1. Dove Reign Flowers
FOURTEEN YEARS LATER
“Remember one year ago when this chick thought it was cute to parade someone else’s man around?”
“Y’all, is she outside with somebody else’s man?”
“Girls, hide ya man because Rose the Recker was seen outside yesterday.”
“Just trifling. Couldn’t be me. ’Cause I would’ve thrown some hands.”
I sighed and clicked out of social media. Rolling my eyes, I groaned. “Here we go with this shit again. It’s been one year. People, let it go. I mean, damn already. I thought it would’ve been out of everyone’s minds by now,” I muttered.
The bell over the door tinkled, and my stomach clenched. I turned my attention from my phone and forced a smile on my lips when I saw one of my repeat customers.
“Hey, hon. Let me go grab your order.”
I stuffed my phone in my pocket and headed toward the climate-controlled cooler in the back to get her order.
I fought off the negative thoughts that tried to insinuate their way into my mind ever since seeing those posts return yesterday morning.
Things had been quiet for so long that I had hoped it was all over.
I should have known that going to the floral conference would start some mess up again.
I had hoped that it wouldn’t, though. The weekend had passed by without incident—until this morning.
I woke to find that someone had recognized me over the weekend and submitted my picture to one of the gossip vlogs.
“Here you are, love. I hope your niece enjoys them.” I passed the large bouquet of orange orchids, yellow roses, and sprigs of baby’s breath to my loyal customer, Ciara Daughton. Her niece’s school colors were orange, gold, and white. I chose the yellow roses to represent the gold.
“I’m sure she will love them. She always loves it when I bring her flowers from your shop. She’s never had a bouquet this large before, though.”
“She deserves it. Congratulations again on her graduation.”
“Thank you. I’ll be back next week for my nephew’s graduation,” Ciara declared.
“I know. I already received your online order, and it will be fresh when you arrive.”
“Thanks, Dove.” She waved goodbye and breezed out the door as I turned my attention to the next customer in line.
“Good afternoon. Thank you for visiting Dove’s Floral Bliss,” I greeted the young cocoa-brown woman with hazel eyes.
“Hi. I’m looking for flowers to gift my boyfriend. What do you suggest?”
“Is there a special occasion?”
“No. I just wanted to show him how much I appreciate him. I often buy him gifts, but I wanted to do something a little different this time, just to say thank you, I see you, and I love you.”
“Aww, that’s sweet. Here’s what I suggest. The more masculine flowers would be roses, orchids, sunflowers, birds of paradise, or anything that has a more bolder color palette with sharper angles.
Placing a lot of greenery inside of the arrangement also makes it more masculine.
You could just give him a bouquet of orchids, roses, or sunflowers, but I suggest mixing various flowers to make it as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as it would be if he were to gift you some. ”
The young lady’s face lit up, and twin dimples creased her cheeks. “Girl, that’s a good idea. How long will it take for you to arrange it if I placed the order now?”
I glanced at the clock on the wall. “I actually have some time to do it now. I can have it ready in about five to ten minutes.”
“I’ll run to the coffee shop across the street and grab something. I’ll be right back. Is that okay?”
“That’s perfectly fine.” I busied myself with prepping the flowers and making the bouquet as my phone rang.
“Hello. Thank you for calling Dove’s Floral Bliss.”
“Hey, Dove. You good, girl?” Myracle asked.
“As good as I can be. I guess you saw the posts?”
“Yeah. People are just bored. I tried calling your phone, but you didn’t answer.”
“My phone is on do not disturb. I was sick of all the notifications going off.” I sighed.
“You could’ve shut off the notifications on your social media.”
“I did, but everyone in town who knows me are calling me to check on me.”
“Damn. I’m sorry, bestie. Do you want to hook up with KG and me later for some drinks?” Myracle asked.
“I need to do something, girl. Two of my staff are on their way in for their shifts. I should be finished in the next half an hour. Gimme a couple of hours to meet you all at Black Diamonds.”
“Sounds good,” Myracle replied.
“All right. See you soon.” I ended the call just as the woman returned to pick up her bouquet.
“This is gorgeous. Thank you so much. I know that he’s going to be surprised,” she stated, sliding her card into the card reader.
“I hope that he enjoys them. I love to see men receiving flowers, because they deserve them too.” I tucked a signature card inside of the bouquet.
“Girl, I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way. Thank you so much,” she repeated, accepting the bouquet from me.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy.”
“I will.”
I had just turned my back to head to the rear of the shop when the door chimes tinkled again. I turned around to issue my standard greeting, when the oxygen was sucked from my lungs.
“Hey, beautiful. How are you?”
“Neal. What are you doing here?”
“I was in town for my niece’s graduation, and I wanted to see how you were doing. You haven’t been taking my calls. It’s been a year.”
“Neal, please leave.” My fingernails dug into the palms of my hands, and my body trembled slightly. I just knew he had not brought his ass up in my flower shop acting like we were about to reminisce.
“Why can’t we just talk, Dove? I’ve missed you. Missed hearing your voice, seeing your smile, and hearing that breathy laugh that you do when you find something funny. Definitely missed feeling your body—”
“Leave!” I shouted. My stomach twisted in knots, and my vision blurred with unshed tears.
“Dove, please. I still love you, and I know that we can work things out if you just give us a chance. I believe in us, and I never stopped.”
“It’s impossible to work things out with you. You lied to me.”
“Not completely, sweetheart. I—”
“Oh my goodness. Please go, Neal,” I pleaded, backing up.
“What? What’s wrong?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. “Damn! I’m sorry, Dove. I didn’t realize they followed me here.”
A couple of men stood just outside of my shop, peering into the window with cameras.
They were snapping pictures, and it was worse than seeing the posts online.
The flash of the cameras caused all the horrible memories of the last year to come flooding back.
I had just gotten past that period, only for Neal’s presence to bring it all back.
He rushed to the window and closed the blinds before he stepped out of the shop and cursed at the men. I rushed to the door to lock it, but not before Neal stepped back inside.
I trembled and cried. When he reached for me, I swung at him. “Don’t touch me! You’ve done enough damage in my life. I cannot go through this again. Just go!”
“I’ll give you time to calm down, Dove, but I’m not giving up. I’ll be back, sweetheart,” he vowed, backing out of the door.
I quickly locked it behind him before he could change his mind. I ran to the back and dialed my sister, Ivy’s, number.
“Hello?”
“Ivy.” I sobbed into the phone.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Oops. Sorry, Ma.”
I proceeded to tell my sister what happened, and I could hear my mother in the background saying, “Turn here.”
Within five minutes, my sister showed up at the shop with my mother. They had been shopping in the area. I opened the shop and let them in, and they both wrapped their arms around me.
“Everything will be okay,” Mama promised.
“I can’t believe he had the nerve to show up after all the damage he’s caused. His trifling ass should’ve stayed under a rock, like he did when you needed him most,” Ivy declared angrily.
“I know. I don’t know what made him return. Life was just starting to look up again.”
“How long were those men standing outside before you noticed them?” Mama asked.
“Not long,” I replied, sniffling. “They couldn’t have gotten many shots.”
“Were you two touching at all?” she asked.
“No. I was behind the counter, and he was on the other side.”
“Bet his trifling ass set it up to stay relevant,” Ivy complained.
“I just thought it was over. I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” I sobbed.
“I know what I’m gonna do. I’ma find that trifling ass nigga and get Ant and Tino to whup his ass,” Ivy declared heatedly. She referred to her boyfriend, Anton, and his brother, Antino.
“Girl, hush. You’re not gonna do anything except make it worse.
Your sister doesn’t need that. Dove, honey, from the time this thing started, you planted your feet firmly in the sand and decided you wouldn’t do anything one way or another but stand your ground.
You said you weren’t ducking out, hiding, or leaving your shop despite all the negative attention that came your way.
I applauded you. I think I was wrong. Taking time out to assess the situation, gain a different perspective, and to just breathe is not hiding or being a coward.
It allows you to get your bearings together, figure out a different approach, and protect your mental health. ”
“What are you saying, Mama?” I asked through the thickness in my throat and the tears that rushed down my face.
“Baby, I’m saying that you need to go to our little cottage on Sorrel for at least one month. Your father and I will run the shop in your absence.”
“I can’t let you do that. You two are enjoying retirement.” I balked.
“We’ve been retired for three years. We’ve gotten a little bored, and this will give us something to do while we plan our next adventure.”
“Dove, if you don’t take Mama up on her offer, I will,” Ivy retorted.
Mama and I both looked at her like she had grown a third eye. “Girl, don’t nobody want to fool with them little bad behind first-graders you teach,” Mama replied, causing both Ivy and me to crack up laughing.
“I know that’s right,” I remarked, wiping my tears. “Do you think Daddy will be okay with that, though?”
“Your daddy is the one who suggested it when you first went through it.”
I bobbed my head as I thought about the little beach cottage. I hadn’t been there in years. A smile hovered over my lips as I thought about all the wonderful summers we spent there, especially when our neighbors, the Reeds, would go with their foster kids.
My smile faltered because thinking about the Reeds always brought back memories of Reighvyn.
It had been years since we last saw each other.
He hadn’t graduated college, but he had gone into sports.
That had been the crack in our friendship.
With his constant travels and training schedules, it was hard to reach him.
Our communication dwindled to nothing at all.
Yeah, it might be time to take a trip back to the past to remember who I was and tap back into the heart and soul of Dove Reign Flowers.
“I’ll do it.”
“Good. I’ll call the service and have them go out to prepare the place for your arrival. It may be a couple of days from now, but you’ll get the rest that you need,” Mama replied.