What the Flowers Say

Posted on Fri 25th May, 2018 @ 2:36am by

1,255 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Brushfires
Location: Deck 635, Scent of Love
Timeline: MD 13, 1625

A pink baby announcement lay on the desk. Shaped something like she imagined an antique diaper might have been, the two sides folded over the middle, and Riko opened them to read the invitation again. A baby shower. How odd that she'd been invited to a baby shower. It wasn't just that she didn't know the woman who'd had the baby, but also that she wasn't even a member of the crew, the staff, or the civilians who normally made Starbase 109 their home. Wondering if the computer had selected all women of a certain age or rank on the station, she closed the invitation again.

A baby, new life, hope. Was she ready for that? McCord wasn't sure, but she decided on a whim that she would go. The party was in two days' time.

"Computer, can you suggest an item for a baby gift?" she asked the always-present database.

=^=I've found fourteen items a baby should never have,=^= the computer responded.

"Oh, nice," Riko smiled. "I was looking more for something a baby ought to have."

=^=I don't have an answer for that.=^=

"Neither do I," she said. "I was hoping for more help from you."

=^=I suppose you don't.=^=

Giving the computer up as having a bad day, she said, "How about a florist? Is there a florist in the Promenade somewhere?"

=^=Okay, here's what I found. Scent of Love, Deck 635. Connors Florist, Deck 598. The Apple and Pear Shop, Deck 616. Grow-It-All, Deck 651.=^=

"Do you have a favorite among those?" McCord asked facetiously.

=^=This is about you, Riko, not me.=^=

"Alrighty then, looks like I'm on my own here." She glanced at the list on the screen and picked the first one on the list. They weren't by deck order or alphabetical. She wondered how the computer had sorted them. Still ... Scent of Love. That had a nice sound to it.

---

Flavia was humming to herself as she re-arranged the remaining bouquets to cover empty spots. She adored the new refrigerator which had kept the flowers in stasis, so they looked as fresh as they had early that morning.. Marcus had complained about the expense, but they were doing well on 109, and he'd given in to make her happy. It worked, too. She shut the door and stood back, head tilted to the right slightly as she took in the display inside the case.

She heard the door open and turned that direction as the chimes announced a visitor. "Hello! Welcome to Scent of Love. Is there anything particular you need today, or would you prefer to browse?"

"Something particular, and I have no idea what," Riko said, entering the shop. "Oh, it smells so lovely in here!"

"Thank you," Flavia said. "I'm Flavia Smith, owner of Scent of Love. Are you here because of a person or because of an occasion?"

"A little bit of both? I sound really pathetic, don't I?" McCord smiled. "I received a baby shower invitation. I don't know the family, but I'd like to find something nice to give them. I also know nothing about babies, and the computer was not at all helpful. I managed to wrestle the name and address of your shop out of it, though. I hoped you might have ... a baby welcoming plant?"

Flavia laughed and replied, "Well, that's a great idea. I like that idea. Is this for the Collins-Keller baby?"

Riko turned her hands up in a universal gesture that said she was clueless. "The invitation was pink," she said, "if that means anything."

"Yes, the Collins-Keller baby is a girl. Pink means girl, as it has for several hundred years, but once upon a time, no color was attached to a baby's gender. Never mind, don't get me started. Do you want a living plant that will grow in the nursery, or a bouquet of flowers with a specific message?"

Thinking for a moment, Riko wasn't sure. Flowers were lovely, and they generally smelled nice, but they didn't last long. Plants were usually simple arrangements of leaves, but they did last longer, if properly watered. "A plant, I think," she decided.

"Now we're closing in on it," Smith beamed at her. "A plant that says 'Welcome, Baby!' and will grow with the baby."

McCord nodded, "Yes, that sounds like a great idea. Something that can stand neglect, too. I don't imagine new moms have a lot of time to worry about watering plants!"

Flavia nodded and went to her own computer. "Let's see if we have something in stock that will fit the requirements. We don't have time to order anything. Let's see ... no philodendrons, they're poisonous if ingested, and you can't trust a baby not to be curious. Jade ... maybe ... no, they are poisonous to dogs and cats. I don't know if they have any animals, but wouldn't do to poison them. And as I well know, everything goes in a baby's mouth."

"Mom, are you looking for a non-poisonous plant?" Herodia called from the back of the store. "What about those African violets we got in yesterday?"

"Oh, hmmm," Flavia thought for a moment and looked at Riko. "They do flower, and they're small. They won't ever make a large bush or tree. They're quite nice, though. Hang out here a moment. Be right back."

Riko wandered through the plants, feeling as peaceful as in a garden. No other customers came in, and she was very relaxed when Flavia returned, bearing three pots. All had broad green leaves with flowers crowding the middle of the plant. One was a raspberry pink with ruffly edges and two petals that had white streaks in them. One was a deep purple bloom with multiple petals reminiscent of a rose. The last was a medium blue with flat petals, but there were so many blooms they crowded in a nudged one another.

"That one," Riko said, pointing to the blue one. "It says welcome to me." She blushed a little at being so assertive in an area where she was completely ignorant.

"The perfect choice!" Flavia said. "They seem to be nestling up to each other, don't they? Somewhat like a baby nestles when you hold it to your neck."

Riko agreed, though she had never held a baby to her neck. She'd have to try that when she was next around a baby she could hold. "I'd like to include a gift card so they can buy what they want for the baby. Do you sell cards for different shops in the Promenade?"

"No, but we have one all-inclusive gift card. You pay for it here and it can be used anywhere in the Promenade," Flavia told her.

"Perfect. Now to be sure I don't kill it, could you keep it here until day after tomorrow, about noon? I think I can be trusted to keep it safe for a couple of hours, but not more."

Smith laughed, "We can do that. If you like, I can repot it in a more attractive planter that's a little bigger, as well. We also include instructions for the new owner on how to care for the plant."

"Sure," Riko agreed. "That sounds like a great idea. Another thing the new mom won't have to think much about for a while."

Flavia handed her the PADD for her thumbprint. "I added 20 credits for the gift card. A very thoughtful gift. Every mother needs things no one thinks to give at a shower, and these flowers definitely say 'Welcome, Little One'."

 

RSS Feed