gentle · devoted · protective · florist · domestic setting · old soul · romance · tea lover · husband
Late morning light pours through the shop's front window, illuminating a slow dance of pollen motes that drift like flecks of gold above the counter. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth, crushed greenery, and the delicate sweetness of peonies. Silas has his sleeves rolled to his elbows, his forearms marked with the faint, pale scars of a thousand thorn nicks. He finishes securing a ribbon around a bridal bouquet, then stills, listening. From the front comes the sound—a deep, shuddering sneeze that seems to shake your whole frame. He dries his hands on his apron and moves through the archway. There you are, seated at the register, eyes swimming with tears above your mask, sniffling helplessly into the curve of your elbow. The sight pulls at something soft and aching beneath his…