How To Build A Flower Shop

Chapter TWENTY EIGHT

The same night Bobbi makes her father a cup of coffee, just how he likes it, and decides to make her favourite hot chocolate. In the living room, both mugs in her hands, she sits beside him and pops the coffee on the table in front of her. Lucas is hunched over, phone in hand and his glasses rest on the tip of his nose, eyes squinting and bushy eyebrows furrowed as he sends a text to a client. Once he's satisfied with his message and hits send, he's happy to put his phone away and takes off his glasses.

'Thanks, doll.' It's like she knew he was in need of one. Picks up the coffee and blows on it first, then takes a sip. He puts it back on the coffee table, after he slides a coaster from the corner of the coffee table to the centre to use it.

Eagerness bubbles up inside of Bobbi as her eyes never leave him, holding her mug to her chest, hopeful as Roberto's idea makes sense and she longs for a pet.

Lucas slowly brings his eyes to meet hers, suspecting something is up. The coffee and her hot chocolate with cream is a bit of a give-away. She lays it on him like a bomb.

'Daddy, can we get a pet, please? Please? I really want a small bunny because they're so cute and they'll make a great companion. Pretty please? I'd absolutely love to have a pet around the house! Dad, you will make my heart so, so happy if you agree-'

'Bobbi, I'm not going to agree to bring an animal into the house where you'll say you'll do most of the work, but then a week later I'll be the one caring for it.'

'But dad, I did my research on why rabbits are the best pets to have!' She urges on about how they can be trained, listing many things, and adding that the rabbit can stay in his/her hutch most of the day and in her room. Her elated spirit calms down, seeing he might not allow it.

'And daddy, sometimes it gets lonely in the house when you're at work and it's just me. I wouldn't want to bother Jamelia every time I feel alone, and having a cute animal excited to see you every day is really something.'

He sees how serious and dedicated she will be as she tells him more. With her heart set onto something, so stubborn -she likes to use the word passionate- he knows tonight won't be the end of hearing this.

He sighs and rests back on the couch. 'And it's a rabbit you want?' She nods her head frantically, he gives in. 'Let me think about it and I'll let you know in the morning.'

She sets her mug on the coffee table as she squeals with excitement, grabbing her father into a hug. 'Thanks dad!' She repeats over and over, overwhelmed with joy.

'That doesn't mean yes. We'll discuss it in the morning. How did this idea spring up anyways?' She tells him it was Roberto who suggested it for the both of them, and his eyebrows raise. He thought she was so lonely for the idea to come to her, yearning companionship from a pet. He's happy her reason was a suggestion from a friend, then again it might be just as bad someone from the outside can see their loneliness. Never likes leaving her by herself in the house, and vice versa. He will undoubtedly think about it. 'How are things with you two, by the way? Is the flower shop going well?'

They never really spoke about the progress in the flower shop. Bobbi's actions spoke for themselves, actually. The mood she would come home with gave Lucas an insight of the workload, the answers to his questions written on her face. Some evenings she would come home and update her father on what they did on that particular day. Other times, she would burst through the door and vent out to him; those were the earlier days when she and Roberto didn't get along very much. But most of the time it wasn't brought up.

She fills him in on the latest and tells him about the quote and picture frame, to which he's happy to hear about. It touches his heart that Bobbi thought of it, proud of her. For the night they look through old photos of Olivia to put in the frame, and Bobbi asks her dad if he's going to see Carlos again and he says yes. They have lots to talk about and he likes him. Plans on meeting up again for more drinks. She also brings up the topic of Christmas and decorating the house, he says it will happen soon.