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Summer brought a sense of serenity Marianne always enjoyed. Clouds languidly traversed the cerulean sky. Flowers of varying shapes and sizes embellished the lush grass in an assortment of colors—soft purples, vibrant yellows, rich oranges. Intermittent breezes carried the melodious chirping of birds. Nature was both lively and peaceful.
The heat, however, could be difficult to tolerate, especially on sunny days like this. Holding her parasol while collecting flowers proved to be a bit challenging, but the shade it provided was worth the trouble.
Nearby on the training grounds, Leonie was sparring with Raphael. The clack of their training weapons colliding rang in the distance. Marianne was amazed they were training so vigorously given the weather.
As she plucked another flower, she saw Leonie and Raphael put their weapons away. Marianne expected them to walk away together, but instead Raphael went in one direction while Leonie was coming her way. Marianne dusted the dirt off her linen skirt as she stood up.
Leonie flashed her a dazzling smile, her radiance rivaling the sun above them. “Hey Marianne!”
Marianne felt a flutter in her stomach, like butterflies floating through the air on a spring day. An unfamiliar sensation but not exactly an unpleasant one. “Hi Leonie.”
A beat of silence. Marianne expected Leonie to continue walking; surely she had better things to do than stand there talking to her. Yet she didn’t move, instead looking at Marianne expectantly. Maybe she was waiting for Marianne to say something?
“You, um, look like you could use some water,” Marianne said as she retrieved her canteen. She held out the container shyly as if she was offering food to a timid horse.
Leonie wiped her brow with the back of her hand. “You’re right. I’ve been sweating a lot between the heat and sparring. Thanks Marianne!”
After removing the cap of the canteen in one swift motion, Leonie tilted her head back and took a few large gulps of water. Marianne tried not to stare at the defined muscles of her biceps or her glistening sunkissed skin.
Leonie pulled back the canteen with a satisfied sigh and a sheepish grin. “Sorry, guess I was thirstier than I realized.”
“Oh no, it’s fine, I can get more.” Walking to fetch more water would be a nice break. The nearest river wasn’t too far and the cool water would feel refreshing.
“You should have some too. Important to stay hydrated, especially in this weather.” Leonie offered the canteen to Marianne.
With a small nod, Marianne accepted the canteen and took a drink, blushing ever so slightly when she realized her lips were in the same place Leonie’s just were. A fleeting thought of how Leonie’s lips would feel against hers went through her mind.
Leonie’s eyes traveled down to the bundle of flowers in Marianne’s hand. Her initial instinct was to hide the flowers behind her back, but when she saw the way Leonie’s eyes lit up, she instead moved the bouquet in front of her.
“What pretty flowers!” Leonie took a tentative step closer to Marianne. “Can I get a closer look?”
“Yes, of course.”
Leonie’s fingers gently grazed the petals of the flowers. She leaned into the bouquet and inhaled the fresh aroma, humming in approval.
Talk about things you like. The words echoed in Marianne’s mind. They both liked flowers and talked about them before in the greenhouse so it made sense to talk about them more.
“Do you have a favorite flower?” Marianne asked.
“If I had to pick one I’d say sunflowers,” Leonie said. “They remind me of home.”
Sunflowers. Of course Leonie would gravitate towards a flower representing warmth. How fitting. Marianne would make sure to remember that. Perhaps she could find some seeds and grow her own sunflowers for Leonie.
“I like them too.”
To Marianne’s surprise, she found herself not only wanting to continue the conversation, but having the courage to say more. She remembered a book she read at the monastery library about the meaning of various types of flowers.
“They represent positivity, loyalty, and strength.”
“That’s cool. I didn’t know that. What’s your favorite flower?”
“Um, I like these.” Marianne pulled a curved stem with small white bell-like bulbs from the bouquet. “It’s a lily of the valley.”
“And what do they represent?” Leonie asked with genuine interest.
“A lot of things. Purity, humility, return to happiness.”
“Wow, you know a lot about flowers. It’s really impressive.”
Marianne shook her head. “It’s nothing really. I’ve read a lot of books and spent time looking at them and tending to them.”
“I think it’s great when you’re interested in something enough to want to learn as much as you can about it.”
Leonie gently pinched the stem of the lily of the valley, waiting for Marianne to let go before she took the flower. Marianne was fine with letting Leonie take it, but she couldn’t help but wonder what she was going to do with it. Before she could ask, she felt Leonie tuck the flower into Marianne’s hair behind her ear.
“Cute!” Leonie said cheerfully.
Did she mean the flower was cute, or Marianne herself? Both? Better to ponder that later. Her mouth hung open as she scrambled to find a response.
Before she could say anything, Leonie said, “I’d love to learn more if you’re willing to teach me some time.” There was that smile again, even more stunning up close.
The urge to protest, to say spending time with her would only bring Leonie misfortune was heavy on Marianne’s tongue.
And yet, in the time they spent talking to each other at the greenhouse and now, nothing bad happened. In fact, Leonie looked happy, which made Marianne happy too.
Marianne mirrored Leonie’s smile with an enthusiastic nod. “I would like that.”
“Great! I look forward to it.” Leonie finally took a step away from Marianne.
“W-wait!” In a moment of surprising boldness, Marianne said, “I’m going to get more water. Would you…like to join me?”
Leonie took a few steps back towards Marianne so she was standing at her side. When their hands touched for a moment, Marianne felt heat rise in her cheeks. Maybe it was a flush from training or the sun, but she saw a pink hue dust Leonie’s cheeks.
“I was about to gather supplies for dinner, but I think that can wait a little longer. Lead the way.”
Marianne did, smiling to herself as her hand touched the flower in her hair.