Yarrow Flowers

“C’mon Charlotte it will be fun!” Marie cheered as she rolled down the steep hill in the sunlit meadow. It was a beautiful spring day and the flowers had all bloomed. The world smelled like daisies and her beaming smile shone in the bright sun. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she squinted in the direction of her high school lover. Charlotte walked over to sit beside Marie and she wrapped her arm around Marie’s shoulder. Marie leaned over and kissed Charlotte's cheek as they blushed simultaneously. They fell back in sync as they stared at the clouds in the sky, blissfully. They gazed into each other's eyes taking in this beautiful moment as the two girls fell in love, drifting off to sleep in the warm sunlight.

“Oh my darling, It’ will be alright. It will be alright” Charlotte comforted as Marie sniffled and coughed on a couch by the television. There was a movie playing with an empty tissue box off to the side. Marie was cuddled into her wife’s arms as she shivered with her soup bowl. “Hey, let me check your temperature again please love” Charlotte cooed whilst  holding up an old thermometer. She took Marie’s temperature as she held her close and they drifted off to sleep.

“Hey, you got this alright? We got this together." Marie reassured Charlotte on the way to her interview. “This is your dream job. You’ve been working to get here since you were twenty. You’ve got this.” Charlotte took a deep breath as she opened the door.

“I love you” she texted as she walked towards her interview. Marie fell asleep in the car.

Charlotte came home after a long day of work and collapsed on the couch exhausted. Marie leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Long day?”. Charlotte proceeded to explain her entire day in full detail as Marie intently listened and poured her a cup of tea. She held Charlotte on the couch as they drifted off to sleep.

“Okay, and open your eyes now!” Marie exclaimed as she turned Charlotte to her Valentine’s surprise. It was a balloon with something tied to the string.

 “OOH I LOVE BALLOONS!!!” Charlotte jumped in excitement.

“N-no look at- look at what is attached to the balloon dear” Marie said nervously. Charlotte picked up the red balloon and grabbed what was attached to the base. It glimmered in her eye and she stepped away from the sunlight. It was a beautiful silver ring with 11 small diamonds placed across the band. 

“Oh, Marie this is beautiful. When do we set the date?”

The girls giggled and discussed their plans for the future as they fell asleep late at night.

Charlotte walked towards her lover in a long white gown. Her and Charlotte had worked all their lives to be able to afford this moment. As the wind from the flower field swirled around her long grey hair, she took elegant strides forward as she reached her bride. This. This was the flower field where it all began, they were here together again. Rose petals drifted up from the floor encircling the two girls. Charlotte reached for Marie as they said their vows. “I do.” The girls traded rings and kissed. It was magical. Songs were sung, bells were rung, and joy was overflowing in their hearts. They were finally together forever. It took them 50 years to get there, but they were together. The girls went home and soon fell asleep.

Marie was leaning over her bed as these thoughts came and went. She had reminisced their life together just as the end neared. She knew what was coming. Charlotte was asleep as her machine continued a slow beep signaling her heartbeat. She reached out her hand to touch her cheek. “My dear Charlotte. Where did the time go?” The beeping stopped as a tear rolled down Marie’s face. She withdrew her hand from Charlotte’s cheek slowly and sullenly. “Together for your forever my love. There won’t be a day that goes by I don’t think of you”.

Charlotte was buried in the flower field right where the sunbeams hit midday. Marie planted chrysanthemums and red carnations around Charlotte and returned to take care of them every afternoon. They were plentiful, healthy and abundant. Grown from a mix of heartbreak and love. Watered by the tears shed for her lost lover. “Where did the time go? Together for your forever, my love”. She whispered this to her every day, every time she stooped to her knees to water those flowers. Every time she felt her heart re-shatter as she woke up each morning alone in her misery.

One day, Marie wasn’t there to water the flowers. A day turned to a week, turned to a month as the flowers started to wilt. Marie lost her everything, and with that she lost her will to continue on. She lay there waiting for life to take her in her tear stained blankets. Her headaches turned to severe dehydration and starvation as she slowly died. She stumbled and tripped to her lovers grave as she laid next to the flowers for the last time. Her breathing was raspy and unsteady as she struggled to maintain a steady train of thought. As she watched the sunset for the last time she was crushed by a pain that could not be shed through a tear. 

Marie slipped into death as night set in. She was reunited with her love. As weeks passed a new flower bloomed in the field between the two faded lovers. Yarrow flowers slowly spread across the field as the lovers slowly became one with the field that had brought them together. This is where their journey had started, was it not coincidental this is where it ended as well?

When summer rolled in two boys were running in a field as they stumbled upon a beautiful patch of flowers. They sat down together for a picnic as they fell in love.