Nights turn into days and days into months.

And

Like an oasis of serenity amidst the astir streets, the little flower shop is comeliest. Where Rose has framed a small bakery corner on her own. Changing her mind and giving this hobby a chance was solely perceiving her will. She is a believer, she always has been. That is why Rose has decided to invest most of her time in working and not giving herself any chance to overthink unnecessary things.

Don't lose your energy thinking about the past .. utilise it to build a better tomorrow. Agatha's pieces of advice are always right.

That day after that incident with Caspian, her inner turmoil left her restless. It's been four long months and she is staying in an Italian city. If her husband wanted, he could have found her within a month but he did not. No one came for her. She is safe in the place which she assumed was the most unsafe for herself. Life is indeed unpredictable and you do not anticipate where it is going to take you.

Agatha had lost her family many years ago. One lethal car accident took her husband and her young daughter away from her forever. Being the only survivor, Agatha suffered horrendous injuries. Extreme remorse consumed her soul as well. She had spent years hating her life, levelling it as cursed. It took years and years for her to come out of that phase. It still affects her but she has learned how to live with it. That is what life is.. either it consumes you or you overcome it, you need to keep going.

Agatha considers Rose as her daughter, she thinks about the merciful God who has blessed her lonely existence with a beautiful company and the same goes for Rose also. That makes the bond between them uniquely special.

Like a breath of fresh air, the flowery scent refreshed Rose's mind as she set foot in the store. She has been attending the store for quite some days now. Her bakery corner is also doing satisfactorily. If possible then she has planned to expand this business in Agatha's name. Why not give her hobbies a little chance if they can raise her up in a better way.

Like usual Agatha was dealing with the customers, some old faces, some were new. A small pleasing smile crept through the beautiful wrinkles of her face when Rose touched her hand. Seizing Agatha's activity, Rose carried on with binding the colourful wrappers. Hours passed in a blink while managing the business until the comparatively unbusy evening arrived and like the past few days, the new known face also appeared inside the shop.

It's been a while since Caspian is visiting the shop quite frequently. And Agatha does not seem to mind it at all. She would always appreciate Caspian's emerging interest in Rose rather than the actual roses. Caspian is a handsome young man with a very good personality. The cherry on the top is that he is an English professor at the local university. Agatha sees a good friend and a potential match for Rose in him. She would purposely set up some situations to get them a little closer to each other. Not for once, Caspian took advantage of that though and exactly that is what made Rose comfortable around his presence.

But today's occasion was different and Caspian seemed a little overdressed to directly turn up there from the University like the other days. Just half an hour or so revealed the reason behind this. Apparently Agatha and Rose were to attend an inauguration party of Agatha's friend's cafe and for some unknown important reasons, Agatha would not be able to make it. So Agatha had requested Caspian to fill her seat at the last moment. Caspian being more than happy had accepted this proposal.

Rose could always feel Agatha's little efforts behind putting the two of them close. Sometimes she would complain to Agatha after Caspian is gone, sometimes she would become unable to deny some setups like today. In between all these, she had grown slightly closer to a second person that is not her Agatha.

With some delaying steps, Rose entered her bedroom and observed an alluring wine coloured full-length dress kept on her bed. Must be Agatha she thought. Rose never appreciates Agatha's unnecessary spending on her. These things make it more difficult for her to live here as a liability. Also, none of Agatha's efforts for succeeding in this purpose will work, Rose knew. But people around her has always been so demanding of her that she does not want to disappoint her undemanding saviour.

She touched the smooth fabric gently. That dress was indeed very beautiful.

Why it's always a dress or skirt?

Cause it's easier to fuck.

Her faline baby's touch ceased her from recalling the past conversations with her husband. Rose took the little one up on her lap and brought out a simple pair of jeans and a shirt. She quickly changed into them and fixed her hair but it was her furry baby that was getting her late. Rose could not understand why it was being extra sluggish today. After taking a minute cradling the kitten, Rose reached for Caspian's car.

The cafe was hardly an hour's ride from home. The ride was almost silent even though there was no language barrier between them. Caspian managed the attendees on their behalf of them. He was fluent in multiple languages, unlike Rose. They attended Agatha's friend on her behalf and then took their seats. Caspian was the one to receive their welcome drinks and bring them to Rose.

"Here's your caramel macchiato with ice, tesoro," He said breaking the awkward silence that has been building between them since the evening. (Sweetheart)

"What does tesoro mean?" Rose asked with curiosity making Caspian a little out of ease. He did not expect Rose to ask this question but he was happy that she finally spoke up.

"Means friend... sweet friend" He answered with a pleasant smile.

"We are not friends, Caspian" Rose reflexed her words quicker than ever.

"Why not?" Caspian was not shocked, he knew Rose as a rigid girl always, he knew she never opens up, she kept her thoughts bound within herself. But despite all those he liked being around her for some unknown reasons, he liked when she would smile once in a blue moon.

"I'm... I'm too weak to be someone's friend." Her voice was meek. No, she did not want to show her vulnerability to anyone, anymore. It was more like a statement that she announced to Caspian.

"That's not true. You are one of the strongest women I've seen in my life. I don't know what you have been through Rose but I've seen you always caring for others. And trust me it takes a lot of courage to be kind." He touched the back of her hand consolingly. It was the first time that he touched Rose since they knew each other.

His actions provoked something in Rose. She got up and left the cafe in an instant. Caspian quickly followed her and found her sitting inside his car. He should not have touched her or said something that reminds her of her past he thought while getting inside of the four-wheeler.

"I am sorry if I hurt you by mistake. I had no.."

"Can you teach me Italian? Please" Rose asked cutting off his sentences with a smile. Caspian was good-natured and been so considerate towards Rose. She felt she was being too hard on herself and others unjustifiably.

"I...I'd .. gladly!" Caspian said while starting the car's engine. Their ride back home was not as silent as before. They exchanged a few words. Caspian's sense of humour was surprisingly too good to be an English professor.

It was quite late at night. So Caspian left after making sure she entered the house. A fresh feeling along with the sweet smell of lavender consumed Rose's mind after Caspian dropped her off at the shop's door.

As soon as Rose set foot inside the shop she could bet from the smell that Agatha was baking a lavender cake. Also, the shop was decorated quite differently. Then the thing stuck in her mind. Tomorrow was Rose's birthday. Her 23rd birthday. Was that why Agatha sent her away with Caspian for some time! Did Agatha remember her birthday! Was that why Agatha was being so stubborn about sending her away with Caspian!  But she barely had mentioned her birthday to Agatha. She was going to turn 23 tonight! She made up her mind, she can not live the rest of her life being a prisoner of her past. So from today onwards, she would indulge more of her time in baking, she would appreciate the efforts of the people around her or perhaps make some new friends.

Rose's chest filled up with some emotions and hope that was unfelt to her for a very long period. She called for Agatha heartily but she did not answer. The television was not sounding like usual. Also, her cupcake did not make a run for the door listening to her voice.

She could strongly sense something was wrong inside the house, it was dangerously silent or it might just be her paranoid nature that was making her think like that. Maybe they were not present inside the home but again who was baking then! Her mind was shouting at her to run off at that very moment. Thinking good for others has always caused her so much. But it was her Agatha who was concerned here. Did she fell sick by any chance! She shrugged off that unnecessary tension building up in her mind and pulled the door quickly.

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