Naggar Residence, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
She accepted the flowers. Finally, a smile crossed her face as she held them with both hands and inhaled deeply.
"These are so sweet of you, Thank you." She then added, "And thank you for letting Benjen go to your place early."
She was dressed very casual. An old pullover that was quite faded but comfortable and jeans with her hair just let down. She still wore the necklace her father long ago gave her. She made a slow walk around her living room as she enjoyed the scent of the flowers. "Now, where can I put these?" she asked herself, looking for a place to set them. She didn't have a vase so going to her kitchen, she grabbed a tall glass, filled it half way with water and made a home for the bouquet in the center of her dinner table, at least, for now.
"Now I can see them wherever I go in here," she smiled. She then stood back several paces and crossed her arms as she looked at them. At first, she smiled which ran from her face for a more straight look. One hand reached up and her forefinger rested upon her lips.
"The bouquet," she confessed softly yet kindly, "it looks very much like the one I left for Cynthia at your family memorial." She took a look over toward Erik, making a quick study of the look on his face.
Her arms went back to being folded in front of her.
"Don't blame her but Catherine told me where it was at my insistence," she continued softly. "Visiting that memorial was something I needed to do." She shrugged and added, "And on the way home, I stopped at it again."
She turned and made a slow walk toward her window overlooking the Yuma ocean. "Why did I you might ask. Well, I wanted to learn something about her, about the woman who brought such a fine young man into this world, the woman who made you happy....." She was leaning against the window at this point. She couldn't face Erik, at least, not yet. A lone tear began it's descent down her right cheek. "......who's shoes I want to fill and to whom I asked approval to....."
She stopped. The pleasant hurt was coming back that she felt the other day but this time, he was here. As she stood staring out the window, her mind was processing what she wanted to say along with trying to control her feelings which again were overwhelming her. As she stared, more tears began to fall. She still had more, much more, and she would but....how would it all pour out?