I was well-known locally. Delilah Watkins, age 38, a single mother running a simple floral shop in downtown Washington. People knew me, of course, so why did I get a shiver down my spine when I read that letter?
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWtBqqBBH5
It was Monday, and I had dropped off my two-year-old Heaven at daycare before heading to work. I entered my floral store to find a letter on the desk. 'Watkins,' it read. I opened the letter which said:.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbusnffpW2h
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5OQwNT2vp
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUsX4loWqj
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAd3hwEJacN
"Dear Ms. Watkins,
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayWfQMueAh
I am a fan of your work and your beauty. I admire how you treat the flowers with such care and greet your customers with kindness.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRNwCA0dxP
I am writing to express my appreciation for your business and all that you do for this town.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7QwsirkOd
P.S. Do you have roses?"
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyU2QRbIzXS
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeE3UQJB7x
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8x66BSL2Y
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWzOCtWIJq
It was unsigned. It wasn't odd that I was complimented. I had many friends and always helped where I could. I always got waves and "Hey Delilah!"'s wherever I went but that last part.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Y3H02blJl
"Do you have roses?" I said aloud. If this person had been in, they would know I always had roses stocked. ALWAYS.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYMMy0ccQw
I put the letter at the back of my mind before getting to work. I headed back to the stock to check what needed to be ordered for the upcoming week.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKw2fyT8K4e
And I saw it. All 50 roses I hand-marked with a name-brand bow were gone. It was odd, really odd. I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts out of my mind. It's fine. Perfectly normal, I mean, I just had a large sale yesterday., maybe my admirer had come in and saw we were out? Yes, that must be it. It's weird, though; I'm usually so attentive.
I
Ibrushedh it off after thinking through hundreds of scenarios. I look at the clock and see it's time to go and pick up Heaven. At the daycare, the caretaker informed me that Heaven had run behind a bush and cut her neck.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgyJvi5r32
"Just wanted to let you know." I nodded and thanked her before leading Heaven into the car and driving away. Heaven loved to run around, so it wasn't abnormal that she decided to wander. When we arrived home, I saw her neck and looked at her cut. A tiny little scratch. I cooked dinner while Heaven babbled away.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI3PNZEqWL
Later, as I tucked her in, I found a rose petal under her pillow. I thought nothing of it, assuming she had just taken one of the flowers while we were there together last week.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupu0wripQk
I climbed into my bed andlayd down to sleep. Then I heard a crash. I checked the Clock. 1:00 AM, it ticked. I went to the living room and looked around. My great-grandmother's urn lay shattered on the floor. I checked to see if Heaven was still asleep. She was. So, what knocked the urn over? I hear a noise and turn to see a dark figure in my glass sliding door. I race to the door and lock it quickly, my heart racing. It seemed like a man.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg60zBwNrOn
Suddenly, why he disappeared.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ndp4G06vw
"Am I dreaming?" I wondered aloud. I walked back to my room after getting myself a glass of milk. When I walked in, I saw something new. On my bed lay three roses with name-brand bows on them and a note.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6PJ3vkWto
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg6J9z3EVs
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjOnnJt9Sf
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirXYx0NGaX
Dear Ms. Watkins,
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFiyvP4oBd
No, you're not.
243Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyoSxyg7dC
P.S. Do you like roses?
ns216.73.216.208da2
and then Add to home screen.