Afterglow ❃ l.m.j

• chapter fifty •

It took a while and lots of juggling back and forth, but I finally got the idea. And, well, it's a lot so let me walk you through my plan.

First, I'm gonna start the day with a scavenger hunt. Nothing too crazy, just something to keep her busy with while I spend the morning getting everything ready.

The first stop is going to be at Equinox where I'll have a cinnamon dolce latte waiting for her, almond milk and no whip and her everything bagel with cream cheese. There will be a little note attached, and it'll start off simple: No regrets, right? And underneath, I'll have the directions to the nearest florist in town.

There, I'll have a bouquet I picked out especially for her. Nothing corny like roses. This one, I actively sat up all night researching flower meanings and trying to think of what would fit together aesthetically, but also capture her essence.

I figured baby's breath to start. It was always a great accent, and stood for innocence as well as building something everlasting.

Then orange chrysanthemums. Everytime I saw a picture of them, they made me think of her for their vibrancy. They looked so subtle yet brightened rooms. You couldn't help but stare at the pictures of them over and over. And they symbolized the feeling of delicate love.

Lastly, coral peonies to symbolize strength and beauty coexisting. The same way that in Normani, so much pain laid behind eyes of molten honey. The soft force at which she moved through the world with was enough to melt any heart. And despite what she'd been through, it never spilled. Nothing of her past slipped into her future. And that, in a person was rare. To know someone who understands that where they came from doesn't make them who they are.

Tying the flowers together when they were all so different was hard, which is why I knew I had to fall along a gradient. Those were the main three that I wanted, and the rest, I entrusted in the florist to do right by me in making it happen. When I explained who and what they were for, she smiled and placed a hand over mine with a, "Don't worry. It'll be beautiful." After she was finally finished assembling it, she was courteous enough to send me a picture. The final product brought tears to my eyes. The florist managed to nestle a bit of fall foliage and random eucalyptus leaves into the bunch with a white silk ribbon to tie it all together. Despite being well into the new year, the bouquet felt like every bit of autumn. I emailed back the biggest of thank you's with a promise to swing by the shop again and tip her extra.

The second note?

On our first date, you told me some of the things that you like about me. Well, here's my list.

You're honest, thoughtful, considerate of others as well as their time, ambitious, you strive to be better each day and you believe that you're never too big to reflect on anything, you carry this sense of wisdom, you're big on family which means a lot as someone who's very close to theirs, you're talented, beautiful (and the sex is amazing), you know how to take control without undermining anyone in the room, an active listener, you are like the calm before the storm... I wish I could write it all but you have one more place to go before our date. But when you get there if you want, I'll tell you all about it. For now, here's your next destination.

Then, I moved onto her final step.

This one was a bit trickier. Explaining to a random store clerk at an art store that I would buy the items and he just needed to hold onto them until the next day almost didn't smooth over. There were several issues such as a new employee taking over in the morning, and worries of merchandise count being off by it not leaving the store. Eventually after a reluctant call to the manager, we worked something out. I bought the items and dropped it off in the morning to the new employee who'd already been debriefed and expecting me. He was a sweetheart, holding the bag behind his counter and even slipping in a few miscellaneous freebies like stickers. The third note attached to it all read as such:

At this point, you might be a little confused. I still hate painting. But to see you happy, I'll do it over and over again. So meet me somewhere that inspiration strikes for some, but beauty is held for all. It doesn't come close to what I see when I look at you but, it's pretty damn close. I hope you aren't wearing anything fancy, it may get ruined by the paint :)

And last, I booked us two tickets to a plant conservatory at the botanical garden. I figured seeing the flowers would be a nice remembrance of the ones we embodied at the paint and pour. Plus, they had seats and tables in a nearby indoor cafe of the garden where I figured she could paint. I, on the other hand, planned on bringing a book. I'd paint if she asked me to but I know chances are, she's not gonna let me because she knows I don't enjoy it. So I'll sit in her company and read.

It's low maintenance for a second date but judging by her personality and the times we've spent together so far, it seemed to fit. Plus it was enough for me to feel as though I did a lot for her while also not going overboard.

When I sent her the text to meet me at Equinox on Sunday morning 9 AM sharp, she sent back question marks but agreed nonetheless. It was hard to keep her off my back in guessing what was going on. But eventually she gave up with a cheeky smile. It was so cute to see her curious.

I sat in my room the night before with knots all in my stomach. This was the most I'd ever put my heart out for someone in a few years. There was so much faith that it would be safe for something so new.

I sighed. It's okay because I know I planned a good date and tomorrow's gonna be amazing. I just know it.

In the meantime, I really hope she loves it.

♡

A/N: thank you for 12k reads <3