Alejandro Salas adjusted his collar, feeling oddly nervous. He wasn't the type to get flustered, but today was different. Today, he was buying flowers for María Inés—the enigmatic woman who ran the Mirada de Mujer flower shop.
The bell above the door tinkled as Alejandro stepped inside. The shop was a riot of colors—roses, lilies, and daisies vying for attention. María Inés stood behind the counter, arranging a bouquet with deft fingers.
"Good afternoon," she said, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "How can I help you?"
Alejandro cleared his throat. "I need flowers," he blurted out. "For someone special."
María Inés raised an eyebrow. "Ah, a secret admirer," she teased. "What's her favorite?"
Alejandro hesitated. "I don't know," he confessed. "I just want something beautiful."
María Inés studied him, her gaze lingering. "Beautiful," she repeated. "That's subjective, you know. What's beautiful to one person might not be to another."
He felt a flush creeping up his neck. "Well, what do you recommend?"
She stepped from behind the counter, leading him toward a corner filled with wildflowers. "These," she said, touching delicate bluebells and vibrant poppies. "They're imperfect, but they have character."
Alejandro fingered a petal. "And what do they say?"
"Courage," María Inés replied. "They're for someone who's willing to take risks."
He thought of María Inés herself—her mysterious smile, the way she spoke of flowers as if they held secrets. "I'll take them," he said.
As she wrapped the bouquet, their fingers brushed. Alejandro's heart raced. "You know," he began, "I've been coming here for weeks. Always buying flowers."
María Inés tilted her head. "For the same person?"
He nodded. "For you."
Her eyes widened. "Me?"
Alejandro took a deep breath. "I've watched you," he confessed. "Your hands, your laughter. You're the most beautiful thing in this shop."
María Inés blinked, speechless. Then she smiled—a slow, blooming thing. "You're not so bad yourself," she said. "But why flowers?"
He leaned closer. "Because they're like us," he murmured. "Imperfect, yet full of life."
And in that tiny flower shop, surrounded by petals and possibility, Alejandro Salas found courage—the kind that bloomed when two souls dared to reach for something beautiful.
