Bloom

Lily

Lily

🌸 Evolet 🌸

The rusty bell above the heavy wooden door tings as I enter the flower shop. Warm air rushes past along with the scent of earthy soil and manure. Is it weird to love the smell of soil mixed with roses?

The small store is crumbling at the base but every inch of the store is covered with plants, from the mismatched tables, the cement flooring, and handing from the exposed brick walls. 

"I'll be with you in a minute," somebody calls from a distance.

I wander to the first display table and brush my fingers over a hedging bush. The silky green leaves slide across my fingertips as I wander further across. On the end of the table is a blooming pink hibiscus flower which has a couple of buds on it.

There's no sweet aroma but hibiscus flowers do make a delicious tea. I glance up and jolt back at the sight of the young man standing beside another table of plants. His piercing blue eyes trail over my body, then snap back to my face.

His silky black hair is short and ruffled into a neat but messy look. He's taller than me, with a wide, lean, muscular frame. Does he work here? The casual black t-shirt and lack of a name badge has me baffled.

I twirl my long black plait around my index finger and smile. 

He scratches the back of his head and smiles.

"Um, hey, can I help you with something?"

"I have this space in my house that needs a plant."

"What kind of space is it? Does it get morning or evening sun or would you say it's shadier?"

I frown. "Hm, perhaps a medium amount of light?"

"There's a lot of options for plants then."

His smile is adorable and the way his blue eyes light up makes my stomach erupt with butterflies.

"I also need a plant that won't die if I forget to water it. I aspire to be a good plant owner but sometimes I forget to water them. I don't want a cactus or something with spikes either. I like leafy green plants with flowers."

"Perhaps the spathiphyllum-"

"Spathi-what?" I frown.

"Sorry, I work with plants outside of this job and we use scientific names. You'd probably like the peace lilies. They have large green leaves and beautiful flowers." He points to a flower across the room, so I wander over to investigate.

The oval crisp white petal stands out against the dark green foliage.

"It does prefer moist soil but if you forget to water it, you can easily bring these plants back to life with some water. It likes to be a little root bound, so that's another thing you won't need to worry about. It's also great for removing the toxins in the air."

"It would be perfect if it removed the toxic people from my life," I mutter under my breath.

He subtly frowns before moving on.

"We also have a purple version if you'd like a different colour."

"Hm, I'm kind of in love with the white lily."

"We also have the chain of hearts which is very popular with customers. It has heart-shaped leaves on the vines. You can place it on shelves or in a hanging basket. The vines grow long and you can wrap them around whatever you like."

"You've sold me on the peace lily. I think it'll be perfect for the space I have in mind."

"Which one would you like?"