TWO MONTHS LATER
Valerie
“Another one,” Mina whispered in my ear as she slipped past me with the flowers. Those two words made my jaw clench.
Excusing myself from the customer inquiring about anniversary gift flowers, I stepped out of the building to find a large burly man holding a box set. Eyeing it, from experience I already knew it was something expensive.
“Thanks,” I whispered despite not meaning it. Signing the package I took it inside quickly, passing from our flower shop and heading upstairs towards our apartment. In a room we'd reserved for storage on the upper floor, I dropped the gift box, untouched, just like the others that lay there.
When I returned, Mina was attending to the previous customer. We shared an exasperated look across the shop.
It was routine now, starting
