>> jin, angst, 978 words.

It would have been a regular Tuesday morning for people. The sun wasn’t out and the birds weren’t chirping, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

But for Jin, it wasn’t a regular day. Today marked the second anniversary of your death.

Bleary-eyed, he sat up and sighed. It was another long day he had to get through without the help of your warm hands holding his, or your soft eyes reassuring him that everything was okay.

Trudging downstairs into the kitchen, he soaked up his house. It looked so dull and empty. Though nothing has changed, all the furniture was still there, your wedding photos still sitting proudly on the glass table that you had specifically picked out from the shop. The air was crisp but cold, a total change from when you were still here.

A tiny smile tugged on the edge of Jin’s lips as he remembered when he had woken up a little earlier than usual, sitting on the freezing couch accompanied by a runny nose and a thick blanket wrapped around him. You had ran around the house, turning on the heating, switching on the TV and leaving the remote beside the sick boy so he didn’t have to move a lot to get it, running in and out of the kitchen to cook food and make his favourite kind of coffee along with his favourite meal. Grabbing a cold soaked towel and placing it on his forehead while he sipped away at his coffee as you took out the medication from the box and fed it to the boy.

“Get well soon!” He could still hear your cheerful voice and visualise your big bright smile as your hand pumped in the air like a cheerleader.

Oh how he missed you dearly.

Flipping on the stove, he brought out a pan and cracked two eggs to make scrambled eggs. Lazily, he dumped them carelessly onto a large, round plate decorated with christmas themed pictures around it - which, you had also bought from the sale you had begged Jin to go with. He smiled at the sight of the plate before it dropped and he started to cook the bacon.

You would think after two years, Jin would have changed. Changed, to the point where he can move on with his life and not spend it moping around about his late significant other. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Though his life was back to normal - wake up every day at 7am, get dressed and ready for work, work until 4:30pm, head home, eat dinner, and relax afterwards, it just wasn’t the same. Not without you, anyway.

You were like his stepping stone. His stone that will help him reach success; his magic stone that will motivate him to do the best with all the support and encouragement that you had gave him; his permission to be confident and try to reach out for success with a head held high and a reason to strive for his goal.

Now, he was just a soulless body wondering around the workplace, doing his jobs with an emotionless face. Dullness and a bored atmosphere emitted from the man, so he slowly lost all of his friends.

But today, for the first time in what seems forever, he called the week off work so he can collect himself up and build himself back up. First, is to see you again.

“Hi sir! Welcome to Sunday Bouquet, what flowers would you like today?” The female that stood behind the counter separating the two chirped happily, much contrast to the weather outside she still maintained a happy attitude. He didn’t know if it was because she had to because it was her job, or if she was genuinely happy.

“Do you have any... cherry blossoms?” He had spoke carefully, as if he was asking a risky question.

“We do indeed! Along with the cherry blossoms, would you like some white roses to compliment the bouquet and also to represent purity and innocence?” Her smile grew wider.

“Yes, that would be lovely, thank you. Is that gonna raise the price?”

“You seem a little down, so I’ll give it to you for free,” her energetic grin was replaced with a soft smile as she turned to collect the requested flowers.

“If you don’t mind me asking, may I ask why cherry blossoms? They’re rarely requested as many people just go and pick them from the trees outside...” She spoke without looking up as she gently laid the flowers together.

“That’s like asking anyone why they would prefer to buy flowers rather than pick them,” Jin chuckled. “Cherry blossoms are my favourite flowers, because they remind me of the shade of her cheeks when she blushes...” He had whispered to himself, not realising the woman had heard what he had said.

“Wife?” She said as the two locked eye contact before she broke it to nod her head towards his hand that lay on top of the counter. “Late wife, actually. She passed away two years ago.”

“I’m... so sorry to hear that,” the woman sent a sympathetic smile as she finished putting the last touches on the bouquet.

The bouquet turned out more beautiful than Jin had ever imagined. “Thank you so much,” a sincere smile played on his lips as he took the breathtaking pink and white bundle of sweet smelling patterns in his hands.

“You’re welcome. Smile more, you have a nice smile.” That had caught Jin off guard as his smile widened. “Have a good day,” the two lastly shared before he had walked out and away towards the grave your body laid under to say his final goodbyes before fixing himself and starting his life over again. Fresh, happy, and with the previous life locked away in an ended chapter as he starts a new one.