She quietly cleaned up the flowers, glancing over to where Sebastian was sitting sipping his coffee and occasionally saying something. She couldn’t hear him anymore, and she was glad for that. She shouldn’t have heard the part she had. It was his private business; she should have kept her nose out of it. She quickly finished up her cleaning and left as quietly as she could. She felt like she had intruded on something so sad and sacred. It bothered her that she had let her nosy self hear those words.

  When she got back to the flower shop, she told Bethany what she had overheard.

  “That’s so sad,” the young woman said. “If he feels like he doesn’t have anyone else to talk to? You said that he feels like he can’t talk to his parents. I’m sure he is very lonely.”

  “I don’t know, I would think that he has friends or something,” Lily stated. “But I am going to pray for him and definitely try to be a smiling face and friendly voice whenever I see him.

  Bethany shrugged. “Maybe he does have friends. It just doesn’t sound like it.”

  Lily thought about that. Maybe he didn’t really have a lot of people to talk to. She knew he couldn’t have lived in town long. She had never seen him before he had started coming into her shop to buy the flowers every Saturday. This was a small enough town that if he had lived here for years, she would have seen him somewhere. The gas station, the grocery store, the post office—sooner or later, you saw everyone that lived there.

  Come to think of it, though, she hadn’t seen him anywhere but her flower shop in the entire time he had been stopping by. Something about that felt off to Lily. She determined that the next time she saw Sebastian, she would talk to him. Not about his wife and not about the flowers; she would just strike up a normal conversation with him. She would try to become his friend and she would be there to lend an ear if he needed it.

  Chapter Two

  The following Saturday when Sebastian came in, Lily greeted him with a smile. “Hi. How was your week?”

  “Uh, it was good.” He sounded a little thrown off by the question.

  “That’s great,” Lily said. “Mine was too. We weren’t super slammed like we have been the last couple of weeks, but business was steady. So it was good.”

  “Um hmm,” Sebastian agreed. “My week was busy, but that’s how I like it.”

  “Yeah, sometimes busy is nice” Lily agreed. She absolutely was not going to talk about why he kept his weeks busy. “You know what I realized the other day. I don’t know how long you’ve lived here in town. I’ve been here my whole life.”

  “Uh, I’ve lived here almost a year and a half,” he replied.

  “Nice. Did you live close by before or is this a whole new area for you?” She was going to keep the conversation light, but she wanted to try to talk for a little while. If Bethany was right, and he was lonely, she hoped she could be a friendly face for him to chat with when he came in the store.

  “I lived in Ohio before,” he responded.

  “Ah, so what made you move up here to Michigan?” Lily asked.

  “Work,” Sebastian said.

  Lily got the feeling that this conversation was making him feel awkward, and that was the last thing she wanted to do, so she dropped it for now. “Great. Well, I’ll go get your order.” She made her way to the cooler with the fresh cut flowers and brought out his thirteen roses. She wrapped them in tissue, took his payment, and wished him a good day as he left the store. She bowed her head and prayed “Lord, please give me the words to say to be someone who brings light and life into his world. Give me understanding for what he has gone through and help his heart to heal.”

  Every week for the next two months when Sebastian came in, Lily engaged him in small talk. They didn’t really talk about anything more than the weather and how their week had gone, but she felt like maybe he was starting to get a little more comfortable with talking to her. She hoped he was, anyway. He was a really nice guy, and she hoped that he could find his happiness again someday.

  It was coming up on Christmas soon, and Lily had her shop all decorated for the holiday. When Sebastian came in for his usual flowers that Saturday, he made a comment about how much Sarina would have loved the lights and decorations.

  “Who’s Sarina?” Lily asked. She actually knew who Sarina was; she had been Sebastian’s daughter. Lily had gone to the cemetery one day and walked over to the graves that Sebastian had stood in front of the day she had watched him, but she wanted him to be able to tell her.

  “Sarina is my daughter—was my daughter, I guess,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

  “Oh.” Lily wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. She gave him a sympathetic look that she hoped conveyed that she was happy to listen but she wasn’t going to pry.

  “She died sixteen months ago,” he explained. “She was in a car accident with my wife. They both died.”

  “I’m so very sorry to hear that,” Lily said. He had told her he had only lived here for about a year and a half, so they had died just shortly after having moved here. That was probably why he had been so alone.

  “Thanks,” Sebastian said. “Everyone keeps telling me that I need to move on, but that’s not as easy as they make it sound, you know.”

  Lily really didn’t know what to say to that, except to tell him that it was not something that others could just tell him to do. He had every right to grieve as long and in any way that he needed to. Then she just nodded her head sympathetically. The silence became deafening, she went and got his flowers.

  After Sebastian left, a thought came to Lily. She started working on her plan, and by the middle of the following week, she had the supplies she needed, and she began to make a special gift for one very special little angel.

  When Sebastian arrived at the shop the following Saturday, Lily greeted him as usual and asked about his week. After they had chatted for a few minutes, she said, “Look, I hope you don’t mind., but I made something that I am hoping you will accept for Sarina.”

  At his puzzled look, she pulled the large gift box out from behind the counter. She opened it up, and inside was an angel figurine of a young girl. But it wasn’t just a plain angel: It had a small solar panel on the top of the platform that it sat on. Lily had made sure that it had sat in the sun the day before and then had turned it off to conserve the energy it had absorbed. When she turned the switch on, tiny little Christmas lights in all different colors lit up the small tree that the angel appeared to be looking at. If it was left on, it would light whenever it had consumed enough sunlight. In Michigan winter, that wasn’t always available, but it would light when it could, and the rest of the time, it would be a small angelic girl gazing at a small tree.

  “It’s…amazing,” Sebastian said. “Where did you find it?” He stared at the figurine, his mind obviously thinking about the little girl he had lost.

  “Um, I made it. I got the parts from an online craft supplier and I put it together. I just thought maybe, Sarina would like it.” Lily hoped she hadn’t overstepped and gone too far. “You said she would have liked the lights and things in my shop, so I just thought maybe.” she trailed off, she didn’t know what else she could add.

  “She would have loved it,” Sebastian said. “Thank you, Lily.” He had a genuine smile on his face, but maybe also a tear in his eye.

  “You’re welcome. I’ll put it back in the box and go get your flowers.” She showed him where the switch was in case he ever wanted to turn it off. She got his flowers and brought them up front.

  “How much do I owe you for the figurine?” he asked.

  “Oh, no, that’s a gift. I made it as a gift,” she explained.

  “Well, thank you Lily, that means a lot to me,” he said. He made his way out to the car with his flowers and the special box and then made his way to the cemetery.

  When he walked out the door, Lily looked up to the ceiling and whispered, “Thank you God for giving me that thought, please let it be a blessing to him.”

  When Sebastian arrived at the cemetery, he placed the figurine on his daughter’s grave. It was kind of a cold and cloudy morning, so he knew the lights wouldn’t stay on for long, but he turned the switch on anyway so that the light could be seen. He took his usual spot where he could talk to his wife and daughter.

  “Olivia, I need to tell you about a really special woman I’ve been talking to. You see, she owns the flower shop where I get these flowers. Her name is Lily. Anyway, I’ve gone in there week after week, and a few months ago, she started asking me things, simple things really. She asked me how my week had gone. Where I was from, just everyday stuff. But she’s the first person that I’ve actually talked to since you two left. I mean, I talk to people at work about work, but she’s the first one that I’ve carried on a conversation with. She’s become a friend that I feel like I can open up to.” He continued on “I was telling her how much Sarina loved Christmas and all the lights, and well, she made that little angel figurine over there, just for our girl. She’s a really sweet woman and I don’t know, I think I’d like to get to know her more. But I feel like some may think that’s a betrayal to you.”

  “My parents tell me that it’s time that I move on and start living life again, but I wasn’t sure that I ever could. I have blamed you and I have blamed God for the things that happened that night. I’ve felt so cold and so alone. I have felt like God abandoned me. Then I met Lily, and I don’t know, I’m starting to feel alive again. Like maybe someone cares about me again. I wish I could know what you would think about that. I wish there was some rule on how long a person is supposed to mourn. I kind of think that you would understand, but the last thing I ever want to do is forget the two of you. I wish there was some way that you could give me a sign,” he said, looking up to the sky.

  Suddenly, the clouds parted and a solid beam of sunlight came through. It lit up the whole area where Sebastian was standing. The figurine was getting its needed sunlight, and both graves were drowned in light. Sebastian was going to take that as a sign that it was okay for him to start figuring out how to begin living his life again.

  In his mind it felt like he could begin to come out of the shadows, his clouds could part, and daylight would fill his world again. It was just about the best metaphoric sign he could ask for. “I’ll still come and see you though—maybe not every week, but I promise, I will never forget you.” Tears were forming in his eyes. It felt like a relief, and yet it seemed it was just too much to hope that life could be happy again. “God if this is a sign from you, I’m going to take it and try to follow through.”

  When Sebastian walked back into the flower shop, Lily was confused. “Did you forget something?” she asked.

  “No, actually I was wondering if you would like to go and get a cup of coffee with me sometime?” he asked. “I’ve enjoyed talking to you when I stop in, and I was hoping maybe we could find a time to sit down and get to know each other a little more.”

  “Yeah, sure, that would be fun,” Lily said. “When would you like to go?”

  “I’m generally open on the weekends,” Sebastian replied.

  “I close the shop at two on Saturdays. Would that work for you?” Lily asked.

  “That works,” he answered. “Would you like to meet at the Beanery around 2:30?”

  “Sure, I’ll see you there,” she agreed.

  “Great,” he said, and then he headed back out the door.

  “Did I just hear what I thought I heard?” Bethany asked as she came out from the back room.

  “I guess so,” Lily stated. “Mr. Trent just invited me for coffee.”

  “First of all, congratulations on scoring a date with one of the hottest men in town, and second, I think you can probably call him by his first name since you’re going out with him,” Bethany stated.

  “It’s not really a date,” Lily explained. “He just said he enjoys talking to me and wanted a chance to do more of that. I think he’s very lonely.”

  “I’d still call that a date,” her assistant argued. “He’s single, and yeah, he probably is lonely and likes having someone to talk to. He’s been alone for a year and a half. I think he likes you but he’s out of the habit of dating , so he just asked something that’s no pressure to get to know you more.”

  “Well, whatever it is, I’m glad to be his friend and give him someone to share things with,” Lily stated.

  She wasn’t going to say it to Bethany, but she definitely wouldn’t mind being more than friends with Sebastian Trent. He seemed like a really great guy. He had obviously been devoted to his wife and daughter. Any woman would be lucky to find a man like that. She finished out her workday with an added amount of cheer. Even if it wasn’t a date in the traditional sense, making a new friend was always a good thing.

  Chapter Three

  When Lily walked into the Beanery, it was only about fifteen minutes after two, and she didn’t see Sebastian anywhere. She ordered a hot chocolate and took a seat at one of the tables that was easily visible from the door. He walked in about five minutes later, and she signaled to get his attention. He walked over to the table to greet her.

  “I see you already have a beverage. Is there anything else I can get you?” When she declined, he walked to the counter to order his coffee. When he returned to the table, he asked. “Have you been waiting long?”

  “No, only a few minutes, I came here right after I closed up, so it didn’t take me long,” she assured him. “I agreed to two-thirty because I never know if there will be a customer that walks in at the last minute to get something and I try to never rush anyone out the door.”

  “Good business practice.” he said.

  “Thanks. When I took over the shop from my parents, I tried to keep the same friendly customer service policy that they always practiced.”

  “I know you said they retired to Florida. How long have you been the owner?” Sebastian queried.

  “About five years now,” she said.

  “That probably ties you down a lot, though, having to run a small business like that,” he stated

  “A little bit, not horribly bad, though. I have Bethany full time, and there are a couple of other people that work part time and will pick up the slack if I want to take a day off or something.”

  The small talk continued as they each sipped their beverages and each got a refill. By the time they had chatted for over an hour, Lily felt like she definitely had made a new friend.

  Over the course of the next six weeks, they often met for coffee or lunch. There really wasn’t much that they hadn’t talked about. By the time February rolled around, Sebastian felt like Lily had become one of his best friends, his only friend here in Michigan really. He often thought about her as more than a friend, but there was still a part of him that felt like it would be a betrayal to Olivia if he became romantically involved with someone else. Just how long was the proper mourning period?

  He decided to call his sister. Since they had become adults, they didn’t talk as often, but she had always been the voice of reason. She had also been Olivia’s best friend. When she picked up the phone, her first words were,

  “Hey, big brother, to what do I owe the privilege?”

  “Hi, Naomi. I just needed to talk to you a little, I guess.”

  “Sure, what’s going on?” she asked.

  “Well, I met this really sweet girl up here. She’s the owner of the flower shop where I get the flowers for Olivia and Sarina,” he began.

  “ So you’re still doing that? Mom and Dad said you were having a hard time letting them go,” his sister stated.

  “No, I’m not having a hard time letting them go—I mean, they’re gone, I’ve let them go.” Frustration was evident in his voice.

  “It doesn’t sound like it to me if you still take flowers there every Saturday,” she argued. “Anyway, tell me about this flower person.”

  “Well, her name is Lily—that’s kind of ironic, right? Her parents were really into flowers, apparently. The shop is named The Forget Me Not Flower Shop, and they named their daughter after a flower,” Sebastian said.

  “Okay, it’s cute I guess, but I don’t understand why you are telling me about her.” Naomi stated.

  “Well, I don’t know, several months ago, she started talking to me when I went to pick up flowers, just little things, like how was your week, how long have you lived here. Just simple friendly stuff. Anyway, at Christmas time, she made this really sweet little solar light thing with an angel and a tree for me to put on Sarina’s grave because I told her how much Sarina had loved lights,” he explained.

  “Okay, that was sweet of her,” his sister encouraged.

  I thought so too. And it was so nice just having someone to talk to, you know? That day when I took the statue to the cemetery, I kind of asked Olivia for a sign if it would be okay for me to talk to Lily more and maybe start a friendship with her. Anyway, this beam of sunlight broke through the clouds and lit up the whole area. It had been a really dreary day and bam, a bright beam of light, so I thought maybe that was the go-ahead to make friends with Lily. So we went out for coffee. It’s been almost two months now and we get coffee or just chat a little. She’s become a really great friend.”

  “I think you want to be more than friends,” Naomi guessed.

  “Well, yeah, I kind of think I do, but I don’t know if that’s fair. I mean, is it a betrayal to my wife and daughter?” he asked.

  “Sebastian, no, not at all. I was Olivia’s best friend, and I know she wouldn’t want you to grieve forever. I mean, yeah, don’t forget them, but you don’t have to remain single forever to honor their memory.” she implored. “No, sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that. I know you would never forget them. And even if you don’t think I know it, I do. You and Olivia weren’t Bogie and McCall. I know you married her because you cared about her, and she was pregnant, but you weren’t over the top in love with her. You did the right thing for a girl who had a lot of tough breaks in life, but you don’t have to remain faithful long after she’s gone. If you like this girl, give it a shot. Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, big brother. I say go big or go home.”