The soothing sound of the water reminded Reyona of the brook that ran through their homes in Bellevue Hill.
She felt completely blissful in the oasis that Maxwell had surprised her with.
It was exactly a replica of the one in her home in Sydney.
After their dinner that night, Reyona was still pretending to be miffed at him because he wouldn't tell her if he really was the one who donated to the orphanage she had opened in her grandmother's name.
Then, as if he didn't notice, he told her to check out something.
"I am still mad at you," She had said as she folded her arms above her belly and gave him a mutinous look.
"It is a good thing that you are a versatile woman then. You could be mad at me and still come check this out. You will be glad you did. I promise." He said innocently.
Then, just as Reyona pretended she had not made up her mind yet, he swept her off her feet.
How can he still carry her so effortlessly? She wondered as she squealed "Maxwell!"
That was the first time the papillon dog made a sound.
It was a squeaky sound that seemed more like a yip.
His butterfly-like hairy ears, which had been badly maintained and just newly trimmed, flopped along with his movement as he yipped at Maxwell again.
But the moment everyone became silent and turned to him, he buried himself against Allysyn's body again.
Everyone looked at each other in speculation, then Allysyn broke the silence as she asked "Can I take him to our room? I promise I will take care of him" she quickly added, as if she was expecting a refusal.
Maxwell looked at Reyona, and she tilted her head, "I see no reason not to. Just ensure you go to sleep on time or…"
"I will. I will." Then she smiled and said "Thank you" before bouncing up the stairs with Jane trailing behind them.
"I can't believe a tiny dog is about to fight me for my own wife. Is this what I am going to be putting up with?" He said in contemplation as he continued carrying her towards the back door. "I should have said no to him", he said in a serious tone.
Reyona laughed as they stepped out into the cool air. "I am sure you will fall in love with him soon. Then maybe you will be the one fighting Allysyn for his attention."
"Not if he goes about making those sounds whenever I touch my wife." He said with mock firmness.
Reyona's response died in her throat when she saw light coming a few distances from where they were.
Just close to the maze was the oasis.
A perfect replica of the one she had in Sydney that one could almost imagine that someone had magically picked the one in Sydney and dropped it right there on the estate.
"Max…why…. you…" she had been so speechless that she found it hard to form a coherent word.
"I am glad you like it," Maxwell had said as he took her to the lounging chair that made her feel like she was back in Sydney as he set her into it.
She could only look at him in wonder for a while, then she raised herself to kiss him. "This is so much more. You are so much more." She said before adding, "Thank you."
"You are welcome," he said simply before sitting with her on the lounge chair.
They sat together in the beautiful blend of nature and aesthetics as they watched the day darken and the stars blink to life.
Without saying or doing much, they simply enjoyed the wonder of the universe while basking in the glory of each other's company.
Just as it was in Sydney, Reyona had found every excuse to escape there at every opportunity she could get.
In the past three days, she had started working on the mini garden she had started again.
Maxwell had the gardener till the soil close to the oasis for her, and she had been busy picking the best flower seeds that she felt might suit the temperament of her twins.
She and Maxwell had had the best times trying to gauge the characteristics of the twins based on their movements.
That morning, after they had their breakfast, the kids had left for school.
Maxwell also had a meeting that morning and other things to do at the company, so he implored Reyona to have enough rest before he left.
Reyona did not feel like lying down in bed so she took the book she had just started - the latest novel by her favourite author, Lord of Origins.
Excited about the journey of the book which had captured her fancy right from the first page, she headed to the oasis with a shawl to cover her legs and a bottle of water.
She pretended not to notice the creature tiptoeing behind her as she went to the oasis that was fast becoming his favourite spot too.
Skippy, as Allysyn had named him because of his hopping walk, had developed a tentative relationship with Reyona in the past few days.
Once Allysyn was out of the house, he would follow Reyona from a distance and curl up some spaces away from wherever she might be.
Since the oasis had been the most popular choice for the past few days, he would simply curl up beneath the fairy statue.
The first day, he had simply stood there with his body on alert and his big brown eyes on Reyona.
Reyona had looked away from him and pretended he was not there.
It took almost an hour before he lay down, still not coming close to her.
He bolted as Reyona was changing her sitting position.
The second day, he had laid down only after a few minutes of watching and had even relaxed enough to sleep.
Reyona had laid out a treat for him, and he had moved closer enough to nip it before dashing off again.
She knew he was going to come around on his own time, so she didn't bother forcing it.
That morning, she casually set the treat a bit closer to herself and continued reading.
From the side of her eyes, she could see him tiptoeing towards it.
He would stop for a moment, wag his fur-covered tail, and peek at Reyona to be sure she was not watching before hopping a couple of steps again.
"Almost there." Reyona thought in excitement as she fixed her eyes on the book without really reading or turning the pages.
Skippy hoped forward again and…
"Hey there!"