Rain again.
Not the dramatic, stormy kind — just a steady drizzle, lazy and soft like the world had hit snooze. Aria was halfway through arranging peonies for a wedding order when the door jingled open.
"Back so soon?" she asked, not even needing to look up.
Kaelira Solene stepped in, hoodie damp from the rain, holding two steaming paper cups in one hand and a bag of pastries in the other.
"I come bearing bribes," Kaelira said with a proud smile. "Coffee and carbs. Figured I should earn my stay this time."
Aria laughed. "You keep showing up like this, people are going to start thinking you work here."
Kaelira shrugged off her jacket and handed her a cup. "Maybe I do. What's the dress code?"
"Apron and no lawsuits."
"Perfect," Kaelira said, grinning. "I brought my flower shop fantasy energy today."
Aria smirked. "You're about to regret that."
Because right behind her on the workbench was what looked like complete flower chaos: bundles of baby's breath, open boxes of roses, scattered leaves, ribbons of every color. The wedding order was for five centerpieces, ten mini bouquets, and one massive bridal bouquet that Aria had been low-key stressing about for the past two days.
Kaelira took one look at the mess and gasped. "This is amazing. It's like a romantic explosion."
"It's more like a floral crime scene," Aria said, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.
Kaelira rolled up her sleeves. "Put me in, Coach."
And just like that, she was in — clumsily at first, poking her fingers with floral wire and getting glitter stuck in her hair. But she was eager, bright-eyed, and constantly asking things like 'What's this puffy one called again?' and 'How do you even make flowers stay in place like that?'
Aria handed her a small bundle of eucalyptus and watched her try to tuck it into a half-finished bouquet.
"You're putting that in backwards," Aria said, gently correcting her.
"I'm making avant-garde choices," Kaelira replied, sticking her tongue out.
It was supposed to be work — serious, deadline-focused, with an invoice and everything — but it somehow turned into one long chaotic hangout session.
The shop filled with laughter and music playing off Aria's tiny Bluetooth speaker. Kaelira sang along sometimes, in a way that was casual and off-key on purpose, which made Aria laugh more than once. Somewhere between bouquets three and four, Kaelira accidentally knocked over an entire bucket of hydrangeas.
"Oh my God— I'm so sorry!" she gasped, slipping on water as she scrambled to fix it.
Aria just stood there, staring at her soaked socks and shocked face.
Then burst out laughing.
"You're soaked," Aria said through giggles. "You look like a drowned puppy."
Kaelira narrowed her eyes. "You're gonna make fun of me after I brought you a cinnamon roll?"
"I might," Aria teased, grabbing a towel. "But only because you're cute when you panic."
The room went quiet for a second.
Kaelira blinked. "You think I'm cute?"
Aria froze mid-wipe. "…I mean. I think everyone thinks that."
Kaelira tilted her head. "That doesn't sound like a denial."
Aria cleared her throat. "We have two more bouquets to finish."
Kaelira smiled — the kind that made Winter feel like someone had turned the heat up five degrees.
"Alright, boss," she said. "But you owe me a proper compliment after this."
They got back to work. Slowly. Talking more, laughing more, making fun of each other's ribbon skills. Kaelira tied hers too tight. Aria's always ended up crooked. They eventually gave up and decided to call it "rustic charm."
By the time they finished, the rain had stopped.
The shop smelled like roses and eucalyptus, warm and sweet. There were petals everywhere — on the floor, on the counter, tangled in Kaelira's hoodie strings.
Aria stood back, hands on her hips. "Okay. That's... not bad. Honestly better than I expected."
Kaelira beamed. "So I get my compliment now, right?"
Aria rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Alright. You're charming, funny, very determined… and kind of adorable when you're trying too hard."
Kaelira placed a hand over her chest. "Wow. I'm swooning."
"I think you're just tired from picking up wet hydrangeas."
Kaelirw leaned closer, lowering her voice just slightly. "No, pretty sure it's the florist."
Aria didn't move away.
Instead, she smiled — a little softer this time.
"…Do you want to stay for dinner?" she asked. "I was just going to order takeout."
Kaelira looked around the shop — the half-mess, the faint music, the scent of flowers in the air — and nodded.
"Only if we eat on the floor surrounded by petals like it's a scene from a drama."
Aria laughed. "Deal."
They ended up sitting cross-legged behind the counter, sushi boxes spread out in front of them, flower petals still tangled in their clothes. Kaelira stole half of Winter's avocado roll. Aria flicked a grain of rice at her in revenge.
By the time the sky turned dusky blue, Kaelira was leaning against the counter, her head tilted toward Aria, eyes soft and bright.
"I don't really get days like this," she said quietly. "Where it's just... calm. Good."
Aria looked at her, really looked — at the way her lips curled into a tired smile, at the slight smudge of flower dust on her cheek.
"Me neither," Aria admitted.
They sat like that — tired, full, surrounded by flowers — and for the first time in a long time, neither of them felt like they needed to rush anywhere.
Just here. Just now.