Every morning was the same for Alder. A cup of green tea to start his day and he never left without first watering the garden. He loved his little job, but nothing could compare to the fresh morning breeze and the quiet city slowly waking up from its slumber.

The chimes could be heard a mile away from the little flower shop. Out of every shop in London City, the flower shop was the brightest and most festive. The locals often came to buy a new bouquet for their wife and there was the occasional love confession red roses. Once the bustle of the morning ended, a silence laid on the little shop. No one wanted the pink daisies; they just sat on the window sill quietly waiting for their moment of stardom, but their day never arrived. Once the day finally passed and the nightly glow of city lights began those pink daisies were left alone. Maybe tomorrow there will be a luckier day.

“Wake up sleepy head.” chuckled Amelia.

He snapped, “I’m not a kid anymore, Mother. I can wake myself up.”

“For as long as you stay in my home you will always be my little son.” She turned towards the door. “Why did you have to grow up so quickly?”

A silence filled the room just to be broken by the slam of the door and the patter of footsteps echoing in the hallway.

He groaned and muttered, “I need to leave this place quickly.”

Work was all he thought about, He couldn’t let his mind wander, or else he would bring up the pain and guilt that has been building up inside. Making his parents a little proud was the best he could do. As he buttoned up his final button, he walked down the stairs toward the kitchen to see Ms. Marie cooking breakfast as usual. The smell of bacon might have been a welcoming scent for anyone else but for Earl, it was the world telling him “Time to lie.”