On the streets of New Orleans, there sits a pretty little flower shop. Inside, the equally lovely and unassuming owner spends her days with her head in the clouds and her nose in the flowers. Pretty, delicate, and the epitome of the old-fashioned So...
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The chime of the little bell that announced arrivals to the small flower shop on the corner of Pauger Street was a soft but pleasant one, designed to make people feel welcome.
Evie-Marie Vigneron didn't feel welcome. She felt mild irritation mixed with sadness, a combination that added up to a strong desire to punch something. The delicate ambience of the shop added to Evie's overall frustration. It was a New Orleans fixture, dripping with charm.
Everything about the shop on the corner was white, pink, and impossibly pretty. It was fragile, from the soft melody of the bell to the pristine white flowers on a table near the window to the owner of the shop. When the sound made its proclamation, she appeared with a smile on her pale pink lips and blonde, bouncing curls.
Even her eyes were a stunning shade of sky-blue, accented with the slightest brush of matching eyeshadow. She couldn't have been more than twenty-two, and her youth made her fragile, like the first blush of spring.
"May I help you?" The girl who appeared behind the counter was cheerful, too cheerful for Evie's liking. "I was just closing up for the evening, but I have time for one last delivery."
Evie bit her lip, the perfect shade of ruby on slightly tanned skin a contrast to the delicacy of the shop. At thirty-three, Evie in her power suits and impossible heels were impeccable and almost intimidating. The delicate mannerisms of girlhood were long gone if they'd ever been there at all.
A handkerchief hidden in her hand, Evie glared at the girl. She couldn't help it. She hated everything this store was and everything that girl was. The existence of both felt like a mockery.
"My mother passed away last night. I am overwhelmed taking care of business, so you'll forgive me if I seem unpleasant. Everything about this is unpleasant." Evie struggled to keep her tone even. "I need to choose flowers for her funeral. I don't know the first thing about flowers."
The expression on the young girl's face changed, and everything in her hands quickly fell to the counter. "I'm sorry, ma'am. A loss like that, that's hardest. You never forget your parents or your children. Let me get you a chair and a cup of coffee, please?"
She hurried to pull a chair up to the other side of the counter and helped Evie to sit. Evie didn't stop glaring. She hated being a breakable object. Evie was the only thing in the entire shop that wasn't, but the girl was too young and too soft to know that. The other woman's face showed only pain and empathy as she went to fix coffee.
"My name is Lisette Cardin, and I'm the owner here at Blooms And Bulbs. We help many people in just your situation, so don't worry about seeming unpleasant or overwhelming. Grief takes many forms. The important thing is to let us help honour your mother in the way she would have liked." Lisette's voice was high-pitched but soothing rather than squeaky. "Do you take cream or sugar in your coffee?"
