Elly In Bloom (15 page)

When Elly had married Aaron, her mom had donned a beautiful strapless pale yellow dress and walked her down the aisle, clutching her daughter’s arm tightly. Sarah had done the flowers for the entire wedding. Elly clutched peach garden roses, white magnolia blooms, pale pink parrot tulips, and chocolate artichokes with seeded eucalyptus. To this day, it was the most beautiful bouquet Elly had ever seen. At the end of the aisle, pale wisteria hung down from a hand-crafted pine arch decked with lemons and olive leaves. Elly hadn’t noticed it, since underneath Aaron had stood smiling at her as if she were the light in his life. He had reached out his hand – his beautiful, ink-stained hand – and took hers. Her mother gave her a concerned smile and walked alone to her seat.

Looking back, Elly knew that the smile was more than motherly love. It was a warning. One of countless warnings that Elly had ignored in her fiery fall into Aaron-induced bliss. Three months after their wedding, her mother had told her that she had been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. The next nine months were spent caring for her mother on one hand, and juggling a new marriage with Aaron on the other. Worn out and emotionally exhausted, Elly’s days and nights blended together into paintings, pills and work. While at work, she was calling her mother every hour to make sure she was feeling okay, and when she was with her mother, she was on the phone with Aaron, helping him organize his gallery showings. At 3 am, dressed in her flimsy nightgown – Aaron preferred nightgowns to pajama pants – she would be on the computer, a pint of Cherry Garcia in one hand and a notepad in the other, looking up holistic remedies, radical cures, symptoms, medicines, and statistics. She had been a ghost, drifting between bright sunlight that was Aaron, and the dark recesses of her mind where she was losing her mother. That year was the best and worst of Elly’s life, but no amount of marital joy had prepared her for the heart-wrenching loss of her mother.

Sarah Jordan’s last day was on a Sunday. Unable to go to church, Elly read her mother her favorite bible verses while she cooked her mother’s favorite breakfast – granola pancakes with a cranberry-maple topping. Her mother was withered and small at that point, but her appetite had come back with ferocity in the last few weeks.

She looked at Elly and smiled. “I’m so glad that I’m here with you, and not at the hospital.”

Elly flipped a pancake.

“Well, that’s good, because a hospital would never feed you this. Jell-O and celery are probably better for you.”

Sarah smiled – weakly, but still a million watts at least.

“Better for me, at this point? Please. If I’m going out, I’m going out how I came in. Fat and happy.”

“Please don’t say that, Mom.”

As Elly slid the pancakes onto her mother’s plate, Sarah weakly reached for her arm.

“I feel like it’s today, honey.”

Elly felt a strangled sob escape through her throat.

“How can you know that? You don’t know. Your new medicine…”

“Elly. I’m ready. I’m so tired. I want to go home.”

Elly slammed her orange juice onto the table. “You are home. This is your home. Where I am.”

Sarah laid her hand on Elly’s wrist. “Yes. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. But I’m ready for the next adventure. I’m ready to meet my Savior. You are going to be okay. Elly Jordan, my daughter, my beautiful daughter. Being your mother is the greatest gift God ever gave me – the most beautiful flower in my garden…and the most stubborn.” She patted Elly’s cheek. “I’m not worried about you. Not even for a day. You’re stronger than you know. And you have Aaron. You love him. He makes you happy.” She chuckled. “And he is so very pretty.”

Elly laughed, despite the tears rolling down her face. “Eat your pancakes you old fart.”

Sarah Jordan looked deep into her daughter’s eyes. “I’m so proud of you. I have a feeling you are going to do something
great
in this life.”

Elly kissed her mother’s forehead and handed her the syrup.

That Sunday had been a wonderful day. Elly laid down a blanket in the yard, where Sarah could be surrounded by her garden, those flowers that she had loved and cared for. She made hibiscus tea and chocolate mocha cookies, and they had lain in the sun, alternately laughing and crying. There were no grand statements, no whispered secrets of wills or pasts; just a mother and her daughter, feet entwined, saying goodbye without needing to say a word. When the golden light of sunset illuminated the yard, making every blade of grass a sun-kissed wonder, Sarah had become very tired, very quickly. She cried out for her daughter and took her hand in her strong grip. Elly pulled her Mother into her arms and rocked her slowly to the edge of forever sleep.

“Eleanor…” her mother put her fingers on her face. “I will love you forever.” She closed her eyes. “You will survive.”

Elly sobbed. “Survive what?”

She gave Elly one last smile and opened her eyes into the sun. And just like that, Sarah Jordan was gone. The scent of her gardenias drifted out of the yard into the warm Georgia air.

Elly stayed with her mother until the stars and the katydids arrived. Later that night she wandered the garden with Aaron, reeling from the shock of it all. She pointed out every plant and every flower, touching each one of them, each one a result of her Mother’s love. She lay down with Aaron onto the soft white blanket, the blanket that she had laid on with her mother, just five hours earlier. Wrapped around each other, they fell into a deep sleep. When she awoke, the sun was rising. She looked at Aaron sleeping beside her, his beautiful hair matted against his forehead. Yes, she would survive, she assured herself. As long as she had Aaron, she would be fine. She watched a daffodil dance with the breeze and remembered her mother’s round behind peeking out from behind her garden bushes.
Thank you for my mother,
she prayed
, Amen
.

That day, thought Elly, now back in the dark Posies studio, the day when her mother died, that day had been the beginning of Aaron’s betrayal. Elly angrily yanked the cooler door open. She grabbed some pale green kale roses, plum veronicas, baby blue agapanthus and bright pink poppies. Cadbury sat patiently by her feet. She leaned over and kissed his furry head. In the back, there was a crackled old vase that was too delicate for everyday use. Moving carefully, she placed flower after flower into the vase, until she had created an overflowing garden arrangement. She stepped back and admired her work. Her mother would have adored this.

She glanced down at Cadbury, who was snuffling around at the floor near her feet. She smiled. Her mother would have adored him too. Her cell phone vibrated, illuminating the massive pile of stems on the table. She glanced at it. Isaac. And just like that, her heart leapt up from the floor and settled itself back onto her sleeve. His voice, like warm caramel, dripped against her ear.

“What are you doing?”

Elly leaned against the counter. “Just thinking about my mother and making an arrangement for my kitchen table.”

“That sounds…lonely.”

Elly laughed. “It is. But I’m not alone. Cadbury is here with me.”

“I think I can officially state that he is the worst guard dog ever.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m here.”

Elly spun around. There was a figure standing in her doorway. She was instantly aware of her purple track pants and stained black camisole, as well as her hair, which was damp and in some sort of half-bun. She wiped her fingers under her eyes. They came away black with mascara. Great. She peered out the window.

Isaac stood in the misty rain, looking dazedly handsome and dangerous, his dark brown hair jet black in the moonlight. Elly opened the door.

“You know, that’s not romantic. It’s just kind of creepy.”

Isaac stepped in the door and quickly cupped her face in his hands. “You’ve been crying.”

“I have been. There was this mother at the wedding today….anyways, I get like this sometimes.”
Please don’t notice the half-eaten bag of Oreos on the counter
, she prayed.

Isaac kissed her mouth quickly. “I’m sorry you’re sad.”

Elly smiled. “That means a lot coming from a stalker.”

He grinned back. “Hey, I have some friends over upstairs – Tifah and Gene and Michael – and we’re working on this amazing track. I was wondering if you wanted to come have a listen, have a glass of wine. A beautiful woman always makes the music better. Also, we have carry-out.”

This did not sound appealing at all to Elly, but she was pretty sure that she could never say to no to Isaac’s brown eyes. “Sure – just give me a few minutes to close the shop up.”

Isaac ran his hand through her hair. “You can be my muse. I just want you to sit and be lovely.”

Elly rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. Enough with the flattery.” Her heart danced inside her chest. “Let me put Cadbury away.”

Isaac squeezed her hand. “I’ll see you up there.” Then he leaned forward. “Tifah is drunk again. Watch your shoes.”

Elly smiled and pushed him in the direction of his apartment. She closed the door after him, locking it with her antique key. Cadbury and Elly lazily climbed the steps to her apartment, and stepped inside. She looked in the mirror. She normally would be upset that Isaac saw her this way, looking so disheveled, but when she looked at herself tonight, Elly saw her mother staring back at her. And she was fine with that.
I’ll love you forever, Momma
, she whispered and began her transformation into Isaac’s evening muse.

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

“The tablecloths are being handmade by Wildflower linens. They will be an ecru with gold beading and paisley swirls in copper and pearl. On top of those, I was thinking of gold candelabras with the white orchids and gold metallic votives. Between the candles, I would like ivory gardenias leaning against the favors. Each napkin will then be tied with some birch branches accented with a cattalaya orchid.”

Elly was typing furiously, trying to keep up with Sunny’s intricate details. This was her third conversation of the week with Sunny Kepke, prepping for her daughter’s big wedding.

“Elly, you are so wonderful. Do you have any recommendations for the cake? We were thinking of shipping one in from New York – Weinstock cakes – but if you knew someone who could give us what we wanted, we would prefer to have it made in town.”

Elly took a quick gulp of her green tea. “Yes, Sunny, I absolutely do. Original Icings in the Central West End makes absolutely amazing, over-the-top cakes. Make sure you ask for Rachael, and try the pineapple poppy cake filled with raspberry. It’s mind-blowing.”
Mental note
, thought Elly,
go buy cake
.

“I’m not sure what mind-blowing means, sweetheart, but I will give them a call this afternoon. Okay, I think that’s everything for today! We updated the buffet table arrangements, and talked over the centerpieces, so…all that is left is the ceremony décor. Can we have a meeting next month to talk about those?”

Elly nodded. “Absolutely.”
Of course I’ll have a meeting with yo
u, she thought.
For $45,000 dollars I’ll do anything you ask me to
.

“Wonderful!” cooed Sunny. “My daughter will be joining us. I can’t wait to tell her all about you. She’s been in Paris the last few weeks.”

“Well, the feeling is mutual,” said Elly, twirling her cup, “I can’t wait to meet little Miss Lucia.”

“It’s a date then. I’ll email you with the details. Have a great day!”

“You too,” said Elly, dropping the phone onto its hook. She groaned. More updates for this wedding. They seemed endless. “Oh well,” she sighed, and then repeated under her breath, “$45,000. $45,000.”

Snarky Teenager strode up to the front carrying a bright bouquet of teddy bear sunflowers and coral godetia in a square glass vase.

“More stuff for the Kepke wedding?”

Elly rested her head against the cool surface of her desk. “Yes. It’s going to be a lot of work. A massive amount of work. I can’t talk about it. I’m already getting stress-related breakouts.”

“Do you know I’ve never even HAD a zit? Clear skin just runs in my family.”

Elly rolled her eyes under her eyelids.

“Anyways, don’t worry about it. I’ll be here to help,” Snarky Teenager reassured her.