Page 15

Kai’s promise to come see me again is still playing over in my thoughts when I spot a familiar head of light brown hair making her way through the greenhouse.

“Calliope!” I call over the hedge of greenery and her head whips in my direction revealing the black rim of her glasses and bright kind brown eyes beneath.

Calliope is a human who works at the bakery in town. As far as I know she has no idea about the non-human world and until something changes to allow her to know, I have to keep my non-humanness a secret. Which is a shame. Calliope is the sweetest human I know, and not just because she always smells like sugar and frosting. I doubt she would tell anyone about non-humans, she’s not that kind of person.

“Daisy!” Calliope calls and waves back at me, finding her way around the tangle of hanging vines.

We hug warmly when she reaches me, and I instantly feel more at ease. She’s never questioned my “tattoos” or commented on the flowers in my hair, or even mocked my lack of shoes. She’s the only person I’ve ever met who’s instantly accepted me for me and never made me feel awkward or uncomfortable.

Kind of like Kai, my mind reminds me. I feel like this around Kai, plus a healthy helping of desire and lust. Let’s not forget that little tidbit.

“I’m so glad I found you. You’re awfully busy today. Something special going on I’m not aware of?” Calliope pushes her glasses up her nose and glances around at the abnormally full greenhouse.

I follow her line of sight and realize almost everyone present is a non-human, but Calliope doesn’t know that or that they’re all preparing for the equinox celebrations.

“Um, well, you know how people get when the season changes. Alternating their summer displays for fall colors and blooms. It always happens around this time of year. We’re all very into seasonal decorations.”

I try to play off the influx of customers on a Wednesday as nothing of note. To me it isn’t, we expected as much so close to the equinox. Before I met Kai, I was expecting to see Endo or maybe Julia (the Kingsley family’s personal assistant) picking up flowers for their pre-equinox party. They always have one and it’s usually one of those two who come seeking the best blooms in season for the event.

I don’t know who Endo is to Kai. I never asked how he was related to his family, and we never spoke about his relatives in much detail. I got the impression he didn’t like to. So, we spoke on easier topics like flowers, decorations, and the upcoming celebrations.

“Oh. Well maybe I should do the same. I don’t want to be the odd one out in town,” Calliope jokes.

She’s only lived here for about six months now. She moved here when her great aunt died and left her house and all her possessions to Calliope in her will. Instead of selling it off and leaving with the money she decided to move here and live in her great aunt’s house. She’s still not sure if she’s going to stay permanently but has no plans to leave any time soon thankfully. Although she was here during the summer solstice, she didn’t see any of the celebration preparations, as most humans aren’t supposed to. Summer is also our smallest celebration. People tend to come here for autumn and winter because of the changing leaves and snow and go to warmer, more southern locations, for spring and summer.

“Nonsense, you’re not the odd one out in town, I am. Everyone already loves you.”

“They love my baking. That’s all.”

“No, that’s not all. You possess the ability to befriend everyone you meet, whereas I manage to always make people uncomfortable.”

“Stop that Daisy, you do not. You just need more practice being social. If you’d go into town with me more, you’d see that.”

“No thank you,” I shake my head and back away instinctually. “I don’t do well in town.”

“Because you need practice. Come intoSticky Bunsany day and we can just sit and talk and enjoy a warm sticky cinnamon roll.” Calliope gives me her award-winning smile and big doe eyes and even though I probably never will, I agree.

“Fine. But don’t hold your breath.”

She laughs and thankfully drops the subject of trying to assist in practicing my nonexistent socialization skills.

“So, what bringsyouin today? If you’re not changing your seasonal decor?” I ask, more comfortable talking about her than me.

“Oh, Sage called and said the tea leaves were ready for pick up.”

Among our many flowers and floral arrangement services, we also grow green tea, black tea, and chamomile for the businesses in town as well as for individual sales. We also grow a selection of flora that pair well with tea that customers can use to make their own, like hibiscus, when in season. For customers and friends like Calliope andSticky Buns, we also pick and dry the leaves and petals.

Currently we have a batch of black tea leaves that are ready. Getting into the fall, the non-floral and light flavors become more popular. Meaning my cinnamon and allspice will be getting low soon.

“Yes, I have it all ready for you at the house. Why don’t you come up with me and I can get you some fresh cinnamon as well.”

“I would love that. There’s nothing like fresh cinnamon to make everything better.”

My cinnamon comes from a Cinnamomum verum tree my mom brought back from one of her trips to Sri Lanka and planted in our greenhouse. I’ve nurtured and cared for it ever since, harvesting many years of cinnamon sticks from it to sell to the locals, and use personally. It’s a bit of a treat having it fresh nearly year-round.

I guide Calliope out of the greenhouse and through the back towards the house I’ve called home my entire life. To me it looks like a cottage from a fairytale, but with modern amenities. It’s a white two-story, with a curved roof and pale-yellow shutters, complimented by the creeping vines we’ve let grow up the walls. We make sure to tend to them and the house, so they don’t overpower the wooden siding and affect its structural integrity. We like having the plants around but we also like having a safe place to live.

The house is off limits to customers, but Calliope is more than a customer, she’s a friend. This isn’t the first time I’ve invited her into my home, and it won’t be the last.