Spring has sprung, and with it, smiley faces. When yellow crocuses bloom all over town in the shape of an emoji during April’s first warm days, reporter Nero Storm is sent out to discover their meaning and origin.<br><br>Nero has little to smile about himself, what with dysfunctional family drama and a tragic love life. The previous fall, it seemed as if he might have finally met the man of his dreams in dog daddy, ride share operator, and charity organizer Z. Though the two spent but ten morning and evening car rides together, sparks flew. Unfortunately, at the end of that time, Nero witnessed a crime, and Z disappeared.<br><br>Now, as the rest of the world looks forward to a new beginning promised by spring, Nero is left to wonder. Are the smiley face flowers a message for him, and will he ever see Z’s smile again for real?

21 Smiles

“Well, yeah. I might have bolted. I did bolt, for different reasons but because of the same thing. I’m pretty sure if he hadn’t ghosted me, I would have ghosted him. That’s a lot of ghosting, and it wasn’t even Halloween yet.”


Frasier was right. My jokes were lame. That one didn’t even cheer me up.


“I was embarrassed as hell,” I said. “Mad as hell—disgusted and ashamed all at once. Z was probably feeling all of that, too, disgusted by and ashamed of me.”


“For something your father might or might not have done. Did you ask him? Your father, I mean.”


“I…What would be the point? If he said no, I wouldn’t believe him. If he said yes, it wouldn’t change anything.”


“Wait. How do you know Z didn’t take it? Like, to count it or turn it over to somebody? That makes sense. He was in charge.”


Chapter 32