“So, after the weeds, what’s on the agenda?” she asks.
“Well, the tomatoes need pruning, and I think some of the squash are getting a little too ripe on the vine.”
“Okay.” She stands, dusting her hands off on her dress, leaving smudges of dirt. Other girls might hate getting their pretty dresses dirty, but Avelina doesn’t care. She’s down to earth, natural, genuine.
We walk toward the planters with the tomatoes. “Grab those.” Iindicate the pruning secateurs. She does, and I carefully lift the baby tomatoes, exposing the stalk a little. “Clip those brown leaves.”
She looks a little unsure, as if she’s afraid she might cut it in the wrong way. “Are you sure you want me to do this? I might mess it up.”
I nod. “Yeah. Here, I’ll show you.” Gently I take her hand and position the secateurs, letting her squeeze.
“So, that’s all we do? Take the brown leaves off?”
I nod. “More or less. Here, this stem too.”
We work in tandem, her arm brushing mine. The smell of her vanilla perfume fogs my head.
“This is fun,” she says.
I nod. “It is. You’re a natural at this.”
She turns back to the pruning. “What got you into gardening, Viktor?”
“I…read about how it can be calming. And it just took off from there. I needed something away from the noise of the house.”
“What happens to all the stuff you grow that you don’t eat?”
“We donate it to various shelters.”
“That’s really sweet of you.”
And the conversation just flows from there.
“Are these ripe enough to pick?” she asks, looking up at me.
“Yeah.”
She snaps a sugar pea in half before laughing in surprise as sap sprays onto her cheek.
I brush it away with my thumb.
She snaps another, and I startle as the sap lands on my face this time, her laughter filling the space between us. “Oh my goodness,” she giggles. “You look like someone insulted your favorite shirt or something.”
I wipe my face. And I…smile. A real, genuine smile. My face feels tight with it, but it’s there.
When the sky turns dusky, I stretch and roll my shoulders as she munches on some sugar peas. “Thank you,” I murmur.
She tucks a loose curl behind her ear. “For what?”
“Helping me with this.”
“You could’ve managed without me, Viktor. There’s no need to thank me.”
I shake my head. “What I mean is that…it was nice.” I rub the back of my neck. “And I didn’t want to do it alone.”
She smiles up at me. I brush a smudge of dirt from her cheek, my fingers wanting to touch her again.
“I wanted to take you on a real date, Avelina. I messed up.”
