t morning. She carried a fresh coffee in one hand and a box of old shop receipts in the other. The

e in the

s alread

ght catching in the strands of his tousled brown hair. He was prying off a

nked. "

his shoulder, un

e here

, like it was the most na

a brow but

t her things on the counter, and

ask you

dn't ha

ng his work. "The wood rotted from the inside. Rain's been seep

things between them-apologies, regrets, memories wit

d and moved t

foll

ucet dripped into a rust-stained basin, and an old wooden table leaned unevenly a

could start

she

. "I'm not here to wa

ose in h

he shop. She knew

xt few hours elbo

ied seed packets and old customer order forms, sorting them into piles by season. Slowly, they moved in rhythm. Comfor

n't awkwar

s...

rm

usly fa

nced up and caught hi

" she

"You still scrunch your nos

. "You still think

said quietly.

on the front steps

de her, elbows resting on his knees, his gaze f

better alre

a mess," s

it's your

iled f

e, letting the bre

m about this,"

d to him,

ut w

ting sunflowers in the window like you used to." He shrugged, a

softly. "I

d, voice softe

r a moment, the weight

two people,

not th

stranger

a pulled out a box of old price tags and floral tape

rushing hair from her face. "You

up. "I'm not do

ike a slap. Her

elping you. But I'm also doing it for he

d you lik

she loved me more th

rness in his voice

forming in her throat. "

ver bla

till

ple survive in different ways. You lef

like

"Olivia, you were nineteen. The world swa

eath c

se I lost everythi

"You came back because

ox of dried petals, Olivia fo

of the shop, her head on his shoulder, his arm around he

traced t

k into that moment. Before Daniel.

re r

nto her pocket and didn

t

up the tools and swept the floor

tomorrow?

a hes

said finally

dn't

iv

look

d. "Why are you le

searching for t

ng you in," sh

t y

d, accep

whispering, "But I'm not

, then left with not

ty shop, her heart beating

't just about r

s about reope