Roses & Ribbons
Trying Mark
They stepped out into the night. It was a chilly night, and some of the stars where out. Aelan started breathing in puffs, as a reflex. When she was a kid, she would always check the cold by puffing air when the fall was almost at an end. Once she could really see the puffs in front of her, it was winter. This night, they were white and visible. She put her coat on.
They started walking down the street. She had no idea where they were going; she just needed to get out of that bar. Mark seemed to think that she knew exactly where they were going and looked at her with curiosity. She decided to contain him for a few more minutes, to know just what to tell him. She took out a pack of cigarettes from her inner pocket and put one in her mouth. Mark watched her every move, possibly thinking that the mystery of Aelan was somewhere inside her pockets. She lit it.
- So? Mark’s eyes were suddenly so much bigger and brighter.
- So? She replied and put the cigarette to her lips.
- Aren’t you going to tell me anything? She got a confused look from Mark.
Aelan didn’t answer right away, just kept walking ahead, and blew the smoke in her mouth out in the air. She looked relaxed, but inside her mind went through a million details, just to make sure she didn’t say something she would regret. She inhaled again. She was ready.
- His name was Tommy.
Mark was quiet. She didn’t know why she expected him to react, but she did. She exhaled.
- Tommy Ricardo Haven.
She looked at the man next to her. His cheeks were starting to redden from the cold. She could have been mistaken, but it looked like she smiled.
- Anyway, earlier today I went to see him…
Aelan pressed the doorbell. It had an awful ring, reminded her of the church bells at a wake. But it didn’t matter, she was just too happy. She flattened her dress and pulled it down over her knees. She hated surprising him like this so early in the morning, but she just had to tell him about her dream. She knew they were meant for each other; Aelan knew she loved him. Suddenly there were steps behind the door, a click in the keyhole from the key. Aelan filled her chest with air, prepared to see Tommy. But when the door flew open, there was something else in the doorway. There were Tommy’s legs, but instead of a face, there was a gigantic bouquet of roses. They were the most beautiful roses she had ever seen, wrapped in pink cellophane. Around the stems a beautiful big red bow was tied. Aelan was breath-taken. It wasn’t like Tommy to by her gifts, and in a naïve moment she was so intoxicated with love for him, she almost thought he had the dream as well. She was speechless; she just stood there in the door-opening with her hands pressed over her heart. She could’ve just lived that moment forever. And she finally got a tongue in her head.
- Oh, Tommy… you are just unbelievable!
The bouquet was quickly swept away from his face, and the look on it was not what she had expected. It was surprised, much like a monkey’s with his big ears and curly hair. His jaw was dropped. Aelan smiled and took the bunch of flowers from him and passed him by into the apartment. She ripped the ribbon off. The cellophane fell to the ground.
- We need to get these in water! Do you have a vase?
She heard Tommy closing the door and come rushing back in.
- Um… honey? Maybe you should… do that later.
What he meant by that, Aelan asked herself. But she thought he was just being silly. She put them into a crystal vase and filled it with water. It was a beautiful thing. That’s when she saw the card.
- Oh, you wrote me a card too? You are too much.
She picked up the small red envelope that was jammed in between the flowers. She opened it with the biggest smile on her lips. She could hear Tommy’s steps in the hallway, heading towards her. She just read it.
- “Roses are red; violets are blue, early in the morning I only love you. If someone else wants you, I’ll put up a fight, because you’re the one I think of at night”.
She could have broken out in tears that second. It was the happiest moment of her life. She thought nothing could spoil it. And then she turned the card. She heard his voice in the background, she knew he was trying to make her stop reading, but there was nothing he could have written that would change the way she felt about him, except one.
They started walking down the street. She had no idea where they were going; she just needed to get out of that bar. Mark seemed to think that she knew exactly where they were going and looked at her with curiosity. She decided to contain him for a few more minutes, to know just what to tell him. She took out a pack of cigarettes from her inner pocket and put one in her mouth. Mark watched her every move, possibly thinking that the mystery of Aelan was somewhere inside her pockets. She lit it.
- So? Mark’s eyes were suddenly so much bigger and brighter.
- So? She replied and put the cigarette to her lips.
- Aren’t you going to tell me anything? She got a confused look from Mark.
Aelan didn’t answer right away, just kept walking ahead, and blew the smoke in her mouth out in the air. She looked relaxed, but inside her mind went through a million details, just to make sure she didn’t say something she would regret. She inhaled again. She was ready.
- His name was Tommy.
Mark was quiet. She didn’t know why she expected him to react, but she did. She exhaled.
- Tommy Ricardo Haven.
She looked at the man next to her. His cheeks were starting to redden from the cold. She could have been mistaken, but it looked like she smiled.
- Anyway, earlier today I went to see him…
Aelan pressed the doorbell. It had an awful ring, reminded her of the church bells at a wake. But it didn’t matter, she was just too happy. She flattened her dress and pulled it down over her knees. She hated surprising him like this so early in the morning, but she just had to tell him about her dream. She knew they were meant for each other; Aelan knew she loved him. Suddenly there were steps behind the door, a click in the keyhole from the key. Aelan filled her chest with air, prepared to see Tommy. But when the door flew open, there was something else in the doorway. There were Tommy’s legs, but instead of a face, there was a gigantic bouquet of roses. They were the most beautiful roses she had ever seen, wrapped in pink cellophane. Around the stems a beautiful big red bow was tied. Aelan was breath-taken. It wasn’t like Tommy to by her gifts, and in a naïve moment she was so intoxicated with love for him, she almost thought he had the dream as well. She was speechless; she just stood there in the door-opening with her hands pressed over her heart. She could’ve just lived that moment forever. And she finally got a tongue in her head.
- Oh, Tommy… you are just unbelievable!
The bouquet was quickly swept away from his face, and the look on it was not what she had expected. It was surprised, much like a monkey’s with his big ears and curly hair. His jaw was dropped. Aelan smiled and took the bunch of flowers from him and passed him by into the apartment. She ripped the ribbon off. The cellophane fell to the ground.
- We need to get these in water! Do you have a vase?
She heard Tommy closing the door and come rushing back in.
- Um… honey? Maybe you should… do that later.
What he meant by that, Aelan asked herself. But she thought he was just being silly. She put them into a crystal vase and filled it with water. It was a beautiful thing. That’s when she saw the card.
- Oh, you wrote me a card too? You are too much.
She picked up the small red envelope that was jammed in between the flowers. She opened it with the biggest smile on her lips. She could hear Tommy’s steps in the hallway, heading towards her. She just read it.
- “Roses are red; violets are blue, early in the morning I only love you. If someone else wants you, I’ll put up a fight, because you’re the one I think of at night”.
She could have broken out in tears that second. It was the happiest moment of her life. She thought nothing could spoil it. And then she turned the card. She heard his voice in the background, she knew he was trying to make her stop reading, but there was nothing he could have written that would change the way she felt about him, except one.