Flashback: Comfort

The sun never shined as bright as it did when my parents were alive. I sat by the bed of daffodils, they were my dad's favourite flower. They were the flower of his country. Next to me was a pack of red roses like the ones covered in Mother's casket.

I didn't care if it was girly to like flowers. What's wrong with a boy liking flowers? Men bought flowers for the women they love, and even sold and planted them. Bobby Pansy is what they called me at school. It didn't bother me that much.

I never ate chocolate after my father's death. We lived near a chocolate factory and the night sky always carried a fragrance of cocoa. I hated the smell, and it made me think of my dad's lifeless body in the kitchen.

Then along came Kathleen with her box of raspberries. She smiled and sat next to me. She picked a rose up. "Come on Bobby, you can't sit here all day."

"I can if I want to."