The boxes arrive before anyone is awake, and what's inside is still asleep too, stems bound tight and thirsty from the journey. Eighty-three watercolor-inspired illustrations follow a day at the shop from the first bucket of water to the last swept petal: thorns stripped, zinc buckets going bright as the sun comes around, each stem given room enough to be looked at the way you look when you're choosing.

Then the hands come back. Twine pulled tight, brown paper folded, a ribbon tied around a bridal bouquet. The flowers leave in somebody's arms, and the day ends with hydrangeas going brown in the sink and a broom leaning where somebody set it down.