She enjoyed the flowers until she read the card, "Roses are red, My heart is blue, I don't want to get divorced, because I love you." It was nine days until the divorce would be final. He'd given her space to heal and hate him for almost a year. Now he wanted her forgiveness. Wasn't it too much to ask?
She was confused but couldn't help but smile at the sweet thought. She didn't want to get divorced, but she also hadn't wanted there to be another woman. Every action has a equal and opposite reaction. She felt she'd acted equally. Could he really love her? Here she had been thinking that he had smoothly moved on, but maybe he was sorry. Maybe he could be trusted again. Maybe she could trust herself to be a better wife.
The next morning was stalks of white lilies. "I know you can never forget, but can you forgive?" the message said. The purity of the white blooms spoke to her, making her think she could wipe the slate clean and start again.
The next morning a bouquet of forget-me-nots. The message read, "Purple is the color of royalty, and of forget-me-nots. My kingdom means nothing without its queen."
Frank hadn't understood after the evening of enjoyable kisses that things could end so quickly. He was now almost forgotten. Joanie didn't know what would happen with Lawrence, but she did know Frank would not be taking his place.
Six days to the divorce but she knew she didn't want it. She loved Lawrence. She had married him, and promised to love him forever. Was their love strong enough to survive this gigantic pot-hole in the road? She needed to test it. The flowers that arrived were a bouquet of all colors mixed together. The card read, "Our life together was colorful once. I know it can be again."
She went hunting for her own flowers to deliver in return. She showed up at the door to his house unannounced. She wanted to see his life in action without her. She wanted to throw him a curve ball. She knocked and couldn't help but smiling when she saw the handsome man smiling at her. This wasn't just any man. This was her husband. She handed him the flowers, and his smile grew. They were grinning at each other as if they were teen-agers on their first date.
He read out loud, "For each flower, I get to ask one question. And you have to tell the truth. That sounds fair. Jo, Please come in. I think you already know your way around." She had come for a serious discussion but she relaxed in the presence of her charming husband. They walked into the living room, and he picked up some things that were out of place. He sat on the couch but she didn't want to sit too close and so chose the chair catty-corner.
He handed her a flower, to let her know he welcomed her questions. Now that she was here she didn't know where to start.
Joanie pulled her legs up to her chest. She felt more protected. "Are you seeing anyone?"
The answer was a simple, "No."
Another flower and the question, "Who was the woman at the park?"
"Peter's new girlfriend. If you would have looked behind you, you would have seen Peter carrying drinks for the others in our group. I was coming to help him." She believed his answer, and he handed another flower.
"Why are you up running in the morning?"
"How do you know I'm running?" He asked.
"Nope," she was quick to cut him off and stay in control. "You're breaking the rules. Only I get to ask questions."
"Without my wife to 'exercise' with every night, I haven't been sleeping well, so I started running a few months ago. I also want to look good if my wife ever comes back." She couldn't look at him but the words felt like a drink of cool water to her parched emotions. She willed the tears to stay away.
"Do you want us to get back together?"
"Most definitely!" She looked up to see his eyes matched his words.
With the next flower she asked, "What do you miss about 'us'?"
"I miss the way we fit together laying in bed. I miss the way we shared our food at restaurants. I miss the talking. I miss brushing our teeth in the bathroom while trying to talk. I miss you cooking supper and me doing the dishes. I miss the way we'd email back and forth at work so I knew you thought about me during the day." He seemed he could continue but she took another flower and he was quiet.
"How has your life changed in the last year?" She knew she herself had changed. She was harder, more skeptical. She had trouble finding peace. She had switched jobs. How could their relationship be the same?
"I wonder what hasn't changed. I have trouble sleeping at night without you. Everyday I'm reminded how stupid I was and plan grandiose plans to win you back. I started running on weekdays. I got a cat - but he doesn't have to stay if you don't like him.
"You always said the kitchen and dining room would look better if we opened it up into one room, and so I did it. I went through the boxes of photographs we never had time to organize and attempted to put them into albums. They're on the shelf. I saw a beautiful wedding photo album that I couldn't resist buying for all the pictures that didn't go in our formal album. But anything can be changed. I missed you and felt closer to you by looking at our pictures." This time it was it was Lawrence's turn to shyly stare at his hands. Joanie enjoyed watching his nervousness. The words washing over her emotions, healing the open cuts she hadn't allowed to heal.
"I made your Mom promise not to tell you that I've been talking to her. I just needed to know how you've been doing since you wouldn't talk to me. So your Mom and I are friends now. I'm still at the same job, but I guess you know that. I've been a workaholic most of the time, taking on any extra jobs. If you go through with this divorce I will be looking for other work, far away."
