Page 54 of A Journey For Jasmine

“I’ve got a lot to do,” she said. “I’m picking my sister up at the airport this afternoon.”

“That’s right,” Heather said. “That’s nice you’re getting to visit with your family. I love living with Daisy. She’s an only child and I just have two brothers. I shared rooms in college in the dorms and it wasn’t that great, but this is much better.”

Jasmine laughed. “No one can compare dorm living to roommates now. I’ve always shared a room. Normally Dahlia, Ivy, and I were in one room, my brothers in another. There weren’t too many four- or five-bedroom homes that we lived in traveling. Three was a bonus most times.”

She remembered being crammed in together. When they were younger, she normally shared a bed with one of them. Being the middle child, it was Jasmine and Ivy in a bed together. Dahlia got her own if possible.

Life went on. She’d told herself that enough.

They had roofs over their heads, more than enough food to eat, clothes and so on. All those extras that the rest of American kids had, she didn’t get.

Many would tell her she got memories and life experiences and they wouldn’t be wrong, but it wasn’t something she’d wish on anyone either.

“I can’t imagine living as you did. Sometimes I wonder if it was like traveling gypsies.”

“That’s it,” she said. “Totally that way. My parents would be insulted if I said it, but I felt it. Ivy did too. Dahlia not as much. She kept to herself more than the rest of us.”

“Why is that?” Heather asked. She was watering her herbs now. Zane had added onto the greenhouse that housed Heather’s lab so that she had her own space. Normally Jasmine didn’t bother Heather back here much, but she’d heard her moving around and wanted to come say hi.

“We are all our own person,” she said. “Those are coming along great.”

“Thanks,” Heather said. She pulled a basil leaf off. “Smell it. Isn’t it wonderful?”

She reached for the leaf. “It is. Does it feel more like gardening at times than science to you?”

“Totally,” Heather said. “It’s like the best of both worlds for me. Don’t you feel that? I see you splicing roots and flowers together. You’re coming up with your hybrids too.”

She did a little shoulder wiggle. “I can’t help it. I do it for the way they look, not the scents. I know everything here feeds the manufacturing plant too. That is what the big bulk of it is for.”

“But you run the flower shop and your eye is on that prize. The same with me. I don’t do much with the flowers.”

“You said you wanted to start mixing them in with your herbs.”

“I do,” Heather said. “When you’ve got a chance to talk. I know life is crazy right now. The summer more so. I was so excited to get the shampoos and conditioners launched in the spring and now working on candles. I’m trying to get the right dosages in the scents to boost things like relaxation.”

“All I know is I love the tea tree oil shampoo. It makes my scalp tingle.”

“That is one of my favorites. Not something I grew here and I know that won’t always be the case. Lavender is a nice scent to mix with some things. When you’ve got a chance, I think I’d like to try that.”

“Come with me now,” she said. “You said roses too?”

“Yes,” Heather said. “I’ve got all these ideas about rose scents in with basil. That’s a good combination too. Basil and rosemary have such health benefits along with rose and lavender. It’s finding the perfect blends for the scents and then textures. I want an exfoliating soap too. My mind is going nuts.”

She grinned. “Which we know the sisters love. They each have their niche and we’ve got ours. Really, don’t hesitate to ask me anything. When it comes down to it, our two jobs are the most alike and we should work together the best we can.”

“Thank you,” Heather said. “I won’t take anything without telling you.”

“I appreciate that, but if you just want to steal a few flowers I’d never know.”

They got to the greenhouse with the roses in it. “It smells wonderful in here,” Heather said.

“I’ll never get sick of it. I know people say you get used to scents, but I don’t. And I hope I never do.”

The two of them walked around gathering what Heather wanted. “Do you think I could get some of the oils? I know they aren’t here. Or should I ask Lily?”

The oils for the candles, lotions and soaps were made at the manufacturing plant now. She’d helped out training people before for it, but Lily had it set the way she wanted. Even Violet helped where needed.

“I don’t think Lily is going to mind. Why don’t you catch her before she leaves? I think she might be going to the plant this morning and can grab you what you want. I’m surprised you haven’t asked before now.”

---