Happy Sunday. This week I'm back with another short story, the third one of the year. I do this from time to time, and you can find the last short story here, and lots more in the back catalogue of this blog (I recommend Maisy and Not Long For This World if you'd like pointers on where to start). This week’s story is called Flowers, and I wrote it in response to a prompt about two strangers meeting and uncovering a secret. Please enjoy, and as always, do let me know what you think.
— Flowers —
The fifth time I bumped into her at the cemetery gates, I knew I had to make my move. Fifth time’s the charm, right? You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. I’d failed to shoot my shot four times, but I promised myself the fifth time would be different. Of course, I didn’t know whether I’d make the shot, but by God I was going to try.
I summoned all the courage in the world to speak to her. And it was brilliant. We had so much in common. We bonded over our love of spicy rice and barbecue, and our hatred of avocados and coriander. Like me, she was also visiting her dad. Same anniversary too. But unlike me, she never knew him. It was a long story, one she wasn’t comfortable sharing. All she said was her parents were never together.
Dani was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. She looked familiar and exotic all at once, like someone I’d known all my life, but from a faraway land. She always looked on the bright side, and she saw the best in everyone and everything. She told me, for instance, that she appreciated how people left flowers at her dad’s grave. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was done by a custodian paid to tend to the grounds and leave flowers on birthdays and anniversaries. I knew this because dad got flowers on his birthday and the anniversary of his passing.
We grew closer. Then we got serious. Mum was surprised when I told her I wanted her to meet someone.
“It’s about time,” she said. “I was wondering if I’d have to find a girl for you.” We laughed it off, and I told her all about Dani.
The initial meeting couldn’t have gone better than I’d hoped. Mum loved Dani, and Dani loved mum. We grew closer still. When Dani said her mum, who lived 2000 miles away, would be visiting, I knew what she was asking.
“Would you like to meet my mum?”
“I’d love nothing more.”
Dani asked if mum wanted to come too. We were practically family by this point. Jokes were made about engagement rings and wedding bells and baby names. But the biggest joke was one we didn’t see coming. We were family, alright, more than we knew. When Dani’s mum came face-to-face with mum at the airport arrivals, the encounter opened 28-year-old wounds and unearthed a devastating secret.
That’s when it all made sense. Dani and I met at the cemetery because we were visiting the same grave, dad’s. Turns out there was no custodian either, or if there was, they weren’t responsible for the flowers. We were. She found my flowers, and I found hers.
My new album, Hope on the Horizon, is out everywhere now. Not a fan of streaming and want to support my music? You can download a digital version or buy a CD now here. Thank you for listening, spreading the word, and reaching out to share your thoughts. I appreciate it. Have a great week.