Excerpt of Crowning Design by Leila Meacham

With an eager smile, the secretary waited for Deborah to remove the florist’s paper from a tall arrangement of flowers. They were roses, two dozen long-stemmed, tight red buds sprigged with fern and delicate baby’s breath. Slowly, holding her breath, Deborah removed not the usual florist’s card from the envelope, but a memo slip embossed with the name of Dan’s company. She knew that Dan had ordered the flowers in the last few minutes before he boarded his plane. On the slip was drawn a circle. Above it was written: “This circle represents my life. The black area represents the space you fill in it.” Tears blurred her eyes. The entire circle had been shaded black.