I’m not expecting anything.
When I walk out and see the arrangement, I actually stop short.
Forty-eight long-stem roses rise out of a crystal vase so heavy I have to brace both hands around it to shift it. The roses are enormous, impossible to ignore, and my first thought is that everyone is going to see them and assume things I haven’t even figured out myself. The gesture feels bigger than where we actually are, and I’m not sure what to do with that.
A small handwritten card is tucked into the arrangement.
I can’t wait to see you again,
Finn.
Cassie appears beside me, almost immediately, gasping loud enough that half the hallway turns to look.
“May. Oh my God. WHO are these from?”
“Finn,” I mutter, already wishing the floor would swallow me while she admires the arrangement.
“They’re gorgeous.”
“Admire while you help me carry,” I say, grabbing on to one side of the vase.
She helps me carry it to my truck, narrating the whole walk and asking questions I refuse to answer, and by the time I finally wedge the vase safely into the passenger seat, I’m laughing despite myself, shaking my head as she yells that she expects updates tomorrow.
The drive home smells like roses, and at every stoplight I catch myself glancing over at them, equal parts flattered and overwhelmed.
When I pull into the driveway, I’m still trying to figure out where I’m even going to put them.
I climb out, walk around to the passenger side, and immediately realize I should have left them at the office. I’m halfway through an awkward lift when a shadow falls beside me.
“I got them.”
Aiden’s voice is warm and calm, and before I can protest, he’s already stepping in, lifting the vase easily from my hands with a small smile.
“Thank you,” I say, heat rising in my cheeks as I hurry toward the front door, digging for my keys so I don’t have to think too much about how effortless that looked.
On the way up the path, my eyes catch the hydrangeas lining the edge of the house. They are blooming now, and I think about how he planted them quietly, no announcement, no audience, just something waiting for me when I came home.
I unlock the door and step inside, holding it open while Aiden follows behind me. He carries the vase carefully through the living room and sets it down on the table, the roses instantly taking over the space.
Neptune comes padding over the second we walk in, tail wagging as he presses himself against my legs, his nose working overtime as he sniffs my clothes.
“Hey, Neppy,” I laugh, crouching down to scratch behind his ears while he leans into me with his full weight.
I’m still bent down when Aiden speaks.
“Do you have plans for dinner?”
I glance up at him.
“Not really.”
“Good,” he says, hands sliding into his pockets. “I’m making you dinner. Come over in about an hour?”
“Sure,” I say, and I can hear the smile in my own voice. “Should I bring anything?”
He grins, already backing toward the door. “Just your pretty self.” He pauses, glancing down as Neptune presses closer to me. “Oh, and Neptune, of course.”
The door closes behind him, leaving the house quiet again, the faint scent of roses lingering in the room.
