Casual Moths // Angel Reyes

2: sweets and sweetness

Santo Padre doesn't get a lot of rain but when it does, my god it pours.

Callie watches as the rain crashes down on the sidewalk outside her flower shop. The day hasn't started this way. In fact it was a rather sunny morning. Then all of a sudden the sky turned a deep grey, like all the blue had been swallowed by a colorless blob of misery.

And then the rain came and they had to bring all the flowers in to save them from certain death.

Daisy is sitting by the little table in the corner that is there especially for her. She has a big box of crayons open in front of her and whenever she takes another crayon pencil from the box, she sticks her little tongue out in concentration. As if whatever color she's about to pick may change her life forever. As if it's the most important choice she'll ever have to make. Callie wishes she gets to keep this innocence for a long time. Hopefully far longer than she herself was allowed to.

" Oh what a weather. " Graciela says as she puts some finishing touches to a bouquet. Graciela, Callie thinks, is some kind of fairy godmother to both her and Daisy. She's not only helped set up the flower shop but has been working here ever since. She's what makes this shop more than just a place that sells flowers. She helps Callie make this a home to them. A place of warmth and familiarity and comfort.

Sometimes, Callie thinks that Gracie needs her and Daisy as much as they need her. She's in her 50s has two grown children who moved away and hardly as much as call. Her and Daisy and by extend Jess, they're as close to a family as can be. Blood or no blood.

" You tell me. Daisy and I wanted to go get ice cream later and go to the park for a bit but this doesn't really scream park weather to me. "

" Oh dear, I still have to pick up meat for the BBQ tomorrow. Butcher's all the way across town and I gotta walk there in this weather. I'll be soaked. "

" Let me pick it up for you. " Callie proposes.

" Oh no. I can't ask that of you ".

" Gracie " Callie says and pulls up her eyebrow in disbelieve " I have a car, you don't. I can't let you walk all across town in this weather when it only takes me 10 minutes by car "

Graciela hesitates for a moment. Callie knows it's hard for her to accept help. She's a proud independent woman and accepting help might seem like admitting defeat. But really it's not. It's just Callie paying back all the good deeds Graciela has ever granted her with.

" Are you sure it's no bother ? "

" It's no bother at all. I promised miss Daisy here an ice cream cone anyway. So we'll just combine those two trips. "

At the mention of her favorite stick treat, little Daisy's eye lift up to look at her mother with hopeful excitement clouding her face.

" Ice cream ? "

" Promised you we'd get some, didn't I ? "

" Mh "

" And does mommy ever break her promises ? "

" No."

" Go get your jacket " Callie instructs her daughter, a smile on her face, before turning back towards Graciela. " You okay to look after the shop alone for the moment ? "

" Callie, no offence but the people aren't really running down the shop today. Weather doesn't really say BUY FLOWERS, does it ? Here let me write down the address for you. "