Marinette Flower Shops Novels & Stories

"These shoes were forged in the deepest pits of hell." Owen rolls his eyes so hard I’m surprised they don't get stuck in the back of his head. He lets out a heavy sigh. "And whose brilliant idea was it to go for a romantic midnight walk by the pier again? Remind me, because my memory is a bit foggy." "Oh, hush," I laugh, holding my breath as I look around. Suddenly, my eyes catch a vibrant, glowing neon sign just at the edge of the pier pathway—a 24-hour luxury flower boutique, its windows bursting with lush, beautiful floral arrangements.

Along the path leading to the center of the garden, pink, white, and purple azaleas line up neatly, creating a stunning gradation of color. "Wow, there's a fountain, Aunt Marie! Look at this!" Nadine shouted, reflexively turning around while recording the view with Adrian’s phone to send it to Marie. She pointed to a large fountain in the middle of the garden, surrounded by colorful flowers in full bloom. It felt like the childish side of Nadine, buried by her tight ego as Merrick's heir, was now coming to the fore.

What's there to be afraid of? Before Marvin could answer, Axel suddenly interrupted. "I just opened the internet. Gloriston Flower Shop is closed. If you want to contact me, you can do it tomorrow morning at seven o'clock. Marvin, tell me the cellphone number you called earlier, does it match the number listed here?" Marvin opened his cellphone again, then called out the numbers. Axel smiled cheerfully. "Same phone number. Marvin, try showing them the call history.” Marvin contacted the shop at a little past seven in the morning, and the flowers arrived around eight o'clock.

Halfway through the route, I slowed at a traffic light—and something tugged at me. This didn’t feel like a drop-in visit. It felt… deliberate. I exhaled and turned the wheel instead, pulling into a small flower shop near the corner. The bell above the door chimed softly when I stepped inside. The scent of fresh blooms wrapped around me instantly. Roses. Lilies. Baby’s breath. “Good morning,” the florist greeted warmly. “Morning,” I replied, scanning the arrangements. Margaret always liked soft colors. Nothing too loud. Nothing dramatic. She once said bright red flowers were “trying too hard.”

Knowledge is important and I strive to make every avenue available to my pack members to pursue their passions. Today is not for soil samples or higher education, today is about Daphne and me. I cruise down the main road until I see the sign for the shop that I was looking for, Fitzgerald’s Flowers. It is a smaller shop, but they always have the best flowers, and they are one of the few shops that carries gladiolas. I quickly park the Jeep and head into the shop.

“You must be the Mrs. Smith, right?” Crystal was about to say something but Kayden held her hands and smiled. “Yes,” he answered on her behalf. “Then pardon me, for my rude behavior. My name is Marine; I’m the owner of this shop.” The older woman explained. “I’m just deeply grateful to Mr. Smith for choosing here, for the next three months, most people will buy their wedding accessories from here.” Crystal forced a smile but said nothing; she knew Kayden wanted her to be quiet.

Samantha said from behind the counter, sipping on an iced drink and tapping something into the register. “I swear, if they don’t come in the next ten minutes, I’m gonna scream,” Mia muttered, setting the wrapping down. “This restock was supposed to arrive an hour ago. We’re almost out of white peonies and bridal eucalyptus.” “Well,” Samantha said, setting down her drink, “that’s what happens when the whole city’s obsessed with the Cornell girl who owns the cutest flower shop.” Mia shot her a look, but her lips twitched. “Oh, shut up.”

Giving out flowers for free had been my last resort, yet here I was selling out my store day in day out. “You don’t look very happy.” I rolled my eyes when I heard the girls swooning somewhere. “Hello, Dante. Are you here to give my workers their daily dose of you?” The girls were obsessed with Dante and me. They shipped us together every chance they got, even if I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t want him to get the wrong message so I made sure to softly tell him I wasn’t putting them up to it. “Nah. I’m actually here for you. Martha told me she’ll be closing early today and I wondered if you wouldn’t mind coming over to my shop.”

That afternoon, my flower shop was open for business. The space was modest, but the vibe was warm and inviting. A few potted plants sat by the entrance, and the glass window bore the words “Rosini Flowers”, carrying my family name and not the Colombos. Cassandra came with a bouquet of lilies. Vittoria showed up as well with a tray of tiramisu and her two kids. Filippo made time alongside his security detail, champagne in hand. His presence gave the neighbors a scare since a big man in a dark suit and shades didn’t look like the type to browse flowers.

*** People were always surprised when I told them what I did for a living. "A flower shop?" they'd say. "Really, Owen? Like... with flowers?" Yes, a flower shop. The Enchanted Florist, to be exact, prominently located beside the Perks It Up coffee shop on Minwack Drive in Minwack Falls. People had a hard time accepting the fact that a guy like me owned that shop. Maybe it was because I looked like the kind of guy who worked with his hands, but not with something as delicate as flowers.