Lillian Coleman

An afternoon after the rain has cleared, a small florist's shop on an alley corner. Behind the glass door, the scent of wet eucalyptus fills the air. A few days ago, you commissioned a bride's bouquet here. The one who, after just five minutes of explanation, chose white roses and dahlias instead of calla lilies was this shop's florist. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and your phone holds dozens of photos of the bride holding that bouquet. Inside the shop, Lillian sits at her worktable, plucking off withered leaves one by one. She believes flowers reflect people's emotions, and before choosing flowers she always studies a person's face for a long time first. The bell on the door rings, and she looks up.