When We Bloom

VI

DEC. 9TH

I brought you a bouquet today.

When obā-chan came to America, she stayed in the apartment building right across from us and started Narita's Floristry at Tenth and Fifty-fourth.  When I finish my articles for the NS Post, I'll check in on it, but the floristry pretty much runs itself.

(Hisae-san pulled some strings to get me bunches of honeyworts for the bouquet. They bloom in the winter, Ada, thriving on the ice and bursting in vibrant purple. Don't worry. I thanked Hisae for the both of us by making her some of Grandma's pie.)

The first time we were alone was through flowers. Remember? Akane, you, and I went to Narita's Floristry to purchase a bouquet for Rachel Merlyn. It was exciting that one of our friends was getting married, and we had to congratulate her.

But something from school came up, and Akane texted last minute that she couldn't make it. You and I walked into the floristry.

You broke the silence first. "Sorry I told you to fuck off at the hospital."

"It's okay," I said. "Sorry I tried to pry information about your cousin."

"It's okay," I said. "I know Rachel from college. How do you know her?"

"She works at the New Santiago Post as a photographer," I said.

"Capture the moment and all that, huh?" you said.

"Right," I said. "So how did you and Akane meet?"

"Blind date. My flatmate is part of Akane's band, turns out," you said, laughing. "Small world, isn't it?" 

"It is," I agreed. We stopped by the rows and rows of bouquets. You reached out and touched a yellow petal. 

"How about this one?" you said. "It's got reds and yellows, and it smells--it smells like a field of sunshine." 

"Forget being a doctor," I said. "You should be a poet." 

"I should, shouldn't I?" you said. "So what do you think of this bouquet?" 

"I don't know," I said. "Too many daffodils, and the California poppies are drooping a little. Let's keep looking." 

"You really like flowers, huh?" you said.

"What gave me away?" 

"I don't know. Just a hunch," you said. 

"You should trust your hunches, then," I said. "How about this bouquet?" 

You lifted the bouquet to your nose and inhaled deeply. Viridescent petals fanned out against the cream of your skin. Gold freckles were sprinkled across your nose. 

"I like this," you said. "Let's get this one." 

"Okay," I said. "Then let's."

"You have good taste in flowers, Keiji Narita. Next time I need to buy a bouquet, you'll be my guy." 

"Honored, Ada." 

We bought the bouquet. Rachel was ecstatic when you handed it to her. The wedding smelled like a field of sunshine.