I learned about love from him. I hadn't really known... I loved my friends, of course, but before him, I hadn't realized how different it was, the love of a woman for a man. Then I found myself thinking of him... thinking of almost nothing else. My days were spent watching for any sign of him, for him to come to me, to greet me and smile at me and make me laugh in the way that only he could. And my nights were filled with dreams.
**************
He would come into the flower shop on the days that I worked and chat with me while I nervously arranged and rearranged the potted plants on the shelves and the cut flowers in their buckets. I couldn't imagine why I felt so nervous when he'd step through that door, the bell jingling merrily as he closed it behind him.
Nor could I imagine why I felt so anxious up until the moment he arrived.
"Hi, Amber! It's a beautiful, sunny day today, isn't it?" he said with a smile as dazzling as the sun.
"Yeah! I love the warm sun!" Then a sudden realization. "Oh! That's what you remind me of, Piers! You remind me of the sun! You make me feel all warm and happy!" I smiled, pleased that I'd figured that out, then blushed as I realized what I'd said.
But he just smiled at me, happy that I was happy. "Do I? Thank you, I'm glad you feel that way about me."
He was?
"It's too bad that you have to work on such a gorgeous day, though. How about I come by after work and take you for a walk in Yokmir Forest?"
"Oh, would you? I miss the woods! But... I'm not so good at fighting, and there are monsters out there, so I don't go there now," I said, feeling wistful.
"Don't you worry about that," he said with a laugh. "I'll protect you from any monsters out there."
And I knew that he could, too—even though he'd only arrived at the start of spring, a month and a half ago, with no memories at all except his name, he was already the best fighter in town, even better than Forte, the Dragon Knight. He wasn't the tallest man in town. The new guy, Dylas, that he'd rescued from the old ruins a couple of weeks ago, was much taller. And both Dylas and Volkanon were more muscle-y. But Forte said that Piers was faster than any fighter she'd ever seen, as well as strong and skillful.
So I smiled and joyfully accepted his offer, then I spent the rest of the afternoon wondering why my heart was beating so hard that I thought it might burst from my chest.
