THE FLOWERS

ALEXA POV

The florist pointed toward the door with a tired smile. "He left a little while ago, dear."

My fingers tightened around the bouquet so hard the plastic crinkled.

"Did he leave a name?" My voice came out too sharp.

"No, no name," she shook her head. 

The white lilies in my hands were the exact ones I had been debating over in my head for the entire drive. It was Lily's favorite. 

A chill ran down my neck.

"Are you sure he didn't say anything else?" I stepped closer to the counter, my heart hammering.

"Very sure, ma'am. He only said you'd want the white ones. He said you'd be here around six on your way to pick up your little girl from the hospital."

My stomach dropped. Around six. On my way to pick up Lily. That meant whoever it was knew my exact routine tonight.

It had to be Travis. Who else knew what time Lily was being discharged? Who else knew about Sparkle?

I forced a smile. "Thank you."

I hurried out to the car, holding the flowers to my chest. For the first time since the accident, I felt so seen

---

"Mommy!"

Lily's voice hit me the second I opened the hospital door. She was sitting up with her legs swinging off the bed, and Sparkle tucked tight under her arm, hair messy from sleep.

"Hi, baby," I whispered and handed her the flowers. Her eyes bulged with excitement.

"White lilies! They look like Sparkle!" She buried her face in them, then threw her arms around my neck. "You remembered! You remembered they look like Sparkle!"

"You told me, so I had to," I said, kissing her head and breathing her in.

She pulled back and looked over my shoulder, her smile fading a little.

"Where's Travis?"

My own smile froze. "He went home, sweetheart."

"Is he coming back? He promised he'd check my stitches."

"He might be busy, baby. But look, he left you flowers. He remembered the white ones."

Lily hugged the lilies tighter, beaming. "Travis remembered?"

I nodded, even though I wasn't sure. "He remembered."

The nurse came in with discharge papers. "Mrs. Bennett? She's cleared, also please no running or jumping for a week, just rest."

I signed, my hand shaking a little. Lily slid off the bed holding the unicorn in one hand and the white lilies in the other, happier than she'd been since the accident. Watching her, I felt a strange, guilty gratitude toward him.

We got home and the house was dark. Victor wasn't home. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I put Lily to bed with the lilies on her nightstand and Sparkle beside her pillow. She fell asleep in two minutes, still smiling.

A few hours later, keys jangled in the hallway.

Victor was back. He stepped into the living room and stopped when he saw me on the couch. 

His coat was damp from rain, same dark wool coat the florist described. My stomach tightened.

"Alexa," he whispered, his voice hoarse and breaking. He dropped to his knees in front of the couch, his hands hovering, afraid to touch me. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have shouted. You and Lily are my family. I don't want to lose you."

I stared at him. He was crying and his shoulders were shaking.

"Victor, no more drinking, okay? And no more shouting. Lily hid behind the curtain last time. She heard you."

He nodded fast, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I promise. No more drinking or shouting, I swear on Lily's life."

He reached for my hands and held them gently. His hands were cold and trembling. "I love you, Alexa. I love you and Lily more than anything."

I looked down at our hands, then at his damp coat, then at the white lilies on the kitchen counter.

My mouth went dry. "Victor... where were you around six?"

He blinked, confused by the question, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

"I was trying to make things right," he said quietly. "After you left this morning, I called Maya. I asked where you were picking up Lily and what time. She told me discharge was at seven and that you always stop at that flower shop on 5th when you're stressed.."

My heart stopped. Maya. Of course Maya would tell him. 

"What?" I whispered.

He looked up at me, his eyes were wet and desperate for me to understand, a small broken smile plastered on his face 

"The flowers, Alexa. I sent the flowers. I told the florist you'd want the white ones and that you'd be there around six. I paid for them and left before you came because... because I knew you wouldn't take them if you knew they were from me."

The air left my lungs.

"You sent the white lilies?" My voice was barely audible.

He nodded eagerly, mistaking my shock for happiness. "Yes. I remembered Lily loves white because they look like her unicorn. I remembered Alexa. I do pay attention. I saw you standing outside that shop last week when I drove past. You stood there for ten minutes just looking at them."

I pulled my hands away like he burned me.

"You had Maya tell you where I'd be?" My voice started to shake.

"I wanted to surprise you," he said quickly, his smile fading when he saw my face. "I wanted to show you I can be thoughtful. Just like him."

Like him. The two words hit me like a slap, he didn't send flowers because he loves lilies. He sent them because Travis bought Lily a unicorn and he had to compete.

I stood up so fast the couch scraped.

"You made me think it was him," I said, my voice cracking.

Victor stood too, slowly this time. 

"So what if I wanted to compete?" he said calmly, too calmly. "Does it matter who paid? I paid. I did a good thing for once, and you're angry because you wanted it to be him."

"It matters because you didn't do it for me!" I shouted, backing up until my back hit the wall. "You did it to prove something. You followed my routine instead of coming to your daughter's discharge!"

"I bought the damn flowers," he said, his jaw clenching. He walked to the counter and picked up the vase with the lilies, holding it tight in both hands, his knuckles were white. He stared at them, then at me. "I bought them for you. And you stood in that shop smiling like some man had finally saved you."

"Put them down," I whispered.

He set them down very deliberately, but didn't let go. He leaned in, his face inches from mine, his voice a low, even whisper that was more threatening than any shouting.

"You know what your problem is, Alexa? You never appreciate me for once, i try to do something right and you turn it into a fight, You want to be liked so badly you'll turn the guy who ran over our daughter into a prince."

"Don't you dare bring Lily into this," I hissed with tears streaming down my face.

"Did he touch you in that hospital?" he asked quietly, his eyes locked on mine. "Is that why you like him? Did he touch you when I wasn't there?"

I tried to push past him and he stepped to block me and using his body to keep me against the wall. One hand flat on the wall beside my head.

"Answer me."

"Mommy!"