Hidden Truths

Rachel’s POV “Dear God, please…” I whispered in pain, struggling to move the stuck cabinet from my leg. I could barely breathe. My whole life’s work was collapsing before my very eyes. “Maybe this is the end of my story.” I thought to myself. Then… Someone grabbed my arm. *One week earlier It was a beautiful morning. The sound of the lock echoed through the quiet neighbourhood as I unlocked the door of ‘Scents & Blossom’ flower shop. The lovely scent of roses and lavender graced my nose as I walked into the shop. I smiled… I reached for the switch to turn the lights on and the shop immediately came to life. Every where glowed with brightness. I could see my beautiful flowers all lined up and blooming across the room. Seeing this brought so much joy to my heart, everything looked perfect. “Hello everyone.” I said to my flowers. It may look weird but yes, I loved talking to my flowers. I always dreamed of being a florist and having my own flower shop ever since I was a little girl and the best decision I had ever made in my entire life was buying this flower shop. People often told me that moving to another place and buying an old flower shop would be a terrible investment. Standing there that morning… I couldn’t have disagreed more. I picked up my apron lying under the counter and tied it around my waist before picking up the remote to switch the TV on. “...From the recent weather reports, it seems our once sunny and bright state would be hit by an unusual storm. Residents are advised to secure their homes and properties to avoid damage…” said the weather forecaster on the screen. I barely even looked up. They literally say this every year. Besides… flowers didn’t sell themselves. I had set the business of the day in motion immediately. I flipped the door sign from CLOSED to OPEN and picked up the watering can sitting behind the door to start my usual routine. I poured the water on the flowers and made sure each flower got just the right amount of water. I was pleased with how they all bloomed. But.. I noticed something. A small tulip dropped sadly in one of the flower pots “Oh noo.” I crouched beside it and gently touched it. “You were doing so well.” I whispered. Then I proceeded to exchange it with a fresh one from the storage room. “There… Much better.” Just then, I heard the bell above the entrance jingle. It was my first customer of the day. An elderly woman walked into the shop. “Good morning Rachel.” she said with a lovely smile on her face. “Mrs. Lopez!” I replied cheerfully “You’re early today,” “Oh don’t mind me, I wanted to beat the rush.” “There isn’t exactly a rush at 8 in the morning Mrs. Lopez.” She laughed. “I guess you’re right.” She walked towards the purple lilies and touched them lightly. “My husband’s birthday would have been today” she said in a low tone. I didn’t say anything. Instead, I picked the freshest lilies I had in the shop. As I wrapped them carefully, I added a white rose into them. She frowned. “Hey, I didn’t ask for that.” “Oh I know, It’s on the house.” I replied swiftly. The frown left her face. “You always do that.” I couldn’t help smiling. “And you always act like you don’t love it” She chuckled before paying and making her way towards the door. “Have a lovely day Mrs. Lopez” “You too, Rachel” She said and waved at me. Mrs. Lopez had barely been gone a minute when the bell above the entrance jingled again. This time, a teenage boy walked in. He stood nervously beside the entrance door and kept looking around the store like he wasn’t meant to be there. “Hi there, looking for something?” I asked “Umm.. I don’t know” He replied sheepishly “ I have never bought flowers before.” I smiled. “First date?” He looked at me with surprise “How’d you know?” “Hm.. Just a lucky guess.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his palm. “Well, you’re actually right… I’ve liked this girl for months and I’m finally going to ask her out today” “Oh? Then we better make sure she gets the perfect flowers so your chances won’t be ruined” He laughed. “What would you recommend then?” I reached for a bouquet of light pink roses. “These are perfect.” I said. His eyes widened. “These are really gorgeous, I bet she’d love em’ “ “Of course, roses always bring a smile to everyone’s faces” I proceeded to wrap the bouquet neatly in a brown paper. “What’s her name?” I asked I could see his face turn red immediately even though he tried his best to hide it. “Olivia.” “Well I hope Olivia says yes.” He took the bouquet and held it delicately like it was made of glass. “Me too!” After paying, he turned to take his leave but he suddenly stopped. “Hey.. If she says yes, I’ll definitely come back.” “I’d be waiting right here for your return then.” I watched him leave with a big smile on my face. Just as I was arranging the cash into the register, my phone began to vibrate on the counter. MOM CALLING… I immediately picked my phone up and answered it. I’d been expecting her call. “Hi mom” “Rachel!” she exclaimed. “You finally picked up, I thought you’d forgotten about me.” “Oh mother, how could I?” “Mhmm.. You’re at the shop right?” “Where else would I be?” “Oh Rachel, you work too hard… You should give yourself a break.” I let out a little sigh. “You shouldn’t worry about me mom, I’m perfectly fine...” “How have you been? I hope you took your meds today” I asked “You know I’d never miss a day, I wouldn’t want to get into trouble with Dr. Rachel” I chuckled. My mother always knew how to put a smile on my face. “How’s the shop?” she asked in a soft tone. I looked around the colorful lights and beautiful flowers surrounding me. “It’s perfect Mom” “I knew you’d say that” A brief silence followed and her tone became more serious. “Oh before I forget.. I watched the news earlier today, they’re saying a big storm is on it’s way” I rolled my eyes. “Mom, they say that every year” “You can never be too sure honey, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.” “hm…” “Rachel, if the weather gets bad… promise me you’ll close the shop early” “Sure.” I replied dramatically “I’m serious Rachel.” “Yes mom, I promise.” “Good.” “I love you, mom.” “I love you too honey.. don’t forget to call me when you get home.” “Definitely.” I ended the call and placed my phone back on the counter. My mother worries too much. It’s just a random weather prediction after all. The afternoon had arrived and business slowed down a bit. The shop was quiet, just the way I liked it, so I decided to use this time to tidy everywhere up. As I reached the top shelf in the corner of the shop, I noticed an old flower pot laying there. “Oh! there you are.” I carefully lifted it from the shelf and blew away the dust from its surface. This pot had been sitting in that spot ever since I bought the shop. No one ever showed the slightest interest in it, I started to feel a little bad for the poor thing. I traced my fingers along its surface. It wasn’t ugly, it was just old and different. “One day, someone is gonna take you home” I said with a smile. I grabbed a clean cloth and polished it before keeping it back in its position. I decided to take a quick break and make myself a cup of coffee with a sandwich. I hadn’t eaten anything since morning. Just as I took my first step, I heard the entrance bell ring again. “Really?” A quiet sigh escaped my lips. For a second, I actually considered pretending I didn’t hear anything but I couldn’t. I forced myself to turn around. “Sorry…” I said as I walked back to the counter “We’re still open.” Then I looked up. A man who looked in his late twenties and dressed in a firefighter’s uniform was standing in front of the entrance door. He started scanning the entire place like he was searching for a lost item. “Hello… can I help you?” He didn’t even look at me, let alone answer my question. “Um.. Excuse me sir?” Still no answer. I was already getting frustrated. I was hungry and didn’t have time to play ‘silence’ with a random man. He took slow steps around the shop and inspected every corner like he owned it. Then… He finally stopped. And for the first time since he walked in, He spoke.