Golden bells chimed against the edge of the door as it opened. The sound of the bell added to the comfortable silence in the gift shop and reached the ears of a light auburn haired woman. Isabel Moore raised her head from the novel she was engrossed in, to the direction of the door. Two lines marred her forehead as she noticed the absence of a person near the door. For a split second, she had expected someone else. Before her mind could puzzle her any further, she heard the sound of shoes squishing against the floor. Small shoes. Her question was answered as she lowered her head to meet the eyes of two chirpy kids, rounding her counter.

“Good afternoon, Grandma!” A seven year old boy and a five year old girl greeted her, their eyes twinkling.

Removing her reading glasses, Isabel finally greeted, “Good afternoon kids! How are you today?” She smiled, though couldn't mirror the same energy as them. She often envied them but then let that slide. As she talked to the kids about the day, she heard another chime of the bell and jerked her head almost immediately, only to find her daughter- in- law entering the shop. A wave of disappointment rushed through her. She must have sighed for like the hundredth time since that day.

Carrie, her daughter- in- law, caught Isabel's disheartened face as she approached her. She knew what was troubling Isabel, all too well, but Isabel was just too stubborn to admit it. The two ladies greeted each other and soon involved themselves in the usual chatter. In the middle of their conversation, Carrie asked, “Mom, you keep looking towards the door? Perhaps you are expecting someone.”

Isabel's face didn't waver one bit, “Of course dear Carrie, my customers. There haven't been many customers since morning and it's one in the afternoon now.”

A small smile appeared on Carrie's face, “Does that include Carter as well?” she teased.

That name did something to Isabel's fifty- six year old heart, despite the protests from her mind. She raised her brows cooly, trying to maintain a straight face. “I don't differentiate between customers, Carrie. Everyone is welcomed to our shop.”

“But Carter is a special customer, right? Considering how many times he visited this shop or to be more precise—”

Carrie was interrupted by the another chiming of the bell. A young man dressed in navy blue suit entered their premises this time, saving Isabel from pointless interrogation. Thank goodness!

The man approached the counter, taking long strides. It seemed as if he was in a hurry. “Where's the Valentine gift section?”

“It's in the corner to the left side. Here,” Isabel pointed out the direction with her finger. “Is there something I can help you with? What gift do you have in mind?” 

Carrie and her kids left soon after while Isabel carried on with her duties. The rest of the afternoon was hectic which was no surprise— Valentine's day was around the corner. Isabel was grateful to George for staying an extra hour in the shop today. George was a college student who worked part time in her absence. As she left the shop, she looked around, a wishful part still hoping for his presence. She convinced herself that she was being naive. She walked home, feeling dejected.

.

Seven months ago, Isabel came across a certain customer named Carter West, who wanted to buy a birthday gift and a card for his son, Reyes. She had helped him select a decent gift when he was having a hard time selecting it. Three days later, Carter visited her shop again, just to thank her. She was overcome by his polite attitude and wanted to know where he was from, since she had never seen him around the neighborhood. Turns out he was working for the Navy. He lived in Plymouth with his ex wife to attend his Navy duties. Even after his divorce four years ago, he continued to live there till the duration of his post. He shifted to London, a month ago, residing in an apartment near his son's. Isabel too, shared her story about how she established the gift shop, almost all on her own. It was something she and her husband dreamed it together but unfortunately, her husband's health took its toll before they could bring it to fruition. Isabel, however, wasn't the one to give up as she continued to build what was left. It had been almost six years since then. The shop was running successfully.

It felt nice having a meaningful conversation with someone from her age, that too, someone from the opposite sex. Though that moment ended too soon as Carter left. Their conversation lingered in Isabel's mind for quite sometime. She didn't see him for a long time and soon forgot about him as she immersed herself in her daily life.

Fate had a different plan though.

Unexpectedly, they crossed paths again at a Thanksgiving house party in their neighborhood. They talked, they caught up and raised a memorable toast. The party had started with a recognization and ended with their stolen stares across the garden. It was then Isabel felt it. Felt a tiny spark of connection between them. She felt giddy, like she had traveled thirty years back in time. Back when everything was small and colorful.

Isabel was sure this was a one time thing but Carter proved her wrong when he showed up at her shop, the very next day. There was a hint of playfulness in his eyes as he talked. He didn't put anything out in words but his gestures and expressions, acknowledged that connection. Isabel wasn't sure what to make of it so she went with the flow.

Carter's visits to her shop became more frequent since that party. It was hilarious how he came up with new excuses, every time he met her, so as to make it look like an innocent coincidence. Both of them knew he came to see her, yet kept mum. He stopped making excuses as days passed by. Soon they acknowledged each other as 'friends from the sixties'.

Isabel never guessed he was over sixty one. Infact, he still looked like he was in his early fifties. Navy did good to his physique, even at his age. He was tall, healthy, quite good looking too, with dark solder- cut hair with traces of grey, hazel eyes and a well defined jawline. Slight wrinkles marked at the edge of his lips as he smiled. He was disciplined, yet had a certain charisma to himself that drew her in. 'He must have been popular with the ladies at his youth,' Isabel thought.

Their bond deepened as they shared stories about the glorious days of their past— him talking about his adventures on the sea while Isabel reciting her life as a lecturer in the arts. Their fondness towards each other didn't go unnoticed by others. Almost every shopkeeper from their line of shops was aware of them. Isabel's family never missed an opportunity to tease her even though she didn't like it. She still remembered how much Carrie embarrassed her when she encountered Carter, that one time.

And even though, their likeness was as clear as the romantic cards in her shop, they never confessed in the open. Carter did make some efforts though. He had asked her out for coffee, a few times but was rejected, every single time. Isabel would always have an insignificant excuse to give, so as to not reject him directly while Carter would laugh it off as a joke. Eventually, he stopped trying.

Regardless, Carter continued to visit her until the end of January. At twenty ninth of January, he left London to pay a visit to his relatives. He was scheduled to be back after three days but it seemed like he extended his stay. That's what Isabel assumed when she didn't see him. It had been more than a week since she heard from him. She felt incredibly stupid for not having his contact number now. He wasn't even on social media. Her patience was waning day by day. Everyday she would glance over the door, hoping every person behind a doorbell would be him. Even sleep took its sweet time to accompany her. While her sane mind told her to wait, her paranoid side troubled her with unfortunate events. She prayed for his safety to the Lords above, hoping he would be fine wherever he was.

~

It was yet another day of endless wait and work at the shop until the arrival of a rather unusual visitor at the doorstep. The customer in question was a young teen with a backpack. He walked a few steps towards the counter while swiveling his head around to take a good look of the shop. He then turned his attention to her.

“Are you Isabel Moore?”

“Yes, that would be me.”

Relief washed over his face upon knowing his answer. He opened the zip of his bag and fished out a rectangular shaped gift box. “I was told to give this to you.”

“Me?” Isabel pointed out to herself in sheer surprise. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, Aunty. Here, see for yourself,” The boy said, pointing his finger to the sticker at the left corner of the gift box. Indeed her name was written on it. Strange, she didn't recall any of her family members or friends ever mentioning this. Maybe this was meant to be a surprise. Surprise for what, exactly? Her birthday was over in November last year.

After the boy dutifully made his exit, Isabel quickly unwrapped the present. Her eyes widened at the golden rose she held in her hand. It was artificial but it was still beautiful. She had the same kind of roses in her shop but receiving it from someone was a different thing altogether. She unwrapped the small note that was tied to its stem. In cursive handwriting, it wrote—

The note was received with a bubbling smile on Isabel's lips. She flipped the note to the other side but still couldn't find the sender's name. Not even their initials. The sender wanted to be anonymous. Her heart was already racing as she thought of the identity of this anonymous person. Only one person, she knew, would be dramatic enough to do this but she still kept her options open. There could be a secret admirer for all she knew.

Nonetheless Isabel Moore was smiling throughout the day.

And that wasn't the end to her mysterious well wisher, either. It was a trailer. The following day Isabel received a note rolled inside a hourglass shaped bottle, at the shop's doorstep. It only bore eight words.

Yet another smile blew up her face. She recalled the times she rejected Carter for coffee. There was no room for doubt. This had to be him!

The gifts kept coming as the days passed. She tried not to but couldn't help feeling giddy, like a school girl receiving a text from her crush. She looked forward to it everyday. On the third day, she received a box of branded chocolates while on the fourth day, she received a small golden Teddy bear holding a heart between his hands. Funny, how these gifts bore a striking resemblance to the gifts in her shop. It wasn't possible for Carter to know the list of gifts that were in stock, without physically visiting her shop. She never saw him buying these from her shop either. Then how did he purchase them without being here? There were no online purchases as far as her memory went. What if he bought it through someone else? But who, she couldn't remember.

On the following day, she received a bracelet that bore multicolored stones. She remembered this, too. It was during one of their meetings when they were taking a tour of the shop. She was telling Carter how she loved these kind of bracelets. It was unbelievable how he remembered all those little things in their many conversations. She was genuinely touched by his gestures.

The note attached to the bracelet was even sweeter.

“Could you take me to Mr West?” she requested the teen who was waiting for her reply that the message mentioned. She knew which street Carter lived but wasn't aware of the exact building.

The teen shook his head with a smile. “Not yet, Aunty. You'll have to wait till the fourteenth.”

Heaving a sigh, she went to the counter and fished out a smiley magnet sticker from its drawer. She had a dire urge to meet him but she decided to wait and keep her patience at bay. So instead, she wrote a small note in reply.

There was nothing in particular Isabel received on the next two days. Just another note from the same teen who had been delivering Carter's gifts.

Isabel chuckled at that. She felt luckier this time. Eventually, it was Valentines day. The Valentine card that was carefully stuck between various flowers of a bouquet, compromised of sweet words for a Valentine. At the end, it wrote.

She didn't know whether it was the invitation to meet him or the cursive signature of his name but it made her heart pound with joy. She felt like a teenager again. She could feel it. Feel her walls stripping down. She didn't think she would ever be, but now, she
was ready to start this new chapter of her life.

I hope you won't mind me, dear James.

~

Somewhere, inside a small cozy apartment, someone was getting ready. Carter West never put much effort in getting ready. The right pair of clothes, a comb and a cologne was all he needed. This was no exception. He knew he looked smart enough to get it right. However as he scrutinized at his reflection in the mirror, he wondered if he looked too old for a date. It had been years after all. His trail of thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. That was odd. Who would knock his door at this hour? His son was at work. 'He better have a damn good reason to interrupt me at this hour,' he thought while opening the door. His hand froze at the doorknob momentarily as he gazed at his visitor.

“Isabel.”

“You're not the only one with surprises, you see,” she spoke with a teasing smile. Carter's gaze traveled from top to bottom, taking every inch of her that he hadn't seen since weeks. She looked breathtaking in her white sleeveless top and multicolored long skirt. Her light auburn hair carefully lay past her shoulders. He had almost forgotten how enamored he was with her beauty, both inside and outside.

“Happy Valentine's Day, dear,” Isabel greeted when Carter temporarily lost the ability to speak. She stepped forward, offering him a white rose and a greeting card. He received it, thanking her for the same and complimented her. Before he could formulate proper words for her, he was stopped by a warm presence enclosing his arms. Fresh lilac like fragrance filled his nostrils mixed with a tinge of shampoo. He readily responded by enclosing his arms around her, bringing her head to his beating heart. Oh, how he longed for this moment. His efforts were finally bearing fruit. “I missed you, Carter.”

His already plastered smile turned into a grin. “Then I must have missed you more.”

They parted and greeted each other with a brief kiss on the lips, that gave them butterflies. After going through the usual pleasantries, Isabel popped a question that had long since bothered her. “Did your son happen to visit my shop?”

A smirk escaped Carter's lips, “Nothing escapes you, huh, you clever woman.” When she smirked back, he continued, “Yes, my son helped in choosing those gifts for me. Or rather, I forced him to. He sent me pictures that time, if you haven't noticed. Rest is history.”

“He did tell me he needed someone's advice.” She said, trying to recall his face and his hazel eyes that resembled his father.

When it was time to leave, Isabel led the way, by gracefully raising her hand towards the direction of the door.

He walked a step ahead of her then stood, repeating the same gesture as her. More dramatically that is. “I believe it's ladies first, Ma'am,”

That had both of them chuckling to their wits. Isabel exited the apartment first but didn't miss the chance to pull his cheek while passing him by. It surely caught him by surprise.

The rest of the day went in bliss. Carter and Isabel visited the garden, first, walking hand in hand. They talked for a long time, catching up with the days they missed. Carter conversed about his days with his relatives while Isabel told him about some of the interesting customers she encountered during the week. Thus, an hour ticked by.

“I believe you have a proposal that remains to be fulfilled.”

Carter couldn't help voicing his thoughts this time. “It's strange how I was the one surprising you this whole week, yet I'm the one who's most surprised today. What brought this change, exactly? Were my gifts that appealing to you?”

Isabel shook her head in a negative. “Your surprises did make me happy, Carter. Rather than the gifts, I was more moved by the thoughts that went behind it. Those little notes too... I can't point one thing and say this is why. The things I felt during this week made me realize that age really has nothing to it. I could be seventy and still share the same feeling of falling in love as that of a teenager. So...” she paused, casting a brief look at him and tightened her intertwined fingers with his. “I'll follow my heart that's telling me to go to that coffee shop with you right now.”

Carter smiled, never taking his eyes off her. While he believed in not- being- too- old- for- love concept, somewhere along the way, he had forgotten about it. Years of being single and working in the Navy had deterred his confidence in the dating world. She had no idea how her words had affected him. He was grateful.

“Isabel,” he called with emotion, planting a soft kiss on her temple. “Thank you. Let's just hope your heart doesn't change its course too soon.”

Isabel chuckled, “It won't, I promise.”

⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫

🌸 “Love is like the flower of nature— It is beautiful no matter what day, place or time it is. What's more? Anyone can have it.” 🌸

💗 A u t h o r' s   N o t e 💗

I came up with this story a little later after Valentines day, started writing it three months after, left it off somewhere, then picked it up again last week and now it's finally posted lol. I'm glad that I managed to post something despite my job. Hope you liked this short story. Don't forget to share your thoughts about it. Until next time. ☺☺