Page 17 of Petals and Plot Twists
Or maybe I’m just reading into things.
“Definitely,” I say. “Good luck at your meeting.”
I watch as Peter disappears out the front door, thoughts spinning, but then my new friend Iris and her boyfriend, Matteo, appear at the bottom of the stairs, and I remember my purpose.
I dart over to them. I don’t know Iris super well, but we bonded last month when she randomly brought several bags of potting soil I desperately needed up to the garden. I’d say we’re definitely on friendly enough terms that my request is only going to soundslightlystrange and not entirely deranged.
“Iris! Hi.” I look over at Matteo. “Hi, Matteo. Listen. Are you guys busy? Can you come up to the roof with me? I need a quick…” Oh, geez. What do I need? Maybe I can just be vague? “A favor!” I say a little too loudly. “A tiny one. A very tiny favor.”
Matteo gives me a wide-eyed look, and Iris bites her lip, like she can’t quite figure out how to respond.
“I promise it’ll only take a second,” I say, still struggling to read their expressions.
Finally, Iris looks up at Matteo with a sweet expression on her face. “What do you think? Do we have time to go up to the roof?”
Matteo shrugs his shoulders. “I’m game if you are.” He looks at me. “I heard you’ve put some new flowers in. I’d like to see them anyway.”
“Yes. Perfect. Thank you!” I lead the way as we head upstairs, Iris and Matteo holding hands the entire time. If the flower doesn’t bloom for these two, I’m declaring the story at the library completely bogus because there is no way they aren’t in love.
Sure enough, as soon as we step up to the plant, the largest bud slowly unfurls, revealing its deep pink center.
I lift my hands over my head and let out a cheer. I’ve never seen it happen in real time, and the sight completely takes my breath away.
“What?” Iris asks. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” I say. “Just that my favorite flower has finally bloomed. That’s what I wanted to show you.” I point at the white and pink bloom. “See? There it is!”
Matteo wrinkles his brow. “I thought you needed a favor.”
I could just explain. But I’m not sure I know Iris and Matteo well enough to fill them in when I’m still trying to wrap my head around an actual fortune-telling, matchmaking, magical flower.
“Right,” I say. “A favor. You know what? I forgot. I already did it. There were some bags of compost I needed to put away, but ha! Silly me. I did it last night.”
Iris looks at me funny. As she should because I sound like an utter and complete moron.
“Okay,” Iris says. “Well, the flower is really pretty. Thanks for showing it to us.”
“The garden looks great, Sophie,” Matteo adds.
I linger on the roof while Matteo and Iris head back downstairs, watching and holding my breath as the flower slowly folds in on itself, the bud closing up tight.
I shake my head, still in awe that this is even happening. It blooms for Archer and Willa. It blooms for the Hathaways. It blooms for Iris and Matteo. All couples who are in love, or at least very close to it.
But if the story in the library is true, it should also bloom for people who only have thepotentialfor true love. New couples who are on their way there. Even strangers who are destined to fall in love but don’t know it yet.
I drop onto the bench beside the flower and pull out my phone so I can look at the images I took at the library, but I’m momentarily distracted by a text from my mom.
Mom
Just saying hi! We’re in port in Honduras so I’ll only have service for a minute. But look at this view!
Mom is currently on an eighty-day cruise with her boyfriend, Pierre, so an update like this makes sense. But the picture in Mom’s second message doesn’t make any sense. Because it’s a selfie of her and a man who isnotPierre. I zoom in on the photo and look a little closer. The two of them are standing on a balcony, bright blue ocean glittering on one half of the background, and what I’m guessing is Honduras filling up the other half, tree-covered hills gently rolling into each other before turning into sandy beaches, then foamy waves. The viewisbeautiful, and my mom looks great. As gorgeous as ever. But I have never seen the man standing beside her.
I sigh and key out a response.
Sophie
Amazing view. But who is the guy?
