaste. "Medicine?"

Grayson, on the other hand, looked intrigued. "What kind of medicine?"

Paisley was a bit surprised by his interest but continued, "Catalpa trees usually flower in May or June and bear fruit in October or November.

"The pods can help with water retention and swelling. The leaves can cool fevers, detoxify, and even stop itching. The bark also has medicinal value. It's a pretty amazing tree if I say so."

Grayson hadn't expected such a plain-looking tree to have so many uses.

"Mom, can we eat those little fruits?" Serena asked again.

Paisley glanced at the plant Serena had called "little fruits" and chuckled. "You can eat them, but they're poisonous," Paisley replied with a teasing smile.

"What?" Serena exclaimed, taking a step back in alarm.

Paisley explained further, "That's nightshade. It's another medicinal plant that helps with bruises, swelling, and detoxifying the body. But kids should never pick or eat it-it's toxic."

"Oh... I see," Serena said, letting out a breath of relief.

Grayson also looked enlightened, nodding as if it all made sense now. He glanced at Paisley with newfound admiration, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I didn't know you knew so much about this stuff." This time, his tone was no longer skeptical. Instead, it carried a note of surprise and even excitement. Serena stuck out her lower lip proudly and said, "My mom knows everything. She's practically a walking encyclopedia." The way she beamed with pride made Grayson stay quiet, unsure how to respond. Checking the time, Paisley remembered Emery mentioning that Teddy would be dropping something off soon. Paisley said, "It's getting late. Let's head back." Turning to Grayson, she added, "Your dad should be here any minute to pick you up. Let's go get your things ready."

Grayson nodded without saying a word. Then, he quietly followed Paisley as they walked back to her home.

*****

As they strolled, Serena pointed to a tree and asked, "Mom, what's that tree called?"noveldrama

"That's an elm," Paisley replied.

Serena pointed at another one. "What about that one?"

"That's a ginkgo," Paisley answered.

Grayson chimed in curiously, "Can it be used as medicine?"

Paisley explained, "Both ginkgo fruits and leaves can be, but we can't just pick and eat them. They can be toxic."

Grayson nodded repeatedly while Serena acted like she'd seen a ghost, keeping as far away from the fallen ginkgo leaves as possible. Paisley couldn't help but laugh at the sight, caught between a mix of exasperation and amusement.

The three of them continued walking home, learning about trees along the way. Before they knew it, they were standing outside Paisley's apartment building.

Still reluctant to end the outing, Serena asked, "Mom, when can we go to the park again?"

Paisley could tell that when Serena said "we", she included Grayson. Although he didn't say anything, the look in his eyes mirrored Serena's eager anticipation.

Just then, a woman's voice came from ahead. "Sonny."

Grayson froze for a moment before his eyes lit up. He turned and ran toward the voice. "Marissa."