"This is for you."
Derek held out a large bouquet of stamen-less red roses, and Eleanor had no words ready for it.
"How did you even get here?"
"Heard you thank me on stage. Figured I'd show up."
Derek meant it, plainly.
Behind his glasses, his eyes usually carried that same cynical edge but this time, Eleanor couldn't catch a lie anywhere in it.
"You can take this one without worry. Pulled every stamen, glued the petals back one at a time. Took longer than you'd think."
He said it like he was fishing for credit, and Eleanor couldn't help but think why not just send something simpler in the first place?
"Thank you. I'll take them."
Whatever his motives, the gesture read as sincere enough that refusing felt unnecessary.
First time she'd held a bouquet this size without a single sn
