Red Roses Online — Buy

Leo filled out the form with frozen fingers. In the "Special Instructions" box, he wrote: These are for my grandfather. He’s 88. Please, if you can, make sure they’re the ones that smell like old libraries and Sunday mornings.

The problem? Leo was currently stationed at a research base in the Arctic, three thousand miles away from Arthur’s small apartment in Vermont.

In the picture, Arthur was wearing his best vest, holding a dozen roses so red they looked like they were glowing against the snowy Vermont window. He wasn't looking at the camera; he was burying his face in the blooms, a small, tearful smile visible.

He finally found a small, family-run florist website that looked like it hadn't been updated since the dial-up era. "The Petal Post," it read. He clicked the "Red Roses" gallery and there they were: deep, blood-red petals with the signature high-centered bloom.