Flowers from a lover [rewrite]

8.0

Lucas held the fifty year old seed packet in one hand, and the phone in another, "Leo, I've got no idea how to grow flowers, and don't have any supplies" "You don't have to grow them, you can keep the seeds and say they're flowers because technically they are." Lucas shook his head, "No. You went through the trouble, the least I could do is grow them. Plus I needed a new hobby again anyway and gardening seems like a fun thing to try."

"I left a little list of things you need and some tips in the container." Leo reminded him, and Lucas picked up the capsule and indeed there was a small paper with chicken scratch-like handwriting. "Nice handwriting." "Oh shush," Leo chuckled, "I never was one for good penmanship." Lucas read over the paper, "If you don't mind, I'll be off now to get supplies before it gets too dark."

- - -

Leo sighed in defeat, he felt a little selfish for always wanting to be the person Lucas spent his time with, but understood he had a life. "Alright," He said, "can I call later?"

- - -

"I'm not sure but definitely try." Lucas said as he put on a jacket and grabbed his car keys. "Goodbye for now then, Lucas ." Leo said over the phone. "Bye, Leo." Lucas responded before putting the phone down and walking out of his house into his car. He sat on the driver's seat and put his cellphone on his phone holder, "Hey Siri," the phone beeped, "directions to nearest gardening store." The phone took a moment before it spoke, "Alright, I found gardening stores near you." The first store was only 0.5 miles away, which was awful close, so he chose it then pulled out of his driveway.

- - -

Lucas got to the gardening store, which was a bit run down from the outside but when he walked in it was very clean and nice and a beautiful place. He looked around, unsure where to begin to look, when an old man who was watering a row of soil turned to him, "Why hello!" He smiled happily, "Anything I can do for you, sir?" Lucas made to took out the piece of paper with Leo's list of supplies, but realized he left it at home. "Do you know how to help me get what I need to grow a certain type of flower?" Lucas asked politely.

"Do I?" The old man put his fists on his hips like a superhero, and Lucas was surprised at how he could still be so energetic even in his old age. "Why I'm probably the best in town to help you with that, young lad. What are you growing?" "Calendulas." Lucas showed him the seed packet. The old man looked at the brand and label closely, "Why this here is one of our seed packets! We haven't had these flowers in stock since good old '70. How did you get your hands on these?" "Er-" Lucas scratched the back of his head, "found them in an old drawer." The man looked at him skeptically, "Well, I can go get what you need myself and you can wait here, look around if you'd like."

Lucas raised his eyebrows, "Oh I can help you if you'd like." He offered but the shopkeeper shook his head furiously. "No no, I haven't helped a customer like you in months. Maybe years. Let me feel like I am doing my job again." He assured. Lucas became sad at how the man's business was seemingly slow and dry, and agreed to letting the man get the supplies for him. After a (surprisingly fast) few minutes, the man came back with a garden of basic supplied he needed to grow the flowers. Lucas followed him over the counter, "Thank you." "No problem. So why the interest in beginning gardening?" The old man asked while placing his items in a tote.

Lucas thought about it for a while, "Just wanted to see if these old flowers have any hope in growing." "You'll need a lot of love and patience if you want to see even a leaf come out of the dirt of flowers from 1970-something." He told Lucas before telling him the total price of his items, which was cheap. Lucas took out a one hundred dollar bill, "Keep the change." He smiled. The man's eyes widened, "Why thank you! You're lucky to be able to grow flowers at home. I can't." "Why is that?" Lucas asked as he took his tote of items. "My wife hates most flowers" He answered plainly.

"Hates them? Who could hate flowers, though?" Lucas wondered aloud. The man smiled, "Her, since she's allergic." Lucas was taken aback. A flower store owner who's wife is allergic to flowers? "Wow, that must be complicated then." "It always is." The man said, with a big smile, "But we've lasted over fifty years so I guess it hasn't been that complicated." He assured happily, then he suddenly shivered. "Are you alright sir?" Lucas asked. "Oh why yes." He smiled goofily, "I just got a weird sense of deja vu. Anyway, my name is Jason, and if you need anything else you're welcome whenever you'd like!" Lucas chuckled, "I'll be sure to turn to you, Jason. Thank you."

- - -

Lucas got home and placed his stuff on his bedroom floor. He looked through the items and grabbed the piece of paper with Leo's instructions he had left on his desk. The phone then rang and Lucas rushed to answer it, "Hello Leo, I just got supplies." "That's good, will you start growing the flowers soon?" He asked. Lucas organized his new items, "I should be, I'm not busy anytime soon." "Good." Leo audibly smiled. "It was a funny story, I met the cheeriest old man I could ever meet." "Was it me?" Leo joked. Lucas rolled his eyes, "No. It was the man who owned the flower shop."

"Bummer it wasn't me." He said lightheartedly, "Anyway, why was he funny?" Lucas sat down on the edge of his bed, taking his jacket off, "He owns a flower shop but his wife's allergic to flowers." There was silence on the phone. "Leo?" "No way!" He shouted suddenly. "What is it?" "Was his name Jason?" Leo asked excitedly. Lucas 's eyes widened, "Y-yeah! You know him?" "He's who I bought the seeds from, Lucas!" He laughed, "That means we've officially been connected through one person."

"That makes sense. He said he hasn't sold Calendula seeds since 1970. Oh goodness this is so weird." Lucas shook his head. "Weird? It's absolutely awesome!" Leo exclaimed. "Also it's great and surprising he's still with the lady allergic to flowers." Lucas thought for a second, "Wait so," he thought some more, "isn't it interesting how we both talked to Jason these last two days, but in reality us meeting him is fifty years apart." Leo sighed when he heard "fifty years apart", but he hummed in agreement. "Anyways, I'll get on to sleep, so I can spend the morning trying to grow these flowers." Leo smiled, "Alright then. Goodnight wrong number."

"Sleep well, old man who's technically not old yet." Leo smiled before hanging up the phone and laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling until he eventually drifted off to sleep.