We both saw it coming, but the end came faster than either Monica or I thought.

Herminia’s orchid, the one that hadn’t bloomed in over four years, ended a remarkable run earlier this month. Once robust, its blossoms wilted, closing like clams shells, their stalks fading to a yellowish-purple hue. Then the flowers began to fall.

That delicate elegance unique to orchids had become something of a muse to me during spring and early summer. I must have taken 75 pictures of that plant, some with the Nikons, some with the phone, some loose. some tight.

Because the orchid sat on our shower window sill, I couldn’t help but study it. Lather, rinse, check the progress of the orchid, repeat. Once the steam cleared post-shower, it was time to bring in the camera and see if there was a picture to be had. Or on a day off, if the light looked interesting, I’d try to put the camera to good use. Sometimes it’d happen, often times though I’d just end up deleting everything from the take.

It was around mid-June when the inevitable began to gain a foothold and the orchid began to end its spectacular run. It was a sad revelation, and a little hard to watch, given the plant’s remarkable revitalization after nearly four years of not flowering along with my tying it so closely to Herminia’s memory.

As June turned to July, the plant was in full recessional. Not only were the flowers wilting and falling away at a faster pace, the stems were changing to a woody brown. By mid-July, the cycle had run it course. All that remained were three barren stems, at their base, a shock of thick, green leaves. There were some spikes poking through the bark and moss at the base of the flower bending toward the light, too. Maybe they’re air roots, but I’m hoping they’re floral spikes.

Monica has since re-potted her mom’s orchid. It’s now standing comfortably in a little bit bigger pot with new bark on our bathroom window sill. I guess we’ll see what happens. It might take awhile, though.

And it seems a bit misguided to for me to keep calling it “Herminia’s orchid” after all this time. My wife’s watered, fed, and pruned that plant for over four years. It’s clearly la orquídea de Monica. And has been for some time.

Nice work, dear.