Forget-me-not

Cynthia

"You're a natural at this!" 

"You think so?" Cynthia asked. 

"I know so." Ki-woo's fingers moved with delicacy as he wrapped flowers in tissue paper. The bright pink tulips were being rolled in a soft pink tissue paper. They'd make the perfect gift for someone special. 

Across the way, Cynthia was doing the exact same thing with white tulips and baby blue tissue paper. Most of the morning and into the afternoon, the pair had been bundling flowers. Ki-woo taught her how to snip the stems properly and wrap them neatly. 

These bouquets would be going up front in a discounted bucket. He kept a few on hand for the people that wanted to buy smaller floral arrangements that didn't want to spend a ton of money. The flowers he used were older and less popular. It didn't make them any less beautiful, but he wanted others to experience their beauty before they withered away. 

Cynthia worked and worked and worked. Question after question was asked, but Ki-woo didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was thrilled that Cynthia was back. Every time she looked over, he had a smile on his face. She was at ease when she was with him. 

There was some sort of safety that she felt with him. The beady eyes behind the golden glasses were full of nothing, but warmth. She appreciated it and she appreciated him. For hours, the two talked and she listened to everything he had to say. 

He gushed about his wife and his own daughter. When he announced their deaths, she felt like she might burst into tears. Being so close to death herself, she truly pitied him and everything he went through. She couldn't imagine what it'd be like to lose the only people she cared about. 

"What do you think?" She glanced up after tying a bow around the wrapping paper with a piece of twine. "Do they look good?" 

"They look lovely. Have you smelled them yet? Every flower has its own unique and distinct scent. Fun fact: I can tell what a flower is just by their scent." 

"I don't believe you." 

"One day, we'll have to test it out and then I'll prove you wrong for the second time. You had your doubts when you first worked here too. I'll show you and you'll be forced to see the truth." 

She laughed and shook her head. The pair headed over to the sink in the back and began to wash their hands. While using a paper towel to dry her hands, her eyes went back to the leather book that Ki-woo had given her when she first arrived. 

The leather-backed journal was filled with multiple different kinds of flowers. Ki-woo had sketched out and doodled every kind of flower that was in his store. He added the meanings of them and what they were used for. Every different shade was highlighted with the faint inklings of colored pencil. 

She'd treasure his knowledge and she promised that she'd study it when she could. It was a great way for her to learn more about the flowers. The whole thing was in alphabetical order, so she could pull it out when she needed to. He insisted that she could even use it to help out customers. 

"Do you think you can hold down the fort for a few minutes? I've got a delivery of fresh flowers coming in and I need to place them in the cooler back here. Do you remember how to use the register?" 

She nodded her head. "I think I remember, but if I need help, I'll come find you." 

"Thatta girl! I'm not very busy this time of day anyway, so I-" Before he could finish, there was a knock on the back door of the back room. He sighed and gestured to the door. "I've got to get that, but if you need anything, just holler." 

"I will." 

She disappeared out of the back and slipped through the beaded curtain into the front. The fresh floral scent hit her and a smile began to stretch across her face. This really was one of the best things in the entire world.