The orchid I got for my beloved a few months ago has done well in her apartment (“The Orchid,” November 24, 2013). Once all of the buds opened, the flowers stood firm for a surprisingly long time. We learned from friends that they would fall off at some point, and that it would take a few months for them to return, but we could see no change on our orchid until recently. About a week ago, its flowers started wilting at long last. And their demise has been pretty fast. The flowers are drooping pitifully by now, and several flowers have fallen off already. All of them will be gone in about a week. The two branches supporting the flowers will dry up and shrivel soon afterwards. And the long wait for another flowering will start. In the meanwhile, we are likely to get another orchid. With some luck, one of them will be in flower while the other is recuperating. We cannot wait for the silly orchid to go through its lumbering cycle. Hey, we are only human!

Addendum (February 15, 2014)

This morning we got the second orchid. It is also white, but it is not exactly the same. It is purple in the center, whereas the first one is yellow. As expected, the first orchid is bereft of flowers by now. One of the branches is drying up quite fast. When the weather gets a bit warmer, we will find a place for it in the loggia by the kitchen. We will water it regularly at the same time as the one we just got. We will watch its progress with due care, as well. Whether or not the two orchids will fall into the matching cycle we desire is anyone’s guess, though. Come to think of it, what could be wrong with the third orchid? Or the fourth? Sooner or later, we will get what we want.