Fresh as a Daisy

Fresh as a Daisy: A Short Story

"The flowers died on Tuesday."

"Did you water them?"

I looked at him with disdain in my eyes, trying to cut him without a knife. He thinks of me as an idiot that does nothing and expects success anyway.

"Of course I did."

"Ok then." He sips on his morning coffee. The sound makes my teeth itch.

"What're you doing here?"

"I live here." His voice was like gravel beneath my tires. His crows feet looked more like cat whiskers than wrinkles. Everything was so defined and real. I gripped my hands together, wringing them.

"I want new flowers."

"Are you going to water them?"

"I watered the last ones."

"Yet they still died."

I did my best. I did what was asked of me. What was demanded of me. I watered the fucking flowers.

"I'm going out." I said with venom. "I'll be back later."

"Hurry now."

I didn't hurry. I took my time getting to my car and even starting it. I didn't know where I was going, not really. I wanted to keep driving until I hit the ocean but being in Indiana made that quite a journey. I stopped at a local grocery market and went inside. The smell of the produce made me feel more at ease, more at peace. I walked past the apples and went straight for their flowers. Irises, roses, daffodils and more surrounded me as I tried to make a decision.

"Did you need any help with anything?" A sweet young woman asked me. Her nametag read Violet, which was odd because

"What?"

"I said did you need help with anything?"

I looked around once more, all of the flowers staring at me.

"I just need some flowers."

"Ok! Well we have some petunias on sale-"

"Not those." Nothing on sale. Nothing cheap.

"Alright, well did you have a flower in mind?"

I paused and thought about it. Roses seemed too beautiful. Irises were kind of odd looking.

"Not really."

"Well what's the occasion? Anniversary? Funeral? Just because?"

That was a good question. I see why Violet worked in the floral section.

"Just for home. Just for me." My voice was thick like syrup.

"Well can I recommend some daisies then? They're so lively and beautiful right now!" She walked me over to some bright white daisies that seemed to nearly glow. Pure. Untainted.

"Am I able to get these?" I asked. She nodded quickly.

"Absolutely!" She grabbed a handful. "I'll just wrap these for you and be right back!"

I nodded as she nearly skipped away. How odd.

Once she returned with the wrapped daisies, I checked out with just the flowers and went to the car. It was raining, but not really. A mist had settled in the air. The promise of rain.

I made it home with the flowers. I walked inside and went toward the vase that now held very dead flowers. I pulled out the crinkly plants and tossed them in the trash. The crackle of the petals were loud in the quiet house. I gently slid the new daisies in the vase with some new water. Everything new. Everything alive again.