Page 69 of Dead Love
a few days later
Steam dancedabove a cup waiting on the table for me. I lifted a brow; that hadn’t happened in ages, just like the outfit laid on my bed. Shea, my mother, was standing at the kitchen sink, looking out our window at the rose bushes blooming in the backyard. Her hair was twisted into a bun for the first time in ages. Before she could make a comment about my long, low ponytail, I quickly copied her hairstyle.
“Morning, sweetheart!” she said, picking up where we left off. Her honeysuckle perfume filled the air; I scrunched my nose, then straightened. “You look adorable!” It was like the last six months had never happened, but I wasn’t going to complain about that. I was wearing the same black dress as her. It had a high waist and a shiny orange sash, three-quarter sleeves, with lace covering the bodice and arms. I had opted for black flats, instead of the orange heels, like she was wearing, but luckily, she hadn’t noticed yet. “I knew we’d look perfect in it.”
She loved playing up the mother/daughter image. I had learned a long time ago not to make a big deal out of it. Pick your battles wisely.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
I blinked at her, my skin tingling with discomfort.
“Yes,” I finally said. It was a lie, but I wasn’t going to risk upsetting her. I hadn’t been able to sleep in ages.
She flicked a thumb at the backyard. “Are those rose bushes new?” I nodded, though whether or not they wereactuallynew was debatable. I had planted them two months ago. I admit I had taken advantage of her lack of interest lately; she had never allowed me to garden by myself before. “They’re beautiful.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“Be careful with them, you know?” she said. “They’re not as easy to take care of as you’d think.”
My stomach twisted. They had survived the last two months fine, but there was a chance she would remove them anyway.
“I’ll be careful,” I said.
Shea hummed along to the radio as we drove to work. I tapped my fingers against my legs. Despite the fact that the dismissive comments were back, I welcomed her return. And yet, I didn’t understand this sudden shift. For the last few months, we had been driving to the flower shop in silence, where I’d scrounge my breakfast to-go from the pantry, while my mother skipped her own. She saved her energy for the shop, where she kept an even smile on her face until we closed, then it was back to silence again. At night, I left her dinner on the vacant side of the bed, where it cooled, undisturbed.
It was like a switch had been flipped, and now she was back.
Pumpkins lined the shops downtown. My cartoonish, but cute monster scowled outside of our entrance door. I turned off the electric candle.
“That’s cute, sweetheart, but it doesn’t match our image,” Shea said, bopping my nose. “I don’t want our customers to associate our flowers with something spooky.”
It was more cute than spooky, and we had already had it out for a few days. She was going to reject itonHalloween?
“You might find some new customers,” I argued. “Some people really like Halloween.”
“They like the candy.” She winked, then fluttered inside, pulling a small bowl of chocolates from under the register, putting it on display. “Get the other pumpkin and carve the rose. They always like that.”
I let it go. It was just a pumpkin. I didn’t need to hold my ground for something like that. But when it came to things that mattered, I had to stand up for myself. I was eighteen now, and I had already applied and been pre-selected for a scholarship at the University of Dixon on the West Coast. All I had to do was accept.
That evening, we met Sheriff Mike at a charity event for a photo opportunity. He was my father, but he was rarely home, and when he was, his moods fluctuated so wildly that I stayed out of his way. But I smiled at the cameras anyway, happy for the chance to be out in public for once. Afterward, we walked to Nectar Latte, grabbing a tea for me and coffee for my parents, then headed back to Poppies & Wheat. My mother talked idly at my father, who nodded along with her.
Everything seemed at peace for once. It was now or never.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you two about,” I said, interrupting them.
“Oh?” Shea asked.
Sheriff Mike opened the door to the shop. We went inside. My mother found her place behind the counter and started rifling through the supplies. The latest assistant manager buzzed out of the way.
“What’s the weather like in California this time of year?” I asked.
Shea tilted her head at me. “Why do you ask?”
“Could I wear this over there for Halloween?”
“That’s silly,” she smiled brightly. “Why would you need to wear that dress over there?”
“I got this letter.” I ran to the storeroom and grabbed the envelope from my cubby. “I was pre-selected for a scholarship. And I got an early acceptance—”
