Makoto dashed between the worktables of her flower shop. Her hands moved with practiced precision as she adjusted each delicate flower. Every single arrangement had to be perfect. A mammoth task, creating decorations for a wedding tomorrow, consumed her. Focus and finesse were the name of the game.
The scents of roses, lilies, and carnations mingled in the air. The rich fragrance enveloped her like a comfortable cocoon. Makoto was in her comfort zone.
Motoki was out on a delivery run and had left her in charge of his pet turtle, Kamekichi. Makoto shot the turtle a glance as he crawled around in his glass terrarium. She smiled, then trimmed the stems of two roses to make sure they fit into a bouquet.
The bell above the door rang and Makoto looked up to see Rei enter the shop. Rei was a striking figure, even when she tried to dress in simple attire. The evening sun shone through the doorway and framed her dark hair with a halo of light. Makoto’s smile turned into a grin.
“Rei! Welcome to my flower shop! What can I do for you?”
Rei smiled a small, tense smile.
“I need some flowers.” She hesitated. “For Minako.”
Makoto arched an eyebrow.
“Oh? Well, that’s thoughtful of you.”
She saw Rei’s body language shift for a moment. The crack in her armor disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
“She seemed disappointed nobody made a bigger deal about her homecoming, now that her tour is over.”
Makoto nodded and gave Rei a teasing smile.
“Well, flowers from you should do the trick.”
It was Rei’s turn to raise an eyebrow.
“What are you trying to say, Mako?”
Makoto leaned forward and rested her arms on the counter.
“I mean…well…you know. You and Minako. The two of you seem to enjoy each other’s company, even when you’re bumping heads.”
Rei’s brow furrowed.
“And?”
Makoto leaned in closer. She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“Isn’t it obvious? There’s something going on between you two…isn’t there?”
Rei’s face turned crimson. A flash of discomfort flickered across her face. Her voice was firm when she spoke.
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“There’s nothing going on between us.”
Makoto tilted her head and studied Rei’s features.
“Are you sure? You two have always been close. Now you’re buying her flowers…”
She was teasing Rei, but there was also genuine concern for her friend in the question. To Makoto, Rei appeared conflicted in some way.
“It’s just flowers.” Rei’s words were low and unconvincing. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Besides, I don’t have time for romance right now. I’m preparing for my priesthood exam.”
At that, Makoto fell silent. She stood up and leaned against the counter instead.
“I get it. Sometimes you have to choose. You can’t have it all.”
Thoughts swirled around in Makoto’s head. She looked at Rei and saw that she was staring at her, genuine concern in her eyes.
“Mako, what’s going on with you? At Crown Karaoke, when we met to talk about our powers, you were already acting strange.”
Makoto took a deep breath. She had to remind herself that she could talk to Rei.
“What if I don’t want to reawaken my powers?”
Rei’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What?”
Makoto sighed and looked down at her hands covered in dirt and smudges from her work. Her voice trembled when she spoke.
“I like my life now. I love Motoki. If I get my powers back, I’m scared I’ll have to choose between my duty and the life I’ve built for myself. What’s worse, I’m afraid that if it comes down to Motoki or Usagi…I’ll choose Usagi.”
Rei looked at her for a long moment. Then, she reached over the counter and put her hand on Makoto’s hands.
“It doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe you can have both.” She sighed. “I wish I could say you can just stay out of this fight, but Mako…we need you. We all need our powers back, or the world might end.”
Makoto locked eyes with Rei. She saw all of her hopes and fears reflected in her friend’s eyes. They all had built lives for themselves. It wasn’t fair that it all had to come crashing down around them.
Makoto felt tears form in the corners of her eyes and wiped them away. She needed a change of subject.
“Enough about that. What flowers do you want for Minako?”
Rei blinked. The sudden swerve in topic startled her.
“Carnations. They’re her favorite.”
Makoto couldn’t help herself. She gave Rei a teasing smile. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Her favorites, huh?”
Rei blushed once more.
“Stop that.”
Makoto chuckled.
“I’ll have Motoki deliver them first thing in the morning.”
Rei nodded. She paid for the flowers, then turned to leave. When she reached the door, however, she hesitated.
“Mako?”
Makoto had already resumed her mad dash among the flower arrangements. She stopped.
“Yes?”
Rei’s voice was so small, Makoto almost could not hear her when she spoke again.
“Maybe…maybe we can have it all.”
Makoto gave her a half-hearted smile.
“Maybe.”
The door closed behind Rei, and silence enveloped the flower shop. Makoto gazed toward the doorway for a moment and gathered her thoughts.
Without warning, Motoki rounded the corner between two shelves and stood in front of her. Makoto almost jumped out of her skin.
“Motoki! Where did you come from?”
Motoki looked at her with a distracted shrug.
“Just came back from a delivery.”
Makoto raised an eyebrow. She’d been staring at the doorway.
“Just now?” Her voice softened. “How long have you been back? Were you listening to my conversation with Rei?”
Motoki shook his head and forced a smile.
“Of course not.”
His expression shifted and Makoto’s heart sank. He had heard every word.
I’m afraid that if it comes down to Motoki or Usagi…I’ll choose Usagi.
He placed a quick, distracted kiss on her cheek.
“Got one more delivery this evening. Be right back.”
Without another word, he grabbed one of the delivery baskets and dashed out of the door.
Makoto sighed. She looked into Kamekichi’s terrarium and watched the turtle dig into the sand.
“Well, I think I hurt your daddy’s feelings, Kamekichi. Any ideas how I can make it up to him?”
The soft sound of Kamekichi’s movements was the only answer she got.
