We stole the cutting from Kensington Palace gardens. I kept watch. Alys knelt and cut the stem. Blind with excitement we left, our arms around each other, all evidence tucked under her Burberry coat.
Over a year, we argued and reconciled until I ran for pastures green.
Over a lifetime, Alys tended her garden and that fragrant rose.
Today I say goodbye to her spirit, if not her form, held in this wilderness of flowers set free to follow their hearts. I cut a stem from the rose with the magnificent scent, and promise to grow a less selfish love.
This piece was written as part of the NYC Midnight 100 words competition, for the following prompts.
Genre| Romance — Action| Making a Promise — Included Word| blind
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Ursula Hoult 