The minute her eyes were open, Sibella was smiling. Today she was sixteen years old. She sat at her vanity table, wrapped in a bright pink dressing gown. Humming quietly to herself, she brushed out her blonde curls.
She turned suddenly as there was a sound at the window. A knocking, to be precise. There on the other side of the window was Monty, his hand pressed against the glass. Hurrying to the other side of the room, Sibella threw open the window, allowing Monty to pull himself over the ledge and fall onto the rug.
"Monty!" Sibella whispered. "Someone will be here any minute to bring my tea, if you're discovered- imagine the scandal!"
"It's alright," Monty reassured her. "I won't be a moment. I only wanted to give you these." He extended to her a bouquet of pink roses, freshly cut but a little worse for wear. "I wanted to be the first to say 'happy birthday' to you," he added, blushing slightly.
"Oh Monty, they're lovely!" Sibella exclaimed, taking the bouquet and inhaling deeply. "However did you manage to get them?"
"I stood on the corner and shined shoes for the men going to work yesterday and today to earn the money."
"How very sweet of you, to go through all that trouble just to bring me flowers!"
"I know roses are your favourites."
"Oh Monty, you really are a love." She smiled before leaning in to kiss him.
She pulled away after a moment, breathing in the scent of the roses again. "Thank you for these, Monty, but you really should go before anyone finds you."
"Y-yes, of course," he stammered, as he always did after Sibella's kisses. Going back to the window he sat on the ledge, swinging one leg over the side. He reached out to take her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it before disappearing out of sight down the trellis.