The Prince and the Plant Whisperer

Walk Back

[Posted May 27, '21]

[A/N: So I took down the chapter before, which was basically just a long author's note about how these people at NovelHD stole this story and re-published it chapter by chapter on their own mirror site. It was so upsetting!

But thank you: you all sent so much support and also offered to flag it, send take-down notices, alert Wattpad etc. It felt so amazing to realize you all really have my back!

Anyway, they took down the ripped copy, luckily.

The whole thing's made me a little stressed about putting anything up out there. But we'll just keep going for now and hope it doesn't happen again!

BTW, If you're seeing this anywhere on the internet other than at Kerttu_120's account at Wattpad, I urge you to go read it at the right place. Please support the story's creator — I've put a lot of effort into this already! Thank you]

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The next morning, Lukas throws on a thick cream-colored cabled sweater, glancing at himself in the mirror on his way out.

Just last night, right there in the post office lobby, he and Kai had bumped into each other. Unexpectedly.

I hadn't planned that! Unlike— well...

He checks the time. It's 10AM sharp, and he's outside the post office.

She's not here. Yet.

But then, suddenly, in the distance, coming from the plaza, he sees her figure heading over.

Toward him.

Well—toward the post office, to be accurate.

She's in jeans and a checkered white shirt, and her hair's pulled back into a practical ponytail.

Lukas takes a very long time to lock up his bike.

Kai's gaze is fixed downward, lost in thought. There's that same expression on her face, again. That look of delight over something inward—something secret.

She looks up. Seeing him, her smile morphs into something less special.

A friendly smile, he thinks. The sort she might give to anyone...

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The post office is quiet as they step inside. For now, they're the only two people in line. The linoleum floor has just been mopped. A large metal fan swivels back and forth, fluttering Kai's hair each time it rotates past her.

She's so, so close to getting her hands on her greenhouse.

As they wait, she can feel Lukas's presence in line behind her. It's silent and still, like an undisturbed pond.

Suddenly Kai's postal-worker friend, Terrence, emerges from the back room. "This is for you!" he tells her, holding a box.

And... it's huge. Wrestling it over the counter, she stumbles back under its weight.

"Oh! And you got this too," says Terrence, thrusting a small, floppy Tyvek package toward Kai.

Right. The surprise dress Lilly bought.

Terrence tries to balance the crinkly package on top of the larger box in Kai's arms. Nope. It slides down onto the linoleum floor.

And right away, Lukas darts forward and picks the floppy package up.