Edward chuckled. “You’ve quite observant.”

“Well, it was hard to miss.”

He signed and continued. “Brown usually represents stability, reliability, and approachability. In relation to the earth, it represents nature and organic things. Much like soil or bark.

“As with all colors, it’s presumed that it affects your body. Supposedly it supplies a feeling of wholesomeness and improves your stability.” He chuckled. “Mentally. Not physically. It’s also supposed to give you a sense or orderliness and give you a connection with Earth. The Native Americans believe brown represents the power of self-discipline.”

“Well, that was… informational.” I couldn’t pick out why all those things were important. The color was so obvious in the room and I didn’t understand why.

“What about the garden?” It was beautiful. “Did it have a meaning?”

“You never cease to amaze me with your perceptiveness,” Edward said with a smile.

“That was only one of my questions.”

“I’m not too sure, but I believe it was telling a story. The apple is choice. The scripture from Genesis calls it ‘the fruit of knowledge of good and evil.’

“The many little flowers around it represent all the different minds of people. That’s why there are different colors in all directions.

“The roses in back are meant to be the clarity and cleanliness of each mind once enlightened. The bushes are cut and fresh. Technically, roses represent love and beauty, but I’m not sure how that fits in.

“The vine shows all the possible paths a being can take – random and unorganized, yet special and beautiful.

“Finally, the stepping-stones are for you. Once outside the car, you were on the first stone standing on the outskirts of the grass, among the many small flowers. As you move closer to the door, they become closer together to show you’re closer to your goal. On your way, you pass under the tree for a quick peek at what will happen. Then you pass the roses and vine to see what others have done.

“Back out, you walk away from enlightenment and your future. Because of that, the stones grow farther apart with uncertainty.”

“What about when you’re done with therapy?” I asked, not missing a beat.

“We’ll just have to find out, won’t we?” he responded, placing a kiss on my forehead. “Plus, it’s only a theory.”

Edward’s story had me upright with interest. Brow creased in concentration, I fell backward onto my pillow.

Despite what he thought, his theory sounded awfully logical to me. In human eyes, the garden was merely a pretty sight. In vampire eyes, the motive behind everything must be clear. Now, the meaning behind it all seemed very obvious.

However, the brown color still had me wondering. Why was a connection to earth and power of self-discipline so important?

“Time for sleep, love,” Edward murmured after placing another kiss on my forehead.

“Just one more question?”

“No, Bella. You need some rest. Perhaps tomorrow.”

I was about to retort when Edward’s soft hum began. My lullaby filled the room with its gentle tune. All the thoughts lost, I drifted to sleep.