Each Petal a Promise

Felix was sitting at his workbench, trying to hold a magnifying glass in one hand while he worked on the lathe with the other. He was working on a small figurine of a pharaoh. The figurine was meant for Sabrina. She loved Egyptian history, and had told him that she would love to have something like this as a gift.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. She was sitting at the dining table, hunched over her laptop, listening to music through headphones. She was wearing an old t-shirt of his, and it looked as if she were swimming in it—she was much smaller than him, though not by much. It’s only been two weeks—but it feels like I’ve known her my whole life, he thought. He returned his gaze to the figurine in his hands and continued sanding it down until he couldn’t see any sign of imperfections anymore. He placed it on the table to dry before starting another one. He had made wooden toys ever since he was a child; they were mostly animals: horses and rabbits, cats and dogs—you name it, he probably made it—and sold them at craft fairs and farmer markets across the state. He used to make decent money from this when he was younger and didn’t have a day job. When he moved back home after college, he decided to keep making toys to sell online, because now he could make enough money for both of them.

Sabrina suddenly said something over her shoulder that startled him out of his thoughts. “You know what? I think I’m going to put some new pictures up on my profile tonight. Maybe even add a biography section! You know…something about my interests and hobbies…” Her voice trailed off into silence as she stared into space thinking about how she should word what she wanted to say. Felix smiled—he never knew someone could be so passionate about such things like history or art or food (there were many more things she loved). The passion within her seemed to give her a glow that drew him closer every time they were together; even just looking at her made him smile inwardly and gain confidence knowing that there was someone in his world who cared so deeply about so many things that most people took for granted or simply didn’t understand.

Felix continued working on the toy until finally he couldn’t take it any longer: “What are you thinking about?” He held up the toy for Sabrina to see. She turned around in her chair and smiled brightly at Felix before getting up from her seat and walking over to where he was standing behind the table. As soon as she saw what it was, she squealed with excitement and clapped her hands together in front of her chest, making Felix laugh along with her. “It’s so cute! Thank you! I can’t wait to put this somewhere in my room! You really do know me!” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before returning back to her seat at the dining table with Felix following closely behind her, retrieving the other half of cat statue from his workbench before joining her at the table again, where they both continued what they had been doing before: Felix working on another toy while Sabrina continued working on whatever task she was doing on her laptop.

He watched her carefully as she typed away on the keyboard, occasionally humming along with whatever song she had playing in the background through those same headphones that kept falling down onto the nape of her neck every time she leaned forward too far towards the laptop screen or whenever she moved slightly from side-to-side in order to read whatever text appeared on screen or simply whenever she got distracted by something else that aroused curiosity within her mind (she was always curious about everything). She seemed relaxed and comfortable with herself; sometimes when Felix looked at her like this from afar, he got lost in thought wondering how someone like him could possibly deserve someone like Sabrina—beautiful inside and out—who could be all these wonderful things without even trying; who could love so many things without needing anything in return but simple reciprocated feelings for each other—and yet here they were: together now for two weeks straight after nearly five years of knowing each other via occasional Facebook messages between friends who knew each other long ago during high school but had gone separate ways afterwards; who managed to find each other again after all these years—when they least expected too—and went their separate ways once again…

But their paths somehow managed find their way back together again after five long years apart; first through mutual friends at college who knew both of them well enough to introduce them again after finding out they knew each other all along; then through serendipity itself when they happened to bump into each other once more when neither had expected nor planned on seeing each other again anytime soon; then through random chance when they happened to go out drinking one evening (a rare occurrence for either) and met each other unexpectedly there; then through fate itself when nature intervened itself by having a heavy rainstorm hit Virginia where Felix lived just minutes after parting ways with Sabrina that night at bar near campus where they met up after class ended for day...until finally here they were now: sitting together now two weeks later in this tiny studio apartment in downtown Richmond Virginia as lovers but also best friends who understood each other better than almost anyone else could ever hope to do so…two people brought together by chance meeting under unusual circumstances but magically stayed together through sheer force of will alone…two people who found love despite never expecting it would happen…two people who found friendship despite already being happy enough by themselves…two people who found meaning despite already feeling alone…two people who found joy despite already feeling empty…two people who found purpose despite not knowing where their lives were headed next…and two people who found solace amidst all this chaos by simply being able [to] just exist alongside each other…together now in this little apartment filled with bookshelves piled high with old books overflowing from floor-to-ceiling fullness; bookshelves surrounded by boxes containing more books stacked vertically atop one another along adjacent walls; boxes filled with books containing more books stacked horizontally atop one another filling floor-to-ceiling shelves throughout living room/bedroom areas scattered throughout various parts of apartment building...with rooms decorated independently according [to] individual tastes of its inhabitants (Felix: warm colors interspersed between various shades of brown juxtaposed against white sneakers lining wall opposite front door entranceway; painting hanging above bed depicting beautiful mountainside landscape beneath clear blue skies); (Sabrina: warm colors interspersed between various shades of red juxtaposed against black flip flops lining wall opposite front door entranceway; paintings hanging above bed depicting beautiful Egyptian landscape beneath hot desert sun)...repetitive boxes containing books stacked neatly atop one another filling entire apartment from floor-to-ceiling along every wall surrounding kitchenette area bordering living room/bedroom areas as well as kitchenette area bordering bathroom/bedroom area...with doors leading into bathroom/bedroom areas covered by closed doors hanging opposite kitchenette area bordering living room/bedroom areas as well as kitchenette area bordering bathroom/bedroom areas...doors leading into bathroom/bedroom areas covered by closed doors hanging opposite kitchenette area bordering living room/bedroom areas as well as kitchenette area bordering bathroom/bedroom areas...boxes filled with books stacked neatly atop one another along various walls surrounding living room/bedroom areas inside apartment building covered by exterior covering painted green (green exterior covering surrounding white balcony railing surrounding windows overlooking street below); building located among buildings painted various colors ranging from light blue to dark red (colors ranging from light blue buildings surrounding red ones located among streets lined with trees covered primarily by gray concrete sidewalks spotted intermittently with patches of grass); buildings built symmetrically structured atop hill overlooking cityscape sprawling below which includes various buildings painted various hues ranged from light blue to dark red coinciding with patterns painted symmetrically structured upon land sprawled out below which includes trees covered primarily by gray concrete sidewalks...outside apartment building spanning street corner adjacent cityscape spanning hill overlooking expansive lands sprawled out below which include patchwork patterning stretched across distant lands sprawled out below which include patches of tree lines stretching across distant lands sprawled out below which include patches of grass stretching across distant lands sprawled out below which include patches of rivers stretching across distant lands sprawled out below which include patches of highways stretching across distant lands sprawled out below which include patches [of] cars driving along patched roads stretching across distant lands sprawled out below...

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