🌹Every Rose Has Its Thorn🌹

Chapter Thirteen ~ Cyclamen

It has been a week since Josie broke up with Harry and the man is missing her like crazy.
The first three days he called in sick to work and now he lives and looks like a zombie, he gets up in the morning and goes to work, only talking to people when it is really necessary. After work he immediately goes home and crawls into bed or on to the couch watching TV till he goes to sleep.
He feels like he has lost a part of himself and he doesn't understand what happened. He has so many questions and it is driving him crazy.

Everything in his house reminds Harry of Josie, how she smiled in the kitchen the first time he made dinner for her, how she teased him every time she won a game of scrabble at the dining table in the living room, how he had pinned her against the front door and fucked her there and then because they wanted each other so much, they couldn't wait to get upstairs.

Thinking of these moments makes Harry smile for a second but then he remembers it's over and his heart breaks all over again. He wants to fight for Josie, he knows she is hiding something and he wants to help her and prove his love for her but he doesn't know how. He texts her every morning to wish her a good day and every night to wish her beautiful dreams, he tries to call her almost daily but it always goes to voicemail.

He pushed the urge to go by her house or the shop away for a whole week but today he decides if he wants her back, he has to do something. He sends Katherine a text to ask her if Josie is at the shop and she answers telling him she won't be there today so Harry knows it's safe.

After work he goes to the flower shop, before he enters the shop he has to take a breath, he knows this is going to bring back memories and beautiful moments and it's going to hurt.

It's near closing time when he arrives and there are no customers in the shop, Katherine is rearranging some beautiful cyclamen. Ironically cyclamen symbolize separation, he would tell Josie that is she was here.

When the bell rings she looks up and gives Harry a sympathetic smile before she walks to him.
"Hi Harry," Katherine says and gives him a quick hug.
"I would ask how you are but you don't look good at all." her eyes scanning Harry from head to toe. His hair is messy, he's clearly got skinnier and the blue bags under his eyes tell her he hasn't been sleeping much lately.

"Why, thank you," Harry rolls his eyes.
"But you are right, I look like shit and that's how I feel too." Katherine shakes her head and walks to the counter, followed by Harry.

"I don't want to put you in this position with what I'm going to ask, but I need answers." Harry says with a cracking voice. Katherine sighs and looks at her hands, taking a minute to think about what she is going to say.

"I know what is going on but I can't tell you, Harry. I want to but I can't break Josie's trust." Harry nods, understanding completely but he is disappointed anyway.

"But believe me when I say, she didn't do this because she doesn't love you and I hope when the time is right you will fight for her?" Katherine puts her hand on Harry's and gives him a supportive squeeze.

"I will fight for her, always." there is a moment of silence between them, Harry thinks about his next step.
"Do you think it's a good idea to send her flowers?" he asks but unfortunately Katherine shakes her head.
"Give her some time. I am not sure but I think she will come around." Harry gave Katherine a weak smile.
"I hope so. Thanks Katherine." Harry said, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll see you around." Harry added before he left the shop.

The peace has returned at Josie's house after Lou discovered Josie broke up with Harry. The evening Alex and Lou came home from their fathers, Josie told Alex, who told Lou the next day. The little girl was ecstatic and thought it would just be like before now, unfortunately it isn't that easy. Josie is heartbroken and missing Harry, she tells herself to suck it up, it was her choice to break up with Harry and now she has to live with the consequences. She tries to act happy but she fails miserably, she is quiet, doesn't talk much, is short tempered and she is not up to doing anything with the kids.

The kitchen gets filled with a heavenly smell while Josie makes diner, Lou and Alex sit at the kitchen table making their homework.

"Mum, what's for dinner?" Alex asks with a watering mouth.
"Rice with peas, little pieces of bacon and soy sauce" Josie answers stirring the pot with peas.

"I don't want to eat that, I don't like it." Lou whines, before Alex can say anything. Josie decides to ignore her daughter and adds and extra spoonful of soy sauce to the dish.

"Is your homework almost done? Dinner is ready," Josie asks after thirty more minutes.
The kids both nod their heads and start to clear the table. Without a question Alex starts to put plates on the table.

"Lou please help your brother." Josie orders.
"No." the little girl says
"And I'm not going to eat that either." a sigh leaves Josie's mouth.

"Don't be difficult and do what you are told." she pinches the bridge of her nose. Not in the mood for a discussion about food.
"No mum, you know I don't like rice and I won't eat it." Lou crosses her arms in front of her chest and looks at Josie with challenging eyes. Josie feels anger bubbling up in the pit of her stomach, she knows she has to hold back but she has had enough.

"Why do you always have to be so selfish? There are people who don't have food so be grateful we do. Plus, we eat things you like and one of us don't all the time and we don't argue about it. Alex and I do like rice so for once can you just shut up and just eat it!" Josie takes the pot from the stove and place it on the table with a loud bang.
"You two eat, I'm not hungry anymore" Josie mumbles and stomps upstairs.

"So the rule about eating together is only for us but mum can skip dinner whenever she wants." Lou says to her brother after a couple of minutes. Alex looks at his sister dumbfounded, he can't understand why she doesn't want to see how happy Harry made their mother and how depressed she is now.

"You don't understand what you have done, do you?" Alex asks. Lou shrugs her shoulder and starts to make herself a sandwich while Alex scoops some rice on his plate and takes it to the living room to watch TV while he eats.

Josie is in bed, again, crying, again... She never has felt like this before so sad and lost, in her chest she feels an excruciating pain, like someone stabbed a knife in her heart, she feels anger towards herself because of the horrible way she handled the situation but she is also angry at her daughter and she knows it's wrong. Since it all happened Josie is extremely short tempered towards Lou, the girl only has to make a little mistake and Josie will explode. Josie tries to push these feelings away, she tries to act normal and not get angry at her daughter all the time but she is failing.

At the moment it feels like Lou stands between her and her happily ever after with Harry, like a rose has its thorn, Lou is the thorn or Josie and Harry's relationship.

After an hour Alex silently comes in the room wearing his blue pj's and holding a little cup, a spoon and a bottle of water in his hands. He puts everything on the nightstand next to the bed before he lays down on Josie's pink sheets, facing her.

"I cleaned up the kitchen and I put the rest of the food in the fridge." he whispered, crawling closer to his mum and laying his head on her chest.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You are so smart and grown up, I wonder who you get that from." Alex smiles, enjoying the compliment she gives him.

"There is a pot of pudding and a bottle of water on the nightstand, I thought you might be hungry or thirsty." Josie smiles and with her arms around Alex she hugs him closer.

"Thank you." she gives Alex a soft peck on the top of his head. She is enjoying the cwith her son, she is missing Harry's cuddles, the way he put his head on top of hers or in the crook of her neck and how he softly sways back and forth while whispering sweet nothings in her ear. When a lonesome tear rolls over her cheek Alex wipes it away with his thumb.

"You should call Harry and get back together, mum. In time Lou will understand, she will act like a bitch till she does but we are used to that." When Josie gives him a glare because his language the boy stops and stiffens a smile.

"I just want you to be happy mum." Alex says and he kisses his mother cheek.
"Thank you, you are so sweet. But Harry will never want me back, I messed up." Josie admits with a sigh.