One peek won’t hurt would it?
I step further into the office. Walking closely to the desk, I peer over the mountain of paperwork. My eyes widened at the picture. Standing in front of a field of vivid blooming sunflowers was what appeared to be a rarely smiling monika. Her brown hair was pinned up in a high ponytail. But nestled in her embrace was a child, a boy. Although In actuality, I wouldn’t have been able to tell if it was a boy had monika not told me prior that the picture frame was of her nephew.
His round delicate face, long lashes and wild mane of curly blonde hair made it a bit difficult.
But then something snagged my attention, his eyes. Boyish and vividly distinguishable chartreuse colored eyes…that I’d seen some time recently.
Yesterday…
That’s when his face came into view.
Milan.
There weren’t many men I knew with an appearance like him and now here this boy was that could past for his twin.
But it can’t be…I mean he can’t be the only person on this planet that looks like that.
What would be the coincidence?
+++++++
“You know what those flowers symbolize?” Milan asked, his eyes nudging to the bouquet in my lap. The question came almost suddenly after I told him that I was pregnant. It nearly threw me off.
“I’m sure my boss has told me at one point, but no. I can’t recall right now.”
“The daffodils, these mean new beginnings, and the daisies? They have origins in Europe but you can find them all over now; we associate them with new begingings. In other words,” he extends his hand over to my lap, and I freeze at it’s close proximity.
The heart thudding I felt when he pulled me close to him earlier consumes me. It feels as if it picks up in pace as his fingers graze the skin atop my thighs. I don’t think it’s intentional, since he encircles his grasp about the base of the bouquets. Raising it slightly to my breast, he gently presses it to me. “These are the perfect flowers for this occasion, Elle.”
++++++++
“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Jenny’s soft voice broke me from my thoughts.
The other night replayed over in my head for the fifth time today. It was strange but before I saw that picture in Monikas desk I hadn’t thought about my interaction with Milan much. It was a nice, yet fleeting interaction with a client. But now, since getting a look at the young innocent face being held in Monikas embrace, my thoughts were riddled with the possibility that that interaction may not of been fleeting. Or even coincidental.
I wasn’t worried about my spacing out though.
By now I’d been arranging bouquets long enough to afford the luxury of zoning out while being assured that my work would get done properly. Because of this, I knew that Jenny’s interest was coming from a genuine place of concern. Still I tried to downplay my current state.
“I’m alright Jenny. just..thinking is all,” i say.
But I could tell Jenny didn’t buy it. It was in the way her brown eyes softened and her lips quirked to the side.
“Is it the baby? Monika told me you should be due soon.”
“Yes-i mean… no. Well, it is due soon and I do feel some kicks every now and then but they aren’t so often where I think I need to go to the doctor at this second. I’m just…I dunno in deep thought i suppose.”
“I see,” she murmured, Jenny waits until I arrange the last flower in the bouquet before taking it off the table and cradling it in her arms. “This order isn’t due till much later. You know if you’d like to talk we can. you know I’m a good listener.”
I can’t help but crack a smile.
Jenny was actually the person who took a chance and interviewed me. Even with my background lacking any real botanical experience she and Monika I assume, took a chance when they hired me. Since then Jenny had been nothing but sweet and understanding. So she wasn’t lying when she said she was a good listener. But sometimes her mouth could run a mile a minute.
‘She could talk to a rock, if she wanted to and still be entertained.’ I remembered Monika once telling me. And she didn’t tell one lie. It could be exhausting at times but I still appreciated Jenny for who she was.
She’d help me with the most trivial things and sometimes even the deeper matters that I was too ashamed to be vocal about aloud with anyone else. Jenny simply just radiated that warm and kind energy that drew you in. it was the type of energy I imagined a doting mother would have.
I remained seated at the long work table while Jenny started to carefully put the bouquet in its gift box.
“Is it the father of your child? Or is your family giving you a hard time again?” she quietly asked.
I flash her a weak smile. “No. I actually haven’t heard much from my father since I first told him I was pregnant. And as far as Quinn, I haven’t bothered him since he told me he didn’t want anything to do with this…’ordeal’.”
“I cant believe him,” she grimaced. “I knew there was something i didn’t like about him when he first started coming around. He didn’t seem the least bit genuine. ”
Oh how right you were.
I couldn’t stop the sinking feeling from forming in my chest.
Maybe somewhere deep down inside I knew quinn wasnt entirely genuine either. But i stuck around because the companionship, the familiarity in my personal life felt ok. It wasnt the best but id grown accustomed it beecyas i thought some type of companionship was better than just spending my days alone. I mean, id certainly done alot of that growing up as a child.
At least that what it always felt like.
I didn’t have any siblings, no mother, and it always seemed like i couldn’t do right by my bible thumping father and the new family he formed. I always felt out of place when around them or just flat out excluded.
With quinn, even though it wasnt the best, it simply felt good to be wanted, even if it was for when he wanted t a good time. If felt nice knowing that there was someone who wanted to see me and wanted to be around me. It could be something simple as sexual intimacy or a good time.
But now, i apparently ruined that good time, as he put in so many words. i knew not to tell jenny this, though. it would leave me opening up another can of worms and im almost certain that would give her a tizzy fit. She already didn’t like the guy.
“It’s nothing bad actually. It’s more so about Monika. The picture on her desk.”
“Oh?” Jenny’s hands stalled just as she was about to put the topping of the box on. Her brows raised, “she let you see that?”
“Believe me i’m just as shocked as you are. She hardly lets anyone in her office and if she does it’s not for long.”
“She must really trust you, not that i’m surprised.” she smiles. “Monika is pretty good at reading people’s character. Shes very protective of that picture.or maybe the memories it triggers for her.”
It must be. Since i’ve never seen her smile as much as she was in that frame. It was almost as if I’d been looking at a completely different person.
But i hold my tongue as far that comment.
“I was curious about the boy in the picture? She said it was her nephew. Hes also coming here today right? To work?”