The Flower that Never Wilts

One

Carnations were always my favorite flower. Ever since I was a little kid. The scent takes me back to the memories of my father's flower shop. I used to enjoy rubbing my thumb and index finger through the soft, smooth petals and then twirling the stem around. Whenever I was sad, scared, or even happy, my father would give me a carnation to hold. I would enjoy playing with it for a few days until they wilted. Even then, my father would press the flowers for me so I could put them in my little red book. The flowers looked so pleasing in the little blue book.

When my parents divorced and my mother married a new man, I was very sad. Since I didn't live with my father anymore, he wasn't always around to give me a carnation so I only had my flower book to look at. It was pretty, but I couldn't get the satisfaction of a fresh flower. The soft, thin petals to fidget with, the stem to twirl, that fresh flower scent, was all I needed when I was feeling down.

The last time I saw my father, he gave me a special carnation. I was nine, but I remember it vividly.

"Gwen, you know flowers don't last forever." He said to me. "They eventually wilt and dry up. Something that seemed so pretty turned into something so ugly." I remember there being a hint of anger with his voice. "I thought your mother would love me forever, but that obviously changed. I guess all those flowers I gifted to her never made up for the diamond ring she has always wanted. But you know what doesn't change? My love for my only daughter. That's why I'm giving you this very special flower." He opened a blue rectangular case to reveal a gold carnation. Everything was gold, even the stem. It was the best carnation I've ever seen.

"This gold dipped carnation will last forever. I want you to keep it since I won't always be around to make you happy. I want you to remember me as your father and your only father. Alfred would never love you not even a tenth of how much I love you." I soon learned that he was right about that.

The next time I went to visit my father, the shop was burned down to ashes, and I never saw him again. Ever since then, my only 'father figure' was Alfred. Alfred Fitz is my mother's second husband. Richer than my father was. The man is the devil himself. Dominated the household only to treat me like a peasant. I've hated him ever since the day he burned my flower book; my childhood. My mother just told me it wasn't the end of the world and that I shouldn't have upset him. Ever since then, I've always hid my golden flower from then. It was my only symbol of happiness and I didn't want them to take it away.

Years have passed since my father's disappearance. I'm nineteen now, I've graduated high school and I'm currently in community college. Mother is still married to the rich asshole. Father is still nowhere to be found, and I'd like to believe he's still alive somewhere. Nothing much has changed, except Mother and Alfred's daughter, Reina. Seven years old and spoiled as shit. What also changed was the way Alfred treated me. He used to give me ugly expensive gifts to make him look all good and rich. Now the "gifts" that I get are usually very verbal abuse. It's safe to say that I hate my life. I wanted change, but I never would have expected the change that came my way.

The day my life changed started like any other day. I woke up to my best friend calling me asking what we were going to do that day. I reached around for my phone on the other side of my bed. I wasn't surprised to see who was calling me. I slid the green button to the right and held the phone up to my ear, closing my eyes once again.

"Yes, Libra?" I answered tiredly.

"Good morning to you too, Gwen. Now that you're awake, you can go ahead and get your ass ready for work."

"I swear Libra, I appreciate you trying to make sure I'm awake and all, but your calls can be so irritating sometimes. You wake up way earlier than me to get ready for work!" I tell him, voice still raspy from waking up.