Too Many Blooms (2 page)

We had all been pretty silent as we loaded our plates. Then, as is usually the case in my house, everyone started talking at once.

“Ribs, please,” Aster said to Dad.

“Guess who got the lead in the school play!” Rose exclaimed.

“I wish I was a dolphin,” said Poppy wistfully.

“Does it still smell like smoke?” Mom wondered.

“We had the most fascinating discussion on
The Canterbury Tales
today …” said Dad.

Everyone laughed. “Rose, you go first,” Dad said.

Gramps cleared his throat. “Actually, maybe
I
should go first,” he said gravely. “Gran and I have an announcement to make.”

That shut everyone up immediately. We all stopped chewing and stared. Even Poppy looked serious.

“Announcement?” said Mom uncertainly.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, my voice rising. My heart started to pound double-time.

“No, it’s all good news,” said Gran. But she sure didn’t look too happy. She took a deep breath and began. “We’ve thought about it long and hard. It was a terribly difficult decision to make, but …” her voice trailed off.

“But what?” I managed to choke out.

“Yes, what?” Rose cried.

Gramps took a deep breath. “We’ve been thinking about retiring,” he said. “And —”

“Wait … what?” I interrupted, so shocked I dropped my spoon. It fell into the bowl with a clatter, splashing my new sweater with egg drop soup. But I hardly even noticed.

Gramps held up a hand and continued. “Yes, we are thinking about retiring, but we’re not quite ready to hand over the reins of the store for good. So we have an idea we’d like to run by you.”

We all leaned forward to hear. I placed my hands on my stomach, which was tied up in knots.

Gramps turned to my parents. “We’d like the two of you to take over the store for three months. We’re going to take an extended trip to Florida.”

“Florida?” said Poppy. “Like … Disney World?”

“Florida?” I said. “But that’s so far away!”

Gran turned to me, her eyes shining. “It’s only a short plane ride,” she said. “And it’s an opportunity we just can’t refuse. Our friends the Isaacs are going on a long trip to Italy and they’ve asked us if we’d like to house-sit. Three months in Key West, rent free, can you believe it?”

I tried to swallow, but I had a huge lump in my throat. I reached for my water glass.

“Did you know that the sunsets down there are so beautiful that people actually applaud for them?” Gran asked.

“Wow,” said Poppy, clapping her hands.

Now that the news was out, Gran had relaxed. Her cheeks were bright pink. She looked so pretty and excited in the candlelight, her curly white hair like a halo around her head.

“We’re going to grill every night,” she continued, “and go sailing. And the snorkeling there is phenomenal! You can see nurse sharks and turtles and all kinds of fish …”

Rose was frowning.
Yes!
I thought.
She knows what a ridiculous idea this is, and she’s going to say something.
But then she smiled. “Well, Dad will just have to film
Bye Bye Birdie
so you can see it,” she said. “But otherwise it sounds like a great idea to me.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course Rose had one thing on her mind — theater!

I turned to Aster. She was sensitive. Surely
she
understood how wrong this was. But — no. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Everglades,” she said quietly.

Seriously?

“Good!” said Gramps with a grin. He turned back to Mom and Dad. “So we’ll leave you two in charge of the store on a trial basis. And if you can make a go of it, we just may leave Flowers on Fairfield in your hands. Permanently.”

I looked over at my parents. They sat in silence, blinking in confusion.

Which was exactly how I felt. Gran and Gramps were leaving for three months? Possibly for good? And leaving the store in my parents’ hands? Dad didn’t know a thing about flowers. Plus, he had a full-time job. Mom hadn’t worked in the flower shop since she was in high school. I was the only one who knew anything about the store. Was I supposed to quit school and work there full-time? What were my grandparents thinking?

To my utter shock and amazement, a grin spread over my mother’s face. “What a great idea!” she cried. “We’ll miss you terribly, of course,” she added. “But now that Poppy’s in school, I’ve been thinking about going back to work.”

Dad smiled at Mom. “It’s true,” he said. “We were just talking about it last night. This couldn’t come at a better time.”

Gran exhaled loudly. “Well, that’s a relief,” she said.

“Now that that’s settled,” said Gramps, “please pass the ribs.”

Everyone else chattered away as they finished eating. Some even took second helpings. Aster ate nine ribs. (I counted.) But I had lost my appetite.

“Hey!” Dad said. “Let’s go into my office and look up Key West on the Internet. If you know the address, we can even look up your new house on Google Maps.”

“Great idea!” said Gran. Everyone stood up and headed out to Dad’s study. I stayed behind, staring at the sputtering candles. Then I noticed the pile of fortune cookies on the table.

I grabbed one, tore off the wrapper, and cracked it open.

AT THE WORST OF TIMES YOU MUST SUMMON YOUR OPTIMISM,
it read.

Who was I to question the wisdom of the fortune cookie? I blew out the candles, pasted a big fake smile on my face, and went to join my family.

I knelt in the front window of the flower shop, replacing last week’s display with some cheerful lilacs and daffodils. It sure didn’t feel like it, but spring was on its way. We technically have four seasons in New England, but sometimes it feels like winter for half the year.

As I adjusted the fragrant yellow and purple flowers, I watched Gran and Gramps bustling around as if they hadn’t dropped the biggest bombshell in the world last night.

This was usually my favorite time of the day in the store. The three of us working together in companionable silence, just before the phone started ringing and customers started coming in. I sighed. I loved the store so much — the creaky wooden floors and creamy white walls, the row of pretty glass vases that I dusted each week. The buckets
that held ready-made bouquets for walk-in customers. Even the rattle of the old flower cooler was gentle and calming. The only thing that ever changed was the year on the floral supply calendar behind the cash register.

Of course, things get busy around Mother’s Day, and the days leading up to February 14 are always crazy. We had recently finished up with Easter, with its ton of basket bouquets. And don’t get me started on prom season. But most days Gran could be found quietly arranging flowers while Gramps balanced the books or paid bills. Bliss.

Not for long, Delphinium Bloom,
I thought morosely.
Not for long.

“Great work, Del,” said Gran, broom in hand. I turned to her, that same fake smile still plastered on my face. She cocked her head at me. “You’ve been awfully quiet. How are you feeling about the big news?”

“Okay,” I lied. “I’m happy for you and Gramps.” Although it wasn’t true, I would at least act like it was. Even if it killed me.

As my grandparents went out back to put some boxes in the recycling bin, there was the familiar
Ring-a-ling-ling!
of the front door opening. The first customer of the day!

I looked up and smiled. “Welcome to …”

And stared into the scowling face of Aunt Lily.

“No need for that,” she said brusquely, taking off her gloves, finger by finger. My dad calls Aunt Lily a throwback to another era. She always looks picture perfect, I have to admit. As usual, her white hair was in a sleek chignon and she was wearing a large hat. She’s the only person I know who still uses hat pins.

Aunt Lily set her ancient, though pristine, alligator purse on the counter, watching me carefully, as if she were afraid I’d rifle through it. Actually, she had a point. Two years ago, Poppy had made off with her purse and ate an entire tube of Kiss Me Coral lipstick. We called poison control and everything. But my lipstick-eating days are long gone. Aunt Lily, however, did not look too sure about that.

“Where is that scatterbrained sister of mine?” she asked me.

I frowned. “Gran is in the back,” I said as politely as possible through my gritted teeth. “Let me get her for you.”

I get so mad whenever Aunt Lily makes comments about Gran, who tends to be a little scatterbrained, it’s true. It’s where my mom gets it from. Gran has been known to leave her cell phone in the freezer while putting away groceries (never a good idea). And Gramps likes to tell the story of when they first took over the store from Gran’s parents and she accidentally sent a “Congratulations on the Good News!” arrangement to the funeral parlor and a “With Deepest Sympathy” to a new mom of twins. Yikes!

I found Gran and Gramps walking in the back door. “Aunt Lily is here,” I announced.

Gran and Gramps exchanged a glance. “You don’t think she already knows, do you?” asked Gramps. Gran shook her head, but she looked worried.

My mouth fell open. “You haven’t told her yet?” I asked in disbelief.

“We were going to call her last night after we spoke to your parents,” said Gramps with a grimace. “But in all the excitement, we forgot.”

Gran wiped her hands on her flowered apron as she and Gramps headed to the front of the store. I followed
close behind. I was filled with dread, but still I didn’t want to miss a thing.

Aunt Lily gave Gran a tight smile. “Well, hello there, Iris,” she said in a clipped tone. “I spoke with your daughter this morning, who informed me that she and Benjamin will be taking over the store while you two go gallivanting down to Florida.” She narrowed her eyes. “Surely she must be mistaken?”

Gran opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her big sister always makes her nervous. Even after all these years.

Gramps put his hands on Gran’s shoulders. “Now Lily,” he said. “We were going to tell you today. We just wanted to make sure that Daisy and Ben were on board first.”

Aunt Lily put her hand to her forehead as if she’d felt a sharp and sudden pain. “And you expect me to agree to turn over the store to my lovely, though disorganized, niece?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you forgetting I own one third of this business?”

Aunt Lily is part owner of the store, but she hasn’t done any of the day-to-day business in years. She’s way too busy, she says, with her charity work. “And her gossiping,” Dad likes to say. Aunt Lily does always seem to have the inside
scoop on everything going on around town. She gets all the news from her charity lady friends. (We call it the “Old Lady Mafia,” though never in front of her, of course!)

But she’s still involved in the store, and she usually seems to drop by at the worst possible times. It’s like she has disaster radar or something.

Gran spoke up, her voice clear but shaky. “Lily, we’ve thought about this long and hard. We have an opportunity we can’t pass up. It’s only a trial run. And yes, I do think that Daisy and Ben will do a great job.”

Aunt Lily turned to me and pursed her lips. “And do you agree, Delphinium?”

“I … um …” I looked wildly from Gran to Gramps to Aunt Lily. I can’t help it — Aunt Lily scares me. And when I’m scared, I can’t fib. It gets me in trouble all the time.

Suddenly, there was a rap on the glass door. We all spun around. A young woman was standing outside, waving frantically.

I stepped forward and opened the door. Whew! Saved by the customer. “Welcome to Flowers on Fairfield,” I said to her in my most professional-sounding voice. “Can I help you?”

The woman looked to be in her midtwenties. Her long, blonde hair was pulled into a perfect ponytail, not a strand out of place. She had big, blue eyes and was wearing light pink lipstick. She was just so pretty and perfect looking, like a mannequin. And … I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about her seemed familiar.

Oddly enough, she had her hands in the air, as if she was afraid to touch anything.
Maybe she’s one of those germphobic weirdos,
I thought.

“I just got a mani-pedi!” she exclaimed as she stepped inside. “Don’t want to smudge my nails!” She smiled, flashing her straight, white teeth. I found myself nodding in sympathy and returning her grin, although I wasn’t totally sure what she was talking about. Manny who?

“Oh, okay,” I said.

“Would you be a sweetheart and put Louis on the floor?” she asked me.

“Louis?” I asked.

She looked at me like I had two heads. “Louis Vuitton?” she said, nodding toward the bag slung over her shoulder. That’s when I noticed that there was a tiny, shivering dog poking its face out of her large purse. I reached inside and
picked up the dog, who instantly snarled and began yapping at me. As I placed the pet on the floor, I blinked. Was Louis wearing a tiny, black leather motorcycle jacket? Why, yes he was.

The customer looked around. “So this is it,” she said with a sigh. “I was hoping it would be … fancier.”

My mouth fell open. How rude! Luckily, Gran sensed my annoyance and stepped right in, putting on her most gracious smile. “How can we help you, dear?” she said.

“My name is Olivia Post,” the woman said. She held out her left hand. A huge diamond sparkled on her ring finger. “I got engaged last night!” she gushed. “Five carats, cushion cut, can you believe it?”

We all oohed and ahhed although I don’t know if any of us, except for Aunt Lily, knew exactly what “cushion cut” meant. “So,” Olivia continued. “I wanted to have a spring wedding. May nineteenth!” She turned to me and said, “Saturday, of course!”

Gran smiled and nodded, but she looked distracted. I knew she was calculating how many weeks that would give us. Her widened eyes said it all — not many.

“And where will it be held?” Gran asked.

“At the Country Club,” Olivia replied. She wrinkled her brow. “Of course,” she added.

“Will it be a large wedding?” Gramps wanted to know.

“Oh, only a couple hundred guests,” explained Olivia.

Gramps and I exchanged glances. That was huge by anyone’s standards! In fact, the biggest wedding I had ever been to — for Dad’s sister, my aunt Stacey — had had about fifty guests. Okay, I’ll admit it. That was the
only
wedding I had ever been to.

“But I really want it to have an intimate feel,” Olivia continued. “And it’s got to be special. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but my fiancé is Todd Worthington.” She paused meaningfully.

“Oh, of course,” said Aunt Lily. She turned and gave us all a significant look.

We looked back at her blankly.

Aunt Lily glared at us. “The mayor’s eldest son,” she hissed, clearly disgusted by our ignorance.

We all nodded.

“There will be some very important people at the wedding,” explained Olivia. “So I want a wedding like no one has ever been to before. I’m thinking ice sculptures, a
couple of chocolate fountains, a sushi station … So the flowers, of course, have to be exquisite,” she concluded.

Gran went behind the counter and hauled out the huge photo album filled with snapshots of all the weddings, parties, and events she and Gramps had done over the years. I loved flipping through that book during down time in the store. The fashions (High-necked lacy dresses that looked like nightgowns! Powder blue tuxes with ruffly shirts!) and the hairstyles (Huge pouffy updos! Shaggy hair and gigantic sideburns!) changed, but the flowers always looked beautiful.

Olivia held up her hand like a crossing guard telling cars to stop. “No thank you,” she said. She spoke precisely, as if Gran were slightly slow and needed extra time to process her words. “My flowers need to be one of a kind. One. Of. A. Kind.” She smiled sweetly.

Gran looked panicked. I knew what she was thinking. In two weeks she and Gramps were going to be snorkeling with the sea turtles. And Aunt Lily had rattled her.
Would
my mom be able to handle this? Slowly, Gran shook her head. “I don’t know if this is a good time,” she said. “You see, there’s going to be a change in management …”

“Iris …” Aunt Lily’s voice was sharp. She stared daggers at Gran.

“I’m sorry,” said Gran, “but I just don’t think there’s enough time …” Her voice trailed off.

Olivia flipped a hand dismissively. “I’m sure the florist in Plymouth would be happy for my business if you can’t handle it,” she said.

“Iris,” Aunt Lily said again.

I cleared my throat. “There’s no problem at all,” I heard myself saying.
Wait! Stop! Del!
my brain protested. But my mouth kept moving. “We will give you the wedding of your dreams. The most exquisite floral arrangements this town has ever seen!”

Everyone stared at me in shock. Except Olivia. She just smiled at me as if twelve-year-olds routinely took charge of planning weddings. “Excellent!” she said. “I’m off to try on dresses.” She smiled. “I’ll be back soon with a few friends to discuss themes.” Checking her nails, she picked up Louis Vuitton and gave him a kiss on top of his head. Then she whipped out her cell phone and placed a call.

“Hello. I am interested in ordering six dozen white doves, spray painted pink,” she said on her way out.

The door shut behind her. “Oh, Del, you were great!” cried Gran, giving me a squeeze. Then she stepped back and looked into my eyes. “Do you really think you can handle it?”

“No problem, Gran,” I said. I stole a glance at Aunt Lily. She gave me a funny little head shake.
Is that a nod of approval?
I wondered. Then I realized who I was dealing with.
Nah, she probably just has a twitch.

My heart was pounding. I leaned my head against the front door and breathed out, leaving a fog on the cool glass. I traced my initials. I could hardly believe it. I had just agreed to do the flowers for an impossible-to-please Bridezilla with unrealistic expectations. In a matter of weeks, no less.

My stomach sank. What had I gotten myself into?