UPDATE: Based on feedback and some rereading, I have made some corrections, such as the repeated paragraph and perspective confusion. This is the corrected version!
This particular story is a big departure from some of my other ones, so it's a bit of an experiment. To start with, I am submitting it in its entirety, which I never do. Also, there is a mythological aspect that is very prominent, and there a lot more to both main characters than meets the eye. I hope you enjoy it!
Life is funny sometimes. You are moving along minding your own business, trying to make your way, and something completely unexpected catches you off guard and knocks you off in a completely different direction. One that you never imagined in all your wildest dreams. I, of course, speak from experience on that, I jokingly complain that my life was hijacked and yanked into the twilight zone. Looking back, it was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I wouldn't change anything, even the painful parts.
My name is Eve Miller Ericson (married name), a sassy brunette in my twenties, and I work as a project manager for a financial services firm here in Portland. I met my gorgeous husband Kurt six years ago, and he proposed within months. Time has flown, and now we have been married for five years. He is sweet, sensitive, and supportive, but he doesn't quite "get" my passion for growing things, seeing it as either vacuous or pointless. That's ok, it's my place of solace, away from the mind-numbing boredom of my job, and it distracts me from the fact that we have tried unsuccessfully for a couple of years to start a family. I get the feeling that Kurt would be just fine without kids, but I have dreamt of having a little girl as long as I can remember.
When the first week of May rolled around, I got very excited, because the "Rose City" of Portland hosted a huge home and garden conference for an entire week, and this year it was even bigger! I rummaged through my entire closet, tossing unwanted clothes on the floor all over the place, making my husband just laugh at me. I can't say I blamed him, I probably looked like a crazed maniac the way I was yanking and throwing outfits. After probably a good forty minutes, I came across an earth-toned, flower-print sundress that came down well past my knees. It looked comfortable given the temperature outside, it was girls, and even somewhat sexy. I slipped it on, came out of the closet, and then twirled around in Kurt's field of vision.
"Finally, something just right for the occasion. What do you think, my love?" I said, giving him a wink and a coy smile.
Kurt's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened, making me smile and emit a giddy laugh, knowing I was wanted and attractive to the love of my life. After the initial reaction, his brows furrowed and he got a disapproving glare, eyes glued to the generous amount of cleavage that the dress was showing.
"Isn't that a little bit much?"
I swear I must have been a redhead in a past life, because my first reaction was to go off on him, with dialogue like 'So I can't look sexy and attractive anywhere but here at home? Do you think some stranger is going to see me and try to steal me away? Can't trust me or won't trust me?' After calming my first reaction, I swear I heard my mother in my head chiding me to show some modesty. He wasn't an overbearing ass, so why not accommodate him a bit? On some level, it was sweet that he wanted to protect me.
"Well people can see way more than this in a bikini, but yeah, I can tone it down, sure," I answered, grabbing a small safety pin and pulling some fabric together in the chest. Sadly, the cloth bunched up, which happened as I attempted it two more times, but on the fourth try, I managed it. The dip in the front of the dress was now far less revealing, though it would have been impossible to hide the fullness completely. I was often proud of "the girls" but had to struggle with containment on some outfits, more than smaller-chested girls, but not with the benefits of bigger ones.
"Yeah, that's good, maybe I am too sensitive about it, sorry," Kurt muttered, looking genuinely apologetic. Damn, he could be cute sometimes. What a great catch he was!
"Happy to oblige, babe!" I said, slipping on some sandals and skipping out of the room.
Our modest, two-story colonial home is in Gresham, which is roughly forty minutes door-to-door from the convention center. Parking would be a nightmare usually, but my office was about five blocks away and I had parking privileges even on the weekend. That made up for the sheer monotony of the job and for what I was sure was shit pay, but I was grateful for the unintended perk.
I felt my long hair tickling my cheek as I practically skipped the short distance between the parking garage and the convention center. Just as I expected, the streets nearby were jammed with impatient drivers, and the lines for parking were insane. I hurried across the crosswalk, avoiding the cars crowding the way through, even though I was crossing against the light. Nothing was moving so who cares?
I lucked out, as the entrance I was closest to was staff only, but no one was watching so I slipped in and avoided having to wait for twenty minutes or more just to get in. I had enough foresight to pre-register, so all I had to do was get a printed badge from one of the many kiosks in the lobby. My picture on the badge was washed out and shitty, but since it got me through the doors I couldn't have cared less.
I stopped just inside the exhibit floor where some company I never heard of had set up a makeshift greenhouse filled with flowering plants, trees, and various shrubs, probably meant to whet the appetite of conference goers. I absentmindedly fiddled with the thin strap of my dress near the shoulder and inhaled deeply, letting the nuances of the scents invade my senses. This was my happy place, where I felt most at home, in a way that even my sweet husband never quite understood. Even with my eyes shut, I could practically feel the life around me, and could instinctively tell where each plant sat and what it looked like. I bet everyone thinks I'm crazy, I thought once I opened my eyes again. After I came out of my reverie, I flipped my hair a bit and headed to the main exhibit floor.
I wandered around all of the various displays, which I certainly enjoyed, but I was looking for something spectacular, something that would grab my interest completely. Damnit, I usually found something intriguing within the first hour! I looked down at my watch, feeling disappointed that after all that time I was no closer to finding what I wanted. I had hoped for a one-of-a-kind flowering plant to add to my little greenhouse in the backyard, my place of solace.
Determined, I trudged on, and a short while later, a very faint scent tickled my nose. The smell was light, sweet, and yet strong, reminding me of strawberries mixed with flowers, though such a combination hardly existed in reality. Stopping there for just a few seconds, I breathed it in until it started to slowly melt away. Whatever that was, I loved the smell, I have to figure out where it's coming from, I thought to myself. Oddly enough, I felt gently being pulled along by some invisible tether, making my feet move all on their own. As I obeyed the weird impulse, the mysterious smell got stronger and stronger. When I finally had the good sense to figure out where I was, I stood in front of what looked like a large conservatory, probably one that had been erected just for the convention.
The structure filled the area adjacent to the main trade show floor, made of white painted metal and glass that made it look like some sort of ancient palace. The interior was brightly lit and filled with trees, flowers, and all sorts of brightly colored vegetation, and guarded by a set of glass double doors, with a sign that said Private, by Appointment Only bolted to the frame. I felt my shoulders sag a bit, because I wasn't enough of a rebel to try to get inside, though I did have a strong urge to do it anyway.
