His flowers

Chapter 2

                                     Alessandro

The papers on my desk rustle as Mateo opens my office window. "I'll admit I'm freaking out." He mumbles, pacing the room.

Tomorrow it's his son's fourth birthday. According to my brother and his wife, Jenna, it's the most important one so far because he actually knows what's happening.

"Get him some toys and he'll be fine." I shrug, dropping my pen on the stack of papers.

"Yes." He nods. "That's a good idea." He scratches the back of his neck. "Where do I get those?"

I raise my head to look at him, raising a brow. "The store?"

"Jenna does all the shopping." His shoulders sag, "I usually order."

"Well there's target..," I think, and come up blank. "That's all I know actually." I don't do much shopping but, a few years back I would go to target multiple times a week.

"Right! Yes, you would always take Vi-," his words get cut short by my glare. He clears his throat, pretending to zip his mouth shut.

"We'll go there come on." I pull my blazer back on, grabbing my keys and leaving my office. Mateo follows behind me like a lost puppy.

His wife Jenna loves the element of surprise, hence why she doesn't shop for Nikos presents. She likes being surprised along with their son.

I drive to the nearest target. The one I'd always go to in high school got shut down a few years ago. I haven't been to target in four years. The only reason I'd go was to make Violet happy. After I left, there was no reason to go anymore.

I park near the back, where all the shade is. "So how does this work?" Mateo says, unbuckling himself.

"Have you seriously never been shopping?" I ask appalled. There's like no way he's never been.

"No." He shrugs. "Well actually once when Jenna was heavily pregnant she made me go buy groceries, but we were in Europe for our baby moon so it was different."

"All we need to do is go to the toy aisle." We both get out of the car making our way to the store.

"That's what Jena drinks." Mateo perks up as the sight of Starbucks. "She made me try the mocha drink." He grins.

"Are you going to buy?" I ask, nodding towards Starbucks.

"On the way out, so I can bring it to her." I walk down the aisle looking for the toy sections. A flash of brown and blond blur in my peripheral vision making goosebumps rise to my arms.

Every now and then everything reminds me of Violet.

I come across children clothes, usually the toys are near here. I look around, first seeing baby toys. "Let's go this way." I walk further down finally seeing boy toys.

Mateo pushes the cart next to me gawking at the toys. "Maybe I should bring Niko here." He mumbles looking around.

I grabs nerf guns and monster trucks putting them into the cart. "How much should I get?" He questions.

"He's four. He'll get excited with anything. I don't think it matters." I walk up to the shelf scooping all the toys letting it fall to the cart.

"Come on there's more aisles." I walk to the next seeing art stuff. Chalks, markers, color paper. "Take your pick." I mutter showing him the aisle.

"Do they sell bikes here." He asks, looking around. "That's in the back we can go after." I say putting more things in the cart.

Toys fill up the shopping cart, piling over others. "Clothes?" He questions.

"I saw them over here." I turn around, walking back towards the little kids clothes.

Girly screeches reach my ears making me halt. "Is that normal." Mateo whispers looking around the aisle.

"Well.., we're in public so it's expected." I continue walking down the last toy aisle, halting again seeing people run down the aisle towards us.

"Oomph." She mutters collapsing with my chest. Her vanilla scent and brown curls make my heart race. I look to my side seeing the other girl crash with the shopping cart falling to the floor.

"Oakley I'm going to murder you!" She screeches. Everything happens in slow motion. Everything stops.

Looking down I see Violet burst in a fit of giggles. My arms around her tighten, squeezing to make sure she's real. She's here, she's in my arms. After four long years, she's actually in my arms.

I keep my eyes open, trying to blink feeling that she'll disappear for another four years.

Oakley comes running down the aisle with his cart profusely apologizing to Brielle. "Shit, are you hurt?"
She glares at him, "lucky for you, I'm not."

They both look at Violet to which she stiffens as if remembering she's in my arms. I see her brows scrunch as she sees her friend's expressions. She slowly looks up, a little gasp leaving her lips.

"You- you're- how?" She stammers, taking a small step back. I let my arms fall to my sides missing her warmth.

"Alessandro?" Oakley and Brielle question in union. Confusion and hurt swirls in Violets eyes as she looks up at me.

"You never called any of us." She states. Her breathing staggers as she steps further away from me.

They all stare at me expectantly. "I-," I let out a long sigh. I dropped out of high school a month before graduation. My dad had just died and a ton of responsibilities fell on my shoulders. I had promised them I'd call I never did.

"I'll explain, I promise." I murmur looking at Violet. I look over at Oakley and Brielle. "I will explain."

"Maybe not here." Mateo speaks for the first time. All their gazes switch to him. A small smile sits on Violets face. "Mateo," she murmurs, "it's been a while." Her questioning eye flickers to the cart full of toys, "you had a baby, I completely forgot." She gasps.

Jenna fell pregnant before I had dropped out, Brielle and Violet were exited to meet Niko. They never got to.

"Yea." He chuckles. "He turns four tomorrow."

"It's been so long." Brielle frowns.

"What about you guys?" Mateo asks hesitantly. "Is there a baby in the family?" I follow his gaze seeing baby clothes and groceries sitting in their cart.

Violet smiles so big holding her stomach. My heart flutters and cracks at the same time. Her smile so big and happy it's all I ever wanted to see. But her happiness is with someone else. She moved on with her life. She fell in love, she's having a child.

Four long years that I loved her and never moved on. Four long years, that she moved on and started her life with someone else.

"I'm having babies." She grins.

"Babies?" I say without thinking.

"Mhm, twins." Brielle adds happily.

"Congratulations." Mateo mirrors their grins. "To you and the dad."

All of their smiles falter as Violet stiffens. "Nope, just me and these two godparents."

I feel my ears perk up. My eyes drop to her flat stomach. What kind of stupid asshole would leave her alone and pregnant?

"We would love to have you guys over for Nikos party." Mateo says breaking me from my thoughts.

"I'd love to go." Violet squeals. "Tomorrow right?" Oakley confirms earring a nod.

"Yes, address is the same." Before my dad died we all lived in my current house. Mateo and Jenna moved out when Niko was born and mama moved in to a smaller place. I stayed, feeling closer to my dad.

"We'll be there." Violet smiles. Her eyes flicker to me once more, hurt flashing through them.

I have to fix it, I will fix it.