blooming {complete}

sixteen: geraniums

geraniums symbolize melancholy and gentility.

Piper woke to three missed calls from her mother. There was also a text reading, Honey I love you but if you don't come home I'm going to put you up for adoption. Piper sucked in a panicked breath and shook Henry awake. 

"Hi, I have to go home, but do you want to come with me? Sorry, I know you probably wanna be alone, your mom just died, sorry sorry sorry," Piper rambled, tripping out of his bed and running her fingers through her hair. She was cold because Henry's mom's condo was roughly the temperature of a meat locker. 

"I wanna come," Henry replied groggily, rolling onto his back. His white t shirt rode up and expose a strip of his lightly tanned, luminous skin. Not the time. "Wait for me?"

"Yes," Piper said, softening. She sat back down on Henry's bed as he pulled himself together and stood up. She watched absently as he splashed water on his face and reached for her hand. "Ready?"

"Yeah. Can we take my car? I don't wanna ride in your basket today," Henry said, grinning when Piper snorted a laugh. 

"Mm-hmm, sure, but just so you know I once put a cat in that basket and it was fine, so don't be such a drama queen."

"I am larger than a cat."

"I guess."

Elliot and Isaac were asleep on the couch when they got downstairs, so Henry scrawled a note on a post-it and stuck it to the back of the leather sofa. He snatched Piper's hand once he was done and dragged her to the driveway. 

Henry was playing soft music in the car, and Piper caught the opening chords of one of Vanessa's flower songs. It was called "Persephone" by The Tragic Thrills, and it always made Piper want to lay in the grass and cover herself in geraniums.

"Persephone, you reek of orchids, daisies, tulips, long-stemmed roses, how'd you get so...sweet? How'd you make it look so easy," Henry sang quietly, his voice barely audible over the song. When he caught her staring, he kissed her knuckles and said, "This song makes me think of you."

Piper flushed and squeezed his hand because she didn't know how to say I'm obsessed with you without sounding insane. I think about you when I'm trying to fall asleep because you soothe everything inside of me. Wouldn't work. Too intense, and also his mother just died, so maybe she could take it down a notch.

"Who's the one that holds you, baby, even as your world is shaking, even as I'm breaking," Piper whisper-sang, squeezing Henry's long pale fingers. "Henry?" She waited for him to turn the music down and glance at her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"What was your mom's name?"

Henry's full mouth dipped into a frown, but he kissed Piper's palm so she figured she hadn't upset him too much. "Etta."

Piper nodded and tapped her free hand on her thigh anxiously. Henry noticed and reached over to put his hand over hers. When he cut a glance to her, eyebrows raised in an okay? she nodded and squeezed his wrist. 

When they got to Piper's house, she hopped out and opened the door for Henry. He cracked a smile and said, "What a lady," as he followed her into her house. Ahana was sitting on the counter as Richard cooked two omelets on the skillet. When the older woman saw them, she shook her husband's arm dramatically.

"Look, Richard, it's our daughter. I'd almost forgotten I had a second daughter. I was getting ready to change my will!" Ahana exclaimed dryly, sliding off the counter and marching over to Piper. "Henry, baby, hi, are you doing okay? I talked to your fathers last night after someone refused to answer her phone."

"Oh, yeah, I'm okay, thank you, Mrs. Ja--"

"Ahana."

"Thank you, Ahana."

"Of course, sweetie. Have you eaten? Can I make you a smoothie? I've got bananas and strawberries and blueberries, and I think there's some mango juice in the fridge. Richard, check for juice?"

Piper's father handed Ahana a bottle of unopened mango juice, and Ahana grinned proudly at Henry. He smiled, and she took that as her cue to throw everything in a blender.

"Piper, lovey, come here and help me with these blueberries," Ahana said, throwing a handful of berries into the blender. Piper furrowed her brows because her mother seemed like she was doing fine, but she stood by her side anyway. "Honey," Ahana whispered, "I love you and I'm so proud of you for being there for him, but please let me know the next time you spend the night at some boy's house so that I can tell you that you are not allowed to spend the night at some boy's house."

"We didn't do anything," Piper murmured, blushing furiously. "We just watched a movie and slept."

"Still."

"Okay, Mama, I'm really sorry." 

Piper felt her mother's warm hands lift her chin up so she could meet her eyes. She winked and kissed Piper's dewy cheek. "I love you, sweet girl. Just talk to me next time. I need to know where you are."

"Okay."

Piper retreated back to Henry's side and wrapped an arm around his waist, drawing him closer to her. He kissed her hair quickly, then continued his conversation with Piper's father. Ahana set two mason jars in front of them a moment later, filled with smooth pink liquid. Beside Piper's was the little white pills she was supposed to take every morning. They had the same effect on her that breathing Henry in did. Henry watched her take them but didn't say anything, just touched her wrist and dropped a wink.

"Garden?" Piper asked softly, nodding towards the backyard. Ahana and Richard were seated at the dining table, eating their omelets and speaking quietly to each other. When Henry nodded his consent, Piper led him outside to rows of lavender and peonies. Henry sat down against the wooden gate beside a patch of perennials and opened his legs. Piper blushed but made herself comfortable with her back to his chest and her smoothie cradled against her chest. 

When Henry finished his smoothie, Piper felt his arms curl around her waist and tighten as he buried his face in her shoulder. Neither of them said a word, but when she felt his warm tears drop onto her skin, she twisted around and held him together.

a/n: hey guys when i finish this i am going to write a long acknowledgements chapter about my comp skills teacher bc she never gives us any work and i've written this entire story in her class. @ mrs. barfield: <3