CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 39: THE SUNFLOWERS
The garden finally bloomed.
The roses opened first.
Then the tulips.
And finally, the sunflowers.
They were enormous.
Ella ran outside and gasped.
"They're taller than me!"
My mother laughed.
"They're supposed to be."
We spent the afternoon in the garden.
Taking pictures.
Pulling weeds.
Doing absolutely nothing important.
At sunset, my mother sat beside the sunflowers.
"They always face the light."
I sat next to her.
"I didn't know that."
She smiled.
"I looked it up."
Of course she did.
We sat quietly.
Then she asked:
"Do you think people can do that too?"
"What?"
"Face the light."
I thought about it.
About everything that had happened.
All the pain.
All the mistakes.
All the healing.
"Yes," I finally said.
"Even after everything?"
I looked at her.
"Especially after everything."
She smiled.
For a while we simply watched the flowers move in the evening breeze.
Then she whispered:
"I think I'm finally learning how."
I rested my head on her shoulder.
"So am I."
May you like
The sun disappeared slowly.
But the garden remained bright.
