Isabelle had expected from now on that it would only be smooth sailing, and that she and Ben would be getting along, for the most part. But her relentless nagging and his sheer stubbornness are never a good combination, as evidenced by the conversation below:

"Ben, you should wear your garden gloves," Isabelle reminds him.

They are still planting tulip bulbs, and Ben is being so stubborn, insisting that he is better off without wearing garden gloves. Sometimes, Isabelle isn't so sure if he is deliberately trying to annoy her by doing the opposite of what she tells him to do.

"Like I said, it's uncomfortable because I have sweaty palms," he replies, showing his palms that are streaked with sweat and dirt. Then, without warning, he reaches out for her with his dirty hands, a menacing smile on his face.

Isabelle barely dodges him. "Ben!" she hisses as he laughs uncontrollably. She huffs in annoyance, glaring at him. Then, her eyes zeroes in on the dirt underneath his fingertips. She shudders at the sight, thinking about the dirt and germs underneath his nails.

"And at least cut your nails," Isabelle exclaims. 

Ben doesn't even budge. He just slumps in his seat and looks at Isabelle.

"You know that long nails are a hotbed for viruses and bacteria, right?" she says, removing her garden gloves and reaching for the pouch from inside her tote bag. "Look, I could cut it for you right now. No biggie." She pulls out a nail clipper and shows it to him. 

"So, you just... carry that around with you?" Ben asks, perplexed.

"And I can't believe that you don't," Isabelle replies, glancing at his long nails.

"Like other normal people, I leave my nail clippers at home." he says in his usual flippant tone. 

She ignores his comment. "Your hand, please?" she says, stretching out for his hand.

"M'lady," Ben jokes, putting his left hand on hers.

Isabelle suppresses a laugh, not meeting his eyes because that would be the one to make her laugh. "Okay, don't make this weird. Please?" Then, she cuts his nails, starting with his pinky, which would not have been as difficult if he wasn't constantly shifting his position.

He shifts again, trying to maintain as much distance between them as possible. "You know, this is making me shy all of a sudden," he says, looking down at his hand. 

"I told you not to make this weird," she tells him, aware of the proximity but nonchalant.

"Fine," Ben relents, averting his gaze from his nails. "Actually, I always wondered what you carried around that made your bag so big and heavy. What else is in your bag?" He reaches out to open her bag, but she swats his hand away.

"Just the necessities," Isabelle replies. "My Mom's a former Girl Scout, and when I was younger, she told me to always come prepared. So, that means, having an extra set of clothes when packing; carrying an umbrella, rain or shine; and always carrying a first-aid bag and a vanity kit with me." She starts cutting the nails on his other hand. "And since I get hangnails, I always bring nail clippers with me."

"I see," he says. "My Mom's like that, too."

"April?"

Ben fixes her with an incredulous stare. "Huh? No. April's my grandmother."

Isabelle pauses. "Oh, my god. She's your grandmother? All this time, I thought she was your mom!"

"Um, graying hair, bakes cookies and brownies all the time, owns a house stuck in the 70s... those didn't clue you in? Like, at all?"

"I mean," Isabelle says, "I didn't want to be presumptuous about your family composition and dynamic." She's now cutting the last fingernail on his hand. "Okay, almost done... There you go!" She lets go of his hand and smiles proudly at him. "Congratulations, Benjamin Morrell, your nails are no longer a hotbed for pathogens."

"Thank you for your service to the community, Isabelle Grigio," he teases, showing off his trimmed fingernails. 

Suddenly, the screen door opens, and April comes out carrying a plate of sandwiches. "Anyone hungry?" she asks, carefully setting down the plate on the table.

Ben immediately rushes over and pulls the chair for his grandmother, who pats his arm gratefully. "Ma, can you believe it? Isabelle thought you were my mom."

April laughs softly and gestures to Isabelle to come quickly to the front porch. "I'm flattered, dear."

As Isabelle pulls up a chair and sits down, she says, "Seriously, you need to get me in on your skin care regimen, April. I got to know how to get my skin to look like yours."

April laughs out loud at the compliment.

Isabelle smiles. She loves buttering up the adults.

"I also have some brownies fresh off the oven," April says, still smiling. She'd always been all smiles. "Let me get them for you, so you can have dessert." She pushes back her chair and stands up, but Ben grabs her arm gently and sits her down again.

"Ma, I'll be the one to get it," he tells April. Then, he whispers. "You said that your arms have been painful now. Are they okay now?"

April pats his cheeks. "Much better. Now, go. You don't want to keep us waiting, do you?" 

As Ben heads to the kitchen, April gestures to Isabelle to lean closer. "Alright, here's my skin care routine." 

And after a few minutes of conversation about her beauty tips and secrets, Ben comes out of the screen door with a container of brownies. He sits down on the seat beside his grandmother's and reaches for a brownie. As he grabs himself a piece, Isabelle silently wishes he wouldn't get a corner brownie.

"Benjamin Morrell! I taught you better than that," April says, swatting his arm away – his second time today. "Offer Isabelle first before serving yourself."

Isabelle laughs quietly, grabbing a corner brownie and watching their exchange.

If there was anybody who could keep Ben in line, it is April Morrell. 

A/N: Happy Friday, everyone! Thanks so much for 900+ reads #RoadTo1K 🤩 

💭 Any favorite characters? Or do you relate to any of the characters so far?

My favorite has to be Ben — I love how playful and childish he can be, which I think also helps bring that side of childish playfulness in Isabelle!

Again, thank you so much for reading, voting, and commenting! I love reading  your reactions <3 Hope you have a great Friday, and see you for another update tomorrow!