Wish We Never Started

22

On my way home, I stop at the florist.

Before I go inside, I catch a glimpse of myself in the window. I startle at my own appearance, getting closer to have a better look. I'm completely disheveled. My hair is a mess and the tie to the suit I'm wearing is crooked. The white shirt underneath is half un-tucked and wrinkly, my hair looks like it was stuck in a wind tunnel.

"Hello, Gabriel!" Carmen, Diego's sister, waves from behind a large vase of flowers as soon as I walk inside, "what brings you here today?"

I sigh and tuck my hands into my pockets, choosing to stand in the middle of the shop. It's a small and cozy – although cold, for the flowers – corner store with enough room for maybe ten people at most. The walls are absolutely smothered in flowers and you can practically smell freshly cut stems from outside.

"I just need... some flowers," I tell her with an awkward smile, looking around. I already feel overwhelmed, as per usual whenever I visit. Carmen, though, happily starts walking over to one section of the wall.

"Wait, is it for Sofia?" She asks quietly, eyes narrow as she stops in her tracks.

"No, it's for someone else," I tell her coyly.

Carmen gives me a half smile, her stamp of approval, before turning to look through the flower arrangements.

"So this is someone new," she says as more of a statement than a question. "I think I have something perfect."

I step back and watch her pick through arrangement after arrangement until she's just about to run out of display space.

"Here," she pulls a bouquet from the end of the wall, holding it up for me to approve.

"Perfect," I tell her, pulling my wallet out.

Carmen scrunches her face in a smile, something she usually does when I tell her whatever she made or picked out is just what I wanted.

"That's Diego's suit," she then points out on her way back to the register.

"Good eye," I say, opening my wallet.

"He wore it to our abuela's funeral," she then says while adjusting some of the flowers in the bouquet she picked.

"Yeah... he did mention that," I awkwardly add, rubbing the back of my neck.

"He's going to freak out when he sees that," Carmen nods towards the part of the suit that's wrinkly while she uses her hands to wrap the flowers in clear cellophane.

I put my wallet down and immediately try to smooth it out, but it doesn't work. Maybe I can use some wrinkle spray when I get home?

"That's why they have dry cleaners," I say before looking up at Carmen, awkwardly laughing in the process. I fish some cash out of my wallet now, placing the bills on the counter.

"Thank you," Carmen says, picking up the money.

"Keep the change," I tell her with a soft smile, grabbing the flowers before I pivot to leave.

Once back home, I hop in the shower and hang Diego's suit on the door in hopes the steam will loosen some of the wrinkles. It doesn't work.

I pick through my clothes, trying to find something clean to wear. I finally settle on something simple – a navy blue crewneck and some black jeans, with a dark flannel over top.

I check the time. Six fifteen. I should have just enough time to get to the other side of town where Lumina is.

I grab my wallet and keys from the counter, stuffing them in my pocket as I leave. When I reach the elevator and seventh floor windows, I notice it has started raining.