It’s a very slow night at the flower shop, and I’m itching to call Raj.

We planned to talk when I dropped Noah off this morning, but Raj was in the shower, because, as he explained through the bathroom door: “You don’t even want to know, dude, but let me just say that sometimes having a baby is gross.”

We can’t have this particular conversation by shouting through the door, so I took off, texted Raj to come over to my apartment later.

I didn’t even make it home before Destinee called and asked me to pick up her shift. She wanted to enter a poetry slam happening tonight, and she had to drive all day to get there. So now I’m working both her shift and mine, back to back, which means that Raj and I once again missed each other.

It’s dark out by now, and I’m nervously looking through the windows as a storm builds over Ketterbridge.

“You can go home early,” Kent is telling me. “No customer is gonna venture out in this weather, anyways. Just close up the shop.”

“I can’t. I haven’t finished the order.” I press my phone closer to my ear, watching the angry clouds gathering above the rooftops, the fierce winds shaking the trees. “They’re picking it up first thing tomorrow morning.”

“You’re putting way too much effort into it. I’m sure it looks fine how it is. Go home.”

I hesitate, plucking at the sleeve of my flannel. “Okay, I - I will.”

Kent lets out a deep sigh. “You’re such a bad liar.”

Kasey snickers from behind me, and I turn to stick my tongue out at her.

“I’m not lying, Kent!”

“No? Then should I post on the website that we’re closing early today?”

“N- I mean, um. You don’t have to-”

“That’s what I thought,” Kent groans. “If you get caught in the middle of this storm, it’s officially not my fault.”

I hang up, and Kasey briefly sticks her head out through the display window, taking a look at the sky.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go home, Jamie?” She nods at the unfinished bouquet on the countertop. “That already looks really nice, honestly.”

“It’s for somebody’s wedding,” I answer, turning to run my eyes over the flowers I’ve been shaping together. “Everything has to be perfect.”

“Okay, I’m just saying, it looks like it’s about to be rough out there.” She pokes her head through the window again, then ducks back inside. “Speaking of weddings, I better go. Looks like you have a visitor.”

“What-?” I begin, but Kasey has already disappeared.

I peer out through the window and see Raj flat-out running from where he parked his truck. The wind is buffeting him, pulling at his jacket and making his curls fly into his face. But he forges through, racing up to the door of the shop.

I open it to let him in, and the wind shoves both me and the door violently backwards. Raj ends up seizing me by my flannel so that I don’t go falling into the flowers. He holds me with one hand, quickly forcing the door closed with the other.

“Jesus!” he gasps, out of breath. “What kind of fucking cyclone is building up out there? You okay, dude? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to body you with the door like that!”

“I’m fine,” I laugh, straightening up. “That was embarrassing, though - and what are you doing here, Raj? You should probably get home, this weather is only gonna get w-”

“I know, I know.” Raj tosses his windblown curls out of his face, shivering in his jacket. “I told myself I wasn’t gonna come bother you at work, but I just - I couldn’t chill any longer. I need to hear what you have to say about Noah.”

He has one hand tucked into his pocket, and I think I know why. He’s got his fingers wrapped around the box with the ring. I’ve noticed that little bulk in his jacket everywhere we go. I think that Raj has been carrying it around with him, keeping it close.

“Noah figured out that you two are avoiding talking to him about the wedding,” I inform Raj, who winces immediately.

“I know. He asked me and Mel about it separately, and we handled it differently. I told him we’re putting it off, but didn’t really say why, whereas Mel said - my beautiful lush pregnancy hair is falling out, and I’m going to scream if any of it falls out onto my wedding dress.”

“It’s falling out?” I ask, alarmed.

Raj raises his hands in a don’t worry gesture.

“It’s perfectly normal, we asked her doctor. Apparently that happens, but she’ll be fine. Her hair just won’t be as thick and shiny as it got when she was pregnant. It’ll go back to how it was before.”

“Oh, okay.” I run a hand through my own hair, then shake my head. “Man, women go through it, huh?”

“Yes they do,” Raj says firmly. “And kudos to Mel for thinking up a valid reason on the spot, but - I didn’t think of it when Noah asked me.” He hesitates, rubs his arm. “You said he’s suspicious now?”

“Not suspicious, exactly, but he can tell that you two are being weird about it.” I lead the way deeper into the shop, and Raj trails after me. “You mind if I work while we talk?”

“No, of course not, what are you up t-?” Raj pauses by the countertop, his eyes traveling over what I’m working on. “Whoa, Jamie - that’s fucking gorgeous!”

“Thanks!” I push my hair out of my face with the back of my wrist, then reach for my secateurs again. “It's taken me a long time, honestly. I started over twice.”

“Why?”

“It’s a last-minute bouquet for an elopement tomorrow, and the bride gave me kind of confusing instructions.”

Raj tips his head to the side. “How so?”

I pick up the order sheet and read out loud what she wrote.

“The vibe is that I’m standing on a cliff, in a thunderstorm, at night. Also, I’m a Leo, so please take that into consideration. She actually attached her whole birth chart, look. I don't know what any of it means. And under ‘style’ - where people typically write like, traditional, or modern, or whatever - she wrote fairy grunge.”

Raj bites his lip, suppressing a laugh. “Um…?”

“Yeah, I don’t know,” I answer, setting it aside again. “I’m doing my best, here.”

Raj bends over the bouquet for a closer look.

I went very dramatic with it. Black roses and Cordyline Black Tie, coated with a very light dusting of glitter spray. I’ve woven these through with stalks of heather, and dotted in various small white flowers to look like stars and moons. I’m also making a matching boutonnière out of the clippings, although nobody asked me to.

“I just hope I’m going the direction she wanted.”

“Either way, it looks amazing,” Raj says, straightening up. “You should do the flowers for our wedding, Jamie.”

I had been about to snip off a poky piece of heather, but I stop and look up at Raj, caught by surprise.

“Oh - really, dude?” I beam at him, thrilled. “I was kind of hoping you might - I’d love to, honestly. I know you three so well, I feel like I could do a really nice job.”

“Well, first thing is to sort out whether or not it will be three of us,” Raj says, growing serious. “C’mon, bro, tell me what Noah said. I’m dying, here.”

“I can’t-” I hesitate, nibbling my lip. “I don’t think I should tell you exactly what he said, but - I have a feeling that if you talk to him about it, it’ll go well.”

Raj falls silent, thinking about that. I can see his thumb moving in his jacket pocket, tracing over the side of the ring box.

His deep brown eyes, always so open and sincere, suddenly grow light with brilliant happiness.

“You think?” he asks.

I nod at him, infected by his contagious smile. “Mhm, I really do.”

Raj lets out a breath, his expression somehow both terrified and excited.

“Guess I’ve gotta pick my moment,” he murmurs to himself, then looks back up at me. “Tell you the truth, there have been so many times where I almost just fucking went for it. It’s been really hard to not ask him.”

I set down my secateurs and clasp my fingers beneath my chin, grinning widely at Raj.

“That’s a good enough reason to do it, right there,” I tell him.

He gives me a small, slightly abashed smile, pressing his lips together. Then he pauses, his eyes on my hands.

“Speaking of rings - why are you always wearing that? Did you and Aiden secretly get engaged, or something?”

“What-?” I blink down at the ring from the heist, then let out a startled burst of laughter. “Oh my god, no! This is from - something else. Believe me, you’d know if that had happened, because-”

I cut myself off sharply, realizing that I was about to say: because I’d be way too happy to keep it to myself.

I need a few hours - possibly a few days - to process what I almost just said. I clear my throat, snatching up my secateurs again.

“Let’s stay focused, okay?” I carefully trim down the cut of hazel, my cheeks on fire. “When do you think you’re gonna ask Noah?”

“I’m not sure when, but soon. Mel and I are gonna do it together.” Raj fidgets with one of his curls, his eyes suddenly nervous. “I just hope he…”

I smile at Raj, thinking of the conversation that Noah and I had.

“I really think that everything is gonna be okay, Raj. We had a whole Ralph incident, and Noah handled it like a champ. I think he’s done running when he gets overwhelmed.” I reach across the counter, poke Raj’s shoulder. “That’s due in part to you and Mel, you know.”

Raj matches my smile, then breaks into a full-on grin.

“If the wedding is back on,” he says, “Then I’ve got something important to ask you, Jamie.”

“You mean about the flowers?” I set aside the hazel cutting I was working on, then pick up another. “Yeah, man, I’m happy to do it! I was hoping there was some way I could be involved, if I’m being honest.”

“That’s good,” Raj says brightly. “Because I was wondering if you wanted to - be my best man?”

“Sure, dude,” I answer, cutting down the hazel stalk. “Whatever you need, I’m happy to help ou-”

I break off sharply, my gaze snapping up to Raj. The secateurs tumble from my hands and land with a loud clatter on the countertop.

“What - me?” I stare at him, my eyes wide, my mouth open. “Are you s-? Really?”

“Yeah, bro!” Raj laughs, apparently amused by the expression on my face. “You helped me so much when I was trying to sort out what to do about the three of us. I don’t even know how it would have happened, without you. Just - feels right, to me.”

I stare and stare at him, my cheeks getting redder and redder.

He lets out another laugh. “Is that a yes?”

“Oh my god!” I yell, and rush around the counter.

Raj - snuggler that he is - practically lifts me off the ground with the hug he gives me, and I’m laughing by the time he sets me back down. He slaps my shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.

“Aw, Raj,” I stammer, trying to figure out how to express the warmth filling me up from head to toe. “I was just excited to get to do the flowers, dude, this is so - I’m so touched, I don’t even know what to say.”

“No need, brother.” He beams at me, clasping my shoulder. “I can see it all over your face. And this works out perfectly, because Aiden can be the other one.”

“The other one?”

“Yep.” Raj lets me go, still smiling. “I figure Noah’s gonna want Aiden to be his best man, right? His oldest friend?”

Oh, my god. Raj is definitely right. I can’t even imagine how happy Aiden is going to be when Noah asks him.

But there’s one important question that needs to be asked before that one. And happy as Aiden will be, something tells me that Noah’s glowing happiness is going to outshine all the rest.

~~~~

Me 7:45 PM: Hey there sweet man that I love

Companion Plant 🍃 7:46 PM: What did you do, Keane?

Me 7:46 PM: Excuse me?! All I said was hey!

Companion Plant 🍃 7:47 PM: It’s the way you said it.

Me 7:47 PM: I said it in a text, what do you even mean, the way I said it?

Companion Plant 🍃 7:48 PM: So you didn’t do anything?

Me 7:50 PM: Well

Companion Plant 🍃 7:50 PM: As I thought.

Me 7:52 PM: Okay okay okay

Me 7:53 PM: I may have stayed late at the shop trying to make this bouquet perfect, so now I’m trapped here by the storm and I have to wait it out

Me 7:53 PM: I checked the forecast, looks like I’m probably gonna be between like, three or four hours late coming over tonight? Approximately?

Me 7:55 PM: I’m sorry babe! I didn’t even take my car today, I didn’t know it was gonna be like this!

Me 7:57 PM: I can just sleep at my place if that’s better

Me 7:59 PM: Aiden? Are you mad?

Companion Plant 🍃 7:59 PM: Nope, I was just getting dressed. Sit tight, dummy.

Me 8:01 PM: What? What does that mean?

~~~~

Aiden doesn’t respond to my text.

I get the shop cleaned up and the bouquet put away in the floral cooler, wondering what he’s talking about. He can’t possibly mean that he’s coming here, can he?

I cross to the window and peer out at the street. The tree branches are being whipped around by the violent wind, and sleet is pouring down so thick and fast that I have to squint to see further down the sidewalk.

My eyes widen in disbelief when I spot Aiden.

He’s walking towards the shop at an easy pace. The slushy droplets of rain and snow spilling down from the clouds don’t touch him. They sizzle away on his heat before they can get too close.

The powerful wind pulls his jacket and hair up into wild movement, but it’s not enough to sway a man built like Aiden. His Timbs punch right through the snowdrifts, bringing him closer to me. And even though he knows perfectly well that he doesn’t need any help keeping me at a cozy temperature, he’s got my warmer jacket in one hand. He must have stopped at my apartment to get it.

He’s a slice of warmth against the cold, storming world around him.

I eat him up with my eyes, my heart overflowing.

I don’t make the same mistake I did with Raj, this time. I back up to let Aiden open the door, but it doesn’t manage to tear itself out of his firm grasp.

“Hey, you,” he says.

The wind is howling, and I thought he’d have to yell. Not so. The deep rumble of his voice cuts right through all the other noise.

He smiles warmly down at me. “Got your stuff?”

I nod silently, switch off the lights, and dart outside, locking the door after myself. It’s a very short dash from the shop into Aiden’s arms, but I’m already shivering by the time I get there.

He hands me my other jacket, waits while I pull it on. Then he folds an arm around me, shielding me from the wind. His warmth seeps right through the multiple layers of fabric between us, spreading through me like a big sip of hot tea on a cold morning.

Aiden taps my nose, holding me up against him. “You all good?”

I nod again, then let out a helpless laugh.

“Aiden, oh my god!” Unlike him, I do have to shout to be heard. “I didn’t mean that you had to walk all the way here to get me, and now all the way back! I could have just gotten home late, slept at my own place!”

Aiden bends to push a soft, lingering kiss onto my mouth.

“Nah,” he murmurs, his staggeringly beautiful blue eyes looking right into mine. “You’re sleeping at my place. Like we planned.”

I gear up to make a joke about this being a bossy thing to say, but I end up letting out a stupid, nervous-sounding laugh, pressing my fingers over my mouth.

“Okay,” I stammer, and Aiden smiles, ruffles my hair.

We set off together down the sidewalk. The storm rages all around us, but I’m protected by Aiden’s warmth, his arm around my shoulders. I lean into him, sticking close to his side.

Soft summer days or stormy winter nights, there’s no place I’d rather be.