Chapter Fourteen

Jessica gently pushed her aside and faced the shelf of jars with her hands up like she was ready to duke it out with the pickled cauliflower. Elissa snorted.

“Are these all freshly canned?”

Row upon row of gleaming jars of canned fruit, vegetables, preserves, and pickles sat next to bundles of dried herbs. It was beautiful.

“Oh. Well, yes.”

Elissa beamed at her, and the younger woman cleared her throat.

“I can’t cook, but I do grow things. What we don’t eat, I sort of can,” Jessica said, tucking her hair behind her ears.

The woman blushed bright pink, and Elissa reached out and hugged her. She had nothing but love for someone who could grow and pickle veggies. Back in her apartment, she had a small herb garden on the fire escape, but the thought of having a vegetable patch was just amazing.

“Is the garden here? Can I help? OMG! I am so excited, tell me more,” Elissa said and pulled a few jars of peeled plum tomatoes off the shelf.