“Jamie!” Ellen squeals, as soon as I set foot in the flower shop. “Jamie, Jamie!”

I had been looking down at my phone, smiling at the picture that Raj just sent to the group chat. A screenshot of the completed order form for the wedding cake, the hard-earned product of our work marathon. But I lift my head and laugh as Ellen scurries over to fling her arms around my legs.

“Why so excited to see me, bud?”

"Because-" She stops, looking faintly embarrassed, apparently scrambling for a reason. “Because, um - oh! Now I can show you my new walk!”

"Oh, fantastic." I set my bag on the counter, looking down at her. “Let’s see it.”

I don’t know what I expected, but what Ellen turns out is something like a power strut, head held high and shoulders thrown back. She's on her tiptoes, wearing imaginary high heels, the soft dark cloud of her hair bouncing. She goes only a few steps before she stumbles over her feet.

“Still working on it!” she says breathlessly. “It's not ready yet!”

"Huh." I tilt my head to the side. “You remind me of someone when you do that, El. I’m trying to think who.”

Gabby strides gracefully out from the back of the shop before Ellen can answer, her eyes on her phone. She lifts her gaze to me and smiles warmly, then drops it to Ellen.

“What trouble are you two getting into out here, hmm?”

“None!” Ellen insists, and then, leaning up to whisper to me - “I’m gonna be a real lady, just like Gabby. Watch and see.”

I smile affectionately down at Ellen as Kent follows Gabby out of the back.

“Hey, Jamie.” He nods at me, adjusting the paper packaging of the croissant in his hand. “You’re in for a relaxed shift. Inventory is postponed until tomorrow, I have to get some new-”

Kent breaks off as Gabby plucks the croissant right out of the packaging and takes a big bite. Kent blinks down at her, startled, then lets out a deep laugh as she darts away when he tries to take it back.

“What - that one’s mine! Gabs!”

He starts after her, and she rushes for the door, her heels not slowing her down at all. She tears the croissant in half as she goes, presses one piece into Ellen's hand.

“Go, go!” she tells Ellen urgently.

Ellen bursts into giggles as she tumbles after Gabby. She starts trying to do a running version of her new walk, but automatically falls back into her usual eager scamper.

“Come here - Gabby!” Kent bellows, starting after her, still half-laughing. “I’ll catch you, woman!”

He stops and tosses his hands up in defeat. Gabby and Ellen are already gone, laughing as they run together. The bell makes its cheerful little chiming sound as the door swings shut after them.

“Gets awful rowdy in here when those two come to pick me up, doesn’t it?” Kent grumbles, making an enormous effort to try and look annoyed.

“Yeah, I can tell that you hate it,” I snicker, going around behind the counter.

Kent rolls his eyes at me behind his glasses, but he's smiling. He scrubs a thoughtful hand over his beard.

“I’ve actually been thinking,” he says slowly, “That the house feels kind of quiet, now that Aiden moved out. A little less - full. We’ve definitely got room for one more, you know?”

I pause with my hand halfway to the register, staring at Kent, a slow smile unfolding across my face.

I nod at the door where Gabby just disappeared. “Guess you don’t need me to find you a new tenant, this time."

Kent bites his lip nervously, then takes off his glasses and aggressively polishes them on his shirt.

“I'm afraid that she might not say yes. I’m starting to think, though - it's just that every time I leave her place, she’s all, no, Kent, no se vaya-” He breaks off, his eyebrows furrowing. “Was that what she said? I have no ear for Spanish, I swear, even though I’ve been trying like crazy. Ellen’s picking it up left and right, though.”

“I think you just like listening to Gabby talk, no matter what she’s saying,” I laugh, and Kent jams his glasses onto his face.

“Whatever! That’s not the point!” He flaps a hand at me, flustered. “Anyways, I’ve got good reasons I can give Gabby. I made a list. It would save us both some money, and my house is actually a tiny bit closer to City Hall than her place-”

“Oh, Kent," I interrupt gently, "I - I really don’t think you’re gonna need a list.”

Kent arches a skeptical eyebrow at me. “No? This is Gabby we’re talking about. I had half a mind to make a PowerPoint.”

"Right, but I don’t think this is about what’s most efficient. Not in this case. Not even for Gabby.”

Kent hesitates, nibbling his lip. “Gabby's opinion isn’t the only one I’m worried about.”

"I mean, yeah." I draw one of the shop plants closer and pull on my gardening gloves. “You should definitely clear it with Ellen first.”

“I’m going to, but you think she’d be okay with it?”

“Honestly, I think that Ellen is gonna get so excited, she’ll ask Gabby herself before you get the chance.”

Kent blinks, then gives me a small smile. But I can see the anxiety all over his face. I shoot him a questioning look, and he shrugs slowly.

“It’s just… the last time I asked someone to move in with me, it was Julia. You know how that ended.”

His fingers drift to the place where his wedding ring used to be. He realizes what he's doing and drops his hand instantly, but he knows I caught that. He can tell by the smile slipping from my face.

“Gabby isn’t Julia,” I begin earnestly, but Kent waves a hand at me, gruffly clearing his throat.

“I know. I know that.” His eyes are no less nervous, but now they're also full of determination. “I’m not gonna let shit from my past hold me back. This is about the future. And I know what I want in mine.”

I bite back my smile, which has returned in full force.

“Looks like you need to have a chat with Ellen,” I tell Kent.

He takes a deep breath, then heads for the door.

“Looks like you’ve got a customer,” he says over his shoulder.

Roger steps into the shop, weaving around Kent with a polite nod.

I guess it makes sense that the two of them don't recognize each other. I never introduced Roger to Kent. Never even brought Roger to the shop, now that I think about it. Somehow that sounded like too much commitment.

"Roger!" I stare at him in surprise, resting my gloved hands on either side of the plant. “Hey!”

I say it with genuine enthusiasm. It’s so much nicer to see him now that we’re actually friends, not the awkward mess we were before. I think he feels the same way. He smiles warmly at me as he crosses over to the counter.

He must have just gotten off a shift. He's wearing a navy blue fire department shirt beneath his jacket, and his curls are tousled, messed up from wearing his helmet.

“Hey." He stretches out his tattooed neck tiredly as he comes to a stop before me. "Just got off my shift, but Luca isn't off just yet, so I thought I’d swing by and say hi. Have him meet me here when he’s done. If I'm not interrupting?”

“Oh,” I say brightly, caught by surprise. “No, you're not interrupting. My boss just told me that I’m going to have a pretty boring shift, actually, so. Thank you.”

Roger laughs. “No problem.”

I gently snip away some browning leaves from the plant. “How was your shift?”

“It was okay. Sounds like Luc’s has been wild, though.”

I lift my eyes from the plant to Roger, concerned. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah, everyone was fine in the end, it was just hectic," Roger explains. "The ambulance went over a speedbump really fast while they were out on a call, and the other paramedic in the back sprained his knee. He started screaming, and the patient didn’t know what was going on, so she just started screaming, too.”

“Oh, my god!” I stare at Roger, my eyes wide with alarm. “That sounds like a lot of screaming, between the patient and both paramedics.”

Roger arches a confused eyebrow at me. “Luca wasn’t screaming.”

“Oh, was he not? I assumed he was, based on what I’d be doing if I was him.” I let out a dazed breath. “Man, a hectic day at my job means, like - that a lot of people want to buy flowers at once.”

Roger lets out a quiet laugh, folding his elbows on the counter. “Well, we’re all cut out for different things.”

“Still. What the fuck!” I hesitate, then slap Roger’s shoulder. “Get Luca some flowers, dude.”

Roger blinks in surprise.

“Oh, I mean - he’s fine. His job is this crazy pretty much all the time. He said that he’s just tired-”

“Roger.” I catch his eyes with mine. “Trust me. Get him some flowers.”

Roger stares at me for a second, then shrugs and straightens up, casts his gaze around the shop.

“Alright," he grumbles, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Luc's probably gonna wonder why I'm making some big deal about this, though.”

I smile at him, relieved. Roger isn't the type to pull out spontaneous romantic gestures, and clearly that doesn't bother Luca one bit. Still, I have a feeling that it would go a long way.

Roger reaches up to take down one of the colorful spring bunches we have on display, and I do a double-take.

“Um - are you wearing nail polish, Roger?”

"Yep." He holds up his hand so I can see the pitch-black polish. “I was watching my niece for a few days, and she’s fucking impossible to argue with. I actually kinda like it, though, now that I’ve seen it on.”

I let out a startled laugh, and Roger breaks into a grin.

“I haven’t taken it off yet, and she went home two days ago.” He puts the flowers on the counter, then goes into his pocket for his wallet. “Not sure if that’s because I feel like keeping it on, or because I have no idea how to take it off.”

I laugh again as I run Roger’s credit card. “You should keep it on. It weirdly works with all the muscles.”

“Back off, Jamie, I’m taken.”

I make a face at Roger, who laughs. He’s clearly tired out, but he’s in a bright mood, his eyes shining.

“You and Luca are doing good, then?” I ask, feeling like I already know the answer.

“Mhm.” Roger lets out a happy, peaceful breath. “Things have been great. Was the best to have a kid running around the place for a few days. We - started researching adoption stuff, after she went home. Guess it got us thinking.”

I freeze, dumbfounded, staring at Roger with enormous eyes. “Oh my god - what? Really?”

He blinks at me, taken aback. “What?”

“Nothing, just-” I shake my head slowly, caught completely off-guard. “That’s huge! I didn’t realize you guys were feeling ready for that. Holy shit.”

“Oh, no, we aren’t,” Roger says hastily. “But we don’t really have to be yet. The adoption process can take a while. Years, sometimes.”

I draw my head back sharply, blinking hard. “Years?”

“If you want to adopt a baby, yeah. Sometimes.” Roger tucks his credit card back into his wallet, tosses his curls out of his face. “If you want a kid, that timeline can drop to like, a couple of months. I guess they get way fewer applications for kids than they do for babies.”

“Oh,” I say faintly, struggling to absorb this information. “Oh.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s a long time, in either case.” Roger carefully gathers the bundle of flowers into his hands. “But some things are worth waiting for, right?”

Before I can answer, Roger’s phone lights up with a text from Luca. He reads it quickly, then nods his head at the door.

“I’m gonna meet Luc outside. Think he’s gonna be too tired to come in and say hi.”

“I totally get it.” I wave a hand at Roger, give him a warm smile. “See you.”

Roger steps outside right as I spot Luca through the big display window. He’s walking slowly down the sidewalk, shoulders hanging heavily beneath his backpack. His hands are stuffed in his jacket pockets, his eyes bruised with exhaustion.

He stops abruptly when he sees Roger standing there with the flowers. Roger holds them out, nervously saying something.

Luca stays frozen for a second, staring blankly at the flowers. Then he closes his eyes and tips his head all the way back, slowly breaking into a huge, helpless smile.

Roger smiles, too, surprised at the reaction. He pushes the flowers into Luca’s hands, then folds an arm around Luca’s shoulders, kisses his forehead. Luca more or less disappears into Roger’s warm embrace as the two of them set off together.

I watch them, smiling in the half-light of the shop, then slowly grow serious and thoughtful.

I tap my fingers on the counter for a moment, then pull off my gardening gloves and open my bag. I extract my laptop and set it out on the counter.

I only meant to confirm what Roger said to me about how long the adoption process takes. But before I know it, I’m reading long articles and threads about adopting, silently nibbling my thumbnail as I go from page to page -

With a sudden, guilty lurch, I remember that I’m supposed to be working. I didn’t mean to spend so long on this. I yank my gloves back on and drop my gaze to the plant I was caring for. I seem to come back to myself in the same moment, surfacing from my reverie, only now realizing what I was doing.

I blush deeply, then slam my laptop shut with my elbow.

But Ellen’s breathless, squeaky, childish laughter is still ringing in my ears. The scampering sound of her little feet as she came rushing over to hug my legs.

My thoughts go to the empty bedroom at home. The one with the three small alcoves. I close my eyes and fill that room with those same sounds. The little laughter, the little footsteps. I can almost hear Aiden's heavy footsteps, his deep laughter mixed in.

The thought makes something warm and melty happen in my heart.

When I try to picture that room upstairs staying empty for years, waiting silently for a baby… especially when there could be someone already out there, someone that might need me and Aiden…

A kid.

Roger was right. Way fewer people put in applications for kids, so the wait is much shorter. The articles I read had warnings about how kids who have been through such painful things so young can often have serious behavioral problems. Not everyone who wants to be a parent is equipped to handle that.

I wonder if Aiden and I would be.

Aiden’s own childhood was so dark and painful. It was a hard-fought battle, but he came through it to be the person he is now, the one I love with all my heart. He knows all about that experience. He would understand completely. He would be able to help.

I may not have been through it, but - I honestly think that I could help, too.

My mind goes back to the one conversation I had with Aiden about this. He said he always thought that he’d adopt. That he’d listen for who needs him the most.

What if whoever needs us the most isn't a baby, but a kid?

We can always wait for a baby, too, but - that doesn’t mean the little bedroom has to stay empty while we do, right?

Either way, there’s going to be a significant wait. That much is clear to me now. If this is something that Aiden and I want to do, we need to start thinking about it much sooner than I thought.

I need to talk to Aiden about it. I need to bring it up.

Oh, god. I'm scared. I have no idea how Aiden will react to any of this, but - Kent’s words are echoing in my head.

This is about the future. And I know what I want in mine.

I imagine Aiden with a happy child cuddled up in his gentle arms.

Sweet, warm messages are coming from my heart, trying to tell me something important.

Something about the future.