Her mother was not pleased that she had taken to working so late into the season however Leona felt a sort of serenity accompany her everything she entered the Enchanted Florist and it was because of this that she spent most of her spare time working on arrangements. Consumed with work, she did not have the time nor the energy to think about the many recent events that had caused her grief, mainly the untimely passing of her brother; the guilt that overcame her every time she remembered only weakened her heart. When not at the small shop, Leona found consolation in the company of her friends, feeling much too shy to rely too heavily on Christoph. He had attempted to save her brother after all and the knowledge that she could never thank him for his kindness weighed heavily on her shoulders.
For the past several days, Leona had been hard at work on a particular project of great importance. After a fascinating game of chess, which she unceremoniously lost to her closest friend Basil, she had been entrusted with the task of making a bouquet for Basil’s fiancé, Alexanderia. Although the two young women had never spent a significant amount of time together, she put forth her best effort, spending considerable time contemplating what flowers would fit best, what each flower and color represented, and how she could convey the feelings she knew her friend had for his fiancé in a single bouquet. Leona had plenty of orders waiting, the notes scattered upon the table she was working on but she ignored the requests, those close to her heart came first, even in business. Everything else was generic Christmas stuff but this, this was exactly the sort of thing she would have loved to receive from Christoph. Though she was beginning to think that he simply wasn’t the type to do such romantic acts.
Leona was taken out of her musings when the bell to the entrance rang, a smile appearing almost immediately across her face as she saw who was there. “Basil, darling, I’m afraid you’ve come much too early, you haven’t any idea how unfinished my work is!” she proclaimed, a little embarrassed that she had still not completed the project but at the same time excited to see him. Walking around the counter, she dried her hands on the frilly purple apron she wore as she hugged him. "Have a seat!" she beckoned, pointing towards the stool at her workstation, "You're just the inspiration I need to finish this work of art," she continued in a teasing tone. "Could I offer you something to drink? Some biscuits perhaps...? Unless of course if you're in a rush, I dare not keep you," she suggested, hoping that he would say. She could use his company.
