Receive a bouquet of roses

The moment they're placed in your hands, you feel their weight and the thorns. The smell hits you—sweet and green and alive. Your eyes catch on the layered petals, drawn to the imperfect ones. Someone chose these, thought of you, and that awareness flutters in your stomach. You know they won't last forever, and that fragility makes them matter. Your fingers trace a petal, soft as skin, and you exhale slowly, holding onto the feeling.