Page 50 of Pocket Full Of Posies

“Hi Daisy. Nice to see you again. You look lovely tonight.” My brother is only being polite, and his tone only suggests friendship, but I still don’t like him looking at Daisy like that.

“Thank you.”

“Have you seen Keiko yet?” Endo asks, turning to face me and the possessive fire burning in my gut simmers with his eyes off Daisy.

“Not yet, we just got here. Thankfully no one seems to have noticed us yet.”

“That won’t last long. Mom is impatient to meet Daisy. I’m sure she’ll spot you soon. Until then, why don’t we get a drink and maybe even enjoy ourselves?”

I keep an arm wrapped around Daisy’s waist as we make our way to the bar in the rec room, specifically built to host such parties. The ceiling is high, and the furniture is sparse. Tall tables are set up along the perimeter with a central table to break up the open space, ladened with a massive floral bouquet I don’t recall making with Daisy. Mom must have gotten it after arriving from somewhere else. I have no idea where, since there’s nowhere else in town to get flowers except for Daisy’s Gardens. The lights of the crystal chandeliers are set low to create a soft warm glow in the room, imitating an autumn sunset.

Behind the bar, set along the far side of the room, two bartenders tend to drink orders, both female fairies. Neither that I recognize. Much like the rest of the staff they were probably brought in from out of town. The pale blue fairy takes our drink orders and quickly prepares them before efficiently moving on to the next waiting guest.

We manage to find an empty table in a quiet corner, when I spot Keiko in the crowd. Waving her over, she moves gracefully through the guests like water around stones. Her butter yellow dress trailing behind her like a wake.

Daisy is pressed close to my side sipping her drink, her eyes scanning the crowd constantly and doesn’t notice my sister heading straight for us. She’s obviously nervous, but I admire her strength attending an event I know she must feel out of place at.

“Keiko, there you are,” Endo casually announces our sister’s arrival, as she gracefully glides up to our table.

Keiko is the one who looks most like our mother, with her pale silver-blue skin and matching hair, with the same tri-pointed fin ears and dark blue spots resembling freckles. Her eyes are a luminescent aquamarine that light up with joy at our presence. Cobalt blue lips pull into a soft smile as she greets us.

“Hello Endo, Kai, and this must be Daisy. I’m Keiko, Kai’s sister and I am very happy to meet you.”

Keiko extends her long delicately fingered hand to Daisy who accepts it with a gentle squeeze.

“It’s nice to meet you, too. Kai has spoken very highly of you.”

“Is that so?” Keiko gives me a knowing look but isn’t at all displeased.

“You know you’re my favorite, Keiko.”

Keiko just hums and smiles with closed lips. She may be quiet and demure but she’s not ignorant. She watches and listens and knows a lot more than my family gives her credit for.

“Sadly, Kai has told me very little about you, other than how wonderful you are and that you own the flower nursery in town with your brother. Did you make the arrangements for the house?”

Daisy smiles, at ease talking about flowers and arrangements.

“Some of them, yes. Not this one.” She gestures to the large one in the center of the rec room that’s more like a ballroom. “Although it is lovely.”

We all momentarily turn our attention to the massive arrangement of autumn blooms in reds, yellows and oranges. It’s nice but unless the flowers are in Daisy’s hands or hair, I don’t care what they are.

My sister and Daisy fall into a quiet conversation about flowers, and I watch and listen but don’t interrupt, only joining in when Keiko turns the conversation from flowers to our relationship.

“How did you two meet? Kai never told us.”

Daisy giggles and threads her hand through my arm, sliding down to grip my hand under the table. I reciprocate the gesture and rub my thumb across the soft skin of her hand, relishing in the small intimate act.

“Kai found me in the woods arguing with Delphi over her stolen goods.”

“Who’s Delphi?” Keiko asks.

“She’s a nosey little sprite Daisy has befriended,” I interject, recalling the sprite's fascination with me. “Cute thing, overly friendly but harmless.”

“She just likes you,” Daisy squeezes my hand and smiles up at me, comfortable and at ease, which alleviates the concern constricting my chest. “I was checking on her nest in the woods before winter to make sure it was sturdy, and Kai just strolls up like we’re not alone in the middle of the woods and starts a conversation.”

I recall when I first saw her and my fascination at her conversing with a sprite and how cute she was with her tail and ever-changing hair flowers. I still don’t know what all of them mean but I have an idea about one of them. At least I hope I know what it means. I’ll find out soon enough.

“Let me guess, he was shirtless and charming?” Keiko raises an eyebrow at me and smirks. She knows me all too well even if I haven’t seen her in months.

---