Damon’s Flowers

Day by day the two of us became inseparable. With each moment the love I felt for him grew. Notions of the grand life being left alone without anyone bothering us play out in my mind. Children and animals running through an open field. Their laughter echoes through my ears. A smile crosses my face as the peaceful scene runs on repeat.

“Honey, I’m home!” Jon calls from the truck as he pulls up in our driveway.

I watch as he walks toward the front door. Sweat pours from his face after a hard day at work. “Afternoon Handsome. How was work?” I inquire about his day.

“Work is work. How are you feeling?”

This month is difficult for me. The anniversary of my grandfather’s death. He was the man that raised me growing up and showed me how I should be treated. No one could ever replace him. Jon is the closest person I’ve ever found.

“For the most part, today has been a good day. Someone said something on the television and I caught myself going down a dark spiral.”

“Obviously, you were able to stop yourself from going too far down that path, right?”

“Yes, my love.” I wipe my eyes. “Sorry, I got something in my eye.”

“Mi amore, it’s okay to cry. You lost the most important person in your life just a few short years ago. No one should fault you for still grieving. I’m the last person to ever judge you.” His strong arms embrace my small body. His musk engulfs me.

“I can’t keep being this weak though. How can I heal? I just keep grieving.”

“You aren’t weak. You are grieving and the process is different for everyone. Some people are quick about it. Others aren’t.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too mi amore. You are mine and I wouldn’t trade you for anything.”

She sniffles her tears away and looks at me. “I’m not cursed, am I? Everyone close to me seems to get hurt or they die. I can’t think about what I would do if you died before me.”

“Pessimistic, maybe,” he laughs at her. “Cursed, even if you are, I would still want to be here. You make me smile and want to live to be better. If that is being cursed, it’s better than being blessed.”

“You are incredible,” as she cuddles her body closer to mine. “How did I get so lucky,” she inquires under her breathe, mumbling.

“Let’s get some rest. It’s been a long day for the both of us. What’s for dinner?”

“Steak and fries today. Kept it simple but delicious either way.”

“Love, the fact that you fought a breakdown and made food for me is incredible. Every year you

are getting stronger. I remember last year when you had a plate with a sandwich and chips out. You left the lunch meat off of it. Just saying, that’s how out of it you were.”

She shook her head as her cheeks became a rosy pink color. “I’m so sorry about that. Last year I was a horrible wife.”

“Babe, who are these flowers for?”

“What flowers? You know I have a black thumb,” she calls from the kitchen as she plates their meal.

“These tulips, columbines and dandelions.”

She walks towards the dining room, holding a plate in each one of her hands. “How do you know what they are?”

“Remember, my mom ran a floral shop. All she did was make bouquets of flowers. She made me learn so when she was busy she had trusted help. No one else was ever hired in the shop because the fear of them messing things up was too high for her.”

She leans over the flowers and takes a deep breath. “They do smell amazing. The colors are gorgeous.”

“They are my love. You are just are gorgeous as they are. Here’s the card. DId you want to read it and see who it is from?”

“You? I hate flowers and you know that. The guilt I feel whenever they don’t last more than a week kills me inside.”

“They aren’t from me. I am curious who sent them though.”

***

Micaela,

I know you weren’t expecting these. You are probably cussing anyone around you out. Don’t feel guilty. I’m not asking you to keep the flowers. If you want, leave them on my gravestone. These are for whatever you and I could’ve had. Plans for us weren’t in the cards, but knowing you even for one second of my life would’ve made everything worth it.

Darkness lived inside me for a long time. You helped heal parts of me. Eternally grateful for those moments. However, given the fact this is a card on a beautiful bouquet of flowers, I lost my own battle. Don’t blame yourself for my choices. Now I get to watch over you and help you find the happiness that you helped me find years ago.

Whoever you are with, give them everything. You are worthy of it. This wonderful guy will take care of you. If I find out he doesn’t, I’ll forever haunt him. I’m dead and a ghost now. I can defy those laws of the living. Be happy. I’m happy and in a better place.

Damon

***

By the end of the letter tears rolled down her face. “Jon, I can’t deal with this. Everything he wrote is exactly how I feel. Please don’t ever hurt me. I don’t need him coming after you. I know he will. I was always the star in his dark night sky.”

“I can’t hurt you. Nothing in my soul would allow me to do that. You ground me and drive me to be better than I was yesterday. I want to start a family with you. Will you be forever mine, Micaela?” He drops to one knee and holds out a ring.

She stiffles her tears. “Don’t make me cry again…” her voice is barely a whisper. She doesn’t know what to think.

“We’ve been married for five years. Together we have made it through our own darkness. All those years ago, we didn’t have the finances to give you the wedding you deserved. I was happy to have you take my last name, but Damon is right. Having and deserving are two very different things. Let me give you what you’ve deserved all along?”

She nods her head. “Yes. Marry me again.”

“One condition.”

“What’s that?”

“The site we get married at is going to be special. I want Damon to be there the only way he can. Let’s do it at the cemetery on Halloween at night. Everyone else will be busy and we can have our own peaceful time together.”

She doesn’t trust her voice and just nods. His fingertips brush away the tears and his strong muscled arms pull her closer. His heart beats and she starts letting her breathing match his to calm her down.

Together forever with our guardian watching over us. We will never fight a battle alone.