Page 69 of Sweet Madness
Damn.
The thought of her being away from my life is getting harder and harder to assimilate. Her sad smile flashes through my mind as I tell her one day she will make someone else happy, but that someone isn’t me. It hurts like a dagger to the heart, but it needs to be said.
Wiping a bead of sweat from my brow, I let out a weary sigh, looking forward to a cold shower and a beer. I push open the front door and step into the house. To my surprise, the air is thick with the sweet fragrance of pink tulips—Ella’s favorite flowers. The same flowers she spends all day plucking from my fields.
Confusion flickers across my face as I take in the sight before me.
“What the hell…” I breathe out.
A pink explosion.
The interior of my home, usually marked by lifeless simplicity and a sense of solitude, is now awash in vibrant pink blooms. Ella— it has to be her. Vases of varying sizes and styles, each brimming with fresh pink tulips, adorn every available surface.
My gaze moves from one bouquet to another, taking in the delicate petals and the splash of color they bring to the room.
On the grand piano next to the fireplace, a large ceramic vase holds a grand bouquet, its elegance and beauty a total contrast to the worn wood around it. The fireplace mantle is graced with a modest yet strikingly beautiful arrangement of tulips.
A smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I step further inside, the scent of the tulips mingling with the familiar aroma of baked goods. I notice a handwritten note tucked into one of the vases. Curiosity piqued, I retrieve it and see the sketch of what seems to be a constellation—one recognizable by its distinctive pattern of seven bright stars and one I know too well.
Ursa Major. The Great Bear.
Under the constellation doodle, there is a message that reads: For when you get lost… My lucky stars will find you, every time. Love, E.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
She’s been chasing stars all her life, and now she’s here, being the brightest one in my dark sky.
I slip the note into my jeans pocket and continue to survey the room.
I’m ashamed to admit that my heart thuds wildly in my chest as I follow a trail of white confetti scattered from the living room all the way to the kitchen.
Today is an ordinary day, just like any other. Not special, at least to me.
But it can’t be a coincidence that today of all days she would do all of this… could it? My thoughts are cut short by the sweetest voice.
“Surprise!” Ella’s voice rings out from the kitchen. I turn to find her standing there, beaming with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. She wears an apron splattered with flour, and her face and hair are smudged with the white powder as well.
She looks like a mess. An adorable and happy one.
I stand in silence as I take in the dining room—the table is adorned with small desserts ranging from brownies to cheesecakes, complete with white candles casting a soft glow over the room, and a birthday cake at its center, decorated with pink icing and flickering candles.
There are chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting as well.
I notice a white banner hanging from the kitchen island that reads, “Happy Birthday, Shaw.”
Thud.
Thud.
There goes the organ inside my chest again, chasing up a storm.
“Happy birthday to you, Shaw bear!” Ella exclaims, smiling from ear to ear as she approaches, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
I find myself momentarily speechless, my mind struggling to understand how she could know that today is my birthday. I don’t even think my own cousin remembers, so how could she? “How did you know?”