Page 20 of Midlife Witch Unexpected

“You know Tim used to love doing this with me,” I mentioned, thinking of my ex-husband. “We had a great time walking through the nursery and picking up plants and drinking a tea on a Saturday morning. It’s a pity I can’t still be friends with him.”

“Well, you can reevaluate that later,” Bianca grinned. “For now, you’ve got me.”

“Can I help you?” A little old lady came out from behind a shrub as if she’d been sitting there all morning just waiting for someone to come along to ask about plants. She was short and stout and wore a tie-dyed shirt and peace symbol earrings. Judging by the way she was tending to the plant in her hands, it looked like she knew a thing or two about plants.

“You see this leaf, it’s turning slightly up, just to the left,” she said, stroking the leaf fondly. “This one needs a little bit more sugar in its food. You know it’s good when you can tell if a plant needs food but you know they’re just like humans, some of them like it sweet and some of them like it savory. They’re always talking at you if you just take a look.”

“Is all this yours?” I asked.

The wrinkled old woman looked with pride and something like contentment around the sprawling greenhouse and nodded. “It is.”

“You must have the greenest of thumbs.” I had never seen one person plant so much. “Where are your staff?” I motioned to the nursery, which was strangely bereft of both staff and customers. It was just us and this lady.

"Oh, when there are customers, there's help." She fussed with a plant leaf before turning toward me with a wide grin. "My name is Hilda. I've been here a long time, but I've never seen someone come in new."

“I’m the only person who’s moved into Cougar Creek in the last, what, hundred years?” I asked.

“No.” Hilda laughed as if I’d made a joke when I was really asking a question. I mean, who knows? Maybe it was true. Maybe everybody who lived here was born here. I had decided, ever since finding out my husband was gay, I was not going to assume to know anything. Because who am I to say? I doubted my judgment even more after what I had been through.

“So, what did you mean by me being the first?” I made my question as specific as possible.

“You’re the first one to come to The Estate who wasn’t from The Estate,” Hilda said.

Right. The Estate. My grandparent’s house. Everybody here seems to know it much better than I do and I’m starting to think maybe that’s not such a bad thing. “I’m looking for a plant for The Estate. I want to put something down.”

“Put down some roots?” Hilda asked.

I glanced over at Bianca, who took a sip of her coffee and smiled at me, blinking slyly.

“In a pot,” I said. “So, it’s movable. I don’t know exactly where I want it yet.”

I shot Bianca back a look. She stuck her tongue out at me. It felt good to have a friend. It had been a long time since I had had a female just to hang out with and goof around with. From Bianca’s tone, it seemed she was feeling the same way too. We were both women in need of some female bonding.

I looked at Hilda now, my mouth lifted in a natural smile. Her presence, Bianca, or the remnants of whatever I had the night before made me feel easy-going and carefree. I felt like I was right where I was meant to be.

“Well, let me put together a selection of plants for you that I think you’ll really like.” Hilda tugged at one of her earrings, looking around at the plants thoughtfully. “I’ll drop by The Estate and we can try out a few. You never know which ones going to take your fancy.”

“Seriously? You have a potted plant service? I love it!” I exclaimed. “You know how well it would go over in Los Angeles? Show up at someone’s door with a bunch of potted plants to replace all the ones they killed last week.”

“I don’t think she does it for just anyone,” Bianca leaned in to inform me. “I’ve known Hilda my whole life. I’ve never seen her so jovial as she’s acting with you.”

“She’s normally grumpy?” I asked.

"No. It's more like she keeps to herself," Bianca explained. "She talks more to her plants than she does to the customers, but she does have helpers in here. I don't know where they are right now. Just some kids from the next town over usually. Some farmers' kids who live out in the forest. I'm not sure but she's always got them."

“All right,” I said, turning toward Hilda. “Why don’t you come by around five or six?”

“I’ll come by at five. The sun is setting earlier and you’re going to want to have some light when you see the plants,” Hilda said.

“Great! We will see you then.” I smiled as we turned and walked toward the large open doors. Just before we left, I turned to Hilda. “By the way, would you mind knocking on the front door when you arrive? It doesn’t seem to be a thing around here, but I’d like it to be a thing at my house.”

Hilda gave a little curtsy, which caught me off guard. “As you wish.”

I glanced over at Bianca, who just shrugged at me. “You were a little, you know, Lady of the Manor and all,” she said under her breath toward me.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I gasped, horrified, waving lamely at Hilda. “Just come by at five!” I ducked my head and hurried out the door, hoping to not make any other social gaffs in this small town.

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