1 Chapter 1 - Sunflower

"Momma, look!" The little boy yelled to his mother, wanting his mother to look at his sand castle he made in the sandbox.

"Wow, aren't you an artist," his mother said bending down to admire her sons work, for a five year old his sandcastle was pretty impressive, "Come on, we should be going now, your father should be home soon."

"Okay," The little boy said leaving his creation, he got up and jumped out the sandbox and went over to where his shoes and backpack was next to the beautiful bushes.

"Come on, James," his mother said calling him to hurry up, the boy stood up and was getting ready to run towards his mother when something caught his eyes in the bush. He reached over to grab a small rectangular paper, he flipped it over to the most beautiful thing he ever laid eyes on...

"James, let's go!" His mother said walking to the car.

"Coming!" The boy said quickly putting the photo in his pocket and ran after his mother.

(Sixteen years later).....

"Mama, are you sure you're well to work?" I asked my mother behind the desk. My mother owns a flower shop in Long Beach California.

"I'm fine, dear, it's just a headache," my mother said fixing up a bouquet of flowers.

"That's what you always say," I said going to kiss her on the cheek and she smiled.

"Don't worry about me, Sunni, you know what I will feel so much better if you had a man," my mother said and I groaned.

"Mom, please don't start," I said putting up some vases on the shelf. My name is Sunni Valentine. Yeah, fabulous name, I know, Sunni was derived from the word Sunflower, which is my mother favorite flower and turned out to be my favorite flower as well. I'm twenty three years old, I'm mixed, my mother is Caucasian and African American and my father is half German, half Italian. I have long red hair and dark brown eyes, my hair is wild so usually my mother braids them in two cornrows that fall down my back which is my hairstyle today.

After college, I decided to stay home and help my mother run her flower shop.

Ding!

Mom and both look towards the entrance to see a man coming into the door.

"Hello, welcome to Mary's Flower, how may I help you," my mother said as I went back to finishing putting up the vases.

"Hello, how are you," the man politely said to my mother and I slowly turned to look up at him.

"Oh aren't you a dear, you should meet my daughter, Sunni, she is very single...."

"Mom!" I hissed through grit teeth as I walked over to her, "way don't you go finish what you was doing, I can help him."

"Ask him if he's single..." mom started when another customer came through the door.

"Oh look you're need else were," I said pushing my mother off towards the new customer rolling my eyes before turning to the gentleman, "hi!"

"Hi!" The guy said looking down at me with hazel brown eyes, he was handsome, very handsome actually with dark tan skin and brown hair. He was about a head taller than me and I was 5'7.

"I'm sorry for my mother," I said looking over to my mother, "what can I help you with?"

"You look familiar," The guy said pointing at me.

"I do? Well, you are not familiar to me so I know we haven't met before," I said with an awkward smile.

"Are you sure?" He said glancing down and me with a smirk and I nod.

"I'm positive."

"Well then, I'm Sebastian," he said holding out his hand.

"Sunni!" I said taking his larger hand into mine and shook it, "nice to meet you."

"Like wise," he smiled and we just stare at each other for a couple of seconds until he slowly looked away, "my father wants me to get some lilies for my mother birthday, her favorite flowers."

"Wrapped and boxed or in a vase?" I asked walking over to the counter and walked behind.

"Boxed, I guess," he said behind me.

"Do you want a note?"

"A note for what?" Sebastian asked.

"A message...something he wants to say to his wife," I said grabbing one of the flowers boxes and a envelope card that goes with it, "I'll write it on here."

"Oh, shit...uhm, well let me text him," Sebastian said pulling out his phone.

"Ok, I'll go get the flowers then, I'll be back," I told him and he nod, I walked towards the back of the store where mom keep the lilies and grabbed a bouquet of them. I made sure each one of them was perfect before walking back to the front.

"Here!" He said setting his phone down on the counter when I came back to the front, I look down to see the message his father want on the note card. I put the flowers in the box first before grabbing the pen and the card.

"What are you getting her for her birthday?" I asked him leaning on the counter to write the message in a cute way.

"A hug," he said and we both chuckled, "I'm just playing, I'll probably take her out to eat or buy her food, I know women loves food."

"True!" I said glancing up at him and he smiled.

"What's your favorite flower?" He asked looking around the shop.

"A sunflower," I said finishing the card before placing it in the envelope then the box.

"Really? I see you as a rose type of girl, and plus sunflowers isn't as lovely as roses," he said and I shook my head.

"True, but sunflowers aren't as fragile as Roses," I said tying a ribbon around the box and made it into a bow, "sunflowers are stable and always looking towards the bright side, like me, and that's why Sunflowers are my favorite."

"Hhm," he said nodding his head as he thought of what I said, "I don't like flowers, hate the smell of them, but I do love clovers because they're lucky like me."

"Wow, that awesome," I said sarcastically which cause him to smirk, I moved everything over to the cashier to check him out, "that will be $32.50." He gave me the cash and I quickly count up his changes and hand it back to him.

"Thanks, you've been great," he said taking his flowers and I nod.

"Thank you for coming in, have a nice day," I said. He turned and walk towards the door as I began to clean up my mess.

"Oh by the way..." I hear him say at the door and I look up at him, "I'm single. Hopefully we run into each other again, see you around." He winked before walking out the shop and I feel myself blush.

"Now why didn't you get his number?" My mother said coming over to me.

"Why would I want a stranger number?" I asked.

"To get a boyfriend, Dear, to get a boyfriend," mom said shaking her head, "I cannot believe my daughter don't know the basics, the basics! Are you even going to get married? Probably not, because you don't even know how to get a boyfriend."

"Ok, the insults can stop right there, mom, I'm sorry I'm a disappointment."

"In relationship yes, but never as my daughter," my mother said and I smiled.

"Your the best!" I said going to hug her.

"I know," mom said heading to the back as my best friend walked into the shop.

"Pool party, at Paul's house tomorrow, we're going," Madeline said coming up to the desk and I laughed.

"Pool party? That means I have to wear a swimsuit and I don't want to do that," I said to my best friend for ten years when she moved in from Oakland back in middle school. She is all about her appearance and making sure everyone knows who she is, she is a beautiful dark skin queen, queen is her words not mine, with long straight brown hair and brown eyes. We grew up to be total opposite of each other, on very different sides of the spectrum, but that didn't change our friends and I'm so grateful for that.

"Well you gonna and don't worry, mama, I already got you one too," she said pulling out a two piece black swimsuit, the top had crisscross patterned on the back and the bottom was cut out on the top, "I got black because it match your soul."

"Haha, fuck you!" I laughed tossing the bikini back to her and she joined in, "just for that I'm not going."

"Mama V, can you tell your daughter how much fun she is going to have at this pool party, please," Madeline said to my mom when she walked up.

"You should go, you never do anything fun," mom said walking over to us and picked up the bikini that Madeline brought for me, "beside you might finally find a man if you wear this."

"Mom, stop!" I said grabbing the bikini.

"That's what I'm hoping for!" Madeline said high fiving my mom, "So it's official, tomorrow I'll pick you up at ten, be ready."

"But..."

"Bye my loves!" Madeline said running out the shop and I frowned, damn it.