Maybe it did make sense, that Mirza picked Kaynath's phone call and not hers. She didn't deserve any of the kindness Mirza showered upon her. Or, anything. Kaynath's family was around her, surveying the setup and decor after the event. An older person who had the same brown eyes like her, was patting her head as Kaynath swatted her arm away.

Her parents were impressed but then they turned right toward Anya and Anya felt her chest tighten. Were they talking about her? Maybe Kaynath was talking shit about her and she would never know.

She looked away and tried finding her parents in the crowd. Or her brother. Nobody made it. Nobody important to her, anyways. Most of the crowd were Kaynath's relatives and neighbours, and she recognized some of them, considering she didn't live all that far from Kaynath either.

A small lonely feeling crept over her and grew until she felt her hands shake a little. She felt hollow like a milkweed pod that looked so full but was filled with weightless thin white hairs instead.

A sinking feeling settled in between her stomach and spread all the way to her toes. Nothing she did mattered.

There was no need to try anymore, perhaps. All this banter between Kaynath was simply Kaynath feeling bored.

It was just her, against the world. Dandelions appeared where she stood and quickly turned into a bleeding tooth fungus.

Nothing, nothing, nothi–

"Hey!" someone shoved her and she looked up to see Kaynath.

"Oh. Hi," she said, blinking twice to clear her vision. She saw her parents with her and spared a glance at her feet and smiled looking back up.

"This is Anya," she gestured to her parents. "She's a florist, and this is her side of the store." Her parents nodded and Kulsum looked between them, a sly smile on her lips. "These are my parents, Anya, and my sister, Kulsum and her husband, R."

"Excited to meet you, Anya," Kulsum was the first one to reach her hands out as Anya shook them. "Hope Kaynath here isn't a lot of trouble."

"You're supposed to be on my side," Kaynath elbowed her in mock annoyance.

"It's nice to meet you too, Kulsum."

Everything was happening in a haze and she was on auto-pilot now. "Did you come here on vacation?"

"Yep, and we'll be here for some time." Something flickered in her expression but Anya couldn't make it out, before it was gone.

"So, girl, where is this Mirza of yours you keep talking about?"

She saw Kaynath get red and flustered for the first time ever and turning away mumble, "She's not mine."

"What?"

"Nothing. She went on a business trip today, some emergency. She should be back soon she said....this week, hopefully."

"I see," Kulsum smiled at them.

There was an awkward pause that Anya didn't bother to fill until Kaynath's mother said, "So, you're the girl who stole half of the shop my daughter was supposed to have."

"Uh..." Anya looked at Kaynath. Kaynath was glaring at her mom now and Kulsum raised an eyebrow, frowning until she pasted on a smile and clapped her hands together.

"Don't make a scene here, ummi," she laughed, hugging her mom close and turned to Kaynath. "Apologies about her, girl. So, you're a florist huh?"

"Yep."

"She has powers!" Kaynath blurted and Anya shook her head. What was this idiot trying to do?

Several thoughts turned in her mind, and she shrugged. She didn't have to impress them, and if it came down to it...well, Kaynath wasn't someone who needed to be impressed. She had poked her about it all the wrong ways it worked and was a real nuisance.

Kulsum raised an eyebrow while Kaynath's parents were distracted looking around.

"Just some...flowers....I guess," Anya scratched at her skin, looking away, feeling a hundred eyes on her.

She sneaked a glance at Kaynath who was looking at her expectantly but the others were just waiting. She was going to let them down. Like she let down Mirza. Everyone.

She raised her hand, her breaths coming out uneven and coughed. She saw spikes on her hand –Crown of thorns, instead of her usual flowers and crushed them. Kaynath was staring at her. Everyone bloomed wide like a giant venus fly trap that would swallow her whole.

She rushed out as somebody called after her and out of the back door. Well, it was starting to get cold inside and her stomach twisted. It was hot outside and the difference made her break out into a cold sweat as she sat on the sidewalk. She heard rustling beside her but didn't dare look up.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to show them how cool your flowers were."

Kaynath's voice was soft and she reached out a hand but thought better of it and retracted it.

"It's fine," Anya mumbled. "I got nervous."

There was a beat of silence but Anya couldn't be bothered trying to feel awkward anymore as she swallowed.

"Do...you want a sweet?"

She shook her head. If she ate anything right now, her stomach wouldn't be able to hold it.

"I wanted them...I was trying to get their attention away from me."

"Figure out your own solutions without involving me," Anya looked up at her and realized Kaynath had flinched a little. Well, whatever. She was so tired of everything.

None of it mattered to anyone. Not to her best friend or her parents.

"I mean, your parents didn't come...and you looked lonely...."

Anya's face heated up. Lonely.

"I was waiting for my friends."

Kaynath pursed her lips but didn't say anything for a while and got up dusting her clothes.

Anya panicked but no words came out of her. She held on to the end of Kaynath's long hijab just as she was turning away. "Wait."

Kaynath waited for a while but her thoughts were jumbled. Why the fuck had she held on to Kaynath's dress like that? Her body had already reacted and now she didn't know what to say, looking dumb.

"Was there....something?"

Anya looked away but didn't let go. She should. Technically she should have let go because nothing she ever held on to stayed. She had an ominous feeling that one day even Mirza would leave her.

"I can tell my assistant to handle this for a while as we take a break..." Kaynath sounded doubtful.

"Okay," Anya responded, feeling her throat go dry. What was wrong with her today?

Kaynath squatted down to her eye level. "You know...Mirza isn't here..."

Her heart clenched.

"I could be your Mirza until she comes back," her eyes were warm. Soft.

No. No, you can't. You can't replace her.

The words were wrong. Kaynath could never replace Mirza. But maybe this was her way of saying she could be her friend, for now.

"You're such an idiot," Anya snorted. "As if that'd solve things."

Kaynath looked at her dumbfounded. "Shut up, I made you such a generous offer! You looked miserable moping around for Mirza..."

Anya tried to keep her face straight but she was sure something slipped when Kaynath paused.

"I could give you a cheek kiss, if it helps."

Why was Kaynath saying all the wrong things? And why did it make her heart beat faster? She was sure her previous issue was coming back and she was getting anxious. If she didn't stop this, she'd already be puking out her guts from all the anxiety building up.

"Pfft. No. I'm not that desperate."

They stared at each other for a while, Kaynath judging her and Anya looking at her. Well, maybe Kaynath wasn't so bad. She certainly sucked at saying the right things or comforting her like Mirza did. But it wasn't all bad.

"Now come on, you look dumb sitting there," Kaynath extended her hand. Anya scoffed and took it. It seemed Kaynath was back to her usual self. She bloomed a flower in her palms just as their hands met and she shook Kaynath's hand off.

"Yellow rose? What's that supposed to mean?"

Anya cracked a smile but didn't say anything as she walked ahead, skipping lightly.

***

A/N: Hello everyone, update after three months ah :)))  I have nothing to say except that right now i dont have a job and am looking for one, while also trying to build my portfolio, so technically I do have free time to write, but adhd i guess....doing its thing where I wanna write when i have not much free time and not when i do have free time. 

I am so incredibly grateful to anyone and everyone sticking around, no matter how late I update, you all mean so much to me!