Chapter 44

“We’ll see.”

“For now,” Z took my hand, “can I get a ride home?”

I chuckled. “That’s switching it up, but yeah.”

We rearranged the potted roses, so they weren’t in the middle of the parking lot.

“They look nice in the grass,” I said. “Except without you, there’s no nose.” Suddenly, the pots reminded me of the one I had in the trunk. “I know!” I popped it. “It’s not a rose, but I have a—” I was too stunned to finish the sentence.

“Is that…?” Z was at my side, his arm around my waist. I told him about the bulb I had found in his car that first morning, even before he had collected the ones to make the faces.

“It’s like it was put there for us,” I said.

“And now, it’s blooming.” Carmen was right there, too.

“It’s beautiful,” Z said.

“The flower fairies must have helped, because no way could this poor thing have done this, without light or water…”

“They’re magical.”