“I’m fine,” I say, eyeing my cast. “I mean, other than the fact that I can’t seem to move without my ribcage erupting into flames.”
“Do you need something?” she asks, and suddenly, she’s running over to the water pitcher. She brings it to my lips, but I take it from her. It’s painful, but at least I can do it myself.
“Thanks,” I say after I drink the whole thing down. “I was actually trying to read one of the cards,” I say shyly, and I look down. “The one from Dan.”
Violet nods and picks it up. She didn’t even check to see which one it was, and that tells me that she’s already read it.
“Dear Ev,” she starts. “I hope you get better soon. Love, Dan and Mia.”
“That’s it?” I screech. I almost died, and all he says is get better soon?
“Hey, Evi,” she says, gesturing to the dozens of vases of flowers. That’s when I notice they’re all dahlias. Every. Single. One. “Do you know who sent these?”
I feel a teardrop fall down my cheek, and I nod.
Nick.
“And did you know that dahlias aren’t in season?”
“I didn’t know that.”
Suddenly, Dan’s stupid card doesn’t mean a thing to me.
“He had them imported from a friend in Tulum. He said they’d bring you good energy.”
I look around at all of the beautiful dahlias arranged in state-of-the-art vases.
“Who are all the cards from?”
“Minus this one?” she asks, tossing Dan’s card in the trash. “Who do you think?”
“Can you…” I’m looking at all of the wonderful cards, and I know I have to read them now.
Violet reads my mind, and she collects all of them and sets them down in my lap. Before she says anything else, she leaves, and I’m alone with ten cards, all from Nick. I open the first one.
The meaning of the dahlia is “everlasting thine”.
Did you know that? It seems fitting.
I smile and pick up the next card.
“Till this moment I never knew myself.”
I open the next one.
“Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her.”
What was this?
“Our scars make us know that our past was for real.”
I feverishly open the next one.
“It's been many years since I had such an exemplary vegetable.”
I laugh. Suddenly, though, I’m crying, because I understand where these quotes are from. They’re quotes from Pride and Prejudice.
“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
“Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.”
“We do not suffer by accident.”
“It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began.”
“I love you. Most ardently.”
“I have an eleventh card,” Nick says, walking into my room. I look up, and suddenly, I’m crying.
I’m crying for everything I put him through over the last two days.
I’m crying because he sent me dahlias from Mexico.
I’m crying because he gave me cards that quoted my favorite book.
I’m crying because he’s here, and he’s the one person I needed to see since waking up. He’s my number one.
“Well, you better hand it over, then,” I say playfully, and he walks over slowly, holding the card out for me. He hesitates, and I look up at him.
“Can I read it to you?”
“Of course.”
He bends down and kisses me on the forehead, and I feel the tears streaming down my face.
“Let me preface this with saying… you scared the shit out of me, Evianna.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t know this was where—”
He cuts me off by kissing me gently on the lips. Oh.
“Don’t ever scare me like this again, okay?” he whispers, and I see in his eyes just how scared he was for me. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to brake for animals when it’s raining?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t just hit the dog, Nick. He looked lost…”
“I know. And I think that’s why I love you.”
I smile as he kisses me again. “Are you going to read the damn card or what?”