Hi lovely winx fans! I know that it has been a while since I updated any winx stories but exams are up and taking a lot of my time.
I wrote this story ages ago and forgot to upload it. I thought that now would be a good time to share it will all you fans out there. I would like to dedicate this oneshot to two dedicated readers: Butterfly Crown and Soniyamalik44
Hope that everyone likes this story and appreciates the poem inside :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or any of its characters and plots.
~~Girls are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. The boys do not want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt~~
It had been two years since Flora had decided to go out on a date. Two years of her friends insisting, demanding, and even tricking her to just say yes. For two years she had refused and ignored them. She outsmarted them when she knew she was being tricked into a blind date, gave out fake numbers to guys she knew were only there because her friends forced them to, and she even went out of her way to make plans on the weekend so her friends wouldn't plan a date on her behalf. Yes, Flora was getting good at outsmarting her friends and avoiding the inevitable question: 'so who are you dating? Where is the lucky man?'
Flora didn't want to admit it but she was very flattered that her friends went out of their way to see her so happy. But she knew that being happy was not in the cards for her. She had tried finding happiness in the perfect other in the past but they never seemed to work out. But when her friends called her, like clock work, that Friday night and asked about her plans, she suddenly remembered that she forgot to make plans. Things at work had gotten so busy that making faking plans had simply slipped her mind. So when the question came up she had no choice but to say yes.
And that was how Flora found herself sitting at a three-star….well we will call it a restaurant, sitting across from a mediocre looking suitor for the evening. As this was Flora's first blind date in two years she decided to dress nicely in a stunning brown long sleeved high neck winter dress that reached to her knees, and black high heels. Flora even decided to put on her nicest makeup. If you weren't going to go full out where was the point in getting out of your Ugg boots in the middle of winter? Although sitting across from the guy, listening to him ask the waiter about how many carbs were in each meal, had her question her effort at all. The pair had been at the 'restaurant', but really Flora saw it as a missing person's last place seen, being that it was almost down at the back of a scungy alley way, for twenty minutes and the guy wasn't even done ordering. Who cares that you eat your daily intake of carbs? Don't you need some in your diet?
Finally the guy had shooed the waiter away after deciding to go for a vegan meal, even though Flora had suggested it ages ago, and turned his attention back to Flora.
"So, you are a doctor?" the guy asked.
Flora fought the urge to groan and roll her eyes. The amount of times that people have asked that to her on a daily basis is ridiculous.
"Yes," Flora replied as sweetly as she could muster. "Actually I am a veterinarian. I own a clinic a few blocks away."
~~Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that are not as good, but easy~~
"Ah huh, that's great," the guy said dismissively when a tall, big breasted woman slauntered past the table.
Flora raised her eyebrows at her date's blatant disregard for subtly and respect to herself.
"So I hear that you are a jerk?" Flora asked.
"Yeah, through and through," the guy replied, still staring at the woman's behind.
Flora let out a small scoff mixed with a laugh. Her noise gained the guy's attention and he turned his head back towards Flora.
"You know what, let's just cut down to business," Flora said putting on her business tone.
The guy in front of her tensed up and raised an eyebrow back at Flora. Flora had some lousy dates in the past, which is why she had refused going on more recently, but she would be damned if she let another jock walk all over her.
"Don't play dumb with me, Chad," Flora replied in a sweet voice. "You and I both know that you were ogling that girl. And let me just save you a whole night of grovling at her feet; those aren't real and they never were. They were just a flicker in a plastic surgeon's eye a few months ago.
"Excuse me? I…I wasn't checking her out."
The same woman walked back past the table and gave a subtle wink to Chad. Flora would normally be infuriated but since she didn't really wanted to go out on this date she couldn't care as much. She was just done.
"Oh wow, you are not even remotely subtle. Chad," Flora began as she started getting up from the chair. "I would say that it was a pleasure but I would be lying and I hate to lie to people. I hope the evening treats you well."
"Wait, where are you going?"
Flora stopped and turned to look at her date. "Somewhere I will be treated with respect."
With that said, Flora pulled her coat over her dress and walked out of the building. Luckily she had some common sense to meet Chad at the location instead of carpooling. She was sensible like that. So Flora walked down a street till she found her car and drove back home. Once she was safely back inside her warm and cosy apartment she immediately took a shower, hoping to scrub off the remnants of her disastrous date, and watch an episode of 'Village Vets' before heading to bed.
Once Flora was out of the shower, she scrubbed her hair with a towel, before her phone started vibrating on the counter by the sink. Flora sighed in annoyance when she saw the caller ID. After a few seconds of collecting herself she finally answered.
"Yes," Flora answered.
"Why hello to you too, grumpy," a chipper voice said.
"Stella," Flora replied. "Why are you calling?"
"I think the question is why am I calling you this early when really I should be calling you tomorrow?"
"What?"
"Chad called and told us that you abandoned him at the restaurant?"
"Us?"
"Hey Flora!" Several other voices cheered from the background.
Of course her beloved friends were all waiting by the phone to get the blow by blow of her date.
"Hi ladies," Flora replied with a smile. "Look, I find it ironic that Chad called you that I left the date but trust me when I say that his mind was already out the door the moment I sat down."
"What are you talking about?" Bloom asked.
"He was checking out other women while on a date with me."
The girls all gasped.
"Honey, we are so sorry!" Stella said. "When he came into the studio the other day and saw you he said you were a knock out."
"Well maybe that was your first clue, Stella?" Layla questioned. "I mean he said the words 'knock out'."
"It doesn't matter now, girls," Flora interrupted. "I just knew this date was a bad idea from the start. Look, as I told you all before I am not dating anymore. I don't see the point."
"How can you say that, Flora?" Musa asked. "Any guy would be lucky to have you in their life."
"Thanks Musa but every time I meet a guy there is always just something wrong with them. I am like a reject magnet or something. I never get any of the good ones."
~~So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they are amazing~~
"Flora there is someone out there just waiting for you. We all know it and just want you to be happy," Tecna said.
"But forcing me out on all of these bad dates is not making me happy. I appreciate the sentiment girls but it's making me feel worse. Like there is something wrong with me that is giving off a warning sign to all of the good guys."
"Honey, I promise that we will find a new guy for you. One that loves animals, and isn't a player…"
"Stella you are so sweet but I just don't want to think about boys anymore. It's not for me I guess."
"We won't stop trying, Stella," Musa said.
Flora laughed. "I know you won't girls, and I appreciate it. But I won't be saying yes anytime soon."
The next week flew by a little too slowly for Flora. She had a mountain of clients flying in and out of the door every day and she never once came home before 7pm. She had been doing almost twelve hour days for five days now and she was exhausted. Finally the weekend came and she spent both days staying at home doing her gardening and reading a book in her Ugg boots. Yes she found pleasure in the simplest of things. True to their word, her friends kept ringing her about these cute guys that they found at the coffee shop or at the library, but every time Flora refused to meet them. Flora was so done with bad guys. She wanted a tall caring man with traditional values. A guy that would sweep her off her feet with the smallest of gestures and find pleasure in doing something spontaneous or just by sitting in front of the TV at night. Was that too much to ask? Evidently it was…either that or Flora had flaws left, right and centre that made her unappealing to the classiest of men.
~~They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree~~
When Monday came around, all too quickly, Flora didn't feel like her energy had been recharged at all. Luckily that morning was a particularly slow one. She walked through the door of her clinic early that morning with a fresh cup of tea in her hand and smiled at her receptionist.
"Good morning Flora," the receptionist greeted with a smile.
"Good morning Roxy," Flora smiled back. "Sorry I am a bit late this morning."
"No need!" Roxy said. "You were working flat out all last week. You deserve to walk in past opening recharged."
"I don't know about recharged," Flora laughed. "But caffeine never fails I guess. Any calls this morning?"
"One from Mrs Caster about cancelling her appointment this morning. So you have the morning off until 11am."
"Oh that's good!" Flora exclaimed as she walked past reception, through a door that led to her personal office off to the side of the surgery room and exam rooms. "I really need to catch up on those reports from last week."
"Also, you got two messages from Stella and Musa this morning."
"If they are about men you know the drill," Flora called back.
Roxy laughed and threw the written messages in the bin next to her and turned back to the computer. Roxy was a new employee of Flora's over the last few months but she grew accustomed to her boss' friends constantly setting her up. Roxy was a firm believer that if you push for something, it will never happen, so the trick is to wait till it finds you. Flora let out a sigh as she sat back in her chair and let the minor silence of her clinic wash over her. She had this business for three years now and she never regretted it once. It had been her dream to own her own practice and with a lot of hard work and determination she finally succeeded. Thirty minutes later, Flora was finally making headway with her reports when the sound of the front door opening caught her attention.
She heard a little girl's voice giggle followed by a small bark echo the halls before Roxy's cheerful voice appeared.
"Good morning, welcome to Linphea Vet Clinic, how can I help you?" Roxy greeted.
A low voice replied back but it was muffled by Flora's door. Normally Flora would be trying to ignore the client, hoping one of the nurses could take care of things, but there was something elegant and soothing about the owner's tone of voice that kept Flora's attention away from her work. Two minutes later a soft knock sounded on Flora's door before bright pink hair appeared through a crack.
"Flora, I am sorry to bother you but a walk-in appointment just arrived wanting to know if we can fit his dog in for a clinical exam and give it injections?"
Flora glanced at her computer to look at her schedule and saw that it was only 10am before she looked back at Roxy.
"Roxy, we don't have appointments for another hour," Flora said. "You know that."
"Yes but if you were knee deep in reports I can ask him to come back in the afternoon."
"No it's okay," Flora sighed. "Get him to fill in a new client form and submit it to the system before I seem them. I'll be there in a few minutes. Just let me finish up."
"You got it," Roxy said before closing the door behind her.
Several minutes later Flora stood up from her seat and grabbed her lab coat from the back of her chair to protect her black pencil skirt and pale pink top, tucked into the skirt, from animal hair. For some reason Flora checked her appearance, examining her pink glasses on her face, before walking out of her office and headed to exam room one. She walked in, closing the door behind her before heading to the computer on the stand and examining the new client profile. Oh a beagle puppy. It's been a while since Flora had seen a beagle walk through her door. They were one of her favourites. And the owner was a Helia Knight. Interesting name, Flora thought. She shook her head quickly before scanning on the reason for visit. After a few more minutes Flora walked up to the second door of the exam room that led to the waiting room and took a deep breath before she opened it. What she saw made her gasp a little.
Sitting on one of the waiting room seats was a tall well built man with long black hair pulled into a low ponytail. Sitting next to him was a sweet little girl with shiny black hair and almost silver looking eyes holding a small little puppy in her arms. The two of them looked up and smiled at Flora. The moment Flora saw the man's eyes had her already entranced. They were striking green eyes and looked like they could see right through her, down to her soul. A small shiver went up and down her spine at the thought.
"Good morning," Flora greeted with a warm smile. "I am Doctor Roberts, but you can call me Flora."
"Flora," the cute guy said, standing up and holding his hand out to her. "Such a pretty name. I am Helia."
Flora blushed a little and was loss for words for a few seconds. Roxy snickered slightly from her place behind the reception desk.
"I'm sorry that just slipped out," Helia immediately said, quickly adverting his gaze. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, this is my god daughter Emily."
"This is Brandy," Emily said happily almost shoving the puppy into Flora's personal space.
"Yes, so he is," Flora said sweetly. "Why don't you two follow me inside?"
The pair followed Flora inside and she closed the door behind them. She gently took the beagle from Emily's hold and placed him on the examination bench. She gently patted Brandy's back whispering soothing words to him, noticing the poor puppy shake a little.
"So, why are you two here today?" Flora asked once the puppy had settled a little.
"Injections!" Emily piped up.
"Oh really?" Flora asked.
"What she means is that this little guy is a birthday present from her parents and the little guy needs his monthly injections and a check up."
"Oh I see," Flora replied. "Well Brandy is a little nervous at the moment so why don't you hop on that chair, Emily, and gently hold him until he settles?"
Emily gasped happily and gently pushed the chair closer to the bench and stood up on it. Flora carefully instructed Emily how to correctly and gently restrain the puppy, keeping him close to her. Throughout the whole interaction Flora felt someone's eyes on her. The shiver she felt outside shot through her again and she forced herself to push the feeling down.
"There we go, Miss Emily," Flora said. "You are a natural."
"Look Helia," Emily said happily. "I am a vet."
Helia and Flora laughed at Emily's antics. Flora walked over to the computer and started writing a few notes down before picking up a thermometer and gently sliding into the dog's behind as Emily gently held her dog.
"You are doing a marvellous job, Emily," Flora complimented. "Just hold him steady until the thermometer beeps."
"You have a way with animals," Helia complimented suddenly.
Flora looked up and saw Helia's heated gaze staring at her. She cleared her throat and looked back at the dog as she felt her face heat up from the compliment. She hadn't had someone compliment her natural instinct with animals in a while, except from her friends, but they hadn't impacted her as much as his words did.
"Thank you," Flora replied back softly.
The thermometer beeped and Flora looked at it before sterilising it and writing the results on the computer.
"So far Brandy is one very healthy puppy," Flora said as she looked at the computer.
"Great!" Emily cheered.
"Careful, honey," Helia said. "We have to have indoor voices or you might scare Brandy."
"Oh, sorry," Emily whispered. "But we won't be able to see Flora again."
"That is a very good point, sweetie, but we don't want to harm Brandy in the process."
Flora turned and looked between the two people behind her. Again she was rendered speechless.
"Look, Helia, we made Flora turn red!"
Flora wanted the world to swallow her up whole right then and there. She was beyond embarrassed and shocked from the attention. Were they playing? Well, Emily couldn't be because she was just a child, but this Helia guy….Flora couldn't figure him out.
"Luna how about we let Flora finish her examination?" Helia suggested, sensing Flora's embarrassment.
"Thank you," Flora whispered to Helia, earning a nod in reply. "Now I am going to give Brandy his injection now, Emily, so keep a firm yet gentle hold on him."
Emily nodded her head and did as Flora asked before she gently inserted the needle into the dog's back. The puppy yelped slightly but Emily held Brandy carefully and Flora quickly removed the needle and patted his head.
"Good boy," Flora cooed. "It's all done. You were so brave."
Flora took out a small treat from the pocket of her lab coat and fed it to Brandy, who happily ate it after sniffing it. Emily laughed and gently hugged Brandy and thanked Flora.
"It's no problem, sweetie," Flora replied. "Well Brandy is all done. Now he will need to come back next week and the week after for his follow up injections."
"Honey, why don't you take Brandy outside and let him familiarise with the place? We don't want him to shake every time we come in."
"Sure, Helia!" Emily said before she scooped up the puppy and walked back out into the waiting room, closing the door behind her.
"She is adorable," Flora said, staring at the closed door.
"She is and she uses it against me."
Flora laughed. "Don't kids always?"
"Speaking from experience?"
"God no," Flora replied before adding the remaining notes to the file. "No kids. Kind of hard to do that when you're single."
"I know what you mean," Helia said.
"So how do you know Emily? Is she a friend's child? Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask that."
"No it's okay," Helia said with a smile.
The smile sent butterflies in Flora's stomach. A feeling that she hadn't felt in years.
"Actually she is my cousin's daughter. My cousin and I are close so I became godfather. My friends are too young to have kids."
"Same with my friends," Flora laughed. "It doesn't stop them from talking about them."
"My friends have all been with their girlfriends since highschool. I am surprised none of them are married yet."
"I hate to sound like a broken record but same with my friends."
"Anyway, thank you for being so good with Emily and Brandy."
"It was a pleasure. They are both very cute."
"They aren't the only one."
Flora stopped and stared back at Helia, seeing his eyes back on her. Man, this guy just keeps surprising her every minute, doesn't he?
"I'm sorry, I have been a little forward today," Helia said with a shake of his head. "I apologise. It's just that, you are beautiful and kind. I was wondering if I could possibly take you out for coffee?"
"Oh? Um…."
"I know it's a bit sudden."
"Just a little," Flora nervously said. "But um, the thing is...I am sort of not dating at the moment."
"I am aware of that."
"No," Flora laughed a little. "I am boycotting dating for a while."
"Oh…"
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright," Helia replied. "I understand. It was a little fast, you don't know me. Well, you will be seeing Emily and I over the next two weeks. A girl like you deserves to be wooed, courted. I can wait."
And with that said, Helia gave a slight bow, gently taking Flora's hand in his and gave a small kiss to it.
"Till next time, Flora," Helia said before he left the room leaving a speechless Flora behind him.
Over the next few days Flora had been receiving a single rose every morning delivered to her clinic. Every morning Roxy would always ask if it was from Helia and every time Flora would give the same response.
"It's so from Helia," Roxy said that Friday morning. "I mean how could it not? That guy was giving you massive googly eyes all morning on Monday. He totally liked you."
"Well he did ask me out," Flora blurted out as the two of them were unpacking an order of medicine and supplies.
"What?!" Roxy shrieked. "What did you say?"
"I said no."
"WHY!?"
"Roxy," Flora said. "As I told the girls, I will tell you. I am boycotting dating. I always get the rejects and I am starting to think that there is something wrong with me."
"Why on Earth would you think that?"
"Because all of my dates and past relationships have ended in disaster and they all have one common thing; me. Clearly there must be something wrong with me or a truck load of perfect guys would be lining up to sweep me off my feet."
"Okay first of all that is such a load, and secondly all the guys you dated were too young in the head for you. You are mature for your age, so you need someone who is mature or mature for their age."
"And please tell me where on earth I find them? I have searched everywhere and they are never to be found! They are either taken or disappeared. The perfect guy just doesn't exist."
"You used to believe that, or so Bloom and Stella told me."
"Yeah, used to, but not anymore. I am tired, Roxy. So very tired."
"But aren't you lonely, Flora?" Roxy asked sadly.
There was a bit of silence as Flora ticked off the inventory on the delivery summary.
"….Everyday…." Flora answered honestly.
Roxy dropped the subject for the rest of the day and luckily didn't tell the others about the roses or the possible date aspect that is Helia Knight. Flora was grateful because she honestly didn't know what to make of Helia. He was so warm and kind but she didn't know him and he didn't know her. It was crazy to think that he wasn't a player or just interested in her for her doctor title. That was what most people she dated were. Once again the weekend went by too quickly that Flora barely registered anything and Monday morning came once again. Flora checked her schedule and saw Helia Knightly and Brandy as her first clients for the day.
Just as Flora expected, Helia walked in, smiling warmly at Roxy and Flora with his goddaughter in tow. Just like the previous week, Emily gently held Brandy while Helia sent a few compliments to Flora as she worked. It was a little distracting especially when she blushed but the tone in his voice made her question if he was just saying the compliments to butter her up like a normal player or if he really did mean them. As expected, Helia asked if Flora had received the roses and Flora merely replied with a simple yes and thank you. At the end of the consultation Helia had asked Flora out on a date again and Flora politely declined again. The response Helia gave was a kiss to the hand and another statement about the best things are best waited for before he left. Every day for that week Helia sent cards instead of roses, each one had the beautiful crescent flower of love. Inside each card was a beautiful poem in Helia's handwriting, that Flora deduced by looking at the forms he filled out before. Yes, totally not obsessing. On the other side of the card was something about Helia, such as his birthday, what he does for a living, his zodiac sign. Clearly he was making a point for Flora to get to know him. Well, Flora had to hand it to him, he sure knew how to make a girl smile. But was this all an act?
"This can't be an act!" Stella exclaimed Wednesday morning as she leant against the reception desk with Roxy looking at the three cards.
The vibrant blonde arrived that morning when Roxy finally spilled the beans about one Helia Knight. Flora knew the girl couldn't keep a secret for too long.
"I mean, he wrote his own poems, I know because Tecna checked online first," Stella continued. "And he has this…this…what did you call it?"
"The crescent flower of love," Flora answered, standing next to the girls with a tea in her hand.
Once again the morning was quite quiet which allowed the girls to have a bit of a gossip session before the next wave of clients.
"Yes, that…which means?"
"It means that this letter is for the one who has his heart," Flora answered again.
"And you think that this is all an act? That he is a player?" Stella questioned, her voice slowly rising with each question. "Are you nuts?"
"Stella, so many players have tried to fool me with false affections. Some went over board like this."
"But this is Helia Knight, for crying out loud."
"Wait…you know Helia Knight?" Roxy asked.
"Not personally," Stella replied. "But I know of him. He recently moved here to be closer to his uncle Saladine, you know the boys' old college professor?"
"What!?" Flora and Roxy shrieked.
"Are you telling me, that Helia knows the boys?" Roxy yelled.
"Well, they aren't best friends or anything but yes," Stella answered.
"And why didn't you mention this before?" Flora asked.
"Why do you think I rushed over here when Roxy blurted everything out to me? I have met the guy once when I met Brandon up for a lunch date a month ago. Helia was with Brandon having coffee before we left. He was a very nice guy, seemed very genuine and polite."
"Did he seem like a player to you?" Roxy asked.
"Not at all," Stella said. "In fact, if it weren't for the fact that he said he was busy babysitting his goddaughter and moving into his place the girls and I would have set him up with you ages ago."
"Wow, so…so Helia is genuine? All of this, the poems, the flowers, the romance…..this is all genuine?"
"Yes," Stella immediately replied. "And from the look on your face I would say that you are happy about that?"
"I just….it's been a while since anyone has made an effort for me," Flora replied. "It's a lot to take it."
"Well get used to it because you have two more days of these cards, plus a weekend, before Helia arrives back in person," Roxy said.
Roxy was right because the last two cards were equally as beautiful and heart warming as the others and it made Flora happy but also scared. It was hard for her to believe Stella when she said that Helia was a good guy and really did just want to court Flora, not do anything sinister. But was it all so easy? Was it so easy to find a kind, genuine and handsome guy just like that? To have one just walk into her clinic one day and ask her out? Flora thought it might be too good to be true. And that was what filled her head over the weekend as she constantly thought about what she was going to say to Helia, over and over again. Then Monday morning came and Helia walked into the clinic but this time was alone, no Emily.
There was no buffer to separate him from Flora, and it made her slightly more nervous.
"Good morning Flora," Helia said warmly.
"Good morning," Flora replied, trying to hide her nervousness.
"I saw outside that you got the letters I sent."
"Yes I did, and they were lovely," Flora said. "I was equally surprised to find the flower on the back."
"Ah so you were able to identify it?"
"Yes I did. It's a personal favourite of mine actually."
"As it is mine," Helia replied.
Silence fell over the pair as Flora gently gave Brandy his final injection and gave him another treat.
"Look Flora, I would like to apologise."
"Apologise?"
"Yes, for being so forward with you over these last few weeks. Ordinarily I wouldn't be so but….but there was just something about you that drew me to you. I understand now you were so adamant about going out with me so my forwardness must have made you a bit uncomfortable or confused."
"You know what?"
"I….I got a call from Stella and Brandon, Flora," Helia said. "I understand that we share a few friends in common."
"Oh…yes," Flora said, now even more nervous about what Stella had said. "Tell me….what did Stella tell you?"
"Enough to know that I should have been clear about my feelings, Flora."
Helia slowly walked closer to Flora and gazed into her eyes before gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I am not the type of person who gives their heart out so easily and readily. In fact, I am quite….cagey about opening myself up to someone. But after meeting you, you just pulled me in. I don't know what it was, maybe your beautiful eyes or your amazing way with animals, or your passionate heart but….I just wanted to get to know you the instant I met you. You are a treasure Flora, a beautiful rose that deserves to be courted, nurtured, and loved. All I know is that lady luck has not been so easy on you, and it hasn't been on me either. However I am a firm believer in going after what I want and never giving up on love. I still believe in it, do you?"
"…..I…..I don't know what to say….."
Helia smiled and gently took Flora's hands in his.
"I am not asking for you to love me, Flora. I know very well that we barely know each other. All I ask is that you say yes to a coffee date with me…..and perhaps say yes to a second date after that. I want to show you that I am willing to do whatever it takes to get to know you because you are the type of girl that most men don't see every day, and I don't want to lose this chance. Have coffee with me, please Flora."
Flora looked deep into Helia's eyes and only saw warmth and compassion in them. There was no coldness in his stare, no hidden judgement, not even a wondering glance to see if a better offer was walking past the window. Helia's gaze was strictly on hers and hers alone, and her heart swelled at the thought of having his permanent attention.
"Alright," Flora whispered with a small smile. "Yes….yes I will have coffee with you."
The smile that plastered Helia's face was one too hard to ignore and it brightened his entire face. It was so big and happy that it caused Flora to let out a small giggle and smile in return. Helia gently lifted Flora's hands to his lips and gave a gentle kiss to them.
"Then, dear lady, will you care to have coffee with me tonight?"
Flora giggled. "It would be my pleasure, Helia."
Girls are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. The boys do not want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get rotten apples from the ground that are not as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.