Mama's Garden (open)

[Elaine Tonaya]

Okay, so the name wasn't the most creative. But then again, she'd only been eighteen when she first started up the business, building it from scratch...with a little help from Marcus's family. And at that time, being "Mama" was the newest and biggest thing in her life. So of course she named the flower shop "Mama's Garden."

Elaine smiled at the weather-worn wooden sign outside the door. Her shop was smooshed neatly between two much larger buildings in the outdoor mall, yet hers still might have been one of the most popular shops. She'd debated expanding at one point, but decided she didn't want to leave the cozy shop that had gained so many scent memories. It was the summation of her life in Pilot Ridge, and she didn't want to give it up.

It was a nice day outside and Elaine decided to leave the door open, letting the scents drift in off the street. She got to work placing flowers in special containers and wrapping up corsets and boutonnieres for all the school dances. Someone was bound to stop by soon, and then she'd be able to take a break and catch up on some of the latest news.

[Adam Collier]

Adam had spent most of the morning catching up on his shopping. It was amazing how things seemed to pile up. He had needed some new clothes, a new belt, and a few other really random things. His trip had lead him to the mall, a place that never ceased to amaze Adam.

As Adam passed a flower shop he stopped. How could he have forgotten his sister, Evelyn's "Family day"? It was the day that she had become part of the family, the day their parents brought her home with them. He had sent her, her birthday present not long ago, but this day had completely slipped his mind. Hopefully this shop could ship flowers, if they couldn't he may be in deep, deep horse pucky.

Adam walked through the open door and quietly coughed to get the attention of the women working.

"Um excuse me Ma'am?

[Elaine Tonaya]

Elaine looked up from behind the desk. "Hi, welcome to Mama's Garden. Looks like you forgot something, huh? No holidays around, so I'm willing to bet you forgot someone's birthday. No worries, we'll get you set up with a nice bouquet."

She wandered around to the other side of the counter. "There's a couple different kinds of flowers to pick from, depending on who you're buying for. What kind are you needing?"

Elaine smiled at the man. "I'm glad you came in. It's always nice to meet new people, especially really nice people like you."

She could identify that there was something different about this person, but she had no idea what it was. Obviously powered, but not something she'd run into before. Perhaps it would resolve over time. The smells, though, still drove her to like this new person.

"By the way, my name is Elaine. And you are?"

[Adam Collier]

Adam smiled he liked this woman, she seemed fun. And she was spot on when it came to why he was in here.

"Well, not a birthday per say. More like an anniversary. But I uh I have to be able to have them delivered, can you do that?"

Adam looked around the shop they certainly had many different types of flowers. Evelyn liked sunflowers more than any other flower.

"My, sister Evelyn she likes sunflowers, they make her smile."

Adam watched Elaine it looked as if she was trying to figure him out, probably trying to identify his smell. People tended to have the same look on their faces when they caught a whiff of his rather unique smell. Adam was used to it by now. This woman didn't seem like anyone he had to worry about knowing what he was.

Adam smiled when she introduced herself, Elaine, a pretty name for a pretty woman.

"I'm Adam, Adam Collier. It's very nice to meet you Elaine."

[Elaine Tonaya]

Elaine grabbed some sunflowers and looked at them. Sunflowers were so big, she wasn't certain there was anything else to add to the mix. In the end she threw in a fern branch and a small sprig of baby's breath, then wrapped the whole thing up with cellophane and a green ribbon.

"Adam, that's a nice name. Have you lived in Pilot Ridge a long time?"

Something was tickling the back of her mind, some comment Morgy had made at one point or another, but Elaine couldn't think of it. Ah well, she said inwardly, it'll come to me eventually.

"You must really like your sister to be getting her some nice flowers. She's lucky to have a brother like you," she said as she finished up the bouquet. "Also, is this okay? Was there anything else you were looking for, or would you prefer it arranged differently?"

Elaine still was trying to remember where she'd heard something about an Adam and tried to think about it as she asked, "Are you an older brother, then? I bet you'd do anything to take care of her. You seem like a very loyal person."

Finally, she thought she might have hit on something. Part of it was the smell, and the knowledge that metas usually had something to do with the school. "By any chance, do you happen to work up at Hammel?"

[Adam Collier]

Adam watched as Elaine took the sunflowers and added to them making the bouquet look wonderful. If it couldn't be shipped it would stay in his house till he could take them to her himself. She would probably be happier with that way of doing things.

"Yes I have lived here for many years. For a while a teenager and now I'm here for the foreseeable future. Actually I was hoping to be able to ship these overnight, id there anyway you can do that? If not it's perfectly okay. I'm already late getting them to her. My sister is my best friend, there is nothing in this world I wouldn't do for her."

Adam beamed when Elaine called him loyal, it was something he prided himself on. "Yes, Evelyn, my sister, is 3 years younger than me. Though I sometimes wonder if her spirit isn't older than me. She has a way of seeing people for who they are not who they try and be."

Adam couldn't help but smile when thinking of Evelyn, if she weren't so settled in her life he would move her, and their parents out here to live near him.

He was a little surprised when Elaine guessed he worked at Hammel, most people didn't.

"Actually I do. I'm a counselor and trainer there. I assume you are familiar with Hammel?"

[Elaine Tonaya]

[OOC: Sorry about the delay in reply.]

Elaine smiled at the sense of peace that overwhelmed Adam at the mention of his sister.

"Here's the flowers. I would suggest you take these to her and deliver them with a big hug. I'm sure it'll be the best present of all for her to know that you were there for her." She handed the flowers across the counter.

"I am a little mroe than familiar with Hammel. It was my high school as well as my son's. In fact, Morgan still works there. I'm a bit surprised he hasn't ever mentioned me before. But then again, who goes around work talking about their parents all the time?"

Now that Elaine could place the name, she remembered some of the stories she had heard. Adam the counselor, she recalled. There were stories about him that had trickled down from afternoon teas with Morgan on the weekends. It was nice to finally meet another one of the faces behind the stories.

She thought about mentioning Darryl, but thought it might not be prudent.

[Adam Collier]

Well the weekend was coming up, so Adam could go and visit his family. After all it had been a while since he had seen them. He would need to let his parents know he was coming to surprise Evelyn.

"Thank you, I think that I will do just that."

Adam couldn't help the mischievous grin that spread across his face when he learned that this was Morgan's mother. Adam like Morgan he seemed to be a really great guy, and he as best friends with Darryl. Adam would bet that Elaine here knew Darryl and would have some great stories about the man. This could be a great deal of fun.

"Morgan has mentioned his mother, but not that you were her. I bet you have some wonderful stories about him. Stories that his co-workers would just love to hear. I'm also guessing being Morgan's mother that you know Darryl Bond quite well, and maybe even have stories about him. I would be greatly in debt to you if I could hear some of those."

Adam was so very happy that he had walked into this flower shop today. Elaine seemed like a great woman herself it was just an added bonus that she was so closely linked to Morgan and Darryl.

[Elaine Tonaya]

Elaine smiled a little about the idea that Morgan talked about her at work. One of these days he'd learn how to separate work from home. One of these days he might be able to separate his own life from his mother's, too. Ah well. For now it could just continue being cute...at least for a little while longer.

"Oh yes, the stories I could tell. Where should I even start? I suppose it depends on what you'd rather here."

She thought for a moment, then went to a bookshelf back behind the counter.

"Here. We'll just begin at the beginning."

She pulled out a photo album and flipped it open to the first page.

"Here he is! All shiny and new on the first day of life. I had a friend snap this picture of him before he even got cleaned off, so there you get to see him in his true birthday suit."

Morgan was wailing and squealing in the picture, flailing his arms and legs about. The next picture showed him after he'd been cleaned up and wrapped in the blanket, tucked safe in his mother's arms.

"This was my first time holding him. It was probably the happiest moment of my life." She sniffed a little and got a little misty-eyed.

"He was a bit of a trouble-maker, though. He hated to be put down. Such a cuddle-bug, even when he was just a baby. There were a few times, though, when I really did have to go off and work. Once I had him over at a babysitter's, and for some reason he decided he didn't want to have to put up with a dirty diaper. He took off his own diaper--he was maybe a year old by this point--and smeared everything all over the walls. Oh my goodness, it was the funniest thing ever!"

Elaine laughed out loud. Then she decided to reign herself in--after all, some people got a little embarrassed when they were hearing awkward poop stories.

"Morgan wasn't always bad, though. Especially when you compare him to his best friend. You apparently already know Darryl. Once I found Darryl in the bathroom, covered entirely in mud. Morgan had snuck him in through the window and tried to clean him up so he wouldn't get in trouble with anyone. Apparently he'd gone rooting around at the dump, looking for buried treasure, even though he knew he wasn't supposed to go near that place. He did get sick because he got stabbed in the leg by a rusty nail and wasn't up on his tetanus shots. Stayed in bed for a while after that one."

Elaine rolled her eyes over the whole incident. She left the photo album for Adam to rifle through. If he saw a picture he liked, she was more than ready to elaborate on the story behind it.