Work Text:
Like clockwork, it always arrives.
When Paulo opens his front door, bundles of Damask roses wrapped in brown paper are handed over to him by the courier every Christmas. It was his usual request, deep crimson and imperfectly perfect.
Paulo wonders, as he signs the delivery slip, if it will ever stop.
But knowing Ken, he doubts it. A promise made was a promise kept.
So he greets the deliveryman with his perfunctory polite smile, and he goes to his kitchen counter to arrange the flowers as his yearly tradition. He unwraps the paper carefully and avoids shaking it too much, so the petals won’t fall out. The stems are uneven, the leaves tangled and thorny. He could imagine Ken hovering behind him already, complaining about his unusual habit.
“Pwede naman kasing bumili nang malinis na mga rosas, gusto talaga pahirapan ang sarili!”
Paulo lets out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he hums a familiar carol. The room fills with the scent of roses and warm bread baking in the oven. He trims the stems one by one, in different heights, dipping them into a clear glass vase, arranging them until they look almost as wild as they came — perfectly imperfect.
When he’s done, he places the vase beside the framed photo on the counter. The glass catches the light from the Christmas tree, making Ken’s smile seem alive for a moment. Paulo lingers there, his wrinkled fingertips brushing the edge of the frame, looking lovingly at his late husband.
“Twelve years,” he murmurs. “And you still find your way home.”
He traces Ken’s face with a tender look, the corners of his eyes softening.
“Merry Christmas, langga.”
The words hang in the air and Paulo is bombarded with happy memories of their times together. It was a life well lived, but he’d always wish that Ken lived a little longer.
Paulo steps back and wipes away his tears, he rolls up his sleeves and walks to the kitchen to finish cooking. In a few hours, the house will be filled with laughter from their grandkids and clinking glasses; but for now, it’s just him and the scent of roses reminding him that love, once rooted, never truly dies.