* * *

MY BROWS furrowed when I noticed I didn't receive a message from my team. I checked my wristwatch. Since when my watch stopped?

I quickly hurried down my apartment and walked right straight to the Fire Dept. Building just two blocks away. Two trucks were not around.

How the hell did they leave without me? Why did no one call me? I frowned and checked my phone. It had a service.

S: Can we meet?

K: tomorrow

S: I want to see you

K: I'm busy, Sawyer.

My frown deepened.

S: I was just mad at my team. They left without me. Can you believe that? Why didn't I hear sirens? Did you watch any fire on the local news? Why didn't they call me?

K: Just chill, Sawyer.

S: that's it?

K: Did you water the flowers?

Shit! I ran back to my apartment.

K: You forgot, didn't you? 🙁

S: I'm sorry, Babe. That won't happen again. I was just in a hurry to go to the FD. I used to water fire and not flowers. 😁

K: *sigh. You're hopeless.

I took a selfie grinning besides the flower pot and added to the message.

S: See? That's me and my baby. Lol!

I waited for a few seconds.

K: Fine. Come to the flower shop tonight.

S: Can't wait, Babe 😉

* * *

THE SHOP was quiet.

"Kourt?" I got in the flower shop since it was unlocked. She shouldn't have left it open.

"Hey, Sawyer," she said, smiling. Her eyes were bright and glossy. She was wearing a knee-length white dress with a deep V cut accentuated with white lace sandals. Her hair was styled in a half-crown braid.

"Wow! You look stunning, Kourtney." I walked towards her and we eventually met half-way.

"Thanks,"

I grabbed her hands, squeezing them. I just can't get my eyes off of her. She looked glowing in the room with only a little light from the candles she lit up.

"Let's go,"

"Where are we going?"

"To our little paradise."

My heartbeat quickened when she grabbed my hand. I followed her inside since the door to the greenhouse was already open. I stood still with eyes wide opened.

"Do you like it?"

I shook my head in disbelief. "Wow, how did you come up with this idea?"

Only the lights came from the three lantern balls hanging from the roof made the place more romantic. A blanket spread on the concrete path, two pillows, and three lighted red candles aligned beside the blanket.

"I should've brought us a bottle of wine, Kourtney." I stopped, facing her in front of the blanket.

I cupped her face with my sweaty hands. "I don't know how can I make it up to you, but thank you so much for making this special for us. I love it, Kourtney."

My heart pounded in my chest when I saw the anticipation in her eyes. I closed my eyes, capturing her lips. My knees weakened as I shivered with pure delight deep into my skin, straight through my bone, and deep into my soul. I knew she was kissing me back. The kiss deepened, demanding, making my body ignited into a fire.

I found my sweaty body on top of her, breathing heavily, and groaning while making love to her until we both reached the edge.

* * *

"YOU should go home to take some rest, Jenna. I'll call you as soon as he wakes up," said a familiar male voice. A voice that I've known all my life.

"No, Glenn. I'll stay until my son gets up from this bed," Mom replied flatly.

"You need to take a rest, Jenna. I don't want you to be in the same bed as my son. You've been sleepless for five days. Come on, Dear, let me drive you home," Dad insisted.

"No, Sawyer always wanted to see me first thing in the morning."

"That was fifteen years ago, Dear when he was ten years old." Dad chuckled.

"I remember when his eye was bigger than my fist. Poor Saw, if it was not an accident I will beat the crap out of that child." Mom laughed, sadness was still audible in her voice.

Why were they talking about me?

I felt mom's warm hand rubbing my callous palm. I missed her touch. The way she blew my knee when I got bruised. How she rubbed my back if I had the flu.

"Mom," my voice was raspy. My lips were dry as a desert.

"Saw!" Mom shrieked. "Oh, dear Lord, thank you so much!" She launched herself at me.

I've never been so confused in my entire life. Why was she hugging me like I've been sleeping for years?

"Thank, God, son! I thought we lose you," Dad declared.

I felt his hand squeezing my shoulder that made me flinch.

Mom adjusted the bed to a semi-sitting position. I realized my head hurt like hell. I felt like my skull split in half and I wanted to puke my guts out.

Dad must have seen my discomfort. He offered me a plastic cup. "Here, drink this, Saw. The doctor will be here soon."

My eyes widened. A doctor? A headache? Lose?

I looked at them, they looked confused. My mouth hung open. I looked down at my body, inspecting myself. I'm wearing a blue hospital gown. I raised my hands. One had a small tubing secured with adhesive tape. There was a bandage on my left arm, a sling around my neck. There was a soft cloth wrapped around my head. I grimaced.

What happened to me? The last time I remember-

Shit!

My stomach sank. "Mom, where is Kourtney?" I looked at her with shock.

Her brows knitted. "Kourtney?"

"Yes, mom, Kourtney, my girlfriend. I Was with her last night. How did I get in here? Is she okay?" I shifted my gaze to Dad when mom's mouth just hung open.

"Dad, why am I here? I can't remember I drove my car last night. How did I get into an accident?" that's the first thing that came into my mind. A car accident. I shifted in bed and allowed my legs to reach the floor despite a severe headache I had right now.

"Wait, how did I get into an accident? I'm always a responsible driver." I asked Dad. Panic streaked in my voice.

I saw his throat bobbed up and down. "You don't remember, son?" he asked cautiously, brows raised quizzically.

"No, dad. I can't remember. I was with my girlfriend yesterday. The last thing I remember is, I was with her at the greenhouse. We stayed there all night until we fell asleep. Now, tell me, where is my girlfriend? Is she hurt?"

"Saw, you've been at the hospital for five days. You were in a coma. The doctors removed the machine that supported your breathing three days ago. You had a concussion."

"I don't understand, Dad. I was with my girlfriend yesterday. This isn't funny if this is some kind of a joke! I need to go and see her, she might think I left her after without waking her up." I stood up from the bed when I felt sudden dizziness. I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my dad's arm whose hands were already gripping my biceps to stop me from falling.

This was really weird and confusing me.

"Mom, please give me my phone. I need to call her. What time is it?" I sat back on my bed, opening my eyes slowly. I grimaced, squinting my eyes when my head felt like about to explode.

Mom tapped my phone on my hand. "I had it charged yesterday because I know you might ask it."

"Stop talking like that, Mom!" I snapped out of frustration. Sighing heavily, I slid my thumb to form a pattern of my password. I frowned, deeply when I don't have a missed call coming from her name, neither a message.

Was she still sleeping?

It's eight in the morning. I checked the call log. None of her numbers; dialed, incoming, outgoing, messages, inbox, and outbox.

Did mom delete all the log on my phone? But my old calls were still here.

I squeezed my eyes shut while shaking my head repeatedly.

There was no name of Kourtney save in my phonebook. I rubbed my face with my hand and bit my thumb like always did when I'm frustrated.

"Did you water my flowers?"

My parents didn't answer me.

I stood up, giving them my back. I placed my hand on my hip. My eyes started to sting. My heart bled in my chest to the thought it was all but a dream. A beautiful dream.

Everything came back to me like a flashback. The hospital, she drove her car, her favorite flower, her flower shop, the greenhouse. Her kisses, the way we made love. She never ate, never allowed me to send her home. My wristwatch had stopped working, the flower she gave me, her texts. My team never called for an emergency.

Then, those were just my dream?

I tapped the google chrome and type her name on the search box. A sharp breath escaped my mouth when the search result appeared. My heart stopped. My phone fell from hand and scattered on the floor.

* * *

Kourtney Daisy Powers

January 24, 1994- January 23, 2018

That was written on the placard pinned to the wall outside of her greenhouse. She drove home for Christmas when the accident happened. Her flower shop has been closed since then. She's been in a coma for a month and died that night I met her at the hospital.

I got inside the greenhouse with shaky limbs. It was like yesterday when I made love with her before I woke up two days ago. I can still feel her touch on my skin, her warm breathing on my face, her lips on mine.

My heartbeat accelerated, tears streamed down my face when I saw the pot placed at the center of the granite tombstone. A clay pot with a strikingly beautiful red daisy, just like the way she smiled at me. Then, I realized I made love with her on the same spot where she was buried.

* * *

The end