My heart thumps a little harder as I try to picture everything Rob said. Models… I don’t even know what those are. Run projects… no, not projects…fuck.
A low groan escapes me as I bring a hand to my face and rub my eyes hard. Frustration is quickly rising, along with anxiety, sadness, and other feelings I can’t even begin to figure out. It’s all flooding me, all at once, and I can’t make sense of any of it.
“Yeah, I know,” Rob says gently. “It’s all the boring shit no one else wants to bother with. No one gets it, which is why we need to bring in someone who does this stuff.”
I nod, letting my eyes roam over the peaks and valleys of the tilled-up soil, and take in the different colours making up the earth. Then I turn my head to look at Rob, and he smiles.
“Do you think a lot will change?” I ask quietly.
His smile falters a little. “Don’t know, kid. But if it does... it’s only to help the farm.”
“Yeah,” I sigh and tip my head back against the tire. I take a deep breath in and close my eyes, smelling the dirt and salt in the air, and listen to the breeze rustling the tall grass and the seagulls calling from the beach. I lower one hand to the ground and press my fingers into the dirt, letting it slow my heart and bring me comfort. This is my space, where I always feel safe and comfortable… I’ll do whatever I need to do to help it.
“I know what’s missing.”
I open my eyes and turn my head to look at Rob, but he’s looking at my drawing.
“What?” I ask.
He points at the sun I drew in shades of yellow and orange, hanging low over the trees. “The sun needs sunglasses. Everyone knows that.”
I stare at him, and he just stares right back at me.
“Fuck off,” I say. But then a smile spreads over my lips.
Rob laughs, then leans back against the tire and pulls his hat over his eyes. “Wake me when it’s time to go.”
My smile stays as I pick up my pencil again and let my eyes scan the scene before me. Everything is bathed in orange and rose-gold light, and it feels like the world has softened for this moment. As I continue drawing, I blur the edges of the field, keeping only what really matters in focus.
And it makes me feel safe again.
SIXTEEN
I flipmy phone in my hand as I stare out the window, watching cars and pedestrians in the street below, looking frantic and busy. The constant motion that initially drew me to this city, and that I loved so much, now looks… exhausting. Even though I felt like I was thriving in that state just weeks ago. But ever since I interviewed for, and accepted, a job on PEI, something shifted. Now the fast life has lost its appeal, and I find myself looking forward to something much slower.
I honestly never saw this coming. Especially this quickly.
Winston sits at my feet, and I glance down at him as he looks up at me with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“Ready to leave this place, bud?” I ask, letting my gaze sweep over the empty condo.
The past week was busy with packing, goodbye drinks with friends, and squeezing in my favourite Toronto spots one final time. But today’s the day. The moving truck just left, taking all my furniture and boxes full of belongings, and my car is packed with everything Winston and I will need for the drive east. I just need to wait for a call from Island Farm Services, then we’re off.
A mix of nerves and anticipation rises as I glance down at my phone again. During the interview, they explained that thisrole was created for a long-term, on-site placement with a large-scale, high-value farm looking for operational restructuring with a focus on optimization and sustainability. Due to confidentiality and competition sensitivity, they couldn’t give me more details about the client, but the description of the job was everything I love. And since I’m willing to go anywhere on the island, I accepted the offer and signed the contract. The process moved quickly, driven by an immediate start and the urgency of the role, so I haven’t had much time to get excited or nervous about any of it. I’ve been too busy packing and making arrangements to ship my belongings to a storage unit near my parents, and to live with them or my brother in Summerside until I hear where I’ll be going.
So now, since I have nothing to do but stand in my empty condo and wait… it’s all rising. Excitement to start something new, support farms in my home province, and do what I truly love to do. Happiness that I get to be closer to family and the ocean. Anticipation to get to work and build something that really matters. And nerves. Because this is a big shift. I’m now working on my own instead of with a team, and a large farm’s structure, output, performance, and profit are riding on what I can bring to their table.
My phone vibrates in my hand, and my heart lurches as I look down at it.
Island Farm Servicesappears on the screen, and I pull a deep breath in before answering.
“Hello?” I say, pressing the phone to my ear.
“Hello, is this Levi?” a woman’s voice asks on the other end.
“Yes, speaking.”
Winston looks up at me expectantly, like I’m wasting his time and he just needs to get going already, and I hold up a finger to him as if he understands what that means.
