When fate plays its hand

“In the natural world, blue roses don’t exist,” Sam began his voice soft as he gazed at Miranda. They symbolize an unattainable hope or an impossible dream

He glanced at the bouquet in her hands and added, “But take a closer look at the ones you’re holding

“Wait these are natural? Not dyed?” Miranda’s eyes widened in shock as she lifted her gaze to him, searching for confirmation. The faint smile tugging at his lips gave her the answer

“Impossible!” she exclaimed. “How’d you make this happen?”

Sam began, “CS Synthetic Biology recently published a paper titled ‘Cloning and Expression of a Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase to Generate Blue Rose. The lead author, Dr. Ankana Manga, is an international postdoctoral fellow at the School of Pharmacy at Telford University

“He first constructed a dual–expression plasmid that included two bacterial genes involved in indigo biosynthesis Then, this plasmid was transformed into Agrobacterium, and then then he “He paused. faltering mid–sentence, as if a mental roadblock had hit

He tried to recall the details but came up blank

“Pfft-“Miranda couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to recite a research paper from

memory!”

A rare flush of embarrassment crossed Sam’s face. “Ahem. Sorry. It’s not my field, and memorizing all this doesn’t exactly stick.”

Miranda took over smoothly, finishing his explanation. Let me guess–the Agrobacterium carrying the dual- expression plasmid with bacterial genes for indigo biosynthesis was injected into the petals of white roses, right?

“Under the induction of plant hormone acetosyringone, the Agrobacterium transferred the genes to the rose petal cells, enabling them to express enzymes that synthesize deep blue pigment”

“Yes, exactly!” Sam’s face lit up. “You’ve read this paper?”

*No. Y

“No. You gave enough context for me to deduce the rest

“Impressive.” He clicked his tongue in admiration.

She examined the roses thoughtfully. These must have cost a fortune

“They’re for you. No price is too high,” he replied earnestly.

Thank you.” Miranda smiled, but she glanced at the sky. It’s getting late. We should head back.”

“Miranda.” His tone turned serious, cutting her off. He gestured toward the bouquet These blue roses weren’t supposed to exist. They were an impossibility. And yet, here they are, real and tangible, in your hands They’re a miracle

*If a blue rose can defy nature and be created, doesn’t that mean feelings for someone could also be nurtured?

And that what seems impossible now might not be so in the future?”

“Mr. Cooper “Miranda’s heart raced

person you think you could never love might someday find a place in your heart.”

He drew a steady breath, his eyes brimming with unrestrained warmth. “I gave you these roses to tell your that nothing in this world is absolute. The people who ofice vowed to grow old together may part ways,

the

and

His voice softened, though his gaze was unwavering. “You used to hate me, didn’t you? And now, we can get along. Doesn’t that mean… there’s a chance for us to became something more?”

He watched her intently, scanning every subtle shift in her

expression as his dark eyes filled with hope.

Miranda couldn’t hold his gaze. She turned her head slightly, avoiding his eyes. Outwardly, she remained composed, but inside, her thoughts spiraled into chaos.

Why was he saying these things? What did he want from her?

“Miranda, you’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?” Sam’s sharp instincts never missed a thing, and her avoidance and hesitation couldn’t possibly escape his notice

She opened her mouth to respond, “Mr. Cooper, listen, we-

In the next instant, countless fireworks burst into the night sky, their brilliance illuminating the darkness and drowning out her voice. The dazzling, rainbow–like beams intertwined against the black canvas of the night, scattering like a cascade of stars falling to the earth.