Page 10 of Love in Full Bloom

I read the message twice, then a third time, a smile spreading across my face. Not just professional interest after all.

Me: I’m glad. That's exactly what I hope my paintings will do—help people see beauty in places they might otherwise overlook.

Ben: Mission accomplished. My drive home has never been so interesting. I spotted three different wildflower species I've been ignoring for years.

I laugh out loud.

Me: Careful. Next thing you know, you'll be the one painting weeds.

Ben: I’ll leave that to the expert. My talents lie elsewhere.

I hesitate before sending the next message.

Me: I started a new painting tonight. Something different for me—a garden that balances structure and wilderness. Your influence, I think.

The typing indicator appears, disappears, then appears again.

Ben: I’m honored. Maybe you could show me sometime. After our wildflower expedition.

My heart does a little flip.

Me: I’d like that.

Ben: Goodnight, Jasmine. Sweet dreams.

Me: Goodnight, Ben.

I set my phone down, feeling lighter than before. Maybe I wasn't imagining things after all. Maybe this connection is real—tentative and new, but real nonetheless.

I turn back to my painting with renewed confidence, adding touches of light and shadow, defining the spaces where structure meets wildness. The garden takes shape beneath my brush, becoming more than just a fantasy—a possibility. A meeting place between two different ways of seeing beauty in the world.

For the first time in longer than I can remember, I paint without my inner critic whispering doubts in my ear. I paint with joy, with hope, with the simple pleasure of creating something that feels true.

And when I finally step back, brush in hand, I see something I've never created before—a painting that honors both the wild andthe cultivated, finding harmony in their coexistence rather than conflict.

Just like Ben and me.

Monday morning arrives with perfect clarity—cool, crisp air and sunlight that makes everything glow. I arrive at our meeting spot early, nervous energy making it impossible to sit still. I've chosen my favorite jeans and a soft sweater in a shade of green that brings out the emerald flecks in my eyes. Practical for scrambling through abandoned lots, but still flattering. Not that I spent an hour deciding on this totally casual outfit.

When Ben's truck pulls into the parking lot, my heart does that ridiculous flutter again. He steps out looking like he belongs in an outdoor clothing catalog, in faded jeans, sturdy boots, and a henley that stretches across his shoulders in a way that makes my mouth go dry. His hair is slightly damp, as though he's just showered, and those laugh lines around his eyes deepen when he spots me.

"Morning," he calls, striding toward me with a travel mug in each hand. "I brought coffee. Peace offering in case you wanted to even the score from Saturday."

I laugh, accepting the cup he offers. "I think I still owe you a shirt."

"Forget the shirt." He smiles down at me, and I'm struck again by how tall he is, how solid. "I'm more interested in these secret wildflower havens you promised to show me."

"Then you're in luck. We have three stops planned, each one better than the last." I gesture toward my car. "We can take mine if you want. I know where we're going."

"Lead the way."

As we drive to the first location, conversation flows easily between us. Ben tells me about the Hamilton project—clients who want a garden that feels like "living art" rather than a conventional landscape. I share stories about finding unexpected beauty in forgotten corners of the city. There's none of the awkward silence I usually dread on first... whatever this is. Not quite a date, but definitely not just a professional meeting either.

"Here we are," I announce, pulling into a small parking area near an old industrial complex. "Former textile factory. Abandoned for years before they started converting part of it into lofts."

Ben looks skeptical as we get out of the car. "This is your wildflower haven?"

"Just wait." I lead him around the chain-link fence to a gap I discovered months ago. "The main building is being renovated, but they've left this back lot alone. It's like nature is reclaiming it inch by inch."

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