Bed Buddies

Flower

~Noah~

I held the tiny hand in mine and guided the little girl to colour neatly in a flower printed on her book.

Flowers are the epitome of happiness and contentment.

From decorating a place of celebration to a child's colour book, from gifts on a happy occasion to a bride's hands as she walks down the aisle, flowers are everywhere where people are happy.

But flowers are there on the gravestones, where happiness doesn't even dare to lurk. They are there as a connection between the lost and the grieving.

I wish people were like flowers too; there when you're sad, there when you're glad.

~Ian~

I stood on the door with a bouquet of lilies in hand and a very confused face.

The delivery man said someone asked him to deliver it to our address. There was no note on them. They definitely weren't for me, I was a rude secluded person who had no admirer. I shoo-ed people away before they even tried to come close.

Could they be for mom?
I smiled at the thought.

I wanted it to be for her. She deserved people who actually cared for her, and wanted to make her happy.

Ever since my excuse of a father left us two months ago, she has been doing nothing but mourning, only occasionally acting childish, but that was just another attempt of her to seek happiness from a different means.

My parents weren't the happiest couple out there, they kept fighting over silly things and then grew distanced till dad decided to leave and enjoy his life with somebody else. Though mom wasn't enjoying her marriage either but she clearly hadn't expected this turn of events. I knew she has always loved him.

Love— a waste of emotions, just like watering a wilted crysanthemum.

***

Five blue hydrangeas stood graciously in the pot that sat in the middle of the dining table while I twirled the fork around my plate. Two more people sat on the table with me, but I was trying my best to ignore that fact.

I focussed on the flowers, on each and every petal decorated with whites on its edges that trailed down to the centre and began making their resemblance with a cauliflower.

"You could've atleast texted me once! How long does it take to text?"

"I couldn't take my phone out of the pocket in the middle of the discussion!"

"You're incredible."

I continued to watch the flowers while forcefully swallowing the salad down my throat as mom pushed out of her chair to storm out and my father let out a sigh.

***

I took the flowers inside and put them in a vase in the living room.

It was early morning eight o'clock and mom had left for the hospital an hour ago already.

I had to leave for my class at nine but my university was nearby so there wasn't any rush. I was studying Architecture, something I'd always dreamt of, after my dad who was an architect too.