When she removed the last of his cups from the back room, Selma decided to close the flower shop. Her former partner had taken some of the equipment and their shared client list to a new shop he had opened with the woman he left her for. He insisted that business decisions were separate from private matters. To Selma, it all belonged in the same box.
She was left with peeling letters on the shop window and a handful of orders for which she had already taken deposits. Every morning, she counted the days remaining on the lease. The street had been dug up, pedestrians avoided the mud, and she worked in her coat. On the glass, she wrote in chalk that she was accepting only orders already arranged.
Across the street was Boris's set-design studio. They knew each other well enough to take in one another's parcels. When he asked why she was closing, she said she had no reason left to stay. She did not add that she felt awkward standing behind the counter while customers tried to avoid asking about her former partner.
The following morning, a large magnolia branch had been painted across Boris's window. Between its blossoms, a message said that spring was arriving across the street. An arrow pointed to her shop. Selma thought his optimism was making fun of her, but two new customers came in that day.
Rain fell all week. Paint from the temporary signs ran across the pavement, while the magnolia stayed the same. Selma began looking at it before unlocking her door. She did not believe a single picture could save a business. Still, she changed her message and reopened orders for Saturday.
When Boris went away, his colleague asked Selma to keep an eye on the studio. There, she found receipts for moisture-resistant paint and a drawing of the entire window. Boris had worked on it for three nights between paid jobs. His colleague said he had not wanted to tell anyone why.
When he returned, Selma brought him lunch. She thanked him but told him she did not want to be someone's secret repair project. Boris looked confused. Then he explained that after his divorce, it had helped when she took in a parcel and asked whether he wanted coffee, without turning it into a big conversation.
In May, the flower shop was still open. Business was modest, but it was hers. Boris came in for a bouquet for his mother and paid the full price. Then Selma invited him to dinner. This time, no one needed to draw an arrow.