Asters in the Summer

At last, it was finally summertime. Most people were already planning vacations or maybe even applying for colleges, but I wasn’t doing either of those. I just got out of high school, so more school was the last thing I wanted to do, and I’d rather be in the comfort of my own home anyways. However, my older sister Camellia had other plans for me. 

“Come on, Azalea. You’ve just graduated and you still don’t have any plans for your future. I’m just worried about you.” She stood over my bed looking down at me, her green eyes filled with concern.

Still half asleep, I just groaned in response and flipped over so I was facing the other way.

Camellia sighed and I heard footsteps walking around to the other side of my bed, followed by the sound of curtains being flung open and a flash of light that caused me to instantly spring up in bed. “Hey! That was uncalled for!” I yelled. “You could at least warn me before you blind me!”

“It’s not my fault you’re always so stubborn. I’ve tried to get you to at least get a job and you never do.” Camellia walked back over from the window towards me and threw my bed sheets off to the side, causing a chill to run down my spine. “If you won’t find a job, then I’ll put you to work myself, so come on and get dressed. I’m gonna have you help me out at the shop today.”

Before I even had the chance to protest, she stepped outside my room, shutting the door behind her. “Tch, and I’m the stubborn one?” I mumbled to myself. As much as I dreaded it, I knew she wasn’t going to let me off the hook that easily. I knew deep down that she just wants what’s best for me, but man she can be pretty annoying. Well I guess that’s just the job of an older sibling for you. Besides, our parents aren’t around anymore, so she’s taken on the parental guardian role ever since.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed and walked over to my closet. According to the weather report, it was going to be really sunny and humid. I threw on a light and comfortable shirt, as well as some shorts, then tied back my short chestnut-colored hair. A few loose strands of hair managed to fall back in front of my face, but I eventually gave up trying to fix them. Finally, I slipped on some sandals that were next to my door, then hurried out to the living room.

When I got there, Camellia was standing at the door, waving me over. “We should get going. We have to get there early so that I have time to show you the ropes before opening hours.”

“Okay, okay. No need to rush me.” I followed her as we stepped out the front door. Looks like the weather report really wasn’t lying. Only nine in the morning and it’s already this hot? Camellia really picked the best day to put me to work if she wanted to torture me. Golden sun rays leaked through the few clouds that dotted the sky, and the lush trees stood still. Couldn’t there at least be some more shade or even a little breeze?

Thankfully, the shop wasn’t too far away from our house. We arrived in a little under ten minutes, so I didn’t have to suffer long. When I stepped inside, I instantly felt at ease thanks to the cool breeze and pleasant scent of roses and lavender. I’m glad that Camellia at least owned a flower shop. Working for her would be way more agonizing if it were anything else. 

Camellia showed me around the place for a bit. She explained where everything was, and also her daily routine. “So what do you want me to do first?” I asked. “Need me to water some flowers for you? Maybe make some arrangements?” 

I followed her gaze as she examined the room for a task to give me. It took a good minute, but she suddenly stopped when she saw the calendar on the wall. I thought nothing of it at first, but then I saw the smirk on Camellia’s face as she tilted her head towards me. I knew that that smile couldn’t mean anything good, and I tried to jog my memory. What’s the date have to do with anything? June sixteenth? It’s not some sort of holiday, is it?

“I know exactly the job for you.” Camellia began setting up an arrangement of flowers and I just stood there, observing her talent at work. She’d done this thousands of times already, so it’s no wonder she’s so good at it. When she finished, she wrote something down on a note, then sealed it into an envelope she fit into the bouquet. “As much as I want to deliver this one myself, I think you should. It’s for one of my best customers.”

“Deliver? You mean you want me to make a delivery?” I wanted to make sure I heard that right. “Camellia, you know I’m not good with talking to people! Why would you choose that?”

“Come on, I just want you to meet some more people.” She handed me the bouquet. “Besides, these people don’t bite. You’ll be fine.”

I sighed, taking the flowers from her hand. “Fine, I’ll do it. Just don’t expect me to suddenly like these people. All I’m doing is making a delivery, I’m not trying to make friends.”

“Great!” Camellia smiled. “One last thing, the person that these are for is currently in the hospital. The staff there know me well, so you can just tell them that I sent you. They’ll know who these are for.”

I was relieved. If all I needed to do was talk to the staff, it wouldn’t be as bad as I initially thought. I did still have one question on my mind; why were they in the hospital, and what did she mean by “the staff know her well”? As curious as I was, I’m not the type to pry, so I just nodded and walked out the door.

Conveniently, the hospital was only about two blocks away. A cool and refreshing breeze hit my face as I stepped inside. The waiting room only had about three or four people, so it wasn’t overwhelmingly busy, but to me it felt like a crowd. I tried reassuring my conscience by repeating in my head, “It’s okay, you’ll be in and out in no time” as I made my way to the front desk.

“Um, hello,” I greeted. “My name is Azalea. My sister Camellia owns the flower shop just a few blocks down and sent me here to deliver some flowers. She said that you’d know who they’re for.”

The receptionist looked up and smiled at the mention of my sister. “Oh, Camellia sent you? Yes, I know exactly who these are for! Give me just one second.” She turned to the phone, then dialed a few numbers. After a few seconds, someone picked up. “Hey, Primrose! I’ve got a delivery here for Aster from Camellia. She sent her sister this time, too. You should come on down.”

Now I realized what that smirk earlier was all about. Camellia must have told them I was coming and had the receptionist send someone down to pick them up so that I’d be stuck having to talk to people. Man, I really hate how sly she can be.

I sat down in one of the chairs near the corner of the room. A few minutes later, an older woman had come running down the hallway. She looked around at all the people in the waiting room, but continued staring at me after seeing the bouquet in my hands. I figured that must be Primrose, the person who was just on the phone with the receptionist. I had no idea why, but she sure did seem eager to see me. Her long, jet black hair was a bit messy from running, and her periwinkle blue eyes were locked onto mine. “Are you Azalea?” she asked, slightly out of breath.

“Uh… Yeah, I am.” I stood up and looked down at the flowers I held. Eye contact really unnerves me.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you!” She exclaimed. “I’m Primrose. I’ve heard a lot about you from Camellia. I never thought I’d get to meet you one day!”

Well, she’s definitely an outgoing type of person. Maybe I can just hand her the flowers and get out of here.

I gave Primrose the bouquet. “Here you go. I don’t know who these are for exactly, but I hope they like them.”

“They’re for my son, Aster.” She explained. “I told him that you were here, and he said he’d love to meet you as well. If it’s okay with you, I could bring you to his room and you can deliver those to him directly. Would that be alright?”

I wanted to get out of there. I wanted to hand over the flowers and run. But now, I felt conflicted. I couldn’t just tell a mother whose son is currently in the hospital that I didn’t want to see him even though they’ve both been waiting for the day they would finally meet me. Knowing me, I’d never be able to live without that guilt haunting my thoughts. “I guess that’s okay.” I answered. “I’m not that great with people though, so sorry if I seem pretty nervous.”

“That’s alright, dear. I’ll take you to the room.” Primrose smiled and led me down the hallway to an elevator. Once we got on, she started up the conversation again. 

“You know, I’m really glad that you’re coming to meet Aster.” Her voice wasn’t as cheerful this time. It sounded much more serious and sorrowful. “His illness forces him to be in and out of the hospital constantly, so he struggles to hold onto his friendships. Camellia’s the only person who visits him outside of our family. I really can’t thank the two of you enough.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry to hear that.” I didn’t know exactly how to respond, but I tried my best. “I hope he can get better soon.”

I heard a ding, and the elevator door opened. I followed Primrose down the hall until she stopped at the door with the number three hundred and ten next to it. She opened the door and smiled. “I’m back!” She held the door open for me, and I stepped inside.

The room was decently sized, just enough so that it didn’t feel too cramped. On the opposite side of the room from the door was a window, and next to it was a bed. Sitting up in it and looking directly at me was a boy who looked a lot like a younger version of Primrose. He had the same color hair and eyes as her, so I knew right away that he must be Aster.

Sitting in a chair next to him was another man who was much older. His hair was mostly a dark brown, with the exception of a few graying strands. The two also shared some similarities, such as the slight waviness of their hair, so I assumed that they were father and son.

Aster’s eyes seemed to light up once he saw me. It was almost like he hadn’t even noticed the flowers yet. “So you’re Azalea? I’m so happy to finally meet you!” His voice seemed to be just as cheerful as his mom’s.

Primrose laughed. “Slow down a bit, Aster.” She said, not even realizing that she had been acting the same way just a few minutes before. “Have you not even realized that she’s got those flowers for your birthday yet?”

Birthday? Oh so that’s what the calendar date meant! I finally was starting to make sense of the full story now. I walked over and handed him the flowers, stuttering a bit as I spoke. “H- Happy birthday. These are for you.”

He smiled and took the bouquet. “Thank you so much!”

I could feel my face getting redder out of embarrassment. To be fair, this was the first time I’d ever given anyone flowers. I quickly turned my head away so he wouldn’t see.

Aster’s parents both smiled happily. His dad seemed much calmer when he greeted me. “It’s nice to meet you Azalea. I’m Aster’s father, Florian.”

I turned to him and gave him a small, shy nod. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

I stood there for a few seconds, not really sure what to do next, when Primrose spoke up again. “Why don’t you have a seat, Azalea.” She pulled another chair over close to the foot of the bed, ushering me to sit down. I sat down in the chair, and she walked back over to her husband’s side to sit next to him.

“So uh…” Feeling pretty awkward, I tried starting up a conversation. “How old are you, Aster?”

“Nineteen.” He answered.

“Oh, that’s cool.” I said. “I’m eighteen, so we’re not too far apart.”

“So you just graduated then?” Primrose adds. “I’m happy for you! Do you have any plans for college?”

“Well, um…” I struggled to find the right words. Should I lie? Who am I kidding, I should just tell the truth. “No… Not yet…”

She seemed to notice my embarrassed expression. “Oh! I’m sorry, I was getting a little too comfortable there and started asking some personal things.”

“No, no! It’s alright!” I didn’t want her to feel bad about it. “It’s not that the question was personal or anything, I just get nervous when talking to others and didn’t know how to answer.”

Primrose nodded in understanding. Florian was next to speak up. “Why don’t we try asking each other a few questions to break the ice first? It might be a bit easier to start a conversation that way.”

“I could answer one first if you’d like.” Aster added. He seemed like an outgoing kind of person who’d love these kinds of things.

“Sure, just one second.” I tried to think of a question that’d be good. “What’s something that you like to do in your free time?”

Aster seemed pretty happy to answer that question. “I really enjoy drawing and making art. Someday, I’d love to be a freelance artist and show my works off to the world.”

His answer shocked me a bit. I didn’t expect someone so outgoing to want to pursue such a lonely career. “That’s pretty unique. So what kind of things do you like to draw?”

“I’m glad you asked. Would you like to see some?” He asked. I nodded and Aster looked over at Primrose. “Mom, do you know where I last put my sketchbook?”

She nodded, getting up from her seat. “I’ll go get it for you, be right back.”

After she got up, Florian looked down at his phone after a notification appeared. He sighed and looked over at Aster. “I’m sorry, but I completely forgot that your mother and I have some errands to run.” His gaze shifted from his son over to me. “If you don’t mind, could you keep Aster company for a while until we get back?”

I’m sure Camellia wouldn’t mind if I stayed a bit longer. After all, it was her idea for me to come here. “I don’t mind.”

Primrose came back carrying the sketchbook, then handed it to Aster before she and Florian left the room. After they shut the door, I moved closer to Aster’s side so I could see the drawings as he flipped through the pages. There were a lot of illustrations of landscapes, all with so much thought and detail put into them. “These are all beautiful.” I commented.

“Thanks. I tend to draw nature a lot, and that’s why I love flowers so much. Since I can’t go outside much, my parents visit the shop often.” I noticed that when he spoke, his voice seemed to carry a hint of sadness. I looked up to make sure that he was okay, only to see him looking outside the window.

What have I done? I wanted to find a way to get closer to him, but now I’ve just made him feel worse. “I…” I started talking again without even realizing it. Aster turned his head only slightly to look at me. What should I say? I don’t know what to do in a situation like this! “I… I could come back tomorrow to keep you company if you’d like.” What was I thinking? Why would he want someone who makes him feel horrible to come back?

To my surprise, his eyes lit up at my request. “Really? I’d love that!”

Wait, what? Did I hear that right? “You really want to spend more time with me?”

“Of course.” Aster clarified. “I think you’re really cool and it’s fun talking to you.”

I could feel my face getting hotter and my cheeks turning red. I didn’t understand why, but to hear him say those words to me made me feel something. Whatever the feeling was, I liked it. Maybe returning to visit tomorrow wouldn’t be so bad.

The two of us talked for a little while longer until Aster’s parents returned. It felt like they were only gone for a few minutes, but apparently it had been just over an hour. For some reason, I felt pretty sad about it. I didn’t want to leave, but it was about time I’d gotten back to Camellia. 

“Before I forget, here’s the money for those flowers.” Primrose handed me some cash from her wallet. Honestly, if she hadn’t reminded me, I would have completely forgotten about them and left without any payment.

“Thank you.” I opened the door, waving goodbye. “It was nice meeting you all. Goodbye!” I walked back to the flower shop, feeling like a completely different person than the one I was this morning.

I woke up and immediately looked over at the clock on the wall. It was only a few minutes past six-thirty; way earlier than when I usually wake up during the summer. I threw my bed sheets to the side and rushed out to the kitchen to get breakfast. Camellia stood there, looking at me with wide eyes. She seemed genuinely startled at my sudden appearance. “Since when do you get up so early?!”

“Sorry for scaring you. I’m kinda in a rush this morning.” I moved past her and began browsing the inside of the fridge.

“For what?” She asked. “You don’t need to be up this early for work. I won't open the shop for another few hours.”

“I’m not up for that reason.” I explained, grabbing the milk and some fruit. “I’m going somewhere else.” 

I didn’t want to admit to her that I was going back to the hospital. She’d totally say something like, “Oh, so you really did like them, didn’t you?” with a teasing tone. My cheeks heated at the mere thought.

Unfortunately for me, my flustered expression seemed to be the very thing that exposed me. Camellia smirked. “You’re going to visit Aster again, aren’t you? Told you you’d like them!” 

Her voice carried the same teasing tone that I had imagined. I sighed, defeated. “You can be really annoying, you know that?”

I quickly ate my breakfast, then made my way back to the hospital. Since Aster was expecting me, he let the staff know in advance that I’d be returning so I was able to get from the front desk to his room in no time. “Let’s see… I believe it was room three hundred and ten, so this should be the one.” I said to myself as I approached the door. I knocked and heard a familiar voice welcome me inside a few seconds later. I stepped inside to see Aster already beaming with delight, and I couldn’t help but smile at it.

Before I knew it, we were already chatting the day away. We talked about a variety of different things. What our favorite foods were, what our families were like, and we even asked each other some questions like “If you were stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere, what’s one thing you’d want to have with you?” For the first time in my life, I felt nothing but pure joy from spending time with someone.

Those hours spent with each other turned into days, and those days turned into weeks. By the end of July, I started to notice that strange feeling within me more and more. That’s when I realized what exactly it was I felt; love.

I couldn’t believe it. Have I really fallen in love? As much as I wanted to deny it, I knew that every time I looked at Aster, it felt like something was pulling at my heart. I cared about him so much it hurt. I could hardly even look him in the eyes anymore. If I did, it felt like staring straight at the sun.

Aster looked out his window once again as he spoke. “Once I’m out of this hospital, I’m hoping I can go out and see the world.”

I felt a hint of sadness as he said this to me, but why? I wanted him to be happy, so why did I feel so upset about this? That’s when I realized my selfishness. I didn’t want him to leave. What if I’d never get to see him again? I know that sounds a bit exaggerated, but I still hated the thought.

I forced myself to smile. “I’d like that for you.” As much as I wanted to stay by his side, I wasn’t going to allow my selfish side to win. At the very least, I hoped that I could spend the rest of the summer with him before the day he’d finally leave the hospital.

I didn’t realize how soon that day would come.

Camellia and I were cleaning up after a long day at the shop, when Primrose came charging in through the door with an ecstatic smile spread across her face. “Sorry for bursting in after closing hours, but I’ve got great news!”

I looked up from behind the front counter. “What is it?”

“The doctors told Florian and I that Aster has been doing extremely well recently, so they’re discharging him from the hospital!” Primrose exclaimed.

Camellia dropped everything that she was doing and ran over to her, bouncing up and down in excitement. “Really? I’m so glad to hear that!”

“Me too.” I added as I stepped out from behind the counter. The news made me feel happy for Aster, but a hint of dread also built up within me. It’ll be okay, right? I mean, at least they’re not planning on leaving right away.

Primrose reached into her pocket and pulled out two slips of paper. “Florian and I were so happy about it that we decided to buy him and us some tickets for a flight to see the ocean to celebrate. Aster told us that that’s where he’d like to go, and we’ll be leaving just under a week into August.”

My heart suddenly dropped. That’s not much time at all! “Wait, really?” I asked in disbelief. “But then why do you have only two tickets with you?”

Primrose looked over at me. “Aster has his with him right now. Actually, he said he wanted to talk to you before we left. I’d go see him now since we’ll be pretty busy for the next few days preparing for our trip.”

So this was my last chance to talk to him? “Where is he?” My voice sounded desperate.

“You can find him in the park just across the street from the hospital.” As soon as I heard her answer, I was out the door and running down the street to the park. Some people stared at me like I was crazy, but I wasn’t thinking about them at that moment. All I could think of was the rising fear in my chest that I’d never see him again.

When I finally reached the park, I was completely out of breath. I looked around, but I didn’t see anyone. Am I too late? No, he’s got to be here. I continued looking around, having made up my mind. I knew that now was the time to tell him how I really felt. 

After a few minutes of searching, I finally spotted Aster sitting on a park bench that faced the setting sun. When he heard my footsteps approaching, he tilted his head to look me in the eyes. “Azalea!” His voice sounded as cheerful as ever.

Flustered, I looked over at the sunset, still not able to meet his gaze. “Hey.” I greeted him shyly. “I came as soon as I heard the news. I’m glad that you’re finally getting what you wanted.”

“It’s kinda hard to believe. This is the best I’ve ever felt in quite a while.” He chuckled a little as he spoke.

I laughed too. “Same here.” I said softly.

He tilted his head. “What was that you said?”

“Oh! T- That was nothing!” I thought I had only said that in my head. Who am I kidding, I have to tell him how I feel now. “Hey, there’s something I need to tell you, Aster.”

“Alright then, I’m listening.” He smiled, and I suddenly tensed up.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Why couldn’t I say anything? After all this time, I’ve been able to open up to so many more people like Primrose and Florian, but when it came to Aster, I still couldn’t do it.

Aster seemed to notice how I felt and stood up, walking over to me and placing his hand on my shoulder. “It’s alright. You don’t need to force yourself to tell me whatever it is you have to say.” He reassured me. “In fact, I think I have a good guess as to what it is.”

I didn’t even try to hide my face which was now growing redder with each passing moment. Does that mean he knows how I feel? 

“I have something I want to give to you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets that matched the ones Primrose had earlier. He placed one of them in my hand. I looked up at him to ask why he would give me this, but when I did, I noticed that he was also blushing. “I want you to come with me, Azalea. For this whole summer, you’ve done nothing but make me happier by simply being with me when I needed someone. I don’t want to be separated from someone like that, so no matter where I may go, I’d want you to come with me.” He stopped for a short moment. Now he was the flustered one. I’ve seen him open up many times before, but never like this. He smiled softly before finally speaking up again. “Because… I love you, too.”