The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the lawn as Mrs. Gable from next door approached, a hesitant smile flickering on her lips. She held a hand out, gesturing towards the empty strip of land bordering their properties. "I was wondering, dear... if I might possibly use a little corner of your yard for a small vegetable patch?" The words drifted on the light breeze, a question that hung in the air like the scent of freshly cut grass.
A sigh escaped her, one she hadn't even realized she was holding. She knew what was coming. Another summer of weeds fighting to take over the lawn. This was the same woman who had helped her build her house, but now their lives had become so different. It was hard to believe how little time had passed, and how much had changed.
She felt the old familiar pressure in her chest and a tightness in her jaw. The world shifted slightly as she looked from the garden to Mrs. Gable's smiling face, and back again. She could almost taste the future, the smell of fresh tomatoes ripening in the summer sun.
"I... I think that would be just fine," she replied, her voice sounding far away to her own ears. The words, however, were firm.