Frank Hobbes knelt peacefully amongst his garden as the new family next door shuffled their belongings into their new house. Mrs. Baker peered over to Mr. Hobbes tending to his garden and began to venture toward him. Frank looked up from watering his Forget-Me-Nots to find a smiling woman admiring his garden. He greeted her with a weathered smile.

“Those flowers are beautiful.” She admired.

“Why thank you ma’am, they’re for my wife.” He said in a pleasantly raspy voice.

“I’m Julie Baker,” she said extending her hand”

“Frank Hobbes, how do you do?”

“Oh I’m fine. Is your wife inside? I’d like to meet her.” She asked with interest. A glint of heartbreak shone in his eye.

“My little lady passed away quite a few years back.” He said with a poignant smile. A compassionate expression plagued her face.

“Oh, that’s terrible! I’m so sorry for your loss.” She offered. Used to condolences, he said it was alright and began delicately picking his Forget-Me-Nots, placing them in a small vase. “If you don’t mind my asking, how did she pass?” Mrs. Baker implored.

“My Lucy suffered from a bout of cancer 12 or so years ago. It went on for around 3 years until she couldn’t fight anymore. But she went peacefully. It was a Sunday. Sundays were the days I’d fill the vase on her bedside table with fresh Forget-Me-Nots instead of the usual posies I’d give her. She loved Forget-Me-Nots; they were the flower I brought her on our first date, which was also a Sunday. It only seemed fit to have a vase of Forget-Me-Nots next to her as she went up to heaven,” Mrs. Baker knelt down to Mr. Hobbes’ level, listening intently.

“I remember our first date like it was just the other day,” he continued in an even slow storytelling tone. “I took her to a modest dinner and a movie. I’ll never forget the way she smelled or the way she wore her hair. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. She was far too pretty for a boy like me to be taking her out. I was quite a lucky fellow,” his mouth released a reminiscent smile. “We wed a year later and had two strong boys and a beautiful little girl. Every day my Lucy would wake to a fresh bundle of flowers by her bed and she’d smell them and told me she loved me so before fixing us breakfast.”

A vibrant little girl came dashing toward her mother. Mrs. Baker welcomed her with a hug.

“Hello, what’s your name?” Mr. Hobbes cheerfully asked the little girl. She smiled and hid behind her mother, fidgeting her hands wildly as she stared at the nice old man.

“She’s a bit shy,” Mrs. Baker said. “This is Anabella.”

“Well how do you do, Anabella?” She inched further behind her mother, peeping out her head and fidgeting fingers. Mr. Hobbes picked a single Forget-Me-Not from his vase and extended it to the little girl.

“Here you go, little one.” She hesitated then slowly reached out her arm and was handed the flower. She giggled and twirled the flower between her fingers smelling it wildly.

“I’ll be seeing you,” Mr. Hobbes said to them with a hopeful smile. Mrs. Baker smiled and led her daughter back to their house.
p>

Want to comment on this Short Stories? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Short Stories and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...