"you really are," she says as she works on breaking up the dirt. "but i knew you'd appreciate it the most. it's why i brought them." that and it's been too long since they've just hung out and chatted.

there was always a pressure around him when he stayed with them. her own anxieties and the turbulence of her busy life hadn't made her much good for company, but she'd put a smile on her face and worked damn hard to make sure he recovered.

it's what friends do. 

"aw, really? well, the wedding will be wonderful. elisa's a talented florist and a lovely person. i think you two would get along."

her spade meets rock. one hand isn't strong enough to yank it out so she sets her cider down and tries with two, to no avail. "can you see if it'll budge for you?"

ollie morales

☉

the stems are crumpled.

bo has happily delivered them to her while she was preparing them lunch and he doesn't understand her furrowed brows, why she immediately asks, "did you get me these?"

"no. they were on the front porch. no card."

the petals are curling.

a day later her shop is abuzz with activity. ophelia is nearly in tears at the explosive amount of business while she juggles both phone lines and another line nearly out the door. bo, bless his heart, jumps in to help to the best of his abilities. roman too.

most of them say the same thing: "shame - our old florist's shop burned down."

the flowers are wilting. 

no amount of water or nurturing touch from her plant pokemon can bring them back to life. she understands too late that this is an elegy. but what ruins her is she does not understand why.

after lunch and after dinner and intermitted throughout the day, when she can, she tries to call. but no one answers. there is no body found in her wreckage, but secrets are unearthed. secrets that spur controversy. bo looks at her with sad eyes, knowing but not saying. she doesn't know whether to be grateful for that, or not.

but she doesn't stop trying. even though the flowers dry up, refusing her water, her love, her care - her every attempt to save them. even though her last goodbye returns to the earth, willow keeps calling. 

but one thing is for certain, no matter how much she tries:

elisabeth fiorelli is gone.

Elisabeth Fiorelli

☉

ollie had seemed incredibly excited to join her here. she feels a little guilty over it, but not that bad. he's had a lot on his plate and she, hers, and they've always understood that about each other. every time they come together, regardless of how long it's been, they slip into their cadences with ease. 

she laughs as he pops the tab open to her bottle. she waits for his and clinks them together. "the last of grace's strawberry cider, actually. she hasn't been able to brew more since the rebuild."

the spot he picks is one she'd been eyeing so she guess it's as good as any. she draws the little packet of seeds out from her pocket and fetches her spade. cider in one hand, pressed to her lips, she spears the earth with the other. 

"or did you mean the seeds? i'm not sure, actually. someone in town traded them to me for a bundle of flowers. Elisabeth Fiorelli told me to plant them here..."

ollie morales

☉

used to. willow decides then not to pry. she'll let her come by and she'll take care of her when she can, but it doesn't have to be more than that. (it can't be more than that - she has too much on her plate. always too much on her plate.)

the little turtwig snaps gently at willow's fingers, nibbling when he finds purchase. she taps him a few times on the back of his shell and he hums with glee, releasing her to turn in circles a couple of times. 

"i understand," she says with a kind smile. "things seem pretty scary right now, but don't worry - your pokemon will keep you safe." 

she fiddles with a lock of hair. "so how about you come back in a couple days to check on lucky and i'll teach you some stuff around the farm?"

Eris Halla

☉

her face scrunches up. "yeah, i know you can. and you tried to that day too." his exact expression escapes her, but she's pretty sure something resembling envy is on his face in that picture. she'd had to talk him down from it for a while afterward; even seeing mr. worther get sick immediately after hadn't deterred him. 

boys were dumb. 

she doesn't look at louise as she attempts to awe captain boruta maher. she's too awed by him herself. really, she can't remember the last time he looked so happy. and it makes her tingle from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, thinking maybe it's because of her. 

"salami and bacon on - " 

"half, yep. don't you worry, all. they've already started on it." she gives another wink and turns back around, leaving them alone again. probably until the food comes back out. 

will takes a sip of her shake and looks at him, suddenly wistful. "that day, when you asked me to come here. i wanted to. i really wanted to.

"i just want you to know that." she glances at the flowers, the mocking purple and blue. 

boruta maher

☉

"well, if you were still sleeping, that means last night still would have happened," she points out with a smile. of course, no one can ever really recall that moment where they finally fall asleep. but the minutes leading up to it, she remembers. bo's snores. bo's arms wrapping around her, pulling her subconsciously closer as he slept. and her, drifting off, listening to him, feeling him, body and soul, beside her. 

all she wants to do is look at him because now she finally can. now she doesn't have to look away because she's afraid of what he might see - the truth. 

her head turns, following his gaze, and she rolls her eyes. "i'm pretty sure we're in the picture, aren't we?" in the background, the two of them egging on mr. worther while he shoved his eighth pizza down his gullet in an attempt to get a region-wide record.

it hadn't really put the slice on the map, but they'd found other places to eat out for a few weeks after because of all the hubbub it brought. 

she looks back at him, at his hands. death, a letter for every knuckle.

"we've changed though," she says, green eyes darting back up before he can see her staring. tentatively, she leans up on her elbows and gives him a quick kiss on his cheek. 

warmth flushes through her because louise walks right back up at that moment, stifling a laugh. she drops off a couple of malted shakes in front of them and chuckles, saying of course i gotta treat you and asking them what else they want. 

red-faced, willow gestures for bo to order for them.

boruta maher

☉

she doesn't believe it for a minute, not after seeing how much he'd had last night. her bank account is still cringing over her covering his bar tab. she's already decided she's not going to think of such things and just enjoy the moment. it was worth it, anyway, because it meant they got to have last night. 

and this morning, and now. 

his observation skills are unparalleled. she looks down at the flowers in hand and is sad, for a brief moment, thinking one day he'll get it but that kind of makes her sad too. how much time has he had? how much time has she given him? to see her. to know her. 

she smiles prettily, pulled from her thoughts when louise walks over. the hand on her shoulder is nice and willow leans in for a half-hug, nodding to a woman who'd known her for years until she suddenly stopped knowing her at all. 

how long has it been?

"he is. feels like he gets taller every day. looks more like his dad every day too," she says, casting a sidelong glance to bo. 

willow asks after louise's own kids and they slip back into old times just like that. the woman chatters over her shoulder as she takes them to their table - literally their table, the one with the duct tape on the red booths, which willow had always liked because it meant they'd just been loved so much more. 

she slides in and louise gives her a wink, promising she'll be back soon so she can give them some time to look at the menus. willow sets the bouquet aside and puts her arms up on the table, leaning in a little. 

"so...today was nice."

boruta maher

☉