peter buys three sets of flowers on may 10th
first, he stops by the flower shop and gets a bouquet of lilies and roses. itâs early enough that there are still red roses left (thank god) and the shop owner takes his money with a smile.
âfor your mom?â he asks, and peter nods.
he is happy, but a quiet happy. he smiles, thanks the man, and heads off.
he spends an hour at the cemetery hidden in the middle of queens.
the city is loud, but the cemetery has a sorta sanctuary feel to it, quiet and calm.
peter talks softly to a grave stone for a while. he addresses the two next to it for a little bit, but mostly talks to the one. he leaves the flowers in a vase, taking the dead ones that were there before.
he walks back into the flower shop only an hour and a half after the first time, and this time the shop owner is busy and doesnât really acknowledge him, as he buys a bouquet of âalstroemerias and whatever would look good with themâ.
the shop owner only realizes who it is and looks up to see peter get into a sleek black car, holding the flowers and grinning.
peter heads straight for peppers office when he gets to the tower, but with each step he looks more and more nervous.
her assistant, a nice lady named brenda who has her own little bouquet of flowers on her desk and looks a little too joyous for someone working on a sunday, alerts pepper that peter is there, and pepper ushers him into her office.
âwhatâs up, kid? can i help you with something?â
she sits behind her desk, and peter sits in one of the guest chairs. he is gripping the bouquet nervously, eyeing the bouquet already on her desk.
pepper waits with a smile as he finds his words.
âi got these for you.â
he holds them out, harshly, as if scared.
pepper hides her surprise, and thanks him quickly, taking them with a grin.
âthey are beautiful.â
âi know iâm not, like, your kid or anything. but tony, he, uh, he calls me his kid, and youâve done so much for me, and i thought, i dunno i thought you would like them. just, as a thank you. for everything.â
pepper beams, and sniffs one
âthey are gorgeous, peter. thank you so much.â
he stands to leave, and as he does pepper calls him back
âi consider you my kid, as well, peter.â
itâs peterâs turn to beam.
âtell your aunt i will be calling her soon about getting lunch in a couple days, yeah?â
peter nodded and fled the office, with a grin to brenda.
the same black car dropped him off in front of the store again once it was getting darker.
the shop owner could only hear âitâs fine, happy. no, donât wait, my apartment is like two blocks. go home. see you tomorrowâ before the car drove away and the kid came in.
âthird time today, kid? how many mothers do you have?â
âdo you have any orchids?â
the shop owner wraps the best ones he can find in the store, and shakes his head when peter tries to hand him the money.
when may would arrive home to their apartment an hour later, yawning from her work shift, she would walk in to see the sight of peter cooking while watching some crime television show, orchids on the counter in a vase.
she kisses his forehead once she sheds her coat, and peter quickly hugs her, tight.
âhappy motherâs day, may.â
