One afternoon I had come home from a run around the park and outside my apartment was a glass vase filled with two dozen beautiful red roses. Confused I thought it might have been a mix up between me and my neighbors but as a bent over to pick it up a tag attached to the vase caught my eye. On the crisp white card in elegant black cursive was my name. Evangeline. I had blushed, of course, I was very flustered entering my home that day. Never in my life had I received flowers, from anyone, ever. I had just turned twenty two and moved into my first apartment by myself in a town I didn't really know. And despite the protest from my very overprotective sister and mother I was determined to make the most of it.
To be honest as flattered as I was I just wanted to find the person who had sent them and tell them that, while I was gracious that they had thought to send me such a beautiful gift, I didn't want whatever expectations came with it. I had placed the flowers on my kitchen table and picked up the card attached to the vase. On the inside were the words "Your smile is as beautiful as your soul". I won't lie. It warmed my heart that anyone would have noticed my smile none the less my soul. I didn't talk much at work and I didn't really have any close friends in college or high school that I still talked to.
Which, meant that it must have been a joke, a prank maybe.
But by who?
Just like I didn't have friends I didn't have enemies either. I was alone except for my family and even they were two states away. I ended up ignoring the flowers and leaving them to wilt on my kitchen table. And a week later when I received another vase this time the note saying "seeing you makes me feel alive again" I ignored them too.
As the months past it became a sort of routine. I would bring the flowers into my apartment from outside my door. Replace the dying ones from last week with ones I had brought in. I had even begun to fantasize about what my mysterious admirer looked like. Maybe I did have the time for a few dates after all. Especially with someone who could feel about me the way their notes expressed. The same notes that I kept in the drawer next to my bed. Some nights I'd take them out and read them over to myself.
Just to make sure they were real.
That someone could notice me.
That someone did notice me.
Running around the part always gave me a sense of release. It's not that a ran particularly fast, but I was in my own world. A world where I was untouchable. A world where it was better to be alone then to have to deal with someone next to you trying to talk your ear off.
Slowing down to a light jog I wiped the sweat from my brow and approached one of the parks drinking fountains. Gulping down the cool liquid I almost didn't hear someone calling my name. I looked up noticing someone jogging over to me. I stood up and eyed the man approaching my warily.
"You're the librarian at the library on Jackson street right?" he asked, his breath labored from the short jog over to me.
"I'm one of them yes." I crossed my arms in from of me. Looking around the park quickly. There were people around close enough to see if something happened.
"Right my daughter told me that you came to her school to talk to her class about getting a library card and now she won't stop talking about it." He gave me a wiry smile that reeked of exasperation. "But I guess there are worst things that she could be caught up on right."
"Ha-ha yeah that is true." I gave him a small smile. "Is she here with you?" because if she wasn't I had no idea how he would have known who I was.
"Yeah she's over there with her mother and she pointed you out to me." He pointed behind him to the right and I spotted to figures sitting on a bench. The shorter one, obviously the daughter could been seen throwing bread crumbs at a gaggle of ducks in front of her.
"I was just wondering about the card. Is it true that It's free or do you also have to pay a membership fee?" The man was looking at me intently as my attention was snapped back to him.
"Well sir as a way to get younger kids in the middle and elementary schools reading more we offer free memberships as long as you bring in a proof of enrollment from the surrounding schools. Such as a class schedule or school id."
The man looked troubled and he stayed quite for a few. "Will a report card work? Her school doesn't give out schedules or ID's."
"Yes that should be fine." I had forgotten that most elementary schools on this area didn't give out ID's.
"Ok. Sounds good, thanks for the information and enjoy your run."
I watched as he ran back over to his family, picking up his daughter from behind the bench and spin her around. I smiled at the sight before continuing my run in the same direction at before.
When I had come home from the library later that afternoon just like the first day it started a vase of two dozen pristine red roses stood in front of my door. Bringing them in I placed them on the counter. With a rush of giddiness that I hadn't felt in god knows now long I snatched the little white card from the vase.
"Don't talk to other men."
The words were slanted, rushed it seemed like.
And angry.
The word 'don't' gone over so many times I was surprised that they didn't make a hole in the note. I was even more surprised by the hurt that clenched my gut. The number of excuses that crossed my brain. It wasn't even like that. I didn't approach him he came to me. I was uncomfortable with the situation. I-
Wait.
What the fuck was I doing?
Trying to explain myself to... what a fucking piece of paper?
Gone was the hurt. Replaced now by blazing anger. Standing up I haphazardly grabbed the vase in my arms spilling water all over my legs. Ripping open my door with a strength I didn't know I had my bare feet slapped against the metal stair case as all but ran down towards the communal garbage dump. I ignored the chilled wind brushing against my bare shoulders and when I was a few feet away I chucked the vase flowers and all into the open lid of the dumpster.
