Roses

A brief flashback

 

Roses

Amelia stood behind the glass counter of the inviting chocolate store. She was holding a tray of fresh truffles, dappled with a fine dusting of cocoa, their adorned coats gleaming in the light within the little shop. Amelia set the truffles carefully beneath the glass case and gazed out through the frosted store window into the dead street beyond.

The only person within her scope was a lone flower vendor. He had been there nearly every day this week selling grossly overpriced roses for Valentine’s Day. She watched as he arranged a large vase of blood infused roses, their petals slightly blacked around the edges in protest to the biting air.

 Amelia blinked and looked away quickly, hurrying into the back room to grab another tray of truffles from the cooling rack. But it was too late. Try as she might she couldn’t escape it in time. Amelia squeezed her eyes shut at the sting of the memory that seeped through her guarded mind…

Pernicious red roses. She had thought that they were beautiful. She had delighted at the bundle of crimson furling petals, how velvety soft they were around her small nose as she inhaled their lavish perfume. She had missed him so much- he was always on business for weeks at a time, or at the office working late- and now he had come back to her, baring these beautiful blossoms.

“They’re lovely!” she had said, looking up at him now. He didn’t look back.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

How could she had thought his words sincere? She was young then. She was delusional.

            “Where are you going?” she had said as he started to walk, his back turned towards her.

            “Oh I have a meeting…” he’d replied glibly, his eyes never meeting hers.

            “I thought you said you were off today.” Amelia stared at him trying to see into his flickering eyes that never seemed to meet her scrutinizing glare.

            “Um…” He had said, his voice high with panic.

            “Well…”

            He turned back to her now with a strange look on his face. One that made Amelia’s smile fall from her lips and fear squeeze her chest immediately.

His eyes were filled with an apologetic guilt…one that shredded her heart in two before he even opened his mouth.

            “I wasn’t going to tell you yet. I didn’t want to ruin this day,” he had said, his voice rough, “but… I can’t go on pretending anymore, Amelia.”

            Amelia looked down at the roses still in her arms. Suddenly they looked faded and dull.

            “There’s someone else.” The apology in his voice didn’t reach his eyes.

            A rustling crash broke the silence as the roses fell from Amelia’s arms, spotting the frozen ground with bloody petals.

            She didn’t move. Neither did he. She would not speak. She could not speak. Her voice was frozen in her throat, chained by a combination of raw shame, burning anger, and unshed tears.

            She hadn’t waited for the silence to break. She had swallowed the watermelon in her throat and turned quickly without a glance back at his stationary features. Then she ran. She ran fast, her tears spilling now, her face livid, leaving behind the pile of bleeding rose petals.

            Amelia blinked, willing the last throbs of the memory to fade away. She straightened up and brought the fresh chocolates in her hands up to the counter, not once looking back out at the frozen flowers. She placed the truffles beneath the glass to await the day’s customers.

           

           

 

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

"baring these beautiful..." I believe the word should be "bearing"

Very good writing, J Alicia! The imagery is vivid and your wording is excellent. A sad tale, but one that takes place a lot, I'm afraid. Thanks for sharing! Sam