Lost in madness

43

I scrunched over my laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as I worked on the latest landscape design for my company. The dining table of our new house was strewn with papers, sketches, and coffee mugs—evidence of my marathon work session. The TV droned on in the background, its chatter a comforting white noise as I focused on the task at hand.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I felt a twinge in my shoulders. I paused, stretching my arms above my head with a groan. That's when I felt his presence behind me.

Strong hands descended on my shoulders, kneading the tense muscles with just the right amount of pressure. I tilted my head back, a smile spreading across my face as I gazed up at Christian.

"You're a lifesaver," I murmured, closing my eyes as he worked out a particularly stubborn knot. "I didn't realize how much I needed this."

Christian chuckled, his voice low and warm. "I could see it from across the room. You've been at it for hours, Dabe. Let's call it a day."

I hummed in agreement, letting the stress melt away under his skilled fingers. As I opened my eyes, my gaze landed on a framed photo on the bookshelf. It was a picture of our son, Nico, grinning widely at the camera, his missing front tooth on full display.

My smile widened, a mixture of love and disbelief washing over me. "I can't believe he's almost five," I said, shaking my head. "It feels like just yesterday he was taking his first steps, and now he's starting preschool. Where did the time go?"

Christian's hands stilled on my shoulders as he, too, looked at the photo. "He's growing so fast," he agreed, a note of wistfulness in his voice. "It's incredible, isn't it?"

I nodded, reaching up to squeeze one of his hands. We stood in comfortable silence for a moment, both lost in the moment.

Christian broke the reverie first. "You know," he said, resuming the massage, "we have a few days before Nico returns from his trip with my parents. Why don't we do something special?"

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What did you have in mind?"

He moved around to face me, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Let's go out for dinner tonight. Somewhere nice. I want to steal some more time with you before our little whirlwind returns."

I chuckled,

The idea was tempting. I glanced at my laptop, considering the work I still had to do, but Christian's eager expression won me over.

"If you insist." I said, standing up and stretching once more. "I could use a break."

Christian's face lit up, and he pulled me close, planting a soft kiss on my lips. I melted into him, savoring the moment.

"Great," he said as we parted. "I'll go grab a quick shower and make a reservation. Any preferences?"

I shook my head. "Surprise me."

With another quick kiss, Christian headed off to get ready. I turned back to my work, intending to tie up a few loose ends before our impromptu date night.

I had just settled back into my chair when the doorbell chimed. Frowning slightly—we weren't expecting anyone—I pushed away from the table and made my way down the hall.

As I opened the door, I was greeted by an explosion of color. A massive bouquet filled my vision, so large that I couldn't even see the delivery person behind it.

"Delivery for Dabe Peters," came a muffled voice from behind the floral arrangement.

"That's me," I said, reaching out to take the bouquet. It was heavier than I expected, and I staggered slightly under its weight. "Thank you."

I closed the door with my foot and carried the flowers to the kitchen, setting them on the counter. They were stunning—a riot of vibrant roses, lilies, and orchids in shades of crimson, fuchsia, and deep purple. The scent was intoxicating, filling the air with a heady perfume.

My fingers searched for a card, but there was none to be found. A familiar knot formed in my stomach as realization dawned. I didn't need a card to know who these were from.

He did this sometimes, sending extravagant gifts out of the blue. It was as if he was reminding me of his presence, refusing to let me forget him entirely. And I hated it.

I took a deep breath, centering myself. These flowers, beautiful as they were, represented a past I'd left behind. A life I no longer wanted.

I picked up the bouquet and carried it to the trash. But as I stood there, poised to drop it in, I couldn't do it

Instead, I stepped out on the balcony and dropped them with the rest of the flowers, my balcony was slowly turning into a garden because of one indecisive man.

I stayed on the balcony for a few more minutes, watching the flowers. When I finally turned to go back inside, I saw Christian standing in the doorway, watching me.

"More flowers?"

"Yeah, they just keep coming."

"And, you're sure you don't know who keeps sending them? Dabe, I'm starting to worry, it's getting creepy."

"It's just flowers, let's not give it any more thought." I make my way to him, "Whoever sent them is probably just confused."

"Alright." He pulled me to him, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Ready for our date?"

I looked up at him, taking in the warmth in his eyes, the gentle curve of his smile. "Always," I replied, stretching up to kiss him. This was the man who had chosen me, who showed up every day, who loved Nico as his own, "I was thinking and you're right, our wedding is overdue, why don't we set a date?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm ready. Let's get married next month."

He grins, "Let's get married."

I stretch and kiss him again, And as
we walked back inside, hand in hand, and I felt a sense of peace settle over me. The past was the past, and I had no desire to revisit it. My present—and my future—was right here, in this home we'd built together.

Christian disappeared into the bedroom to finish getting ready, and I returned to my laptop to shut it down for the night. As I did, my eyes fell once more on Nico's photo.

"We're doing okay, little man," I whispered to the smiling face. "More than okay."

And with that, I closed my computer, ready to enjoy an evening with the man I'm learning to love, secure in the knowledge that this—all of this—was exactly what love was meant to feel like. I felt so extremely hot all of a sudden.