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"That's only fifteen dollars for the lilies; the sunflowers are free of charge." The man smiles and hands me the two beautiful bouquets.
"Are you sure, sir?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to take advantage of this kind-hearted old man but also secretly happy as I've got very little money left in my wallet. I intended to use what little I had left for these flowers.
"One hundred percent. True love doesn't come around that often. I found my beautiful soulmate when I wasn't much older than you. We married within a year and had our first daughter just a few years later. I was fortunate to get to spend over forty years with her before cancer took her from me, and I know if she were here, she'd want you to have these flowers because they were her favorite too."
I thank the man again for his generosity before taking the flowers and returning to my car to see Bella and her grandparents.
Fifteen minutes later, I'm nervously standing outside Bella's house with a bouquet in each arm and the bread rolls she asked me to collect. The man was right; these sunflowers do look beautiful. I walk down the driveway, ready to knock on the door, but before I can get to it, Nana is there and pulls me into a tight hug.
"Oh, we missed your little face, Nathaniel," Nana coos, squeezing me and pinching my cheeks. "Although, wow, you're not that little anymore, are you? Someone must have been feeding you well," she laughs, finally letting go of me.
"Thanks, these are for you," I blurt out, handing her the lilies and bread before stepping inside.
"Come on, son. You want me to get you a beer?" calls Pops from the kitchen. I’m taken a bit aback by the offer and wonder if it's possibly a trick.
"No, I don't drink, sir, but I'd love a glass of water," I reply.
"I like him, Izzy, he's a good boy," Pops remarks, turning to Bella, who is about to butter the bread.
"He really is, Pops," she replies, before giving me a hug of her own.
"Here, I got these for you," I announce, handing her the sunflowers.
"Wow, I love these! Thank you. I've always loved the look of big wildflowers," Bella says, breathing them in deeply before hugging me again.
"See, the boy even has manners. Don't let him go, Izzy," remarks her Pops as he takes the flowers from her, offering to put them in water.
"I don't plan to, Pops," Bella says, more to herself than anyone else. She pulls me to her and hands me the cutlery to set the table.
I'm just about to help set the table for dinner when the doorbell rings. "Be a dear and answer it, Nathaniel. These old legs aren't what they used to be," Bella's Nana calls from the kitchen. I open the door and see Tucker and Ava standing on the other side. Ava slips under my arm and walks in.Clearly, she's been here before and knows her way around.
"Well, how is it? Is anyone else here yet?" asks Tucker as he pulls me into a bro hug before following me inside.
"It's actually pretty nice. I was super nervous, but they were so welcoming," I whisper back in response.
We walk into the kitchen, where Ava has already joined Bella and her Nana. "This is my boyfriend, Tucker."
"Nice to meet you. Is there anything I can do to help?" offers Tucker as he rolls up his sleeves.
"Actually, since you seem like a strong, strapping fellow, is there any chance you could pull the spare chairs out of the basement?" Nana asks. "Poor George isn't as strong as he used to be," she adds in a whisper.
"I'll help you," I offer as I see Nana looking in a drawer for a flashlight.
"Thank you, boys. They should be on the back wall near the Christmas decorations," she states, handing me a flashlight and the key.
With the flashlight, we walk into the basement, half expecting it to be like walking into the kind of creepy, dark basement full of cobwebs like you see in movies. But to our surprise, everything has its place and is clearly labeled and divided.I guess I know where Bella gets her organizational skills now.
We carefully carry two chairs each upstairs, where we notice the other girls have already arrived. I see Harper hand Nana a Tupperware tub. "I brought some brownies for pudding," Harper says proudly.
"Only because Granny reminded you to bring something," Riley adds, nudging her sister, which makes Harper's cheeks turn red.
"Oh, your granny is a sweetheart," Nana says proudly. "But that doesn't mean I'll forget that she promised to share her bingo winnings with me," Nana adds with a laugh.
"Nana!" Bella exclaims in surprise.
"What? She won tickets to afternoon tea and a facial for two. What kind of friend would I be if I let her waste it on her husband?"
"Gramps would look great sitting there with cucumbers on his eyes." Harper and Riley giggle back.
