He was always good with flowers.
The girl on the crowded tram struggling with a gorgeous bunch of blooms on the way home from work? That was me.
The floral arrangement held aloft, making it's way through a busy call centre to be delivered to your desk? That's a great moment.
But it's the first flower he ever sent me that I can never forget.
"Did you get it?" he asked me over the phone.
"Get what? Did you send me something?"
"Yeah, yesterday. A flower with a card attached. Shit. Your house is number 43….isn't it?"
"No, it's 56!"
I crossed the street and made my way down to number 43. The letterbox was stuffed full of mail and catalogues. If someone lived here, they hadn't checked the mail in a while. I swung open the wrought iron gate and walked hesitantly down the paved path to the front door. There on the welcome mat lay one gorgeous long-stemmed red rose. It had been undisturbed overnight, sustained by the plastic vial of water attached to the stem. I snatched it up gleefully and as I retraced my steps back home, I read the card, ripe with the overblown sentiment of burgeoning love.
I rang him back. Told him I'd found the flower, that I loved it.
And that maybe he shouldn't write any more poetry….
Happy Valentine's Day, Bren.
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