"I got you the seeds for the flower," he said, picking them up again and holding them out mechanically towards her. "The bloom shifts in color usually, but only when it's a living plant, not as a cut piece, so you'll have to wait to see that effect. How were you stupid?"

She might notice a few marks on his wrists, as if from rope. They were small and almost gone, but they were visible with the shirt he wore.