25| Family Ties

Ethan stepped through the door after a long day at work, already feeling the stress begin to dissipate as the familiar scent of fresh flowers filled the air. Laughter and lively chatter echoed from the living room, drawing his attention.

Sophie and Lily were sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a chaotic yet vibrant mess of flowers, ribbons, and vases. The coffee table was barely visible under all the supplies.

"Hey, Ethan!" Sophie said, her face lighting up as she spotted him. She looked so natural and happy among the flowers. "Sorry about the mess—we're kind of taking over the living room."

"No need to apologize. It smells better in here than it ever has," Ethan replied, his lips curving into a small smile.

"Perfect timing, Ethan!" Lily called out, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she waved a pair of scissors at him. "We could use some extra hands. You up for it?"

Ethan chuckled, stepping further into the room. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I'll give it a shot."

Lily grinned mischievously and walked over to him, invading his personal space in her usual playful manner. "Great, because I've been meaning to have the talk with you."

Sophie sighed, rolling her eyes at her sister's antics. "Ignore her, Ethan. It's too late for whatever talk she's planning."

"Oh, come on, I've got embarrassing stories about Sophie that you'll definitely want to hear," Lily teased.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, amused. "This, I've got to hear. But first, let me change." He headed upstairs as Lily laughed, calling after him.

When Ethan returned, he had rolled up his sleeves and looked ready to join the floral operation. "Alright, what's my job?" he asked.

Lily smirked, handing him a pair of scissors and a bundle of stems. "Trim these at an angle, like this," she demonstrated. "Also, just sitting there looking pretty might motivate Sophie to work faster."

"Lily!" Sophie exclaimed, her cheeks coloring as she glared at her sister.

"I'm kidding!" Lily laughed, cutting another stem with precision. "Mostly."

Ethan smiled at their banter as he practiced on the flowers in front of him. "So, what's all this for?"

Sophie looked up from her work, her excitement evident in her voice. "It's for a wedding tomorrow. We hired a part-timer to help out, but she had an emergency today with her kid, so it's just us trying to get everything done."

"Yeah, and we would have called Jared for help," Lily interjected dramatically, "but Lucas stole him from us."

"Lily, please." Sophie shook her head, clearly tired of the topic. "Don't even start. Ethan, she's just upset because she has a crush on Jared and wants me to hire him, even though he's not the right person for the job."

"Come on, Ethan," Lily pleaded, turning to him with exaggerated puppy-dog eyes. "Be on my side—Lucas totally stole him!"

Ethan laughed, amused by their banter. "I'm staying neutral," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "But I do think hiring staff might be a good idea, Sophie."

Sophie nodded thoughtfully. "We've talked about it, but we're doing fine for now. We only really need help when we take on bigger jobs, and that's when we hire part-timers."

Ethan smiled at her. "I get it. But if you ever need help finding someone, let me know."

"Thanks, Ethan. I'll keep that in mind," Sophie said, her voice warm. Her phone buzzed, and she excused herself to take the call, leaving Ethan and Lily alone.

"What do you think about Sophie wanting to handle everything herself?" Ethan asked, cutting another stem.

"It's classic Sophie," Lily sighed, trimming stems absentmindedly. "She's a bit of a perfectionist, and she loves being hands-on. I've suggested hiring more staff, but I think she enjoys teaching part-timers everything about flowers. You know, she's kind of a flower nerd—it's adorable."

Ethan couldn't help but smile. Yeah, it really was.

Lily noticed his expression and smirked. "Alright, brother-in-law. What do you want to know about Sophie? I can tell you everything."

Ethan chuckled, considering for a moment. "I've always wondered—have you ever seen her mad?"

Lily burst out laughing. "Oh, mad Sophie is terrifying. I still have trauma from the times I broke her phone, read her diary—great stuff in there, by the way—or snuck out for parties. She doesn't get mad often, but when she does..." Lily shuddered dramatically.

Ethan laughed. "Sounds like you were a handful."

"Hey, I've grown since then!" Lily protested. "Now, we're besties. But, I could show you some embarrassing photos..."

"I'm listening."

Lily pulled out her phone, scrolling through pictures. She finally found one and handed it to Ethan. It was Sophie in middle school, smiling shyly with braces and neatly tied pigtails.

Ethan couldn't help but smile as he zoomed in. "She looks adorable."

Lily smirked. "Want me to send it to you? On one condition—you owe me a favor."

"Deal," Ethan replied with a laugh. "And send me more if you have them."

As Lily started scrolling through more photos, Ethan paused when he noticed one with Sophie, Mia, and another boy. "Wait... is that Mia? And who's the guy?"

"Yeah, that's Mia on the left, and Lucas on the right. Those three grew up together."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Lucas? The guy who owns a flower shop?"

"Yep. He's had a crush on Sophie since he was, like, three. But trust me, she's never seen him that way," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

Ethan's jaw tightened slightly, though he kept his expression neutral. He scrolled further through Lily's phone until his eyes landed on another photo—a prom picture of Sophie and Lucas. Lucas stood beside her, grinning from ear to ear, his arm draped protectively around her shoulders. Sophie was dressed in a stunning gown, her smile radiant.

"What's this?" Ethan asked casually, trying to keep his tone light.

"Oh, that was from Mia and Lucas's prom, " Lily explained quickly, clearly picking up on his interest. "She was going through a rough time back then—some stuff with school and... other things. Mia and I convinced her to go just to cheer her up. Lucas begged her to be his date—he literally cried. She said yes to get him to stop whining."

Ethan nodded, though an uncomfortable tightness lingered in his chest. "Lucas seems... persistent."

Lily shrugged, leaning back against the counter. "He's not a bad person when he's not in shop-sabotage mode. Honestly, outside of work, he's actually pretty helpful. If we ever need help with something at home, he's there in a heartbeat. Like, he acts like a regular human being when flowers aren't involved."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Helpful, huh?"

"Yeah," Lily continued, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "And we have his kryptonite."

Ethan tilted his head. "Sophie?" he guessed, the answer making him feel even more uneasy.

Lily burst into laughter, shaking her head emphatically. "No, no. If Sophie were his kryptonite, he's doing a terrible job showing it."

She leaned in slightly, a mischievous grin on her face. "It's his mom. Just bring up her name, and Lucas crumbles like a house of cards. Apologies? Promises to do better? They come pouring out faster than you'd believe."

"His mom?" Ethan echoed, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yep. One mention of her, and I could probably get Jared back for the shop," Lily mused, almost like she was plotting her next move.

Ethan gave her a deadpan look. "Lily, I don't know how to say this, but you have to let Jared go."

Lily burst out laughing, clutching her stomach at his serious tone. "Oh my gosh, Ethan, you're hilarious! I didn't know you had it in you."

"Well, I've never been called hilarious before," Ethan said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Just then, Sophie walked into the room, her presence immediately brightening the atmosphere. She glanced between the two of them with a curious look. "You guys seem to be getting along. Should I be worried?"

"Worried? Absolutely," Lily said, still chuckling. "Your husband is a riot. Honestly, Sophie, what have you been hiding from us?"

Ethan shook his head, amused. "Don't listen to her. I'm just trimming flowers and doing as I'm told."

Sophie laughed, surprised at Ethan's newfound playfulness.

"Lily, you haven't done any work since I left," Sophie said, her tone laced with playful frustration as she eyed the scattered, untouched flowers in front of her sister.

"Sorry, Sophie, that's on me," Ethan admitted with a mock-serious expression. "Apparently, I'm just that entertaining."

Lily burst out laughing again, doubling over as Sophie looked between them in disbelief. "What did you do to Ethan, Lily?" Sophie asked, clearly trying to keep up with the sudden shift in energy.

"Wait, isn't he always like this?" Lily teased, still chuckling.

Ethan couldn't help but laugh along, feeling lighter than he had in days. Lily wiped her hands on a nearby towel and turned to Ethan, her mischievous grin returning full force. "You know, Ethan, you should join us for dinner at our family home tomorrow night. It'd be a great way for you to unwind and meet everyone."

Sophie's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of hesitation flashing across her face. "Lily, I'm not sure if—"

"Oh, come on, Sophie!" Lily interrupted, her enthusiasm unstoppable. "It'll be fun! You can't keep him all to yourself forever. Plus, Mom would love to get to know you better."

Ethan, taken aback by the sudden invitation, glanced at Sophie. He noticed the mix of surprise and nervousness in her expression but also caught the way her lips quirked upward at Lily's excitement. "I'd like that," he said simply, his voice warm. "It would be nice to get to know your mom."

Sophie's apprehension began to dissolve, replaced by a tentative but genuine smile. "Alright then. Dinner it is."

"Great!" Lily cheered, clapping her hands together in victory. "We'll have a feast. Mom's cooking is legendary, and trust me, Ethan, you'll never want to leave."

Ethan chuckled, charmed by Lily's energy. He looked back at Sophie, who was now packing away the last of the floral supplies. "I can't wait to see where you grew up," he said softly. "It sounds like a special place."

"It's not much," Sophie replied, brushing her hair behind her ear, "but it's home. I'll show you around. There's actually a lot of little things to see."

"I'm looking forward to it," Ethan said sincerely, his gaze lingering on her.

"Honestly, you should thank me," Lily declared, throwing an arm around Sophie's shoulders with exaggerated flair. "I'm the one making this magic happen. And anyway, Ethan's surprisingly fun to hang out with. Who knew?"

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks, Lily. I don't think anyone's ever said that about me before. Should I record this moment for posterity? Maybe send it to David for bragging rights?"

Sophie tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. "Seriously, what did you do to him?"

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