Three months since (94 days). February 14th, 2014.
"And you're sure she's not in the bathroom? Or the closet?"
"I've checked everywhere, Noreen. Ava is not here."
"Hmm..." I tap my fingers against the counter as Becca and I look back and forth at each other, one waiting for the other to offer a better solution than standing and worrying. She has already checked around the store while I play shopkeeper, tending to customers and setting them up to have a good rest of their night. Nervousness starts to creep up my spine, but I ignore it. It's too early, there's still time for good news. "Is Freddie still here?"
"In the back with Carl, stacking blocks or something."
I nod my head, glancing around the store. There is one customer lulling around the bouquets of red roses set up at the front. By the looks of it, they will be occupied for a while. We have been in a two minute breath of fresh air—the store has been absolutely bonkers today. I mean, it is flowers' most popular day of the year.
"When is Char supposed to come back from the delivery? Maybe she just took Ava with her."
Becca shakes her head nervously. "No, I remember her saying that Ava was staying here."
"Let's just wait and see," I reply coolly, ignoring the growing sweat under my arms. "The delivery was small and just a couple addresses away. Ava probably begged to go and Char just took her. It's happened before." In fact, it just happened yesterday.
Becca nods with a hopeful gentleness, then goes to help the red-rose-buyer who has approached the counter. He grabs a small card from our display and adds it to his pile. His purchase isn't too late in the day—only 4:30pm, though the sky has darkened outside significantly. More people are sure to still come in over the next four hours until closing time, but until then we gladly accept this break from the crowds.
This Valentine's Day has been particularly busy, or maybe I only feel like that because I was taken against my will for last year's Valentine's Day, unable to work at Barney's and, instead, forced into some off-the-grid beach house for my own safety. And the year before that, I was attacked in the shop, having hit my head so hard that the entire day ended up as a blurry memory.
Basically, I just wanted one normal Valentine's Day. This was supposed to be that Valentine's Day. Tonight, after we put the kids to bed, Char and I planned to eat our favorite cheesecake, then fall asleep during some 70s slasher film. We'd much rather watch Michael Myers chase Jamie Lee Curtis than listen to an oversized hunk talk about love in a crappy rom-com. At least Michael Myers tried to run after Jamie—people are wimps in all the love movies.
A familiar head of dark hair approaches the front door of Barney's, the same look of perpetual wonderment from childhood still sprinkled through her features as Charlotte's head bobs through the door. Ava is too short to see from this angle I'm sure. I know she is waddling in behind my sister. She has to be. I resist the urge to step out from behind the counter and search for her. That would be too desperate. Besides, Ava is with Char, I know it.
"Delivery go well?" I ask my sister as she closes the door behind her. There has been sparing rain throughout the day and there are small droplets on her coat and boots.
"Yes, but the stupid bloke gave me his number instead of a tip. I deliver some bloody flowers to him and his wife's door, then he turns around and gives me his number. I could have killed him, really. Instead I wished them a happy night and went on my way. I can only be superwoman part of the time—it gets exhausting."
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Between Bloods
FanfictionNoreen loved Sherlock, and Sherlock dies. Noreen loved Sherlock, now Noreen cries. Many flowers, many more tears. Then new love bloomed over those two years. Copyright: I do not own any of the BBC Sherlock characters or plots, only my own original c...