He used flowers like a drug, letting her inhale the pollen, hold the sweetness in her throat. He liked it when her fingers brushed against the soft petals.

She had just moved in, so there wasn’t a table to place it on—the floor would have to do. She laughed lightly as her cat examined the new toy.

The red petals matched her lips. They also matched his red eyes as he scratched them absentmindedly, and his red nose as he sniffled, annoyed.

He was allergic to cats.