October 21 1965

Audrey stared at her daughter's face in fascination. She often did this while she held her. She still couldn't believe the little life in her arms was her own child. Neither Lucy nor Alan felt real to her. But still, here they were.

Lucy's breathing was deep and steady. She yawned widely, and Audrey pulled the blanket around her tighter. She was staring back up at her mother. Audrey was trying to pick out which of her features came from herself and which came from Seymour. It was pretty obvious her blonde hair came from Audrey. Lucy was still too young to be smiling intentionally but every once in a while she would flinch her mouth into what looked like one. And Audrey swore it looked a little crooked, just like Audrey's favorite smile in the world.

As she held her, Audrey wondered if this is what she looked like as a baby. It was all left up to her imagination. She wondered if this is what her mother felt while she held her. She wondered if she would coo and stroke her blonde hair as well, or whisper how much she loved her while she slept.

Audrey smiled. Her mother wasn't around anymore to ask. That was a fact. But she imagined her here anyway. She would have been a grandmother. She would have loved her grandchildren. Audrey imagined her making a fuss over Lucy's blonde hair or Alan's forming curls. Then Audrey realized she'd be proud. That was never Audrey's motive, or something she had considered until now. Her mother would be proud of her. Despite being trapped there, she had left Skid Row. She had her own home now and her own small business. She had love. Audrey imagined her mother's impression of Seymour. Probably slightly confused at first but it would quickly change when she saw how Audrey looked at him, and how kind he was. She'd be proud of Audrey for catching such a good one. And she would be proud of Audrey for her beautiful children. Audrey was proud of herself.

Lucy had long since closed her eyes but Audrey kept holding her. She smiled down at her daughter, not quite ready to let go yet.

Reluctantly, Audrey rose from the living room sofa and headed down the hall to put Lucy in her bedroom. She heard something. Seymour's voice. He was speaking. It was exaggerated and animated. No, he was reading something aloud.

"And, in fact, on the little prince's planet there were - as on all planets - good plants and bad plants. The good plants come from good seeds, and the bad from bad seeds. But the seeds are invisible. They sleep in the secrecy of the ground until one of them decides to wake up. Then it stretches and begins to sprout, quite timidly at first, a charming, harmless little twig reaching toward the sun. If it's a radish seed, or a rose bush you can let it sprout all it likes. But if it's the seed of a bad plant, you must pull the plant up right away, as soon as you can recognize it."

Audrey recognized the passage and felt her heart swell. She turned into the bedroom. There sat Seymour in the rocking chair, Alan in his arms and holding his mother's copy of "The Little Prince". He smiled up at his wife.

Audrey returned the exchange and gently placed Lucy in her crib before turning around. Alan was awake, and his eyes had followed his mother. She knelt down beside and ran her thumb lovingly along his head.

"Hello little prince," she whispered.

He was their little prince, but he would have a better fate. He wouldn't go crazy over a plant that would cause him his death. And his planet wouldn't be taken over by evil hungry plants. That sort of thing doesn't happen.

October 31 1965

"I don't think I ever really celebrated Halloween," Seymour commented as he looked at the large orange pumpkin Shirley had hauled onto their kitchen table.

"I didn't eitha'. Not really. But I liked to dress up like a princess."

Shirley smiled at Audrey. "Have you ever carved a pumpkin?"

She shook her head.

"Well here." Shirley worked her way across the kitchen and retrieved a rather sharp and large knife. Holding the pumpkin by the stem she sliced into the flesh.

"We didn't have pumpkins last year at the old shop. Or even decorations. We were, umm, too preoccupied to do anything special. But I don't think we did anything for halloween the year before."

"Nope," Seymour said in agreement. "Or any year before."

Shirley sighed, focusing hard on the pumpkin and pulling the knife out with a grunt. Seymour heard laughter and moved so he was able to see out the kitchen window. Both Shirley's son, James, and her daughter, Suzy, were outside playing in the yard. There were orange and yellow leaves scattered about the yard and they were making the most of them. Both of them had formed a giant pile before Suzy took a belly flop. James grabbed a handful and showered them on his sister's head. Seymour thought that it wouldn't be long before their own kids would be playing out in the leaves. He glanced over at Alan, still in Audrey's arms, and heard silence coming from their room as Lucy slept soundly.

"James was hoping he could help decorate the shop next year," Shirley joked, taking another plunge with her knife. "He was saying how he wanted to smear fake blood all over the window."

"No blood." Audrey shook her head. She saw Seymour out of the corner of her eye. "It makes me sick," she fibbed.

Shirley shook her head as well. "It's definitely not for everyone."

Finally she placed the knife down on the kitchen table and gripped the pumpkin by the stem. Pulling hard with a grunt, the top came off to reveal a gooey inside. Audrey and Seymour were fascinated. They had never seen the inside of a pumpkin in the flesh.

"Now comes the messy part."

As if sensing this, both her children entered through the back door, tumbling over each other.

"I wanna scoop it!"

James was much taller and was able to push past. He looked in as his mother tilted the pumpkin to show the inside. He made a playful cringe and rolled up his sleeve.

Suzy didn't go to the pumpkin. Instead she walked over to Audrey, seated in a kitchen chair holding her son.

"Mrs. Krelborn, do you like my mask?" she asked. Suzy pulled the mask she had hanging around her neck over her face and made a fake growl.

"I do," Audrey encouraged.

Alan didn't and began to fuss. Audrey bounced him in her arms. Suzy dropped her mask and stood guilt stricken.

"I'm sorry little baby. It's not a monster. It's me."

Suzy moved close to Alan's face and stuck out her tongue in a goofy manner, making baby noises. It worked and Alan stared in interest. Audrey laughed.

"Monsters aren't even real," James chimed from over at the table as he held a handful of seeds.

"Are too!"

This was an argument the two had had before more than once. James needed validation.

"Mr. Krelborn, have YOU ever seen a monster?"

Audrey looked up from her son. Seymour hesitated but only for a moment.

"I have."

Suzy turned around and faced him. "You have?!"

Seymour nodded.

"Where?"

Audrey was staring at him as he spoke. "Back in the city."

Maybe this would help. Maybe this would be a way of getting the story off his chest. A scary children's story. That's all it seemed now. Nobody would believe it anyway.

"What'd it look like?" James asked.

He held his hand high above his head. "It must've been 10 feet tall. And had large teeth."

Suzy moved her fingers in front of her mouth to look like fangs. "Was it a vampire?"

"No."

"What was it?"

Seymour thought about his answer. "An alien plant monster."

Suzy gasped in alarm and James laughed, though slightly uneased.

"What'd it do?"

"It did something terrible. The worst thing imaginable." His voice was animated. Shirley was laughing along.

"What?!"

He motioned to his wife. "It tried to eat Audrey!"

Suzy gasped. "Oh no! Oh no!" She turned to Audrey and gripped her arm. "What happened?"

"He saved me," Audrey replied. "Like a hero. He pried the jaws open and pulled me out."

James seemed much less sure that this was a story and began to feel as nervous as his sister.

"W-well is it still around?"

Audrey shook her head. "No. That's another thing he did. He beat that monsta'. It can't hurt anybody anymore because he killed it!"

Suzy cheered and James secretly let out a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Krelborn, was that real?" he asked.

Seymour turned to James. "Do you think it is?"

He bit his lip and pretended to have a big interest in the pumpkin he was carving.

Alan had began to doze off and Seymour reached forward so Audrey could place him in his arms. He left down the hall.

Suzy took Audrey's hand. "Mrs. Krelborn have YOU seen any other monsters?"

Audrey thought for a moment as well. "Not quite a monsta'. A man. But he only looked like a man. He was a monsta' on the inside."

"What'd he look like?"

Audrey rose from her spot and slowly crossed the room, digging in a kitchen drawer.

"He was mean, dark and there was one thing you had to be sure to do."

"What?!"

Audrey grabbed a wooden spoon and spun around. "Look out for the drill!"

She made a buzzing noise and ticked Suzy with the spoon. She screamed, first in alarm and then laughter.

November 1 1965

Michael put his broom aside and brushed his hands off on his pants.

"Is there anything else you need from me Mr. Krelborn?"

He was already getting ready to leave when Seymour held up his hand.

"Yes just hold on a minute," he said, not looking up from the order form he was reading.

Michael froze in his spot.

Seymour looked up and smiled at him. "There's a good deal of orders for corsages for the end of next week. Is your school having a dance?"

Michael was stunned. "Yes sir." He chewed the inside of his lip.

"I was wondering if you'd want that day off."

He manufactured a smile and shook his head. "No sir, that's alright."

Seymour frowned and put the order form on the counter. Michael wasn't looking at him, but down at his hands as he began to wring them.

Shirley chimed in from across the shop. "Why not?"

He brushed his foot along the wood floor in a fidget. "I don't think I'm going."

"Oh sweetie, whyever not?"

He halfhearted shrugged and opened his mouth to speak before changing his mind and closing it again.

Seymour sighed and felt pity for Michael. He understood his pain. He had lived with this self doubt for the majority of his life. He didn't want to pester him, but Shirley knew that doing nothing would also result in nothing.

"But what about your date?" she asked.

Michael squinted at Shirley, wondering what she was getting at. "I don't…" he ran his hand through his hair.

"Thank you Michael," Seymour stated excusing him. "Have a good night."

He looked back at Seymour and nodded before turning back to the floor. "Goodnight." But he was unable to get his feet to move. Seymour could see his grief on his face. Suddenly, a quiet voice from across the shop broke the silence.

"Michael…"

He turned around. Chantel was standing by the coat rack. Her purse was already slung over her shoulder as she was ready to go. And in her hands she held Michael's windbreaker. She took several steps forward and extended it out to him.

"I don't have a date either. Would you like to go with me?"

Shirley and Seymour couldn't see Michael's face because his back was to them. But they could only imagine his expression or his wide smile.

"...Yeah. Yeah I would."

Chantel smiled warmly and pressed his windbreaker into his hands. "Will you walk me home?"

He nodded and shrugged into his jacket, motioning to the door.

"Wait, Chantel," Shirley called, causing her to turn back around. "I'll make your corsage. What do you want?"

She glanced from Shirley, to Michael, and back with a smile. "Lilacs."

Michael held the door open for Chantel and she passed in front of him. The bell chimed as they left.

The silence didn't last. Shirley admit a large sigh of relief, followed by a hysterical laugh. "Oh my God! Finally!"

Seymour picked up the phone and swiftly began to spin the dial.

"What are you doing?"

He smiled. "I wanna tell Audrey. She'll be so excited."

Credit to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry for the passage from "The Little Prince"