On March fifteenth, the delivery van bounced around the pothole-filled streets downtown. We were split into three different cars: Dad and I in the van, Mom and Faye in her SUV, and Aunt Cathy, who worked at the flower shop's only employee besides my parents, trailed behind in her loaded-up pickup truck.

Vanessa was at home, trying to get her life back together after several phone calls to her college. She came home for spring break, but wasn't allowed to return to campus until "further notice."

We drove up the ramp of the parking garage for the big, historic hotel where the O'Riley's were still having their wedding, despite all their cancellations. Mom and Aunt Cathy parked near us, and we got everything loaded onto carts.

When we got into the elevator, there was another couple who got in with us. They both had masks on. We all kind of backed into the corner. I figured they had the flu, because the doctors advised me to wear a mask when I was sick with it last year.

We went down into the lobby, which was mostly empty. I'd help drop off flowers here before, and usually this place was packed on the weekends. We went up to the front desk, and someone escorted us down the hall to the office where we usually left the arrangements. We dropped them off, and the wedding coordinator would set them up on the tables.

After everything was dropped off, we got back in the cars and headed back to the shop. As we turned out of the parking garage, Dad turned the radio up.

"Yeah it looks like there won't be the parade this year. I can't believe what's happening," said a male host.

"Yup. I had to tell my kids," said a female. "Hopefully everyone stays safe and this will be over by Easter time. It has to be."

"Well now they're talking about closing things down. I think we may even hear something as soon as tomorrow."

"All I can say is, if we're going to close down the station, I'm going to be broadcasting in my bed, in my underwear."

"And thankfully because this is radio, no one can see you," said the female as both hosts laughed. "Because no offense, but if all our listeners had to see you in your underwear I think their eyes would burn so bad they'd go blind."

Dad quickly pressed the power button and shut the radio off.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"What happens if we have to close?" I asked.

"We're not gonna close. They can shut certain things and limit other things. They can cancel a parade, but they can't tell people that they can't run their business."

"You sure?"

"Aster, you're pregnant. Don't worry about anything. Mom and I will take care of whatever happens."

We parked the delivery van and the rest of the cars in the little public parking lot down the street from the shop. It was nearing ten o'clock, which was our opening time on Saturdays. Usually I volunteered to help out if things got crazy, or my parents offered me a nice reward to get me to come in. But last night it was "You and Faye are coming in to help. That's all there is to do it. There's no way out of it."

Dad got me all set up in the office. My job was to call back everyone and confirm their cancellations. I already knew the order management system on the computer, so it was just a few clicks to change something from "ordered" to "cancelled."

Aunt Cathy was behind me at a folding table. Her job was to call the vendors to see if we could send any flowers back and get credit for them. Mom and Faye were going to pack everything up that was getting sent back, and Dad was watching the front desk. We already had a line of people outside, probably who were coming to cancel in person.

I pressed the "play" button on the answering machine.

"Twenty-five messages," it said.

"No way," I said, groaning and leaning back in my chair.

I was hoping I'd get out of here around one or so, because I was set to hang out at Jen and Karly's house tonight. They were going to help me with my DBQ for history, and then we were going to play Luigi's Mansion while eating whatever totally awesome Korean food their mom was making. It was literally all I wanted on a Saturday night, and I was going to be stuck here.

I called the first number and said, "Hi, this is Aster from Brooks Flowers," then took all their info for the wedding they were cancelling. "Miss Conners, your wedding isn't until the beginning of May. Are you really sure you want to cancel?"

"Yes," she said, her voice cracking. "We already called all our guests and pulled our reservation from the reception hall. We're setting a date for next year, so we'll get in touch with you then."

I wished her well and hung up, then took a breath and listened to the next message. I had to keep taking breaks and getting snacks, but the calls kept piling up. As soon as one person would cancel and I switched it over in the system, another person would call.

At two, I took a bathroom break. As I sat on the old toilet in the bathroom full of cracked wall tiles and cobwebs in the corners, I got a call on my own phone. It was Jen. I picked it up.

"Hey. I can't make it tonight. Emergency at the shop," I said.

"That's not why we called!" Karly said in the background.

"Yeah. Did you get the email?" Jen asked.

"What email? I've been on the store phone the whole morning," I said.

"Should I tell her?" Jen asked Karly.

"Tell me what?" I asked, my heart pounding.

"Girl!" Karly said. I heard footsteps running over. "There's no school all of next week!"

"Stop. Stop it," I said.

"Check your email," Jen said. "They're shutting it down because of the Rona."

"The whole week?" I asked.

"Yes!" the said in unison.

"Wow. Hopefully Faye isn't off too. I can't even imagine the amount of gaming I'm going to do," I said. "Well I gotta go. I'll let you guys know if I can somehow make it over there."

"Just get here whenever!" Jen said.

I hung up, washed up, and went back to the front desk, where Mom was looking at her phone.

"Did you get the email?" I asked, looking at Faye, who was right next to her. "Because I'm off school all next week!"

"Ha! Me too!" she said, sticking her tongue out at me.

I didn't answer and just stormed off into the office. Why couldn't I just get one single week of peace and quiet? I played the next message and got ready to take the next call. It felt like the whole world was grinding to a halt. I knew that Dad said not to worry, but our shop depended on people buying flowers. How were we going to stay afloat if everyone was cancelling?