Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows as Mrs. Gable from next door knocked on the screen door. Arthur squinted through the mesh, recognizing the familiar floral print of her dress. “Arthur, dear, would you be terribly opposed if I…well, I was thinking of putting in a small vegetable patch. Your yard gets such lovely sunlight, and I was wondering if maybe I could use a little sliver of it along the fence line?”

He remembered his own grandfather, bent over a similar plot, the smell of turned earth and tomatoes clinging to his work-worn hands. A warmth spread through his chest, a feeling he hadn’t expected. He opened the door, a smile he hadn't known he still possessed gracing his lips. “Of course, Mrs. Gable. Consider it done. Just point me to where you want it.”