Still, it wasn’t all bad. Eli found a new spade and a set of gloves that looked sturdier than his current ones. Margaret wandered the seed aisle for what felt like ages before picking out a packet of rare pink forget-me-not seeds. She looked at them like they were treasures.
“These were my mother’s favorite,” she said softly, holding the packet as though it might crumble. Eli smiled. “Then let’s get you a patch of your own.” They returned home with a trunk full of supplies and a sense of unexpected satisfaction. Maybe the store wasn’t such a bad thing after all.