Where the Flowers Bloom

When I got home, I spent the entire afternoon sitting quietly on the couch by myself.

When Joshua Warren came home from work, the kitchen was still a complete mess.

He took one look at it and his expression immediately darkened.

"Can you not even handle this little bit of housework anymore?"

I was already used to his criticism and constant fault-finding, so my expression did not change. Then I caught the faint scent of flowers clinging to his suit jacket. "I noticed something today. There is a new flower shop downstairs from your office. The smell inside is exactly the same as the scent on your clothes."

He did not even look up. His voice only grew more impatient. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

I pressed my lips together. In the end, all I said was, "Nothing. I just think the flowers smell really nice. Tomorrow, I…"

Before I could finish, he cut me off. "Since when are you interested in flowers?

"The soup was a little bland tonight. Pay more attention tomorrow."

With that, he turned and walked into his study.

That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

The faint floral scent still seemed to linger beneath my nose. In the end, I could only bury my face in the blankets.

The next afternoon, I went back to the flower shop. I had already looked it up online. The owner's name was Whitney Baker.

When I walked in, she was trimming a bunch of white roses.

The moment she saw me, a flicker of surprise crossed her face.

"Late again today. My boyfriend bought all the flowers before you got here."

I quietly looked around the shop and spoke in a soft voice. "That's okay. I’m just looking around.

"Did your boyfriend help you open this flower shop, too?"

Whitney's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Yeah. Every day around lunchtime, he buys up all the flowers I have left in the shop.

"I told him he did not have to rush like that, but he said no. He said flowers do not look as nice after sitting around for too long. If you are giving someone flowers, you should give them the freshest ones."

She placed the roses she had finished trimming into a bucket, handling them with gentle care.

"He is actually incredibly busy, but whenever he has some free time, he comes down here himself to order the flowers.

"I remember this one time when it was raining. He was completely soaked, but he was still standing outside the shop with an armful of flowers, grinning at me like an idiot. Tell me, is that guy not ridiculous?"

As she talked, she started laughing.