Chapter Eight: A Little Effort
618 Words
Owen hated errands.
There was something fundamentally wrong about working a full day, dealing with idiots who thought Excel sheets were some kind of wizardry, and then having to stop somewhere after.
He wanted to drive home, peel off his work clothes, and fall face-first into his couch.
Instead, he was standing under the harsh fluorescent lights of a cupcake boutique, holding a tiny white box like it might explode if he gripped it too tight.
Cupcakes.
He had no idea why he agreed to this.
Leia didn’t even ask for them — it was his idea.
Kind of.
He wanted cupcakes.
And if he showed up with treats like a halfway decent husband, he figured he’d get at least two days' worth of peace out of her endless “We should!” lists.
Win-win.
He stared down at the box again, grimacing.
Thirty-six dollars for six cupcakes?
Did they come with a blowjob and a retirement plan?
Grunting under his breath, Owen swiped his card, grabbed the box, and bolted before the chirpy cashier could ask if he wanted matching napkins.
---
When he pulled into the driveway, he saw them —
the purple flowers.
Small. Delicate. Swaying in the early evening breeze.
Leia loved those stupid things.
He killed half of them last summer mowing the lawn and she still hadn’t forgiven him.
Owen stared at them for a second, groaning internally.
He could just go inside.
No one would blame him.
But...
Fuck it.
He trudged over to the flower bed, crouched down, and yanked up a handful.
---
Inside, he found a dusty glass vase in the back of a cabinet, jammed the battered flowers into it, and plunked it down on the kitchen table.
He glanced down at the cupcakes.
Pretty little swirls of frosting. Dumb little sprinkles.
An idea struck him.
Wouldn’t it be cute if I stuck a flower on one?
He plucked one of the smaller blossoms — purple, delicate, still smelling faintly sweet —
and nestled it right into the frosting of the biggest cupcake.
---
Leia came through the door twenty minutes later, arms full of tote bags, talking before she even dropped her keys.
“Oh my God, today was insane! We had three people call in sick and I swear to God if Karen tries to micromanage my station one more time—”
Her voice cut off when she saw the table.
The cupcakes. The pretty vase of flowers. The single purple bloom perched on top of the cupcake from one of the flowers.
Leia gasped.
“Owen!” she squealed, dropping everything onto the floor. “You did this?”
He shrugged, slouching in the kitchen doorway.
“Yeah. Thought you might like... whatever.”
Leia rushed over, staring at the display like he’d painted the f*****g Sistine Chapel.
“I love it!” she beamed, bouncing on her toes.
Owen grunted again, masking the smallest hint of a smirk.
---
She didn’t even wait for dinner.
Leia peeled open the box and grabbed the cupcake with the flower.
“Oh my God, this is so cute,” she said around a mouthful of frosting.
Owen watched her shove half the thing in her mouth in one bite.
He grabbed a cupcake for himself and sank onto the couch with a grunt.
She was still talking —
about work, about her boss, about something stupid that happened at lunch —
but for once, it didn’t grate.
---
Leia flopped down next to him, licking frosting off her thumb, practically glowing.
“You’re the best,” she murmured, snuggling into his side.
Owen just grunted and took another bite of his cupcake, letting her ramble.
- Writer
