Bitter laughter bubbles up through the tears. I let my knees sink to the floor and lean against the wall, dragging in stuttering breaths.
A knock at the door sends my heart into a panicked,hopeful staccato. Furiously, I wipe at the tears, knowing there’s nothing to be done about my overall state.
With one final steadying breath, I haul myself up and open the door.
My landlord stands on the porch, a vase of flowers in hand.
Not Cillian.
Of course.
“Hey!” She greets me with a smile. “Everything, ok?”
I sniff. “Yeah. Just . . .” I shrug.
“Life does that.” She holds the vase out. “These came for you on Friday, didn’t want them to die before you came back.”
“Thank you,” I say, accepting it. “I’ll put them in something else and give you your vase back. One?—”
“Don’t worry about it. You can give it to me later.”
“Thanks again.”
She gives me an understanding smile. “And if you need a little more time to think about the lease, that’s fine. We’re not in a rush.”
I finger the card, still attached to its little plastic holder. “That’s...really nice of y’all.”
She shrugs. “It leases pretty fast. Not a big deal. Have a good day!”
“You, too.”
She opens her door, disappearing up the stairs as I step back inside.
In my kitchen, I set the vase on the island, studying the flowers while my coffee brews.
A generic assortment of mums and daisies.
Bracing myself, I open the card.
Toni,
Couldn't stop thinking of you. I hope these bring extra beauty into your day.
Always yours,
David
Over our three years together, I could count on one, maybe two, hands the number of times that man got me flowers. Too impractical, he’d say. But that wasn’t what had my hand shaking.
This wasn’t a forwarded package from my brother’s address. Somehow, he figured out where I lived.
I shudder.
After college, I moved to Atlanta. I’d gotten a job at a marketing firm and was ready to get out of Texas. I hopped on Craigslist—much to Belle’s chagrin—found a roommate, packed my car, and left. I had a great time...until a hookup turned into a stalker.
I moved apartments twice, and somehow, that guy kept finding me, sending flowers and gifts, insisting we pursue something more serious. Eventually, he threatened me if I didn’t. It didn’t stop until I put several states between us.
David knew all about that experience. And still, he sent these.
