The Flower Series
by Sue

October - Pink Roses

As September drew to a close, I began to get a little melancholy. Natural, I suppose for having the decreased daylight, but somehow it seemed deeper than just the change of seasons. I had it all - a challenging career, a business partner who was also a great friend, a beautiful daughter, and I was in love with a wonderful man who loved me. Still, something was missing. I ticked off my blessings daily, completely grateful for them, but the feeling was still there. Tired of let it nag me night and day, I did what I do best and pushed it out of my mind.

The calendar turned to October and for the first time in my life, I thought about Halloween. I knew KD was too young to care, and might even be frightened by the little ghosts and goblins begging for candy, but it still started a little spark and the little spark started a tiny fire, and soon, I could think of only one thing. I lived in an apartment building where KD was the only child. There would be no one knocking on my door the last night of the month. I wanted trick or treaters! I wanted to be surrounded by kiddie car motors hyperactive on excitement and 100% pure cane sugar. I could always buy a house on a child infested block, but doubted if I could find one, pack, move, unpack, and be settled in time, so when I remembered the hospital's annual Christmas party for the pediatric unit, my mission was set. I called Tony and outlined my plan. He jumped at the idea and told me he'd set up a meeting with Alan and Monica.

I grabbed the yellow pages and began looking thru them for places that would have costumes for the children or party decorations. Half a dozen phone calls later I found a source of not only costumes and decorations, but also of clowns and magicians to keep the children entertained; anyone in pediatrics on Halloween was going to have the time of their life! I bundled KD up and we headed out for the party warehouse when the car phone rang. I pressed the answer button and answered on speaker.

"Alexis Davis."

"Where are you?"

"I'm on my way to arrange a Halloween Party for the hospital. Is something wrong?"

"No, but, um, can you swing by the office first?"

"Yeah. What do you need Cameron?"

"I don't need anything, but there's something here you should see."

"What?"

"You just need to see it."

"What's wrong, now?" What broke?"

"Nothing's wrong, nothing's broken. There's just something here you should see."

"Do I get a clue?"

"I wouldn't know where to start."

I gave in with a huge sigh and told him I'd be there in ten minutes. No sooner had I disconnected than it rang again.

"Cameron I said I was on my way."

"Alexis, it's Alan."

"Sorry Alan. I just hung up from Cameron and I thought he was calling back. What can I do for you?"

"Sounds like you're on your way to the office. Is there any chance you could swing by here first?"

If I hadn't have been in traffic I would have pounded my head on the steering wheel; I hadn't been this popular since Sonny and Jason's last incarceration.

"Alan, Cameron said there's some sort of situation at the office I needed to see right away. Can I get to you as soon as I'm finished there?"

"Sure. Give me a call before you leave."

Again I disconnected. Eight minutes later I pulled up outside the Davis and Lewis offices, unhooked KD from her car seat, grabbed my purse, KD's diaper bag, and headed across the parking lot to the front door. Cameron was waiting and rushed outside to meet me, taking my daughter from my arms and hoisting her diaper bag over his shoulder. I must have been pms-ing, because I snapped at him.

"I'm perfectly capable of carrying my daughter and her bag. How do you think she got in the car in the first place? Nose twitching?"

He gave a condescending chuckle as he opened the office door and let me breeze in. I stopped short from the sight and smell in front of me. There had to have been hundreds of pink roses in every sort of arrangement possible - vases, miniature bushes, stems in boxes...it was flabbergasting.

"Where did these come from? Never mind. I know where they came from, but why here? Why now? Why so many?"

Cameron grinned wickedly and arched an eyebrow. "My guess is that whatever you did for Corinthos last night was definitely world class." He winked.

"Please put my daughter down so I can hurt you."

"Is that what you did for Sonny? Hurt me Alexis, hurt me."

"You're hopeless. I don't suppose you've searched for a card, have you?"

"Nope, but the old guy that delivered them said there wasn't one and you'd understand."

"George."

"The flowers are from George? Who's he? Does Sonny know? Did you hurt George too?"

The office phone started ringing and to get away from Cameron I answered it.

"Davis and Lewis."

"Alexis Davis, please. This is Dr. Quartermaine."

"Alan, I'm sorry. It's me."

"Alexis, we really need you down here."

I quickly looked at my watch - 9:30. "I'm finished here anyway. 9:45 ok?"

"Perfect. Park in the garage and meet me outside the solarium?"

I looked at Cameron. "Can you take care of KD until I get hold of..."

Alan interrupted. "Please. Bring your daughter. She needs to be here also. See you in fifteen minutes."

"Cameron I've got to be at the hospital for a meeting in a few minutes. We'll be back as soon as we're finished."

KD and I were out the door and back in the car tooling towards GH when the phone rang. "Son of a bi...eehive" I shouted, suddenly aware that my daughter was in the back seat. I pressed the answer button with a vengeance. "Alexis Davis."

"Miss Davis? This is Carlton, your doorman." Oh oh. I could smell the trouble.

"What Carlton?"

"There's been a minor problem here and we've had to evacuate the residents for a while. I just didn't want you to hear about it on the news or anything and get all worried."

"What happened?"

"Uh, water main broke. There's no water to the building, so, uh, I'll call you when service is back on and you can come home. OK? Bye."

I glanced at the clock. 9:40 a.m. The start had not been auspicious so far. We pulled into the parking garage at the hospital and gathering KD and her things we headed for the solarium. Walking thru the halls people seemed overly smiley, the closer I got, the bigger the smiles. A few people even garnered a nod and I swear one said, "It's beautiful." The butterflies began dancing around in my stomach, but as I rounded the corner and opened the solarium door, they all stopped and I was surrounded by dead silence. Through the doors, where the outside patio used to be was a beautiful, totally amazing rose garden. Tony Jones saw me come in and opened the outer doors and ushered me into the garden.

"She's here Alan. We can start." Tony led me thru a small crowd of people, and into a chair on a small platform. Alan stood. I looked around me at the amazing sight. Beautiful lawn furniture, paths any wheelchair could maneuver, sculptures, waterfalls, and hundreds of rose bushes and climbers. The scent was intoxicating, but I couldn't figure out what part I was to play.

Alan began. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today to dedicate the Kristen Nilsson Bergman Memorial Rose Garden. Ms. Bergman..."

Alan's words faded away as the tears formed and I hugged my daughter tightly. I can't remember what else Alan said, or for that matter what anyone said to me afterwards. I faintly remember accepting congratulations, thanks, and hearing stories about the love of flowers for an undeterminable time. At some point I became aware of background music and suddenly realized that very softly my mother was singing. My mother's incredible voice was filling this beautiful garden with the sounds of love. I was overcome. KD took that moment to need a rather urgent diaper change, so I excused myself and headed inside. Monica followed me, aware of the fragility of my emotions, and took us to her office so I could take care of KD's needs in comfort and privacy.

"It's quite an beautiful garden, isn't it?"

"Monica it's breathtaking." I was still at a loss for words. "Sonny?"

She nodded. "He wanted to do something very special for you."

The tears were flowing freely. "He did. But why isn't he here?"

Monica smiled and wrapped her arm around the back of my shoulders before she left. "You'll have to ask him. Stay in here as long as you need to." The door closed softly behind her as I whispered softly to KD about the wonderfulness of the man that was her father.

Eventually I pulled myself together and remembered the flowers at the office, the broken water main at home, and the party planning that hours before I had started out to do. KD, however was hungry, so she and I left the hospital and made a side trip to Kelly's for grilled cheese and applesauce. From there we finally made it to the party warehouse where I went over plans of what I wanted to do for the pediatric ward. Tony had told me that we were meeting Friday at 2, and they said they'd be there. I started ticking things off in my head when I remembered the flowers at the office and dialed Cameron asking him to arrange to have them sent to nursing homes. One down. No, three...the flowers, the urgent matter at the hospital, and the party. I wondered about the water situation at home. It was after three, so surely the city had things fixed. I pointed the car in that direction and pulled up thirty minutes later. People were going in and out of the building normally, so it seemed all was well. As I pulled into the underground parking, I noticed Sonny's limo in the visitors spot. It was empty. I loved the man, but I was really hoping for a quiet rest of the afternoon. The day had been so exhausting I just didn't feel up to being witty, fun, romantic, or even sociable. I started talking to my sleeping daughter as we entered the elevator and hit the button.

"I know your Daddy's done special things for Mommy today, sweetie, but Mommy's tired, and just a little bit sad because of remembering your grandma and right now I just want to curl up next to you and take a nap." The elevator doors opened to Sonny's smiling face.

"Happy Birthday, honey."

Oh my god. I had forgotten what day it was. All the roses at the office...the garden in my mother's name...they were for my birthday. I walked right into his open arms, crying my eyes out.

"It was perfect Sonny. So perfect. I've never received such a wonderful present." He held KD and I for a minute before guiding us around the corner and into the apartment. Taking her off my shoulder, he tiptoed her to her crib while I took off my shoes and curled up on the couch and closed my eyes. I felt him sit next to me and smelled the rose a second before it tickled my nose.

I opened my eyes and saw the most exquisite, perfect pink rose I had ever seen - and I had seen a lot that day.

"So, you're happy?"

"Mmmmmmm. Very." I snuggled down deeper into the couch and reached for Sonny's hand and brought it to my lips for a kiss.

"Good."

"Why pink, Sonny?"

"It stands for what you've given me. What I tried to give you today. Perfect happiness."

He succeeded.

part 11