We unload the flowers, and I have just enough time to change before my shift on the crew starts.
I’m still the kid, the youngest and newest working with Sue. But that’s actually the best thing for me. I can’t come close to the decades of experience they all hold, but I’m doing my best to soak it all up like a sponge.
Maybe I’ll lead my own crew one day. I thought I needed that to have things the way I wanted them, but being on a crew where I’m always learning is so much better. Now, I’m in the right place, so all I really think about is this. Where I am.
My spot on a good crew. My life with Nicholas.
I get home first from work for once, and I overhear a few lines ofAlways Be My Maybeplaying in Blossom while Nicholas finishes up.
Kicking off my shoes, I walk through our home. It’s spacious enough that Nicholas’s stuff easily fit, his pink couch under the big windows, houseplants and vases of flowers tucked on shelves.
I’ve started getting some of my own crap, too. The kinds of things you get when you’re sticking around, like nice old oak furniture, and this fluffy blue bathrobe I’m obsessed with.
I scrub myself good under the hot water, cleaning up for date night. I do the whole list, floss and moisturizer and cleaning under my nails. And when I’m damn sparkly, I put on a button-up white shirt and a good pair of jeans.
It’s our last date night before I propose tomorrow, and I’m going to make it a good one.
I grin to myself, excited that I’m pulling off a surprise. I’m going to give him the proposal he deserves, and I’ve planned carefully. I’ve got the engagement ring, silver with flowers engraved, and a little script that I’ve rehearsed a million times.
The subterfuge is in place, too. We’ve got an errand to run to Starlight Fields in my truck, and once there, I’ve got the perfect location scouted, a field of dahlias that’s prolifically blooming, surrounded by rose bushes.
Romance is not my specialty, but after a couple of years with my man, I’ve picked up some tips.
When Nicholas gets back from work, I’m already dressed for date night, and I sit there in my fancy shirt while he gets ready. He seems totally clueless about my plans, and we talk happily about his day and all the neighborhood gossip that came through the shop.
I nod along, sipping a beer as he chats away.
It’s just a regular day. Date night at the Italian place, a warm summer breeze in the air, and a busy neighborhood bustling around us.
But with Nicholas, the regular days are special.
The little moments like this are more full of life than anything I knew before I moved to Buffalo.
He’s my man. My home. My love.
And I can’t wait to make him my husband, too.
NICHOLAS
After another lovely date night with Clay, I’m back in the shop this morning, humming along with the music.
Tomorrow will be exactly two years since Clay showed up with a truckload of flowers and a love declaration. It’s got me thinking a lot about our relationship, which led to the emotional breakfast with my parents.
They gave me my grandfather’s wedding ring. I still have to figure out the right way to do this proposal, but when the time comes, I know that I’m going to use this ring to invite Clay into my family. I’ve been carrying it in my wallet all day, feeling close to it and what the ring means.
For now, though, I’m more than content to busy myself at Blossom. The shop maintained a steady business during the first year of Flower Hub competition, although it’s been the farm stand that brought in all of our growth.
Every weekend, Kavya and Zooey take the stand on the road, hitting up local and regional festivals. They’re girlfriends and business partners, and I’ve never seen either of them so happy. The joint venture with Starlight Fields now brings in a solid thirdof our sales, but with the marketing boost and new customers the stand attracts, it’s really more like half of our income.
The growth has been significant, and I’ve restructured the business to account for our expanded size. Kavya is now a part-owner, a choice that reflects her contributions while also freeing me up to focus on the shop itself while she runs the stand. While she’s still in a couple of days a week to make bouquets, it’s also given me a chance to hire a new employee.
“What about delphinium?” Gunther hollers from the back. “Am I using this delphinium right?”
I glance at his bouquet. “Perfect. You really are a natural.”
He grunts at the bouquet, satisfied. “I should have left the gym years ago,” he mutters. “Even the gossip here is better.”
Out back, I catch a glimpse of Nance and Sue through the window, repairing the fence between our homes. About a year ago, they went with Clay to the municipal office in an attempt to get the restrictive clauses all stripped from the deed, a measure of good faith to start their new relationship. As it turns out, however, the laws and codes have been updated over the years, which meant it was possible to finally split the property in two.
