You Don't Bring Me Flowers

You Don't Bring Me Flowers

Ruby sat hunched over her drawing board.

“Mother Nature has tasked me with designing a new flower. She insists Winter needs to be brightened with something beautiful,” she sighed as she watched the falling snow from the round window in front of her work area. Her eyes fell on the frozen water of the lake.

“Ice! Perfect! Let’s see, a clear cube shape with a flower inside. When spring comes, they will fade underground until next winter.” she muttered.

“What color would be best? Yellow, red, orange..., “she continued, as she chewed her pencil.

Soon she had a wastepaper basket overflowing with paper balls. She’d chewed her pencil to a mere nub. She stood up and stretched.

“I can’t seem to get it right! I need to sleep on it!” Ruby said, yawning. With a candle in hand, she went to bed.

As her little home grew quieter, a graceful older woman appeared in it. With a graceful finger, she unraveled paper balls.

“She’s on the right track, let’s see what I can do!” Mother Nature said.

In a thrice, she was satisfied with the sketch. With it in hand, she disappeared.

The next morning, Ruby was up with the chickadees to start again. To her astonishment, her wastepaper basket was empty, and her pad was gone!

“Now what? One does not let down Mother Nature!” she wailed. She began to pace in front of her larger picture window on the opposite wall.

Her eyes were caught by what looked like flowers in the snow. Tiny clear globes that glowed with bits of red, yellow and green that swirled inside them.

She gasped as she stood mesmerized.

“Do you like them?” asked a familiar voice from behind her. She turned and nodded with a laugh.