The Shadows of Tragedy

Chapter 34

After the success of the party, the family business soon became better than ever.  The reputation of the Fullbuster family and all who were related to it had been brought back into a more positive light. Each member of the household became well respected by nearly everyone in town. They were barely seen as pariahs now. Also thanks Cana's treatments, Gray stopped hunting for blood and the police investigation was slowly but surely dying down. He was ecstatic and could hardly wait for when he became completely human again. Cana couldn't say for sure if it would happen but he was so sure of it that he didn't hold back with his budding relationship with Juvia. Yes they did take things slow and that kiss at the party was the only affection they had shown each other but Gray just couldn't help surprising Juvia with sweet tokens of his adoration.

For example one day after she got back from taking Romeo to the library, she returned to her bedroom to find a bouquet of flowers in a vase that was perched by her nightstand. The bouquet was made up of Gardenias, Forget-me-nots, and Lavender. Not only were they beautiful flowers but they were her favorite flowers. The card told her that they were from Gray which made her smile and blush with joy.

"Those are pretty." Lucy said when she saw Juvia smelling the flowers as she was walking by the open door to her room. "Who sent them to you?"

"Gardenias, Forget-me-nots, and Lavender. How did he know they were my favorites?" She wondered. "I never told him."

"Lucky guess?"

"Perhaps if he had just given one of my favorite type of flower but all three? If he knows why they're my favorites then I'll really been astonished."

"Why are they your favorites?"

"It is because of what they mean. Gardenias mean eternal love, Forget-me-nots mean memories of love and that you'll never be forgotten, and Lavender means Thee Only I Do Love."

"So he's basically saying he'll love you forever, he'll never forget you, and you're the only woman he'll ever love?"

"Oh no." She giggled. "No that's not what he's saying. I...I don't think that is."

"Well if he is saying that, he's coming on a little strong don't you think? How long have you two known each other? Two months at best?"

"Yes but it doesn't feel like that."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to think I'm crazy when I tell you this."

"No I'm not."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay. The thing is even though we only met two months ago I feel like I've known him for years. As soon as I saw him that first night I had the strangest feeling that I already knew who he was. What kind of person he was, how he feels about something, how he views life. It was instant knowledge and when he first saw me I...I felt like...Like..."

"Like what?"

"Like he had been missing me. Like I had been someone very dear to him and then suddenly I was just gone. Out of his life for good and that he had spent years mourning me. Missing me. Praying for me to come back to him. That doesn't make sense does it?"

"No. Not really."

"I thought not but really, he probably doesn't love me. He probably just somehow figured out these were my favorites and that's why he gave them to me."

"He may not love you but he definitely likes you. Has he asked you on a date yet?"

"No. He seems hesitant to start a relationship with me. Hesitant yet at the same time excited. It's like he wants to do it but something is holding him back. Either way I won't pressure him into it."