Cats and Hickeys

i. soulbound

Lily: bar night ladiessss????

Evie: sure why not

Umirap ako at nagtipa sa screen. What once a monthly thing between the three of us turned into a nightly event. They went to a bar just last night! Hindi pa ba naghihingalo ang mga atay ng mga 'to?

Stop tolerating her ass, Evelyn. Kakainom niyo lang kagabi.

Lily: tangina mo talaga mikay >:[[

Evie: ew. stop calling me by my full name

Lily: sama ka na samen tonayt plzz. libre ko drinks ♡

No thanks

Evie: pretty sure ure a desert down there. when was the last time u went with us??

Lily: oo nga :[[[[ plus, it's valentine's dayyyyy!

Thanks for saying tigang ako ha?

Evie: totoo naman

Lily: HAHSDHDJAHDSJHA

Pipindutin ko na sana ang power button sa inis nang magsend si Lily ng promotional poster. Nakalagay do'n ang oras ng pagpunta sa Club Paraw dahil mayro'ng event kung saan may tutugtog na mga rock bands mamaya. Tuluyan ko nang pinatay ang phone ko nang walang tigil ang pag-spam ni Lily sa groupchat naming tatlo tungkol sa mga bibisitang band members do'n.

Iniisip ko palang ang nakakasulasok na club ay sumasakit na ulo ko. I deserve a glass of wine and charcuterie board in the bathtub after backbreaking days of preparing for Valentine's.

I sighed in bliss at the thought of a bubble bath. That sounds fucking good tonight.

After doing my usual rounds in the shop, I took off my heavy-duty gloves, and leaned forward on the receiving counter. Lumingon muli ako sa labas kung saan nasisinagan ng araw ang mga malalaking bintanang gawa sa glass, nakadisplay ang karamihan sa mga binibentang flowers.

Watching the afternoon sun get ready to hide beyond the horizon when I have the best view of the island was cathartic. The shop was on a small hill overlooking the distant beach and hills on the right side, outside was a downward road to the main town.

But it gets boring when it's the only thing I'm expecting every goddamn day in Brisas for the last two years.

Napabuntong hininga ako at kinutkot ang mga dumi sa ilalim ng mga kuko ko. Kahit magsuot pa 'ko ng gloves, hindi pa rin maiwasang marumihan ang mga kamay ko.

Perks of being a florist. Yipee.

A flower shop isn't needed as an everyday thing kaya kadalasan ay wala ring mga customers ang pumupunta rito. Still, the business is doing great with minimal competitors around and sometimes I don't even have to open the shop. I usually take design commissions for random requests or some events that need flowers like birthdays. Still very jarring because I do the work only by myself but that's mostly it.

This shop is only relevant on most holidays and annual events like Valentine's or Christmas. And how can I forget? Funerals.

How can I forget the ache of providing flowers for my late aunt?

Nagdaan ang dalawang taon, naiwan akong nag-iisa rito at sa akin pasan ang responsibilidad ng flower shop nina Tita at Lola.

Earl wanted nothing from this business because he's too busy doing diving and god knows what. Ayaw niya lang sabihin na wala siyang interes dahil wala na si Tita Jane. The thought of handling this shop that reminds him of his mother when he's the rightful heir was too much for him apparently.