“You’re damn right it is.” The chair creaked under his hulking weight as he sat down. Dark brown eyes twinkled as he watched me place each flower carefully. “I bet yours will be better than mine, though.”
“It’s not a competition.” I kept my eye on the prize because it was definitely a competition. “These are for the people we cared about.”
He chuckled quietly and started arranging his flowers in front of him. “I like it when you lie. It’s adorable.”
I blinked, my hands stalling over my flowers and my eyes meeting his. “Cass never told me you can sniff out lies.”
“We can’t.” His grin was mischievous. “You just told me.”
I tossed a broken flower at his smug face. “You are going to get it later.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “I hope so. Bruise me up, beauty, and I’ll make you a stunning breakfast tomorrow morning.”
My cheeks turned pink, but I held his stare. “I’ll want eggs benedict.”
His lips trembled. “Those aren’t even made anymore.”
“I read it in a book I liked once.” I shrugged and peered back down to my work. “It hadRakein the title, but it sure as hell wasn’t about gardening. Unless his rake was busy gardening her loins. That author was talented. We don’t have enough creative people anymore in the world. Hopefully, we’ll be around when the population grows and becomes more diverse again.”
Alaric grunted, cocking his head as he arranged the flowers, studying them. “You have a real love for literature. Why don’t you try your hand at writing? As you said, we need more authors.”
I puckered my brows in thought. “Maybe. If the muse hits, I’ll try it. I have plenty of ideas, but not one strong enough yet to pull me into it.”
“Beauty, you can do whatever you want. Once you decide, I’ll help you get there.” His hands started working fast as if an idea had detonated inside his mind, and he couldn’t work fast enough.
I shook my head and went back to delicately placing my flowers down. Everyone worked at their own pace. I guess I was on the slower side.
Alaric tilted to the side and got his string to wrap around the bottom, his eyes on his flowers. “This is perfect.”
My lips twitched, but I didn’t peek yet.
Once I was through, I placed my own ribbon around my arrangement and gradually made a few tweaks to it. Only then did I look up at my husband’s finished work, my eyes widening on it.
Alaric grinned and stood. He placed his hands on his hips, and asked, “Do you know what it is?”
My head bobbed in affirmation. “Wow.”
His smile widened. “Do you think it’s fitting?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Very fitting.”
It was two golden angel wings.
Absolutely breathtaking.
I hid my arrangement behind my back. “We should probably get going.”
He snapped his fingers at me. “None of that. You can’t weasel out. You have to show me.”
“I’ll take the defeat quietly.” I peered down my nose at him. “I don’t have to show you.”
“Faith, show me your flowers. I promise I won’t laugh or anything. I’m not that cruel.” He paused. “Even if I did win this one.”
I chuckled. “You are ridiculous.”
“Show me. Please?”
“Fine. But don’t laugh.”
