Chapter 3

I walked back to the house, still feeling a little lighter than usual. Maybe it was the sense of accomplishment, or maybe it was just the fact that I had something to look forward to tomorrow. 

I stepped inside and kicked off my shoes, heading straight for the kitchen. The rest of the day had kind of slipped by unnoticed—so I figured I should at least grab something to eat before I called it a night. 

As I rummaged through the fridge, my sister's voice echoed from the other room. 

"Did you actually get anything done today, or were you just outside playing in the dirt again?" 

I rolled my eyes. "I planted stuff, actually. So yeah, I did get something done." 

"Uh-huh. Sure." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. 

I could hear her footsteps approaching, and soon enough, she appeared in the doorway. "So, are you, like, a full-time gardener now, or is this just a phase?" 

I took a bite of the sandwich I'd just made, trying to suppress a smile. "Maybe. I'm just seeing how it goes. You never know, I might end up with a whole garden out there." 

She stared at me for a second, clearly trying to process what I said. Then, without saying anything, she turned and walked away. 

I shook my head, smiling. It was like she couldn't fathom that I actually cared about doing something outside for once. 

As I finished eating, I thought about Adam's offer to come back tomorrow. I wasn't sure what exactly we'd get done, but it was kind of nice to think that I wasn't doing this alone anymore. 

I cleaned up the kitchen and sat down on the couch, flipping through some random shows on TV. My mind kept drifting back to the garden, though. I couldn't help it. It was like my brain was already planning the next steps—how to make it better, what I could add next, what kind of plants I could try. 

Before I knew it, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Adam. 

🍀Adam 🍀: 

What if we make a raised bed tomorrow? A little more organized, you know? 

I couldn't help but grin. 

Me: 

Yeah, let's do it. I'll figure out what we need to make that happen. 

🍀Adam 🍀: 

Sweet. I'm in. 

It wasn't much, but something about planning the next steps with him made me feel more excited than I thought I'd be about this whole gardening thing. 

As the night settled in and I relaxed on the couch, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction. The simple act of planting something, of building something with my own hands, had turned into something that mattered more than I expected. 

And tomorrow, we'd make it even better.

The next morning came faster than I expected. I'd barely gotten enough sleep, but the thought of getting back outside with Adam to work on the garden had me energized in a way I hadn't anticipated.

I threw on a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt, then grabbed my phone to check the time.

11:30 AM

Adam hadn't texted me yet, but that was normal. He was always last-minute when it came to anything that wasn't gaming or his usual routine. I wasn't worried. He'd show up when he showed up.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed outside to double-check everything, even though I'd already gone over it last night. The garden wasn't much yet—just some rows of soil with potatoes, carrots, and the little DIY watering setup I'd made. But it felt different this morning. Like I was about to actually build something.

I stood there for a minute, planning out what we needed for the raised bed. I already had the basic idea of what to do, but I knew we'd need some materials. We'd have to go get wood, maybe even some nails and tools to help us set up the frame. I wasn't sure how much Adam knew about that kind of stuff, but if he was up for it, we could figure it out together.

Just as I was mentally organizing my list, I heard footsteps on the gravel.

"Yo," Adam's voice called out.

I turned to see him approaching, looking a little out of breath. "You're late," I said, teasing.

"Blame my alarm," he replied, shrugging. "Alright, what are we doing today? Building a garden fortress?"

I chuckled. "Close enough. I figured we could start with a raised bed."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You want to get fancy, huh?"

"Not fancy," I said, pulling out my phone to show him the pictures of what I had in mind. "Just something to make the planting more organized. That way, we'll have a little more space for other crops."

He took a quick glance at my phone. "Okay, I can get behind that." He paused for a second, eyeing the little garden I'd already started. "But, uh, where do we even get the wood and all that? You got a list?"

I nodded. "I made one. We're going to need some pressure-treated lumber, probably about four 2x4s for the frame, and then some soil to fill it in."

Adam scratched his head. "I can swing the lumber, but soil... you think we can haul that much back here in my car?"

I shrugged. "I mean, worst case, we can always make multiple trips."

"Sounds like a pain," Adam muttered. "But fine, I'm in."

I grinned. "Alright, let's go get this stuff."

We headed off to the hardware store a few minutes later, chatting about how we'd set up the bed and what kind of plants we could add next. It was a nice distraction from everything else, and for once, I didn't mind the heat. We loaded up on the lumber and soil, then drove back to my place.

By the time we got back, the sun was higher in the sky, making the day feel even hotter, but it didn't matter. We unloaded the car and got to work, cutting and arranging the wood to create the frame. Adam was surprisingly handy with the tools, and together, we managed to get the whole thing set up in a couple of hours.

"Alright, now we fill it in with the soil," I said, wiping sweat off my brow.

Adam looked at the mountain of soil bags we had to go through. "This is gonna suck, isn't it?"

"Probably," I replied, laughing.

We worked through the heat, lifting the bags, tearing them open, and dumping the soil into the frame. It wasn't glamorous work, but by the time we were done, the raised bed was ready.

"Alright," Adam said, leaning against the frame, hands on his hips. "What now?"

I surveyed the new bed, then looked at him. "Now, we plant the rest of the stuff. But first..." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small packet of seeds. "We finish what we started."

Adam grinned. "Let's do it."

We planted beans, sweet potatoes, and peppers in the new bed, each of us marking off a section for what went where. By the time we were done, I was tired, sunburned, and covered in dirt. But looking at the work we'd done, it felt worth it.

"Alright, I think that's it for today," I said, stretching. "Thanks for the help, man."

"No problem," Adam replied, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Now I'm definitely gonna need a shower, though."

I laughed. "Yeah, me too."

As he walked toward the gate, he turned to me. "Hey, this turned out pretty cool, though. You think we can get more stuff next time?"

I nodded, watching him leave. "Definitely."

I looked at the garden one last time, feeling a sense of pride I hadn't expected. It wasn't perfect. But it was mine. And with Adam's help, it was getting closer to something real.

I smiled to myself. Yeah, I was definitely doing this.

As the sun started setting, I stayed outside a little longer, admiring the work Adam and I had done. The raised bed looked good—better than I had expected, honestly. The soil was in place, the seeds were planted, and for once, the garden felt like something real instead of just an idea in my head.

I grabbed the empty soil bags and tossed them into a pile near the fence, making a mental note to throw them out later. My hands were covered in dirt, and my clothes were beyond saving, but I didn't care.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a text from Adam.

Adam 🍀: Yo, I just got home. My arms are dead. Gardening is a workout, dude.

Me: Told you.

Adam 🍀: Anyway, good work today. When are we doing the next part?

Me: I dunno. Maybe in a few days? Let's see how the plants do first.

Adam 🍀: Cool. Just text me when.

I smiled a little, putting my phone back in my pocket. It was nice knowing that Adam was actually interested in this. Maybe I wasn't completely crazy for doing it.

I turned toward the house, ready to finally wash up and get something to eat. Just as I reached for the door, I heard footsteps behind me.

"Still playing with dirt?"

I sighed. "Not in the mood, Sarah."

My sister leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "You know, I thought you'd get bored of this after a few hours. But you're actually sticking with it."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, shocking, isn't it?"

She smirked. "A little. I'll admit, it looks better than I thought it would."

I blinked, caught off guard. "Wait... was that a compliment?"

"Don't get used to it," she said quickly. "Just don't expect me to help or anything. I still don't get why you'd rather be out here instead of inside with AC."

I shrugged. "It's peaceful."

She scoffed. "Whatever. Just don't expect me to call you anything other than 'Gardener' from now on."

I shook my head as she walked back inside. At least she wasn't outright mocking me anymore. Progress.

I took one last look at the garden before following her inside. Tomorrow, I'd have to water the plants again. In a few days, I'd check for sprouts.

I didn't know if everything would grow the way I wanted it to, but for the first time in a long time, I actually felt like I was working toward something.

And I wasn't going to stop now.

The next few days felt like a blur of routine. I watered the garden every morning, checked on the soil, and made sure the plants had enough space to grow. Adam texted me every now and then, asking how things were going, and I'd always respond with the same answer: "It's going good." 

By the end of the week, I could see a few small green shoots pushing up from the soil—potatoes, beans, and peppers starting to sprout. It was a relief to see that things were actually working. 

One afternoon, I was kneeling down by the raised bed, pulling out a few weeds that had already started to invade the edges, when I heard someone approaching. I looked up to see Adam walking up the path, carrying a bag in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. 

"You're getting pretty good at this," he said, grinning as he set down the bag beside me. 

I wiped my forehead. "Yeah, I guess. Feels good to see things actually growing, though." 

He squatted down beside me, peering into the bed. "Man, this is looking legit." 

"Thanks," I said, adjusting the plant I was working on. "It's weird, but I'm kind of starting to like it." 

Adam nodded, pulling out a small packet of seeds from the bag he brought. "I grabbed some more stuff. Figured we could fill in some gaps." 

I raised an eyebrow. "What did you get?" 

He pulled out a packet of radish seeds, then a small plant that looked like it was already sprouting. "These radishes, and this—tomato plants." 

I stared at him for a second. "You got tomato plants? Like, already grown?" 

"Yeah, thought we could get a head start. Might be easier than waiting for seeds to sprout." He shrugged, setting the tomato plant carefully in the dirt. "Plus, I'm tired of waiting to eat something from this garden." 

I chuckled. "Fair enough." 

We worked together for a while, planting the radishes and tomatoes in the spaces between the beans and peppers. It was nice, having someone else to share the work with. I could already tell this was something we'd be doing for a while. 

After we finished, we sat on the grass for a bit, letting the sun warm our faces. 

"I think we need more stuff," Adam said suddenly. 

"More stuff?" I repeated. 

"Yeah, like... maybe some flowers. Or even herbs. Something that smells nice." 

I thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I like that idea. Maybe some basil or mint." 

"Exactly," he said, nodding enthusiastically. "We could even sell some of it once we get a good harvest." 

I laughed. "You really want to start a business out of my garden, huh?" 

"Hey, if it works, it works. We could call it 'The Green Thumb' or something." 

I shook my head. "You're ridiculous." 

"Yeah, but you like it," Adam said with a grin. 

I couldn't help but laugh again. "Yeah, yeah. We'll see." 

The days kept rolling by, and the garden slowly started to take shape. The radishes sprouted quickly, and the tomatoes weren't far behind. I spent most of my free time out there, checking on the plants, fixing up the garden beds, and figuring out what else to add. 

It was funny—before all of this, I never really thought much about gardening. It seemed like something that took too much time and effort, something that would never really pay off. But now? It felt like I was building something real. Something that actually mattered. 

And for the first time in a while, I wasn't thinking about anything else. Just the plants, the work, and the progress we were making. 

Maybe I was becoming a gardener after all.