Charlie's Flowers

Charlie came in to buy flowers for his wife
Before she was his wife

He said he was going to propose
And what sort of flowers
Do you bring to a woman
If you're going to propose to her

I said, 'Honey, my husband didn't even bring a ring when he proposed to me'

Then I told him roses

You can't go wrong with roses

He came back when he needed flowers for the wedding
And I did this beautiful spread
All throughout the church
And the reception hall

They didn't have a lot of money
Because they were kids
So I splurged and then only charged them half the price
Because I wasn't really doing it for the money

I never do

My husband invented one of those frying pans
That nothing sticks to
So we've never really needed any financial help
From the flower shop

I just think if you're going to spend your day surrounded by something
What's better than flowers?

Charlie would come in from time to time
After the wedding
To buy flowers for anniversaries
Birthdays, that sort of thing

Charlie never forgot to buy flowers

Let me give you girls out there a tip
I should have given Charlie's wife

When you meet a man who remembers to buy flowers
You hang onto him

You don't fool around him
Then leave him sitting in a house alone
Like he's the one who did something wrong

Charlie stopped buying flowers after that
I don't even think he had flowers
At his next wedding

The next time I saw him
He came in to buy flowers
For his mother's funeral

He just wanted a few simple bouquets
And some conversation

By then, my husband had passed away
And we shared our mutual grief stories

Heart attack
Natural causes
Went peacefully
Went peacefully
Big funeral
Small funeral

It was a little like looking at baseball cards
Of dead people

I took his order
And then, and I don't know if I should have done this, but--

I came from behind the little white counter that I have
And I gave him a hug

He just...

He looked like he needed a hug

'You're going to be okay, Charlie,' I told him

He looked around the shop
And pointed to a dozen roses
Standing upright
In a vase

He asked--

'How much are those?'

I told him
And he put the money down on the counter

'Who are they for,' I asked

He smiled and said--

'You keep them.  I bet nobody thinks to buy you flowers.'

And then he left

You know, he was right
About me and the flowers

I never had a man give me flowers
Until Charlie did

I'm sure you're hearing lots of stories about him
Good, bad, and ugly

But I stand by what I said

There's nothing better
Than a man who remembers
To buy flowers