(A/N: Hey there! Sorry this chapter is a little short. I suppose that balances out the extraordinarily long ones, though, and c'est la vie, n'est-ce pas? Well, hope you all enjoy it!)

Thing Number 7: Flower Arranging

As it turns out, Marie's friend got called to stay on wherever she was for a week more, and Marie, being Marie, assured her buddy that of course we wouldn't mind keeping Charlotte with us until she got back.

The house is cramped enough without a 90 pound dog lazing about. But Marie doesn't think of these things. She never thinks about them.

I doubt if I'll ever understand how her mind works…

I've got lots of time to think about that, though, when I walk Charlotte.

Or rather when Charlotte drags me down the road.

It's all the same to her…

--X--

"Ta dah!" The exclamation was accompanied by the crash of a bag being dumped onto our kitchen table.

"What are those?"

Marie glared at me, eyebrow raised. "They're flowers; are you blind or something?"

"I suppose I should rephrase the question: What are we doing with those?"

Marie's look softened and she shook her head, helplessly shrugging her shoulders. She flopped into the chair across the table from me. "Have you no imagination?"

I considered her blankly. "In all seriousness, no."

She threw her head back and laughed until I worried she might fall out of her chair or suffocate, or both. Charlotte came trotting through the kitchen to see what was going on, and stared at Marie for a full minute before coming to the conclusion that she had lost her mind and meandering over to the window to curl up in a sunbeam.

Gradually Marie got a hold of herself, shooting me a glance and stifling another bout of laughter. "Of c-course! W-what was I th-thinking?" She pressed her lips together and dropped her forehead to the table, her shoulders shaking with silent mirth.

I narrowed my eyes. "It's really not that funny…"

Marie glanced up at me, then sat back in her chair once more, grinning. "It is."

I sighed. "So what exactly are we doing?"

"Flower arranging!" Marie stretched out her arms, motioning to the flowers on the table with an expectant smile on her face.

I blinked. "Honestly?"

She relaxed her pose, resting her chin on a fist. "Yes. Glad to hear you're so excited, dear…"

I blinked again, this time at the flowers sprawled on the table. "Is that really a good idea?"

"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know…" I shrugged. "Just the fact that creativity has never really been my strong suit." I paused. "Regarding the arts, that is…I can be quite creative under the correct circumstances."

Marie shook her head at me, smiling. "Yes, well, this should be right up your alley. There are even rules to follow!"

"I know...It dates back to the fourteenth century in Japan, correct? The flowers are supposed to symbolize…earth, water, and sky, with the arrangements focusing on harmony, color, rhythm, and 'elegantly simple design.'"

It was Marie's turn to stare blankly at me. "Okay, now you're just getting scary."

I smiled. "I haven't even started on Wabi Sabi yet…"

She held up her hands, eyes wide. "Enough! You have an unnervingly complete knowledge of flower arrangement, I get it!" Marie shook her head once more. "What, are you some kind of specialist on Asian cultures now?"

I could only laugh.

Marie laughed with me, picking up a rose and poking it unceremoniously into a vase. "Well, despite your enormous knowledge of this, have you ever actually done it?"

I fingered an iris, considering. "I can't say that I have…"

"Good." Marie grinned innocently, pushing the vase towards me. "Then get to work!"

I really should have seen that coming…