As Simple As Flowers
"Do you have the time?" Lina looked up from her salad and book to see her colleague standing over her left shoulder.
"Sure." She reached for her phone and flipped it over, lighting up the screen. Carla's face mirrored it with a grin.
"Perfect, don't have to get back to my desk just yet." She looked back at the lock screen. "Oh my goodness, the flowers are lovely!"
She reached down to tilt the phone towards her for a better look. A photo of cream-coloured roses that peeked out from behind the time and date. In the process, her hand brushed Lina's, hitting against the sharp diamond of her ring.
Carla let go and met her eye. "You are one lucky lady!" Lina exhaled in something resembling a laugh, nodding.
With one last enthusiastic smile, Carla walked away. Lina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought back to the day a little over a week ago when she took that picture.
She stood in the grocery store, admiring the bouquets of roses and wildflowers. She took out her phone and snapped a photo, with the intent of sending it to Brad.
She'd already opened a new text message when she thought better of it. It wasn't worth having him berate her for wanting something as simple as flowers.
Juliette Sebock is the author of Mistakes Were Made and has work in publications including Royal Rose Mag and Cauldron Anthology. She is the editor-in-chief of Nightingale & Sparrow and runs a lifestyle blog, For the Sake of Good Taste. When she isn't writing (and sometimes when she is) she can be found with a cup of coffee and her cat, Fitz. She can be reached at her website and across social media at @juliettesebock. She is a regular contributor of Marías at Sampaguitas.