“I honestly have never thought about it.”
“You need to think about it if you don’t want to be paying child support in five years. The D is only going to last so long, and then she’s going to want someone who can help ease her load. She can’t be expected to do it all without some kind of acknowledgment of your affection.”
David picked up the ball and began tossing it from hand to hand.
“So, you think I should start with flowers? Like, get some delivered?”
“They sell flowers at the grocery store. Pick some up on the way home. Do the dishes after dinner. Rub her feet while you watch TV. Little gestures like that go a long way.”
“How did we end up talking about your married life when we started off talking about how to get the woman, I pissed off to go out with me?”
“Stop being selfish Mark. It isn’t all about you. I didn’t realize my marriage was at stake until just now.” He threw the ball at me and laughed.
“Stop being dramatic.” I caught the ball and passed it right back.
“Is your little therapy session over now? Can we get back to the game?”
The conversation moved on from dating advice to complaining about the current hockey season. I couldn’t get my focus back on the game, the one we played or the one we talked about.
What kind of flowers would Brooke like?
8
BROOKE
Ishook my head and smiled. There were even more flowers on the information desk this morning. At some point, someone was going to come along and make me take them home. Or make someone take them home.
“Looks like the mystery florist strikes again,” Terry said as she walked with me.
“At least they are pretty and smell nice,” I said. “You should take some home.”
“Well, so should you.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, I like them here. This way everyone can see them. Besides, if I take them home my mother is going to ask if I have a secret admirer.” I made an exaggerated shiver motion.
“So, you don’t think these are all for you?”
I shook my head. “Lisa thinks they might be for her. She’s been dating a guy who apparently has been trying to up his game with her. He messed up on Valentine’s Day and she thinks the flowers are his way of trying to make things up to her.”
Lisa did the same job I did, only in the afternoons. Our shifts overlapped enough for us to usually exchange a few words.
“Could be. But they are usually waiting there in the mornings. They aren’t delivered to her specifically.”
“You know what I think is happening, some delivery guy keeps losing his delivery instructions for patients, and instead of admitting he’s messed up at work, he leaves them here so he can claim he’s delivered them to the hospital.”
It was as good as any other theory. But I knew exactly what they were and who they were from. And I knew they were for me. But no one else did. There was never a note. And half the time the flowers were just left, not delivered.
I had told Mark if he wanted to take me out, he needed to ask me. I figured the flowers were him trying to butter me up. He had messed up. I had been so willing, but he completely missed that window of opportunity.
I admired the new flowers this morning. Purple irises and pink lilies. They smelled divine. I slid into the swivel chair. Terry leaned with her butt against the desk. She was dragging her heels about getting to her post for the day. I didn’t mind the company or the chatting. I mostly only ever said a few words to anyone during my workday. My job didn’t tend to have conversations.
“Well, I need to get going. I’m at the back entrance today.”
“Will you take some of these?” I lifted a vase of yellow flowers and handed them to her. “That back entrance is dreary.”
She accepted my offer. “This will look nice back there. Thanks.”
I smiled and nodded as various staff members made their way into the medical tower. I could always tell the office workers from the patients, even when their clothes were covered by coats. There was a distinct look to the morning trudge. Plus, they always carried in a tote bag or a lunch box.