I cursed as I pulled my hand away from the rose that I was trying to de-thorn. Small droplets of blood began to pool in the paper thin cut on my finger and I quickly covered the wound with some paper towels that were nearby. I swayed minutely at the metallic smell, my nose crinkling in disgust. I was too clumsy for my own good.
"You should be wearing gloves, you know."
I sighed, looking up from my hands which were covered in band aids and healing cuts. My friend, Angela, was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed. Her black hair was clumsily tied in a bun, a few strands lazily tucked behind her ears. Her eyes were disapproving as she gazed at me, her lips tipped in a frown.
"You're going to catch something if you keep cutting yourself on vegetation."
I let out a huff, rolling my eyes. Being a biology major, Angela insisted on telling me about the horrible pathogens which thrived on the different types of plants and flowers that we used for making floral arrangements. Each time I cut herself, my friend deemed it necessary to warn me of the dangers of not wearing gloves and tell me in vivid detail what would happen if I were to become infected with a strain of bacteria. The story would always end in my inevitable and untimely death. I shook my head at the thought.
"I'm fine, Angela."
I released the pressure off the wound and noticed it had stopped bleeding. I heard Angela groan in defeat and then, saw her shuffling to get the first aid kit hanging on the wall.
"You're impossible."
She set down the kit on the table I was working on and proceeded to get alcohol swabs to disinfect the area and another bandaid. We were running low again because of my constant clumsiness. I smiled sheepishly as she took my hand and rubbed the alcohol into my skin.
"Ow!" I hissed. The sting of the alcohol wasn't that bad but it wasn't pleasant.
"I wouldn't have to do this if you were less stubborn."
"For the last time, Angela, you know I can't work with those things on."
It was true. My grip wasn't as secure as when I worked with my bare hands. It was also extremely difficult to judge how softly I was touching the flowers if I couldn't actually feel them. I didn't want to damage any of them and treated them with the utmost care.
"I know, I know." Angela resigned, knowing that trying to convince me would be fruitless. "Let me take care of this, then."
She shooed me away after bandaging my finger. She put on her gardening gloves and started snipping away at the thorns. I sighed, crossing into the front of the store. I took in the sight as a sad smile graced my lips. The flower shop was small but modern despite being located in the dreary town of Forks. It's walls were painted in a pale pink and the floor had patterned tiles. Plants of all kind were neatly organized on white shelves close to the walls while others were tucked into corners, making the area seem alive and cozy. I leaned on the counter as I reminisced about the memories I had formed here as a young girl. I would always help out my mother, Renee, with creating the arrangements as the orders piled in. This was the only flower shop that could actually grow anything because of the rainy weather and we were always busy. My mother had a green thumb and made sure I knew how to make plants thrive as well.
My smile disappeared as I remembered that this was the only memory I had of her. My house had burned down, taking with it everything I loved. I lost both my parents and a part of me that day. The only solace in this lonely existence was the company of my dear friend Angela, who had stayed with me when everyone else had abandoned me and, my will to keep this shop running. I bit my lip thoughtfully as I caressed the red petals of an Adonis flower, a type of Pheasant's Eye. I always kept one near the cash register as it was a constant reminder for me to remain strong.
The sound of the door opening, followed by the telltale jingle of the bell, alerted me to someone's arrival. I looked up and my breath stopped as I saw a man, walk absentmindedly into the store. He was at least 6 feet tall, he had long, dark brown hair tied back in a pony tail and he wore a black suit. A businessmen maybe? The way he held himself screamed authority as he stopped his gaze on a few potted Meadow Saffrons on the right shelves. He approached slowly and stroked the 5 petaled purple flower delicately. I was completely mesmerized as I observed his long, pale fingers carefully caress the plant.
I suddenly felt an immense sorrow emanate from the man. I wanted to look at him more closely, becoming interested in this mysterious stranger standing in my flower shop. I cleared my throat.
"Hi, welcome to Isabella's Garden. How can I help you?"
He retracted his hand and turned towards me. I was shocked to say the least. His features, while not traditionally beautiful, were very aristocratic in nature. He had a long, oval face with high cheek bones and a strong jaw. His skin was very ashen which contrasted strongly with his dark eyebrows but it was his eyes that made my breathing to hitch. They were the strangest color I had ever seen. They were a dark burgundy color but his gaze was oddly desolate. This made my heart suddenly ache. He seemed so... sad. Once his eyes landed on me, his weary expression turned into one of shock, as if he had seen a ghost. I felt a blush start to pool in my cheeks as I looked down. Did I look bad? I knew that I hadn't been at my best since the incident but it's not like I didn't try.
"Forgive me if I my shocked expression caused you distress." He said apologetically in the softest, feathery voice I had ever heard. He had an accent I couldn't quite pinpoint. "Seeing you reminded me of someone I hold dear to my heart."
I looked up and he was standing in front of the counter, his expression now melancholic. She nervously tucked some of her mahogany curls behind her ear.
"T-that's alright, sir." I felt my blush deepen. The thought that I resembled someone he loved made my heart inexplicably flutter.
"Were you looking for something in particular?" I asked, trying to redirect the attention towards him.
I intertwined my fingers and tilted my head, waiting for him to answer. His gaze drifted downward and somehow, his eyes became suddenly darker than they were before.
"I was merely admiring your collection and I wondered if you had purple Verbenas. I wish to buy 3."
"Verbenas?" I asked, a bit surprised. "Give me a sec. I think we have some in the back."
I turned around and walked past Angela, who was now looking at the man with interest. It was strange he would ask for a flower such as that by name and it sparked her curiosity. Why those in particular? People always seemed to ask for the same types of flowers like roses, daises and carnations but they were never so specific. I found what I was looking as I approached a cluster of violet florets and cut three of the stems. I gingerly wrapped them in brown paper after shaking the excess water and then tied a knot with some thread. I returned with the posy and saw him admiring my Adonis.
"A lovely flower with such woeful significance." He mused as she reached the counter. "Do you mourn someone?"
"I keep it here in honor of my parents." I replied softly at his unexpected question while punching in the numbers in the cash register. "That'll be 12 dollars."
I hadn't even finished saying the total when he had extended a 20 dollar bill. I went to take it and my fingers accidentally brushed against his, making me flinch. His fingers were freezing!
"Oh! I'm so sorry." I flushed in embarrassment, as I noticed I had dropped the money on the floor. I had started to scramble my way around the counter when he stopped me by raising his hand.
"It is alright, my sweet." He bent down and handed the bill back, picking up his flowers.
Before she could even give him his change, he had walked through the door and disappeared.
Author's note: Oh my goodness, I actually did it. I decided that since there are relatively few stories focusing on the Marcus/Bella pairing, I would write one. My soul weeps for Marcus and I think he deserves some love. Important information for this story is that Charlie and Renee never divorced and they stayed in Forks raising Bella before tragically dying in a house fire. I would also like to say that the events of Twilight never happened and she has no clue about vampires whatsoever.
Also, flowers were once used to convey messages, an element that will be prominent in this story. If you're interested, you could google "The Secret Language of Flowers" although I will include the meaning behind every flower/plant I mention in a space down below. I'm not an expert on flora but I will do my best to be as accurate as possible. Hope you all enjoy!
Flower meanings:
Pheasant's eye (Adonis): Sorrowful memories / Remembrance
Meadow Saffron: My best days are gone / My happiest days are past
Verbena, Purple: I weep for you / Regret