Page 92 of Never Too Late

“Hi, son, how can I help?” he says as he approaches the counter.

“Hi, sir, I’m Jae. I’m fairly new to town.” He removes his glasses and offers me a friendly smile. I continue to talk, now unable to stop. “My partner owns the record shop at the end of the street. I came to work with him today but decided to take a walk around instead. I’ve not explored the whole high street yet, but it's beautiful. I didn’t even know your shop was here. His brother Tyler actually sent me here. I moved into an old farmhouse; it came with a sunflower garden. I haven’t been able to work for a while so I’ve been seeing to it. I actually really like it. It’s different to what I'm used to – my old job. Dax, he’s always loved flowers. I guess you could say his love for them has rubbed off onto me.”

“Oh yes! Dax. I’ve seen the brothers a handful of times when I’ve been in Cee’s. Dax is the one with the tattoos, right? I’ve never been a fan of them myself, but I can appreciate the ones he has. They look like the real thing. I’m Bernie, sorry I didn’t mention this before.”

I’m glad I’m not the only one who appreciates them.

Bernie carries on talking while I walk around the shop on light feet, taking every flower in. I’ve never seen anything like it before, the only place I’ve seen so many flowers is on Dax’s skin, and when we went to see them at the Botanic Gardens. Seeing them so up close, being able to touch the petals, is a completely different experience.

I’m starting to really understand why Dax appreciates them so much.

Bernie walks towards me, gently placing his hand on my shoulder. “You know, Jae, I could use a hand around here. I’m on my own, I don’t have anyone helping out and I’m getting older. You mentioned you’re not working, right?”

“Oh yes, sir. That’s correct.”

“You’re very well mannered,” he says with a smile. “Where did you say you were from?”

“Sorry, I didn’t.” Praying my southern accent makes it obvious where I’m from. “My old job required me to move about a lot. I was based near Chester last.” My palms are instantly starting to get sweaty, the topic of the conversation starting to make me feel uncomfortable. I go to reach my dog tags as I’ve not needed them in a while, and I’m reminded I don’t wear them anymore. They’re protecting Alice. I cough, feeling awkward. “Former military, sir.”

The words steal all of Bernie’s attention from his flowers and he slowly walks around the counter approaching me. “Well I’ll be damned, soldier. Royal Regiment of Wales at your service.” Bernie goes to raise his right hand, bringing his fingers to his forehead when I lean over, pressing a gentle hold on his forearm. “You don’t need to do that.”

Instead, he reaches up to the cap on his head, taking it off and bringing it to his chest.

A different way of showing respect.

“Any soldier is welcome here. You come back whenever you want to, how little and often you want. It feels good to be in the presence of another soldier again.”

“I’d like to take you up on that offer, sir. I mean, Bernie.”

“You know, Jae, you remind me of myself. I never thought this would be where I ended up after the war either. If I'm honest, I’m surprised I made it out alive.” He lets out a shallow grunt. “This here was my sweet Betsy’s shop. She has been my sweetheart ever since I met her at fifteen. I bought it for her. Some of the guys said a bunch of flowers is a way to a girl’s heart and I went and showed them I could do better than that. So, I bought her the whole store.” I notice his face soften, and he walks towards an old black-and-white photo on the wall of a beautiful girl I’m guessing to be in her twenties, outside of the shop. “She always loved flowers. Said they were special; they had the power to say things people couldn’t. Hell, my house was as full of them as it is here.” I notice him starting to lean on the counter, so I quickly run to grab the stool I noticed by the front door, bringing it over helping him to take a seat. His voice turns to sadness. “She started getting sick, real sick. Doctors couldn’t do anything about it. My heart broke the day I lost her, and you know what her last words were to me?” I can’t reply. I try to but the words don’t come out. “Keep the dream alive. For a moment, I was angry, son. I didn’t understand. But this here, this is her dream. And keeping it alive, means a part of her is always with me. We don’t have any children to pass it onto, I just hope one day someone can take over who keeps the same dream alive as I try to do now.”

Quickly wiping away the tears falling from my eyes, Bernie slowly stands up from the stool. “Thank you, son, for listening to a silly old man like me.” He smiles, telling me to follow him to the back room of the florist where he keeps all the fresh flowers before working with them.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I make sure to send a text telling Dax I’m going to be here for a while. I don’t want to worry him.

And I can’t help but feel excited. Leaving the army left me feeling confused and unsure. But this makes me feel grounded.

I feel as though, maybe, this is what I was meant to do all along.

Chapter fifty

Dax

“I wish I told you every minute of every day, just how much you mean to me.”

“Where did you say Jae had gone?” I ask Ty as I walk into the back room and take a seat onto the chair in front of the computer.

“I didn’t. He just said he was going for a walk to pick some things up, he hasn’t been gone that long, D. He’s an adult. He knows his way around, I’m sure he’ll come back. Anyway, I’m going to go get a coffee, I’ll grab you one.” He tries to joke around with me as he stands to get his jacket from the rack at the side of the door, but I don’t feel amused. I know I shouldn’t worry; I’m trying not to be an overbearing guard dog, but I can’t help myself.

I just need to make sure he’s safe. I’m scared in case something happens again when I’m not there.

If something happens again, I won’t be able to forgive myself.

And thankfully, like clockwork, my phone goes off with a text lighting up my screen.

Jae: I’m not going to be back to the shop for a while. I don’t want to panic you. I’m fine. I’m in the florist with Bernie, we got talking and one thing led to another. He mentioned how he needed a hand in the shop. And I offered. I couldn’t say no. I hope that’s okay. I love you and I miss you x

My shoulders relax after I respond to the message.

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