Romantic
Short Story
Roses Part 2
More On Roses
Part
1 | Part 2
"Yes?" she said, peering around a slightly
opened door.
"Good afternoon, ma'am," the man said
loudly.
"Would you take a delivery for your neighbor?"
"Yes," Sophie answered, pulling the door
wide open.
"Where would you like me to put them?"
the man asked politely as he strode in.
"In the kitchen, please. On the table."
The man looked big to Sophie. She could hardly see
his face between his green cap and full beard. Sophie
was glad he left quickly, and she locked the door
after him.
(More Related : Romantic
love story)
The box was as long as the kitchen table. Sophie
drew near to it and bent over to read the lettering:
"NATALIE'S Flowers for Every Occasion."
The rich smell of roses engulfed her. She closed
her eyes and took slower breaths, imagining yellow
roses. Joe had always chosen yellow.
"To my sunshine," he would say, presenting
the extravagant bouquet. He would laugh delightedly,
kiss her on the forehead, then take her hands in
his and sing to her "You Are My Sunshine."
It's was five o'clock when Mrs. Mason knocked at
Sophie's front door. Sophie was still at the kitchen
table. The flower box was now open though, and she
held the roses on her lap, swaying slightly and
stroking the delicate yellow petals. Mrs. Mason
knocked again, but Sophie did not hear her, and
after several minutes the neighbour left.
Sophie rose a little while later, laying the flowers
on the kitchen table. Her cheeks were flushed. She
dragged a stepstool across the kitchen floor and
lifted a white porcelain vase from the top corner
cabinet. Using a drinking glass, she filled the
vase with water, then tenderly arranged the roses
and greens, and carried them into the sitting room.
She was smiling as she reached the middle of the
room. She turned slightly and began to dip and twirl
in small slow circles. She stepped lightly, gracefully,
around the sitting room, into the kitchen, down
the hall, back again. She danced till her knees
grew weak, and then she dropped into the armchair
and slept.
(More Related : Love
story letter)
At a quarter past six, Sophie awoke with a start.
Someone was knocking on the back door this time.
It was Mrs. Mason.
"Hello, Sophie," Mrs. Mason said. "How
are you? I knocked at five and was a little worried
when you didn't come. Were you napping?" She
chattered as she wiped her snowy boots on the welcome
mat and stepped inside.
"I just hate snow, don't you? The radio says
we might have six inches by midnight, but you can
never trust them, you know. Do you remember last
winter when they predicted four inches, and we had
twenty-one? Twenty-one! And they said we'd have
a mild winter this year. Ha! I don't think it's
been over zero in weeks. Do you know my oil bill
was $263 last month? For my little house!"
Sophie was only half-listening. She had remembered
the roses suddenly and was turning hot with shame.
The empty flower box was behind her on the kitchen
table. What would she say to Mrs. Mason?
"I don't know how much longer I can keep paying
the bills. If only Alfred, God bless him, had been
as careful with money as your Joseph. Joseph! Oh,
good heavens! I almost forgot about the roses."
Sophie's cheeks burned. She began to stammer an
apology, stepping aside to reveal the empty box.
"Oh, good," Mrs. Mason interrupted. "You
put the roses in water. Then you saw the card. I
hope it didn't startle you to see Joseph's handwriting.
Joseph had asked me to bring you the roses the first
year, so I could explain for him. He didn't want
to alarm you. His 'Rose Trust,' I think he called
it. He arranged it with the florist last April.
Such a good man, your Joseph..."
But Sophie had stopped listening. Her heart was
pounding as she picked up the small white envelope
she had missed earlier. It had been lying beside
the flower box all this time. With trembling hands,
she removed the card.
"To my sunshine," it said. "I love
you with all my heart. Try to be happy when you
think of me. Love, Joe."
By Alicia von Stamwitz
More On Roses Part
1 | Part 2
Tell your friends and family
about this page!
Other Love Stories
- Funny
short story
- Cute
love stories
- First
love story
- New love
story
- Teenage
love stories
Facebook us!