Chapter Text
"In my absence, she became a phantom of a love lost, love found, a love that grieved. The day I died, I had selfishly buried her with me. I trailed from behind, felt the ring on my finger, and ghosted my lips on her ears."
Jamie was by the shop door and just as she was about to flip the sign to a close, a woman around her age or a bit younger than her with blonde hair, and blue eyes put her palm up, signaling her to wait and stop. Beside her were two children, a boy in a green jumper and eyes miles away, and a girl in a floral dress with an all-too bright smile.
“May I help you?” she asks, opening the door.
“Yes.. do you…,” the woman inched closer to Jamie, “have a plant that these two can easily take care of?” she says whispering. Hesitantly, Jamie nods with a feigned smile and guides the three inside. “I think I have a few more plants in the back that they can choose from. A few minutes passed and Jamie came out of the room with two succulents in each hand.
“You have a lovely shop.” The woman roamed the room with her eyes, never quite meeting Jamie’s. “Ah yea, I've had it for almost two decades now,” she replied whilst handing her the plants.
“Oh is your husband a florist, too?” the blonde noted seeing the Claddagh ring.
“Sorry? Oh, no..wife.” habitually, she took her left hand and fiddled with the ring.
“She erm... She passed... But yes, I guess you could say she was a bit of a florist herself.” Jamie chuckled, eyes still locked on the ring. If the woman knew any better, by passed, Jamie meant passed almost twenty years ago and not passed as if it was a recent tragedy-- though to her it had always felt like that.
“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to.” apologetically flustered, she moved closer.
“I.. yes. I.. my wife passed away 4 years ago, too.” After hearing the word wife, Jamie’s eyes instantly met hers. “Oh…” breaking the contact she turned her head to the children playing by the window. “Oh, oh they’re our grandchildren.”
“Yes, s’ppose it is. I mean I don’t mean you’re that old. Definitely not old, old...You’re still young and pretty and...”
“Relax, I’m not at all offended.” a tint of red spread across her cheek. “So you think I’m pretty?”
“I ugh.. I’ll go check the back if there are more...name’s Jamie, by the way,” she said before heading inside. By the door of the backroom, she heard her say her name that almost sounded like a whisper, “ and I’m Cara.”
Jamie was checking a crate of random plants when she heard a sound that can only mean one thing. “Oi!” she said rounding the corner to the counter.
She was greeted by the sight of broken terracotta pots and leaves scattered on the floor.
“You little---”
“You two! Come here.” Cara’s voice overpowered hers. The two children came running towards their grandmother with sunken eyes and heads dipped. “Since you two broke these, it’s only right that you fix this mess. We’ll re-pot this and apologize. Have I made myself clear?” The two nodded, went back to the counter to ask Jamie for the pots which she simply pointed to the stacks on the left side of the store, Cara grabbed two pots and returned to the mess.
In between her grandson and granddaughter, she, too, began repotting. Their laughter and giggles filled the room as Cara helped the two. Before finishing the task, Cara knelt on the floor, soiled hands, turned to Jamie’s direction with a toothy grin. With the uncanny features and mannerisms behind them, the shop’s window reflected a scene forged in the past: in the garden at the Manor Miles, Flora, and Dani.. her Dani picking weeds. Gravitated by all accounts, Jamie walked towards Cara, “Do you need help with that?” She says kneeling to meet her eyes.
A warm air breezed through Jamie’s ears then her shoulder, out of instinct, she placed her hand on her shoulder, meeting the familiar spirit’s touch. If she had the ability, she would have heard her say,
"Today, my Jamie, I want you to finally march home from my grave, and love me in another lifetime. Now I can return to where I should have been fifteen years past."