You have a new message.

I opened the message to only find out that it was from an unknown number. The sender sent a picture of my most favorite flower, Bird’s Paradise.

“Birds of Paradise?” Margery asked when she saw what the stranger sent me. “Isn’t that your favorite flower?”

“Yes it is.” I answered her as I smiled at the picture and saved it to my gallery.

“Wait!” She said as I was about to delete the message. She took my phone and scrolled down to see that a message was there.

I hope your favorite flowers are still Bird’s Paradise.

That was all that was sent. But then something shocked me, on the way home I saw my mother asking my cousins to move plants of Bird’s Paradise to the backyard.

“Mom since when did you buy new plants of Bird’s Paradise?” I asked her.

“I think I should be asking you that.” She said and I returned a confused look. “Why did you buy new plants the others were still healthy?”

“I never did.” I answered her.

“Uhm… Excuse me.” The delivery man said as he was holding a clipboard. “Mr. Wu sent this for you.”

“Mr. Wu?” I asked with my eyes in wide from what the delivery man stated. “As in Kris Wu?”

“Yes mam.” He answered. “Just sign here please.”

I looked at my mother and my best friend Margery who was grinning at me. I signed the papers and let the delivery man take off.

“I didn’t know you were still in contact with Kris.” My mother said.

“I really lost my contact with him when he went to Canada.” I answered her.

“Well glad he remembers your favorite flowers.” Margery said as she nudged my arm.

“I think your phone is ringing.” I told her when I felt her phone vibrating in her bag which was near me.

“Oh yeah I have to go. I just had a part time job in the coffee shop near school. Want to join too? There’s still two more slots available.” She said as she put the books she was holding into her bag.

“Alright sign me up too!” I shouted as she went off out of my sight but not before she gave me an okay sign assuring me that she’ll sign me up to the part time job too.

I went inside my room which was the attic. It’s not there were no available rooms in our home; the attic just gave me a beautiful view of London.

I opened my computer and checked my SNS where I spotted the picture of my classmate who had just reunited with his longtime friend where he showed their childhood photo and latest one.

It’s been a long time Tao! You’re now big grown Panda. =D

I sighed as I looked at their picture. I missed Kris so much since he stood up as my brother and friend.

I opened a drawer where a small box was inside. I took the box and opened so that I could recall the memories I had with Kris.

There was a picture when we were at the playground, the picture we took at my first day of school and the most memorable picture I had with him in the flower shop, the day I started getting fond of my favorite flower, Birds of Paradise.

I remembered how Kris and I looked confused when the flower shop lady told us the scientific name instead. Well, who wouldn’t be confused? Kris was 9 back then and I was 7.

“Miss what flower is this?” I asked the flower shop lady who babysits us.

“Strelitzia reginae.” She answered.

“Huh?” Kris and I said in unison.

“Oh you were the one asking.” The flower shop lady smiled. “It’s Bird’s Paradise.”

“Wow!” I shouted in amazement. “It does look like a bird flying. I like this flower!”

“You like it?” Kris asked. “Then let’s ask our mom to buy it! Miss can you take a picture of us with the flower so that we could show it to our mother?”

“Sure.” The lady smiled and took the Polaroid camera Kris was handling and took a picture of us. “Here you go.”

As soon as the lady gave us the camera and the photo, Kris pulled my arm and we ran off to our home which was only a few meters away.

At that time, I felt my heart beating loudly than it was supposed to be. I stared at Kris who was very excited to give me the flower. He wasn’t cute anymore at that time; he was already handsome for me. The feeling was new, I never felt it before. I wasn’t sure about it because I was just so young.

“Mom! Mom!” Kris shouted as we entered their home where our mothers were having tea.

“Kris why are you sweating?!” Kris’s mother said worriedly and took a tissue to wipe off the sweat from his face.

“Abby wants this flower mom.” He said and showed the picture we just took a while ago. “I want to buy it for her but I don’t have any money can I have some?”

“What is this are you trying to propose to her?” Our mothers said teasingly.

“Maybe.” He said and I blushed at it. “When I grow up, I’m going to marry Abby. She’s the perfect girl I want.”

I blushed more when he said that, I maybe young back then but I really liked what he said.

“Alright let’s buy it.” His mother said as Kris pulled her to stand up from her chair.

I smiled at that small memory of ours. It was the first time I felt my heart beat faster than its normal pace. But I was young back then, I didn’t know if it was love or whatsoever. My thoughts were broken when I saw someone from my SNS message me.

Hey I just signed you up. You’ll start working next week.

I smiled at the message Margery sent me. I already finished High School and this job may be one of the first steps I’ll need to train myself to be independent. But it wasn’t Margery who only sent me a message. It was from one of my friends in China where I spent my summer vacation, the person who I just saw in the picture of one of my friends just a while ago, Tao.

“Hi.” He messaged me.

“Hi Tao! It’s been a long time. :)” I replied.

“Yeah, do you still live in London?” He asked.

“Yes I still do, I didn’t know you were f