It was a little past noon when Shay finally finished cleaning the house. She fixed herself, grabbed her bag, and slipped out as calmly and normally as she could.

She was supposed to be heading to a tutoring lesson... but without all those books, her bag was shamefully light. She’d already called to cancel it-- that is... she asked her client permission to come over despite having a bad case of the flu.

A couple of fake coughs and a mention of throwing up on the carpet ensured she got a firm, ‘No, come back next week.’

Shay should have stayed home to do something productive. Studying. Reading ahead. Going out for a run, maybe.

She should have focused on what she could do instead of... what she was doing.

She didn’t have any confidence in making a difference. But there was also no harm in... taking a look around.

Shay stood in front of the plant nursery behind the school.

A black chalkboard was propped up next to the entrance, reading ‘Avalon Retail Nursery,’ at the top.

There was a list of flowers on sale... but nothing that said ‘by the way, the owner is a vampire.’

The person responsible for writing the sign might have been an artist. They wrote in cursive, with smooth, flowing lines and fun, innocent loops. Cursive was a dying skill... so maybe it was written by someone older?

--like a vampire.

Shay stepped through the greenhouse doors, taking in a breath of the freshest air she’d ever had in her life. Everything smelled green, earthy, and wet. The light spilling through the plastic-ky ceiling made everything look like she was in another world.

The large, leafy plants along the side walls and the tables covered in tiny, little, cute ones made her feel like she was in a dinosaur film-- or any place with a jungle... which may or may not have also had dinosaurs.

Shay shook her head. She was changing genres far too often.

She didn’t see anyone else in the nursery. It was eerily quiet and her footsteps almost echoed as she stepped across the flagstone flooring.

She checked behind a set of stands lined with bushy, flowering plants. She picked up a plastic pot with the smallest, cutest succulent in the world and held it up above her head. She gently rubbed the waxy surface of a big plant leaf bigger than she was wide.

Even if she didn’t find a vampire, it was worth getting out of the house and surrounding herself with nature.

...also, she was determined to take that succulent home with her-- as long as it wasn’t too expensive.

Everything in the nursery seemed mundane and ordinary... with the exception of the metal side door that looked like it led into the building adjacent. It was painted the same off-white as the brick walls, with flecks and strips peeled off by the sun.

That was a tiny bit suspicious... but, also, not really.

Shay returned to the check-out counter at the front of the greenhouse, looking for a bell to ring to summon an employee from the aether.

Behind the counter was a big message board.

‘Thank you’ cards drawn by children. Advertisements for gardening services.

There were a lot of messages and ads in Spanish. But there were also notes in Japanese, Korean, and other languages. Cool plants transcended the boundaries of culture.

And... there was one. framed. picture that caught her eye...

It was taken just outside, in front of the entrance. At the forefront stood a woman... and a child. Behind them, a ribbon was strung in front of the door.

The woman was dressed like an old porcelain doll, wearing a gorgeous, floofy red dress with white lace underneath. Long blonde curls spilled out from beneath her sun hat and her thick red lips held the barest hint of a smile.

Shay’s focus, however, was on the boy. He looked like he was in middle or elementary school... wearing a dark blazer and a green tie.

--oh, but he had an adorable pair of shorts on.

He wasn’t smiling.

He looked vaguely displeased but in a way that still looked endearing.

And... even though the color in the picture was slightly faded... he looked like he had silver hair.

It was the mysterious man. They had the same, exact face-- just younger.

A sudden realization broke Shay’s heart into a thousand pieces.

That boy... must have been his son.

The mysterious man was older than she thought he was.

He had a son-- and a wife?

Oh, no... the woman in the picture!

That made total, perfect sense.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Of course, he’d have the most beautiful wife in the world.

Of course, he’d stay loyal, shutting down any contact with would-be rivals for his angelic, blonde-curled wife!

No, wait-- but the picture was faded?

Shay looked down to the engraving plate that said ‘Opening Ceremony.’

She checked the date.

9 years ago.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Then the greenhouse sprinklers went off, all at once.

So, Shay, being the calm, rational human being she was... screamed at the top of her lungs.

Too loud. Held for too long. She covered her mouth, her entire body buRniNg with embarrassment.

The metal side-door clunked open.

Shay immediately held her hands high above her head.

“I didn’t steal anything!” she yelled.

She regretted that immediately. That only made her look more suspicious.

The person that came out of the door... was the woman from the picture.

Bright blue, crystalline eyes.

She looked... the same as she did, though her pale, porcelain skin was a shade more... realistic. And the dizzying curls of her golden locks were brighter and curlier, seen up close.

But instead of an exquisite, long-brimmed, and feathered sunhat, she wore a simple white one with a cheap-looking bow.

Instead of a Victorian-era dress and its mandatory corset, she wore a thick, pinafore dress, sun-paled blue, and smudged with dirt.

And instead of dainty, white, intricately-patterned gloves...

--she wore thick, hideous, brown gardening gloves that weren’t lady-like at all.

It did make sense, though. Her outfit was more conducive to nursery work than a dress that could be worn at a gala.

“Are you hurt?” the woman asked, her voice soft and soothing and oozing sincerity.

“N-no,” Shay said quietly. “I think... I was just startled.”

She glanced away before adding, “There’s been a lot on my mind lately.”

The woman’s polite and patient smile calmed her heart.

“So you’ve come then to find peace among the gentle flowers?”

She held the edges of her dress, dipping down in an elegant curtsy, straight out of a period play.

“My name is Heidi,” she said.

Shay felt pressured to do the same. She held the edges of her skirt and did... something like she imagined a curtsy to be.

“Xue Yan,” she said. “But my friends call me Shay.”

“Xue for snow?” Heidi offered, “Like the fairytale princess?”

Shay felt herself blush, but nodded shyly, “I’m... not anyone special.”

“You feel a little lost right now,” Heidi said. “But you’re still young. As long as the stars continue to rise and fall, you will grow... mayhaps with a touch of nourishment and sunlight.”

“And fertilizer,” Shay added.

Heidi covered her lips with her thick gloves, stifling a tiny laugh.

“Nourishment can vary in appearance and... smell,” she said. “If you have any questions, Miss Yan, I’d love to answer them.”

‘Are you a vampire?’

Shay almost asked that out loud.

But wouldn’t that be rude?

Heidi didn’t look like she’d aged at all since the old photo. But... maybe she just had really strong genes? Shay’s dad was as old as her aunt, and he looked twice as young. (And her uncle looked ancient compared to both of them.)

How old was Heidi, anyway? If she hadn’t seen the 9-year-old picture, Shay would have guessed they were the same age.

She gestured back to the picture frame, “Is that you?”

Heidi looked past her with a charming gaze, filled with longing, “That was our opening day. It was so very long ago~”

Shay gulped... hesitating... but ultimately too curious to go without saying it:

“And the little boy?”

“Oh?” Heidi sighed, fluttering her long eyelashes, “He was so cute, back then. And he’s grown ever so handsome since.”

Shay felt her heart shake. Was one of her (many) guesses right? Was the mysterious man already taken?

She wasn’t confident in competing with anyone like Heidi.

She wasn’t confident, competing with anyone, really.

“Would it be too forward of me to assume you’re a close friend of Tyvan?” Heidi asked.

Tyvan.

That was...

Shay didn’t know what to think about that name.

She liked it, though!

She liked it a lot!

She found herself nodding in agreement.

“You’re very lucky,” Heidi said wistfully. “I beg of you to take care of him. There are so precious few that he keeps close to his heart.”

Shay felt her expression twist. She was being misunderstood... again... just like she was at school.

But... there wasn’t any point in lying to Heidi.

At least, Heidi...

“I honestly don’t know him that well,” she said. “I mean-- it hasn’t even been that long since I learned his name.”

Heidi took off her gloves, taking Shay’s hands in hers. Her hands were so soft... porcelain-white... cute and almost fragile.

“He trusts you very much,” she said, deep sincerity lacing every word.

“How... how can you be so sure?”

Heidi gestured down and to the side, “He’s entrusted his lapel pin to you. I’ve never seen him go without it.”

Shay calmly withdrew her hands... wiping them on her skirt and hiding them behind her back.

Fuck.