For Fiona

44. Our Garden

Fiona danced around the kitchen holding onto Kojo's front paws so he could join her.

Lucy set the final clean plate in the cabinet and looked on at her daughter fondly. Her perfect daughter. "Do you want to keep dancing or do you want to help me with our garden?"

"Both!" Fiona chirped. "The flowers want to dance, too."

"I'm sure they do, sweetheart," she replied grinning. "Come with me." She took her daughter's small, warm hand and lead her out to their rose bush where her favorite red blooms were thriving. She loved going out to prune them; giving her roses the love they deserved to keep them growing just like her darling Fiona, who was growing right before her eyes every single day. Lucy tended to the dirt with special care, patting down the earth above the roots of the roses that were as strong as the ones she grew with Tim in their relationship both platonically and romantically.

Fiona had to ask, "Mommy, how do you make the flowers grow?"

"I told you. Love makes flowers grow, and of course, singing helps, too. Can you and Kojo sing with me?"

"We love singing!" Fiona twirled around singing near the flowers with Kojo barking beside her. They were having fun helping with the roses.

Tim parked in the driveway, and felt a grin form on his face immediately at the sight of his girls. "What's going on?"

"We're gardening," Fiona answered proudly.

"Oh, really?" He smirked and met Lucy's gaze, the one who was actually on her knees doing all of the hard work. She had a sheen of sweat on her forehead, wearing a an old t shirt and shorts, and her hair was piled in a messy bun. In his opinion, she looked as lovely as ever. Tim bent forward to peck her cheek. "The roses look beautiful," he murmured, "almost as beautiful as you."

"Stop," she hissed in fake annoyance even as her lips curled upwards. "You say that every time."

"And I mean it every time."

"Quit flirting and take the groceries inside."

"Yes, ma'am." He dropped one more kiss to her head before returning to his truck to fill his arms with grocery bags. Kojo probably thought he was helping as he scampered over to the front door with him, but the dog stood in the way, momentarily blocking his forward progress. Thankfully, Fiona drew Kojo's attention giving Tim access to the house. He put all of the groceries away distractedly while glancing out the window at his perfect, very entertaining family always bringing so much color and noise and excitement; he wondered how he ever lived in silence and solitude. How had he carried on for so long without Lucy's warmth and Fiona's antics? He shook his head when the question popped into his mind and instead went to busy himself sorting through the mail. There was a simple envelope in the stack that would have been considered unremarkable except for the addressee listed as: Lucy Chen Bradford.

Her name and his name together.

His wife.

The mother of his child.

His partner in all things.

He opened the letter to find her newly issued driver's license with her new last name. Tim grinned while setting it on the counter to give it to her after she finished gardening, since the priority was family time, so he went out to the garden and joined her on his knees to help give special care to their roses.

"Some day," Lucy said softly, "we'll expand our garden. Add another flower or two."

The insinuation in her voice made his heart thump. "Yeah. Tell me, are we planning on adding actual flowers with every kid?"