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“What is with you trying to marry us off?” Vivian said, laughing.
“Well, I ain’t gettin’ any younger here. And it ain’t like you two are doin’ anything else with your lives right now. Whynottie the knot?”
“Because we don’t know each other that well yet?”
“Oh pish,” she scoffed. “People who’ve known each other a coupla days get married all the time. You’ve been gettin’ acquainted, what, a coupla weeks now? More? I don’t see any reason to wait. It’s not like you don’t have chemistry. I get burned any time I come within’ two feet of y’all.”
Vivian looked away, blushing. “It’s not like that.”
“It sure as hell is,” Gretta countered. “Sittin’ there lyin’ to an old woman who’s gearin’ up to kick the bucket,” she muttered, lifting the glass of tea to her lips. “Should be ashamed of yourself.”
Vivian’s gaze snapped up in shock.
“Oh, don’t go frettin’ now. It’s just a figure a’speech. I’m old! I could go any day. At least let me have some fun with it.”
“I don’t even know what to say sometimes,” Vivian admitted, her mood lightening.
“With my memory? Neither do I most days, honey.”
“Well, on that note, I should go upstairs and start getting ready.”
“Going out?”
Vivian imparted her plans for the day with Gretta. “And since you’re clearly feeling a bit more like youroldself,” she said with a smirk, “I’m guessing you can get by without me for a couple of hours.”
“I certainly can. Take your time. I’ll be right here when you return.”
“Not out plowing fields?” Vivian asked, making sure she wasn’t planning to overdo anything and send herself right back to the doctor’s office.
“Nah, it’s a nice day. I think I’ll take in a good book and breathe the fresh air for a bit.”
“All right.”
Once she reached her bedroom, Vivian slipped into a pair of blue jean capris and a light blouse, leaving her hair down for the first time in a long time and enjoying the feel of it swinging about her shoulders.
On her way back out the door, she called out, “I’ll be back before dinner!” then went on her way.
It felt good to be back in her own car, but as Vivian drove it down the winding road, passing several trucks and a couple of older model sedans, she began to wonder if she really wanted it anymore. It didn’t fit in around here, and it was a constant reminder of everything she was trying to put behind her.
She could sell it. Considering the price it would fetch, she could definitely purchase a small property in the area, furnish it, and maybe even have a bit extra for repairs if needed.
The idea intrigued her and picked at her brain as she parked on the main street in front of a tiny tobacco shop and started her shopping-slash-exploration with the local florist.
The sweet scent of flowers enveloped her as Vivian stepped inside, a charming bell much like the one at the antique shop chiming overhead. Flowers of every size, shape, and color exploded from pastel plastic containers set on tiered displays all around the cramped space. They were so plentiful, it was like walking through a forest. Vivian could hardly figure out where to direct her attention, as it was constantly pulled in all directions, her senses fighting to take it all in at once.
“Can I help you?”
“Oh, I’m just looking.” Vivian smiled at the cashier, an older man with pale skin and a drift of snow-white hair that had thinned enough to show the liver spots dotting his scalp. “You have a stunning collection.”
He seemed pleased by this. “My wife, Agnes, grows them.”
Vivian stared in amazement, then scanned the bounty of flowers once more. “All of them?”
He nodded, venturing around the counter to her side to show her a perfect specimen of white lily. “After I sold the last of the sheep off, oh…’bout fifteen years ago, she turned the land into a flower plantation. Started off with daisies and wildflowers because they were the cheapest and easiest to grow. Eventually, we expanded. Now we have this.”
“You must do amazing business,” she marveled.
“Flowers have been good to us,” he agreed. “What’s your favorite?”
