I smiled, even though she couldn’t see it. “Toast and jam count as breakfast.”
“Not when you’re working with roses all day. You’ll faint into the cooler and scare your customers half to death.”
After we hung up, I looked at the register drawer. The bills stacked there weren’t much, but at least yesterday had been busy enough that I wouldn’t have to stiff her.
Every time she pitched in, I slipped her some cash from the till, and every time she rolled her eyes and told me I didn’t need to, I did it anyway. I couldn’t keep taking her help for free—especially when she had her own life to run.
Emma breezed in with a paper cup in each hand, her sleeves shoved up her arms, and her hair in a messy braid, making her look like she hadn’t a care in the world.
“Girl,” she said, setting one coffee on the counter for me, “you really don’t know how to keep yourself out of trouble, do you? What did I tell you about taking on too much at once?”
I laughed, though it came out thinner than I meant. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for punishment. And for clients who use the words ‘simple’ and ‘lavish’ in the same sentence.”
She grinned, grabbed an apron, and started trimming stems like she’d been born to do it. We slipped into the easy rhythm we’d had for years—me working the roses, her fussing withribbons, the two of us trading chatter about town gossip and customers as the cooler door swung open and shut.
Halfway through a run of centerpieces, the room tilted on me. My vision went spotty, a dull rush of blood in my ears. I grabbed the counter, willing my legs to steady.
“You okay?” Emma’s voice cut through, sharp with concern.
“Fine,” I said too quickly, but her eyes narrowed.
“Don’t lie to me, girl.”
I sighed, brushing at my temple like it was nothing. “Just… dizzy. Probably my period coming. Except—” I stopped, throat tight. “It’s late. Real late.”
Emma stilled, scissors snipping through a stem. “How late?”
I shrugged, forcing a smile that wobbled. “Before the cruise.”
Her brows lifted, but she didn’t press right away. When she spoke, her voice was quieter and kinder. “How do you feel about that? If it is… you know?”
“I don’tknow.” The truth scraped out of me raw. “It’s probably nothing. Stress messes with your body, right?” I reached for another ribbon, trying to act like my hands weren’t shaking.
Emma gave me a long look that said she wasn’t buying it, then set down the scissors. “I’ll be back.” She snagged her purse from the counter before I could argue. “You keep working. I’ll run to the drugstore.”
“Emma, you don’t have to?—”
“Please. It’ll take me ten minutes.” She winked. “Besides, you’re useless right now. Might as well let me do the shopping.”
And then she was gone.
Left alone, I forced myself back to work, trimming stems, wrapping them with twine, tucking sprigs of baby’s breath between roses. My heart thudded harder than it should. The thought wouldn’t leave me alone: that little foil packet in my purse after Hawaii.
The one I never took.
The cooler door squeaked as I carried an armful of roses back into the shop, the chill air clinging to my skin like dew. When I stepped out again, a woman was already waiting at the counter, tapping her nails against her phone.
“Morning,” she said with a bright smile. “I need something nice for Boss’s Day. She’s tough as nails, but she’s got a soft spot for flowers on her desk.”
“Something appreciative?” I asked, setting the roses down and reaching for a handful of cheery blooms.
“Exactly. Nothing too fussy, just something that’ll make her grin.”
I pulled stems of yellow and blue-tipped coronations and sprigs of baby’s breath, letting the motions steady me. Twist the wire. Snip the ends. Arrange, tuck, adjust.
The woman kept talking about how her boss always brought in donuts on Fridays, how she remembered birthdays, and how Sandra had been kind since her divorce. I smiled and nodded, clinging to her chatter like a lifeline, grateful for its normalcy and for the reminder that kindness still came in ordinary packages.
The front door opened again. Emma breezed back in with a paper bag from the drugstore tucked under her arm, slipping behind the counter as if she’d only stepped out for ribbon. She jumped right into helping the woman choose a card, her laughter filling the space.
