side. He hit his head on the dream catchers and crystals hanging from the ceiling. He’s so tall . I felt like turning around and running away. What were they doing here? If we were anywhere besides my mom’s hippie-infested flower shop, I’m sure the sight of Grayson and Lacey would’ve sent the place into a panic. As it is, the hippies only like Bob Marley and The Beatles.
Suddenly, Serena pushed past the two of them and made her way through the throng toward me. Serena totally fit in with her black-and-neon-green dreadlocks, oversized peace symbol earrings, and floor-length floral-print dress.
“Holly!” she cried before pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked once she’d released me from her clutches.
“We thought we’d come by and say hello,” Serena said with a grin. She looked around at the lime-green walls, the many dream catchers, and the “Make Floral Arrangements, Not War” lettering on the wall. “This place is amazing . Your mom has fantastic taste. Did she decorate herself?”
“Yeah, she did. She’s a woman with a budget and an irrational fear of interior designers.”
Lacey and Grayson had arrived by Serena’s side at that point, and Lacey flashed a smile at me. “Despite the smell,” she said, “this place is kind of cool.”
I raised my eyebrows so high I’m pretty sure they vanished into my hairline. “Really? You guys like it?” I grew up surrounded by this kind of stuff all the time. Our backyard was always filled with acres of plants, and there was always at least one dream catcher in every room. My mom said it’s because you’re likely to fall asleep in any room. It never occurred to me that people might find this style…cool. Although, if they had to live with it twenty-four-seven, I’m sure they’d get tired of it.
Grayson nodded. “Yeah, your mom has a neat sense of style.” He turned to Lacey and asked, “Do you want some flowers, babe?” BABE? They have to be dating if he called her that.
Lacey tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “Of course.”
Grayson’s smile flashed brightly, and he lumbered off into the crowd toward the counter.
“And no pink roses!” Lacey shouted after him. She turned to us. “Pink roses are juvenile. It’s so cool that your mom opened her own business!” she said with a surprising amount of glee for someone who doesn’t seem impressed by anything that ever happens to her.
Serena looped her arm through mine. “When are you going to introduce us to your mom? After seeing this place, I have to meet her. She’s a woman after my own heart.”
“Well, maybe I could introduce you guys later; she looks a little busy.”
Serena jumped up and down impatiently. “Please? Let’s go say hello. I want to tell her I love this place, and by association, I already love her.”
Lacey sniffed the air and grimaced with venom at an unwashed hippie as she walked by. “Your mom needs a No Shower , No Service sign,” she said.
Serena glared daggers at Lacey. “We’ll be back. I want to go say hello to Mrs. Hart.”
I didn’t bother to correct Serena. Mom didn’t take Dad’s last name, but whenever I tell someone that, they get confused and aren’t sure how to address her. Serena and I pushed our way through the crowd toward my mom just as Grayson returned with the most beautiful bouquet I’ve ever seen. It was a gorgeous, chaotic, artistic jumble of magnolias and orchids. Lacey would have no complaints about that bouquet. It was anything but juvenile.
My mom’s earth-brown hair was twisted into a messy French braid, and I could see dirt smeared on her cheek and lodged in the cracks of the skin on her hands.
“Hey, Holly,” she said loudly over the din.
“Mom, this is my friend Serena.”
My mom smiled and turned to quickly scold Demaris, another employee, for putting baby’s breath in an arrangement it had no business being in. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard
Suddenly, Serena pushed past the two of them and made her way through the throng toward me. Serena totally fit in with her black-and-neon-green dreadlocks, oversized peace symbol earrings, and floor-length floral-print dress.
“Holly!” she cried before pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked once she’d released me from her clutches.
“We thought we’d come by and say hello,” Serena said with a grin. She looked around at the lime-green walls, the many dream catchers, and the “Make Floral Arrangements, Not War” lettering on the wall. “This place is amazing . Your mom has fantastic taste. Did she decorate herself?”
“Yeah, she did. She’s a woman with a budget and an irrational fear of interior designers.”
Lacey and Grayson had arrived by Serena’s side at that point, and Lacey flashed a smile at me. “Despite the smell,” she said, “this place is kind of cool.”
I raised my eyebrows so high I’m pretty sure they vanished into my hairline. “Really? You guys like it?” I grew up surrounded by this kind of stuff all the time. Our backyard was always filled with acres of plants, and there was always at least one dream catcher in every room. My mom said it’s because you’re likely to fall asleep in any room. It never occurred to me that people might find this style…cool. Although, if they had to live with it twenty-four-seven, I’m sure they’d get tired of it.
Grayson nodded. “Yeah, your mom has a neat sense of style.” He turned to Lacey and asked, “Do you want some flowers, babe?” BABE? They have to be dating if he called her that.
Lacey tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “Of course.”
Grayson’s smile flashed brightly, and he lumbered off into the crowd toward the counter.
“And no pink roses!” Lacey shouted after him. She turned to us. “Pink roses are juvenile. It’s so cool that your mom opened her own business!” she said with a surprising amount of glee for someone who doesn’t seem impressed by anything that ever happens to her.
Serena looped her arm through mine. “When are you going to introduce us to your mom? After seeing this place, I have to meet her. She’s a woman after my own heart.”
“Well, maybe I could introduce you guys later; she looks a little busy.”
Serena jumped up and down impatiently. “Please? Let’s go say hello. I want to tell her I love this place, and by association, I already love her.”
Lacey sniffed the air and grimaced with venom at an unwashed hippie as she walked by. “Your mom needs a No Shower , No Service sign,” she said.
Serena glared daggers at Lacey. “We’ll be back. I want to go say hello to Mrs. Hart.”
I didn’t bother to correct Serena. Mom didn’t take Dad’s last name, but whenever I tell someone that, they get confused and aren’t sure how to address her. Serena and I pushed our way through the crowd toward my mom just as Grayson returned with the most beautiful bouquet I’ve ever seen. It was a gorgeous, chaotic, artistic jumble of magnolias and orchids. Lacey would have no complaints about that bouquet. It was anything but juvenile.
My mom’s earth-brown hair was twisted into a messy French braid, and I could see dirt smeared on her cheek and lodged in the cracks of the skin on her hands.
“Hey, Holly,” she said loudly over the din.
“Mom, this is my friend Serena.”
My mom smiled and turned to quickly scold Demaris, another employee, for putting baby’s breath in an arrangement it had no business being in. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard
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