Chapter 5 - Peony

The scent of peonies hung heavy and sweet in the air, a blush of pink and cream against the vibrant green of Lillian’s garden. Their voluptuous blooms, so full they seemed about to spill their secrets, mirrored the burgeoning emotions within her. She found herself anticipating Adrian’s visits, a flutter of shy excitement in her chest whenever the familiar crunch of gravel announced his arrival. It was a prosperity of a different kind, a blooming of hope that settled deep in her bones, settling the anxieties that had long made their home there.

He’d arrived this morning, just as the dew was beginning to burn off the petals, a small sketchpad tucked under his arm. Lillian had been deadheading the roses, her hands stained with earth and rose sap, when she heard him. She’d straightened, wiping her brow with the back of her glove, a smile already forming.