Flowers

It was five in the morning when Robert got up after the alarm he had set went off. He started making calls from the list he had already prepared. By the time it was almost six, he rushed to shower, as he now had to attend all those appointments he had just scheduled.

While he was showering, Katy brought breakfast to his room and laid out his clothes on the bed. When Robert emerged from the bathroom, he ate while getting dressed to speed things up. Katy was waiting for him at the door.

"So, it's been a year since you got married? And I've only seen her at the wedding. Should I be complaining?"

"I'm sorry, Katy, but things aren't going very well between her and me. And do you remember what I told you?"

"I'll only get to know the woman you love."

"And I don't love her."

"But she's your wife."

"Maybe you'll get to know her soon. I think Dad also wants to get closer to her, so don't rush it. I'm off, I have an anniversary surprise to arrange."

"Hope everything goes well."

"Thank you, Katy." He kissed her on the cheek and then gave her a hug before saying goodbye.

Robert took a look at the organized list. He had to go first to the woman who would help him with clothes.

6:39 AM.

He parked in front of the store. The morning was just breaking, April mornings were very dark. The woman was waiting for him at the door. She was opening at this hour only because it was him; she couldn't refuse without causing problems with her superiors, as Robert was friends with the owners.

The lights in the store came on, and Robert began to walk through the aisles. Two more girls arrived a few minutes later to assist him.

"My wife has lost a lot of weight," he commented to the one beside him. "And I have no doubt that it's bothering her, because I was astonished at how quickly she did it. I can't explain it. Anyway, I need something that fits her, that she likes, and that makes her feel comfortable. I know women have many insecurities, and today I need her to feel beautiful. It's our anniversary," although it was just the celebration, the date had already passed.

"Where do you plan to take her? That way we can figure out what to choose. Do you know her size?" Robert had no idea.

"We're going on a yacht. I want her to have a beautiful bikini, several of them for her to choose from. Her breasts are large, I want one that looks sexy and eye-catching. I plan to put sunscreen all over her. As for size... let's see..." He thought about the last image he saw of Alice's body. "It's true that her body is soft and a bit flabby now, but that seemed more acceptable to me than being overweight. Her hips aren't tiny, of course, but her legs are like..." He couldn't find the words to describe it! But that wasn't what the girls were asking for, only her size. "I'm getting a bit tangled. I'm not sure about her condition after the weight change. But her thighs are still right for holding me, her arms are not strong, and now they're thin. Her stomach changed a lot, it's... it's somewhat flat, and she's not very tall. Her face has always been very beautiful, it combines everything with her golden hair and those fierce eyes. Her face is very sweet, but her eyes are too challenging and..." He raised his gaze, seeing that the women didn't understand anything he was saying. "Well, I haven't said her size yet, have I? I'm sorry, I'm not being helpful." He looked more closely at the women to estimate Alice's weight. "She's more or less like you, but with bigger breasts, more curves, a bit shorter, and definitely more beautiful. I want swimsuits, two evening dresses, one for the beach, two for the day, and damn it! What shoe size could she be?! If she's petite, maybe a seven, like Katy. Yes, size seven shoes, I don't think she's a six, that seems too small. And what about...?! I don't have all morning." He had another appointment in half an hour.

They began presenting him with clothes in the sizes of the girl from before. He rejected all the dresses, he didn't see them fitting Alice. He chose the bikinis, thinking of just two, but in the end he took about ten, so she would have a choice.

Seeing that they were not finding the right dresses, he went to select some himself, but... he wasn't convinced. Why?

He continued to search impatiently, because time was running out, he had another appointment to get to.

At the back, near the storage area, he found a half-hidden rack he hadn't looked at yet. He found several curious models among them, and those he liked, because the others were more of the same, repetitive and very common. He remembered seeing a photo of Alice at a gala with her sister Loren, who was a model or at least did it in her spare time. That time Alice was wearing a dress identical to the one Robert had just found. From that rack, he took two more, and with those he was ready with things Alice could wear.

7:17 AM.

It took longer than he thought, and he hadn't expected finding clothes for Alice would take so much time.

Everything in the flower shop was prepared, and Robert was later than he thought he'd be.

"Good morning, I apologize for being late. Is everything ready?" he asked the owner, a little grumpy because he thought Robert Graham would never show up, leaving him with everything prepared after all he had to do to get it ready, even the impossible, but there was the man, late but sure.

"Good morning, I thought the worst. I thought about my flowers and how it hurt me if you didn't show up."

"I'm here, I didn't have time to call you. Shall we go?"

"What's the address?"

"You just have to follow me. We'll be there in about twenty minutes."

"Alright."

Robert returned to his car, they followed him, and on the way he called the house, his employee, to start preparing breakfast for both of them and to be at the door to receive him and help him with the preparations. She had told him that Mrs. Graham was still asleep, which meant Robert's plans were still on track.

7:40 AM.

In his hands, Robert held a bouquet of white flowers, mostly carnations. He loved white carnations because they had always been his mother's favorites, and he believed they might also be to Alice's liking. However, inside that vehicle, four men were unloading floral arrangements of roses and carnations, adorning the entire path leading to Alice's room, the entire house up to the entrance, filling every corner with those decorations.

The house was full! It gave a very pleasant atmosphere, not to mention the scent they emitted.

It looked like there was going to be a wedding!

"What do you think?"

"Sir, I think it's a great touch. It

's impossible not to love something like this. There's barely any space to walk. They're beautiful."

"Is breakfast ready?"

"Yes."

"I'll let you know when to bring it. I'm going to wake her up with the bouquet of flowers, and I'll leave the bags of clothes here too. We're leaving for a couple of days today; I have to get her out of the house and celebrate our anniversary. And I still need to buy her a more personal gift."

"That's something that could really lift her spirits."

"I hope so." He walked among all the flowers, being careful not to disturb them. He really liked how it had turned out, better than he had thought. He opened the door very slowly and entered. The curtains blocked most of the morning light, but he could still see her in bed. He walked slowly, holding the bouquet of flowers. He bent down beside her and caressed her face gently. She began to open her eyes, moving slowly, now looking at the figure beside her.

In the little light there was, she thought it might be Jared who was waking her up. She thought it might be him, coming to wake her up with flowers. Wasn't that very romantic?

"Jared is very thoughtful; Robert has never brought me flowers," she thought, very happy that the first flowers she received were from Jared.

Or so she believed.

"Good morning... I see you woke up very early. Come up on the bed!" she requested energetically, only thinking of last night's kiss. "Come here, I want to kiss you and hug you again. Are these flowers for me? I slept wonderfully last night and... I couldn't stop thinking about you."

"That really surprises me." Now Alice heard Robert's voice clearly, causing her heart to beat slower with surprise. This was not Jared. He climbed onto the bed with her, placing the bouquet of flowers in her hands. "What were you thinking? Did you want to kiss me and hug me? I think we both felt the same way last night. Truth be told, I left thinking about you, and then... well, you know. I guess things will start to change for both of us." He reached out and turned on the bedside lamp, seeing Alice's bewildered face, because she hadn't said any of that to him. She didn't want to hug him, she didn't want to kiss him, and she certainly hadn't been thinking about him, but about Jared, about his lips, about that kiss.

But the person there was Robert.

The flowers came from him, her husband.

"I think... I was still asleep. I was dreaming. I don't know what I said, I was just babbling, don't pay any attention. What are these flowers? It's ridiculous. What are you doing here? You said you'd come in a week, but now you show up in the morning with a bouquet in your hands. Why are you here?" Alice stood up, leaving Robert in the bed and throwing the bouquet on the floor, opening the curtains, and then going to the bathroom.

Robert didn't understand. Why did she say all that before? Who else could it be if not him? Her husband.

He took a deep breath, got off the bed, and picked up the flowers. He didn't want to get angry, but it annoyed him that she threw them on the floor.

"Alice, didn't you like them?" he asked by the bathroom door. Had he chosen wrong?

"They're just what I thought!" she shouted from inside. That tone of voice was new. "And no, I hate flowers, I detest them, I don't like them, I've never liked them, and I especially hate carnations. They're too... I don't know! I don't like them, they're the stupidest flowers that could exist. The ugliest ones there are, Robert. You have very bad taste in flowers. It was the worst choice, and I don't want them. I hate them!"