Page 16 of Gideon

Gideon followed her out to a small porch. The yard was covered in different plots full of various produce. “Is this where Nikki got her veggies for the market stall?”

“It sure is.”

“How do you do it? Everything looks so healthy.”

“Lots of love and care. And not going too big. That’s the trouble the farms faced. It’s one thing to water a small yard. It’s another when you have acres and acres.”

“Still. I wouldn’t have thought you could use enough water for this. Aren’t there restrictions?”

“We recycle our water. And this might sound farfetched, but I believe God blesses us.”

“I’m sure He does.” He walked down to the tomatoes. “Look at this one. It’s huge.”

“You can have that if you want. We’ve got plenty.”

“I can pay you for it.”

“No, we don’t need it.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Nikki’s business looks after us. We give away a lot of what we have, but Nikki has that business brain of hers, so she likes to sell it as well. It helps pay for my gardening addiction.”

“That’s smart.”

“I was sorry she didn’t finish her degree, but she’s a smart kid, and she’s made the most of the situation.”

“Mom would die if she didn’t have her garden,” Nikki said from the door.

Gideon turned as she ran her hand through her wet hair.

“You’re being overdramatic,” Beth said. “But yes, I do love it.”

“Mom, would you mind if I had a word with Gideon alone?”

“Is everything okay?” Beth slipped her gaze to Gideon. “Have I missed something?”

“Everything’s fine,” Gideon said with a soft smile to reassure her. “I ran into Nikki at the markets. We had an interesting conversation that I believe she’d like to continue.”

“Okay, then. You make sure you don’t forget the tomato.”

“I won’t. Thank you.”

Nikki sat on the steps of the small porch after her mom went inside. “She does a great job with the space.”

“She does. I can’t believe how much she grows. It’s fantastic. She said you have your own business?”

“Yeah. Pottery. I supply mugs, bowls, plates, and various other things to a business in New York City.”

“Really? Those mugs that I saw at the markets?”

“Yeah.”

“They’re really good. You’ve found a way to not just survive but to thrive. That’s great.”

“Yeah. And I get to work from home with complete flexibility.”

“There aren’t many people anywhere who have that luxury.”

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