The breakfast rush had finally begun to die down when Flo saw her girl slip through the front door looking like a hot mess. To the few lingering customers, Sally was the epitome of a well-put-together woman, but Flo's trained gaze didn't miss the fading redness around her eyes and the reapplied makeup. The unusual dip in her brows and the proverbial storm cloud hovering above her were also dead giveaways.

"I'll need you to hold down the fort for a minute, Tori," Flo said, tossing her apron to her latest hire.

When she joined Sally in the corner booth, she began her probing with a gentle smile.

"Just some coffee to start, hon?"

Sally shook her head—such a slight movement, Flo almost missed it. A forced smile followed shortly after. "Thanks, but I'm good."

"Can I get you some breakfast, then?"

"I'm actually not that hungry."

"Well," Flo said with a light chuckle, "for someone who's not hungry, you're sure staring down that menu like it's your evil ex or something. What'd it ever do to you?"

"The menu didn't do anything..." came the mumbled response. "Just ignore me," Sally added after a moment, her reassuring smile looking anything but, "I'm fine."

"Sugar, let me tell you something. People who're 'fine' don't look like they just spent all morning crying their eyes out."

Sally started a bit at this, stealing a glance at her reflection in the metal napkin holder.

"Your makeup looks okay," Flo said with a knowing look. "You just can't get anything past me. I've known you too long."

Instead of the chagrined smile Flo had expected, Sally's lip quivered. She quickly clamped down on it and sucked in a breath. "We, um… We had a fight."

Flo's eyes softened. "Every couple fights. It's not something you need to beat yourself up about."

"True… But this time feels different because… because I trusted him."

"All right, hon, spill it. You know you can't keep me in suspense like this."

That was all the permission Sally needed to launch into a five-minute rant session.

"I gave him onejob. Just one, and he couldn't even do it. He probably didn't even try. And then, then, he had the nerve to call me controlling. I wouldn't have to micromanage things if he would just step up and do his part. I mean, how hard is it to water a plant?"

The growing layer of emotion on her eyes was getting hard to ignore, as was her flushed cheeks. Without missing a beat, Flo stood up and slipped into Sally's booth, wrapping her arms around the girl.

It would be a waste of breath to ask which plant.

Flo already knew.

"Oh, Sally, I'm so sorry. It was such a beautiful thing, too."

The tears came quickly after that, and Flo shot Tori a grateful glance for shooing out all the remaining customers.

"Shh, baby, it's okay. It's gonna be okay."

"He…" Sally trembled in her arms. "He killed it…"

"Honey, I know what those leaves meant to you, I really do, but why are you sitting here crying about the past? The past ain't worth your precious tears. Or… could it be you're crying about something else?"

A pause, a choked sob, and then: "… We never fought like that before…"

"Ah. I figured that might be it." Flo ran her hand over Sally's hair. "So, he said you're too controlling. What'd you tell him?"

"That," Sally sniffled, "he's not putting enough effort into our relationship—because he's not."

"Now…" Flo kept her voice soothing even as she gave it a bit of a firmer edge. "Just last week, didn't he drive all the way back out to Flagstaff because you left your phone at that store?"

Silence.

I thought so.

"And remember how he surprised you by getting y'all's driveway paved because you didn't like the dirt and sand? Maybe he didn't take good care of your plant, but I've never seen a man put as much effort into his marriage as yours does—my own husband aside, of course."

She could see the tips of Sally's lips take on a slight curve. "Of course."

"And, don't take this personally, but did you ever think that maybe he's not good at caring for plants? Some people just aren't. I can't even begin to count all the plants and succulents my daddy killed in his lifetime. I'm sure he feels awful about it," she offered as Sally pulled away. "Considering Archie's history and everything."

"He doesn't..." And for the first time that morning, Flo noticed a hint of guilt painting Sally's face. "I never really told him…"

"'Radiator Springs: Where the Past Comes to Die.'" Flo shook her head. "Lizze should put that on a bumper sticker. You and Doc could plaster them all over the back of your cars and match."

If Flo had expected Sally to reply, she was sorely disappointed, earning only a skeptical glare for her mutterings. Sighing, she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Now, I ain't gonna tell you how to manage your marriage, but I will say that nothing good ever comes from keeping secrets from your spouse. If you need proof, just ask Ramone about Baton Rouge."

"Do I sense a story in there somewhere...?"

"Maybe some other time, but you'd have to ask him because I sure as heck ain't telling it." With a huff, Flo grinned. "I think letting Lightning know about Archie and how you feel is the first step. Everything else will fall into place after that. Trust me, hon. It's gonna be okay."

Nodding, Sally managed a smile. "Thanks, I... I needed this."

"Anytime, sugar. Anytime."

The front door chimed, signaling Sally's exit, and Flo breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything's gonna be fine.

Sally was smart and resourceful.

She was also too caring to stay mad for long.

They're gonna be just fine...