Ethereal | ✓

II

FLORA LOVED THE SCENT of nature. It was one thing that always managed to make her feel at ease, because it always reminded her of her mother's flower shop.

It was the place where she had grown up, among the blooming colors and beauty of nature. It was one thing her mother had taught her ever since youth, to always appreciate and love nature.

She had been crouching down besides a few flowerpots, a sack of earth in one hand, a few seeds in the other, when her mother's voice interrupted her from her work.

'Hey sweetheart.'

Flora's eyes immediately softened when she saw her mother, the pretty woman practically the embodiment of gentleness. Time seemed to have taken no toll on her, her face still as youthful as ever, her vivid green eyes a mirror of Flora's own.

She had been told they reminded people of a spring day. In her own eyes she hadn't seen it, but now, when her mother stood in the light, she couldn't think of another way to describe them.

'I need to do some errands,' her mother said as she tied her dark curls in a bun,' do you mind staying an extra couple of hours?'

'Of course,' Flora said.

'Are you sure?' her mother frowned in worry,' didn't you have plans with your friends later?'

'They can wait,' Flora reassured her,' they won't mind.'

'Thank you, sweetheart,' her mother said, pecking Flora on the cheek before hurrying out of the shop.

Flora honestly didn't mind prolonging the time to see her friends. Although she loved them to death, she knew inevitably the subject of the flower shop was going to come up and she wasn't sure enough of herself to tell them anything with conviction.

Although she loved working here and felt at home among the flowers, the fact that her mother had always seen it as normal that Flora would eventually take over the store had always made her feel so suffocated. She knew her mother meant well and that she was too protective to let Flora go to college, but a part of her couldn't help but wish for freedom.

She almost wanted to make a big change in her life, just to see she could.

The silly thought almost made her chuckle as she shook it out of her head. Just when she wanted to return to planting the seeds, the ringing of her phone disturbed her.

She wiped the dirt off on her white apron as she picked it up, brushing a lock out of the way as she spoke.

'Hello,' she said.

'Flora, when are you coming?' a voice said,' we've just entered a random bar and I lost Amara already.'

'Hey Theo,' Flora smiled,' I just wanted to call. I'll probably be later.'

'Why?' Theo said indignantly.

'I need to stay at the shop for a while longer,' Flora said,' my mother is doing some errands.'

'Your mother is making you live there,' Theo said,' if she knew we were taking you anywhere outside of a three kilometer radius from her house, she wouldn't even allow you to go out.'

'She's just a bit protective of me,' Flora protested, although her voice was feeble.

'Yeah,' Theo scoffed,' she almost wants to lock you up.'