Page 8 of Flowers Near Me

Helena said, “You could live here.” Persephone laughed, about to tease her niece—until Laura nodded seriously.

“Moving to the city makes sense. Everyone knows you’re Demeter’s daughter now. And Mom wants you to take on more responsibility at the company anyway. Stay with us while you’re apartment hunting.”

Persephone swallowed. “If it were to be closer to you three, I’d do it. But we all know there are other obligations that would take over.”

“Your mom?” Peter asked.

Persephone pointed her finger at her brother-in-law. “Her and all her allies and enemies. I’ve avoided her politics, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Well, you might’ve rocked the boat tonight,” said Laura.

Peter leaned forward in his chair and looked at Persephone. “What happened?”

Persephone cocked her head and pinched her brow at her sister. “You think the flower app is a mistake?”

“Gods no. I just think your little run-in with sworn enemy number one could come back to bite you.”

Peter’s incredulous face went from his wife to Persephone. “Hades? How?”

Concern pricked at the back of Persephone’s mind as she considered Laura’s comment. “He dropped in on my meeting at Narcisi. I didn’t think the demon himself would show up.”

“What did he do?” asked Peter.

Persephone and Laura exchanged a brief look before both glancing at Helena. The little girl had unmuted the TV and stared at the screen.

In a hushed tone, Persephone said, “He tried flirting.”

Confusion coated Peter’s expression. “What do you mean, hetried?”

“He said a few discreet pickup lines, winked at me… kept a confident air, then left abruptly.”

“He sounds like Poseidon,” said Laura.

“I’m certain he’d hate that comparison,” Peter remarked.

“Hopefully it’s my only run-in with him. If someone snapped a photo—just one—Mom wouldn’t care about context. She’d see betrayal and would never let me forget it.”

Laura cut in, “I think you should flirt back next time and use it as leverage against Mom. You can threaten to date her nemesis.”

Laughing, Persephone said, “You and I both know she’d flip. She might force me to live with her in the penthouse. And I can’t promise I wouldn’t try to push her out a window.”

“Yikes,” Peter whispered, but Laura laughed along with Persephone.

“Who are you talking about?” Helena’s sweet voice asked.

“Yaya,” Laura replied without hesitation.

Helena leaned on Persephone’s back, craning her head past her aunt’s shoulders. “Noooo. Who’s theotherperson you’re talking about?”

“What do you mean?” Peter asked.

“Who flirted with Aunt Sephy?”

Persephone, Peter, and Laura exchanged a quick glance. Busted.

“Oh, ha… just some god who thinks he’s special. And how do you know what flirting is?” Persephone leaned back on the couch, and Helena hopped over her to sit on her mom’s lap.

“I don’t know. Why does he think he’s special?”

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