Page 8 of Until We Weren't

After several deep breaths, Faith pushed her cart back to the front of the store and walked to her car.

She hadn’t seen Destiny or anyone in her family in years and now she’d seen her and her mom on the same day. Faith wasn’t sure what the universe was trying to tell her, but she wished it would stop.

Faith pulled into the parking lot in the front of her business. She drove around to the side of the building and through the gate that opened to a large fenced area. The yard held all the various equipment Lush Fields Landscaping owned as well as random plants that hadn’t been used. The back of the building was a shop where equipment was repaired, things were stored, and still more unused plants were sprinkled about.

Faith stopped her truck in front of a small tiny house at the rear of the building. Inside was a small kitchen, living area, bathroom, and bedroom that would just fit a queen sized mattress. It was larger than her dorm room in college, but not by much.

There was an area beside the front door with a chair and a small table that served as a makeshift front porch. Faith didn’t sit outside very often. Sometimes she’d make it home in time to see a killer sunset this time of year. The summer brought heat, but it also brought beautiful evening vistas. In the winter months the sun disappeared behind the buildings across the street, but this time of year the sun would go down in a small field, lighting up the sky as darkness descended like a soft blanket.

Before she walked up the two steps to her front door she turned in time to see that the sun was already gone, but the sky was a dark orange fading into a deep purple. When she and Destiny worked together they would always stop, no matter what job they were working or if they were already home, to watch the sunset together.

She remembered one of the first days after they had each been given their own crews at Landscape Artists. Their crews were both working at an apartment complex. Faith and Destiny were on opposite ends of the large complex, each planting flower beds. Faith’s phone vibrated in her pocket and when she looked at the screen Destiny was calling her.

“Hey, look at the sun,” Destiny said softly.

Faith walked to the end of the building where she was working and saw the sun slipping beneath the horizon.

“That sunset was almost as beautiful as you,” Destiny said. “Look to your left.”

Faith turned away from the sun and looked to her left. On the sidewalk, two buildings over, she could see Destiny staring her way with her phone to her ear.

Faith chuckled. “You can’t see how much dirt is on my face from there.”

“I see you with my heart,” Destiny said. “And you are beautiful.”

Faith smiled and was pretty sure Destiny could see how her face lit up from where she stood.

The orange had disappeared from the sky and Faith sighed. Had the love she and Destiny shared disappeared just as easily? How could she say she loved me and do what she did?

Faith walked into the house and could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. Scars may make you stronger, but they still hurt.

Destiny backed her truck into her parents’ driveway. She got out, opened the tailgate, and took out a flat of marigolds.

“Hi, honey,” Michael Green said, walking out from the garage.

Destiny got her love of working with her hands from her father. He had a nicely equipped shop built on one side of the garage.

“Hi, Dad,” Destiny replied, walking to the flower bed at the front of the house.

“Whatcha got there?”

“Oh, I know how much Mom likes marigolds and I had a few left over from a project I finished today. I thought I’d surprise her and give her flower bed a pop of color.” Destiny plopped down on her knees and began to take the bright gold plants out of the plastic carrier.

She reached in her back pocket for the small garden trowel and began to dig holes in the front of the flower bed to evenly space the flowers along the edge.

“She’ll love those,” Michael said.

“Love what?” Gretchen said, walking out of the front door. When she saw what Destiny was doing, she clapped her hands and exclaimed, “I love marigolds!”

Destiny chuckled. “I know. That’s why I’m planting them for you.”

“Thank you,” Gretchen said, walking over and squeezing Destiny’s shoulder.

“These will brighten up your flower bed,” Destiny said.

“They’ll make me smile every time I pull into the driveway.”

Destiny grinned. “Good.”

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