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The Girl in The Marigold Dress

The Girl in The Marigold Dress

By Noëlla Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 4 min read
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It was a really cloudy day. I had chosen to open up the floral shop despite the lack of orders for that day. Business was slow today for some reason. I had been doing good ever since I opened up shop shortly after relocating. I loved my new neighborhood. Calm and friendly. Nothing like the constant hustle and bustle of the big city that I was used to. I had chosen to get a completely fresh start, a breath of fresh air if you will. New state, new home, new business and I was loving it to say the least. 

I always dreamed of opening up a floral business. Oddly enough, as a guy I loved flowers. They reminded me of my mother. Other than the fact that my father was always surprising her with a colorful bouquet, she always kept a fresh arrangement in every room. I learned to enjoy the different aromas of each room as I ran in and out of each area playing as a child. The air was always so fresh, I grew to love it. Even more so when she passed away. My father had passed years before her and she was basically the only close member of my family left. I was an only child and kind of wished I wasn't since then. Anyway, I was motivated to relocate and start anew and I knew I wanted to dedicate this business to my mother, who loved her flowers almost as dearly as she loved me. Flora's Flower Shop.

I was sitting behind my counter, looking off into the distance in a daze at a memory of my late mother. I was thinking about closing up the shop an hour or two early as I didn't see business picking up that day. Suddenly to my surprise, I heard the sound of the bells that I had attached to the entrance door letting me know that someone had entered. When I looked up I saw a beautiful petite but shapely woman  with blonde curls & piercing green eyes looking back at me. She had on a beautiful dress with marigolds all over it. "Hello", she said in a hushed tone. "Hello, welcome!", I quickly replied. "You're the first person who's been here today, I was just thinking of closing for the day. Are you looking for anything in particular?" "No, just looking for now", she replied. She walked around the shop gracefully, stopping by at each arrangement and taking time to take in and appreciate each scent. She stopped at the marigolds and lingered there a while before saying " I love the marigolds, they remind me of my father. He used to bring them for me almost every weekend. They're my favorite, as you probably can tell ''. She twirled around making her floral dress sway and then wrap around her lower torso before returning back to its original state. I chuckled, "Marigolds were one of my mother's favorites also, I opened and named this shop in her memory." 

We started having a deep conversation. About our late parents, our lives, goals and everything else under the sun. I thoroughly enjoyed her company as I had not really gotten a chance to sit down with anyone around the neighborhood since I'd been there. She was a breath of fresh air and her eyes beamed at me like a bright green light that I've never witnessed before. We talked and talked for hours, past the time that I was supposed to close the shop. When we realized the time and were getting ready to leave, she requested a bouquet of marigolds. I told her they would be on the house for the friendly conversation we had just had. She just smiled as she looked at me walking to the back to pack up her order. 

"Alright, I have your mari-" I stopped in my tracks and looked around the shop. "Hello!?" I said out loud, while setting the bouquet down onto the counter and walking around. She was gone, just like that. I went to the door and peered out to see if she was around. Nothing.

I closed up the shop and headed home with the bouquet of marigolds in hand. I would give them to the lady if I happened to see her on the way or just throw them in a vase of water when I got in. I lived a few blocks down and liked to get some exercise by walking to and from work. So, I started walking towards my residence, it was still cloudy as it had been all day, nighttime was falling. I was almost at home when a newspaper blew towards me and attached itself to my shoe. I picked it up to throw it into the nearest recycling receptacle when something caught my eye. A story was in the newspaper stating that a young woman had passed away in a car crash about a week prior. I couldn't believe my eyes as I looked at the picture of the young woman who had caught my eye, kept my attention, and held a great conversation with me just a few minutes prior. It was her! The beautiful, graceful woman in the marigold dress. 

Short Story
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About the Creator

Noëlla

The Possibilities Are Endless

@candidlynoella

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