Day 54: In Which Flowers Have Multiple Meanings (Look It Up)
Ever since waking up—since the day before even—, Elsa had been a bit off her game. She had an itch in the back of her mind that stopped her from focusing, and her mood worsened a little more with every new mistake she made. After being called out by her manager for the third time, she excused herself to clear her mind, which in consequence led to a thorough cleaning of her bathroom. She was in the middle of strenuously scrubbing the toilet when the intercom rang. Apparently, there was a package for her downstairs.
In possession of the unexpected delivery, she returned to her apartment and immediately called her neighbor.
"Hey, Elsa. What's up?"
"Hello, Jack. I got your delivery," Elsa stated as she glared at the potted plant she had just brought inside.
"Oh, nice! What do you think?"
"You got me flowers."
Jack chuckled. "I did. They're called 'forget me nots'."
"Yes, you said so in your card."
"... Is something wrong?"
She hesitated, not exactly sure of what the appropriate reaction should be. For a fraction of time, there was silence, and Elsa considered hanging up. But then, she changed her mind and let out a defeated sigh.
"Why did you get me flowers, Jack?"
"Because you like flowers, and I wanted to give you a gift you'd actually appreciate for once."
"Isn't there anyone else you'd rather send them to?"
He snorted, and she could tell that he was somehow amused. "Who? My sister is allergic to pollen, and I'm pretty sure the cats care even less about flowers than I do."
"What about—" She stopped herself just in time and pursed her lips.
"Elsa?"
Elsa shook her head. "It's nothing. I… I think I'm just a little confused."
"About?"
"T-the meaning behind this gift."
"I thought the name was pretty straight-forward."
She didn't say anything else, and her lack of reply made him exhale heavily.
"Okay. Outside. Now," Jack ordered before hanging up.
Apprehension made her hands shake and her heart speed up. Warily, she trod to the balcony, finding him already waiting for her with crossed arms and a frown on his face.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Elsa avoided looking him in the eyes. "Are you sure you want me to keep the flowers?"
"Of course I am, Elsa. I wouldn't buy them if I didn't."
"But—" She did not dare to word her thoughts.
He shrugged before moving to lean on the railing. "Way I figure, you won't forget me as long as you keep them."
"You're not really giving me that many chances to forget you to begin with, Jack," she mumbled.
"Well, you'll have even fewer chances now."
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she attempted a glance in his direction. Jack looked at her, his eyes a mixture of concern and wonder.
"Do you seriously worry about that?" she choked out.
Jack smiled that kind of smile that made her breath catch in her throat. "I think I just like the idea of you thinking of me for a change."
She laughed, but either it was a genuine laugh or a mere social habit, Elsa couldn't quite determine.
"Well?" He asked, making circular motions with his hand.
"What?"
"Do you think of me?"
"... I certainly couldn't forget you, that's for sure."
Prompt by chocolatiew and Catarina: jealous Elsa.
Not gonna lie, having people sending me prompts without really talking to me kinda made me not want to write this story anymore. Which sucks, because my comedic side was already coming up with jokes, but my writer side was getting pretty fed up. Look, if you sent me multiple prompts, but you also reacted to the story, this is not about you. If you pointed out anything that you enjoyed, or that you laughed, or that "damn, those were a bunch of chapters!", this is not about you. Trust me, I really loved reading all your thoughts and reactions.
In hindsight, the amount of support I received overshadows the "write this or that" soulless requests BY FAR. But those requests kinda messed with my brain. I don't really wanna end on an upsetting note, so I do think I'll write a final batch using some of the prompts you guys sent me, but I won't take any more requests. Thanks everyone who read so far. And see you… someday.
