The flower that blooms

Previously

…What if he leaves? But then she looked at the heliotrope still clutched in her other hand, its tiny purple blossoms radiating a quiet confidence, and she pushed the thought away. Adrian was not a fleeting scent that faded with the summer breeze. He was a steady presence, a gentle gardener of her heart, and for the first time in a long time, Lillian Flores felt the stirrings of eternal love, a devotion that had taken root, deep and true, in the quiet soil of her soul. She watched him go, the green umbrella a small, vibrant splash of colour against the muted tones of the damp afternoon, and knew, with a certainty that settled deep within her, that this was just the beginning.