Flowers & Coffee

1- Cherrie and Remy

This is the first Chapter and I hope you enjoy it! It'll get interesting I swear.

"Have a lovely evening!" I shout to the customer as he leaves the shop and is whisked away into the night. The lights from outside shine bright, illuminating the buildings around us. The soft sounds of piano music float along with the winds. The city people rushed past the shop, looking for the quickest way out of the cold night air.

At this time of night, there are always wandering people looking for small trinkets to buy. Some people would see the flower shop and stop by to have a look, while others will wander down the path towards the other shops. The flower shop is the first stop for most people, depending on which way you're coming from.

The shop itself is in a popular 'square' as people call it. The square is just a line of shops and cafes that stretch out in a thick line for about two or three blocks. Shops will be lined along the side where the buildings are, while events, memorials, and parks are held in the middle.

At this section of the square is the flower shop, which is on the corner of one of the buildings. Right next to our building is the main road, which is almost empty at night. Out the front of the shop is an open space for people to gather.

But my absolute favourite bit about this place is the water feature.

Normally next to one shop is another, but this building was built on a hill. Instead of another shop besides ours, there's just a wall where posters for events and such get displayed. Against the wall is a small staircase to accommodate the hill, and all this is repeated on the other sides where the other shop is.

Since the space from the flower shop to the other shop that faces it is quite large, the stairs only go inwards enough to fit about five or six people at a time. Between the stairs, is a large water feature. From above the stairs, there is a glass railing that comes outwards in a curve/semi-circle shape. From just under the railing water runs down like a waterfall. There is also an oval/circle shape going around the bottom to hold water, also for catching coins people throw in for good luck.

The water feature is still my favourite thing to look at, even on nights like these.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a small chime, signaling me it's about time to close the shop. I always stay late to close up, especially since Gran Faith has been more tired lately. I pack up or cover the flowers while I also water some of them. I pack up the counter and pull down the blinds.

While doing so, I fix my long brown hair so it stays out of the way with my favourite hair clip. Although it's long and sometimes hard to handle, I like it. When I was little it was never long, but now I like it so much I don't really want to cut it. Wait, I'm getting off track.

Before I finish locking everything up, I go into the side door behind the counter. This leads to the storage room and the stairs to go up. I make my way up the stairs and into the living quarters of the building. Most of the buildings will have the shops at ground level while everything upstairs is a house.

Gran Faith is sitting in a chair in the small family room, looking out the window into the square. There's a book in her lap and a cup of tea in her hands. I usually find her like this on days she's not working, which is not often. She looks away from the window when she hears me enter the room.

"Done already, Cherrie?" She questions as she places her tea down. From the smell in the air, I can tell she's drinking peppermint tea.

"Yep. Mr. Bark came again. He brought some Tulips." I say while taking a seat on one of the empty chairs. I usually stay to chat after work before I leave to go home.