Have You Ever

  The bell over the door tinkled sweetly each morning as Maren unlocked her florist shop, Salt & Bloom . The air inside was a swirl of lavender, eucalyptus, and whispered memories. For thirty years, she'd arranged the flowers that framed local weddings, comforted mourners, and brightened hospital rooms. After her husband passed, the shop became her anchor—and her outlet. Their children, grown and married, lived hours away, leaving Maren surrounded by bouquets but starved for companionship. The seaside town of St. James had embraced her—the community matriarch with salt-streaked curls and fingers always stained with pollen. Her arrangements were artful, storytelling in colour. But despite the comfort of routine, her heart ached in the quiet hours. Loneliness didn’t shout. It settled gently, like dew. One spring morning, with the ocean mist curling against the windows, a man stepped into the shop. His name was Elias—an artist on retreat, drawn to the coast by its quiet and lig...