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Jett should consider himself lucky that Rhona was too busy to kick his a** for not full preparing her for the reality of owning a business. Most days Rhona could barely keep her head on, let alone enjoy the business she was starting. Not that it was a bad kind of busy, she wasn’t putting out fires or containing disasters. It was just that she had envisioned a kind of romantic ideal, where she floated through the church, enjoying the chatter of people enjoying the wares and tending to her garden in the back. Not the endless stream of things that needed her immediate attention all at once that had her running around like a mad woman.

And she was starting to look it.

Her wild red hair was barely contained in a messy bun atop her head, pin cushioned with pens and pencils most likely shoved into it with the intention of not losing it but doing just that. Her shoulders were poking out from the collar of her tee shirt, the neck clearly having been tugged and distorted as Rhona fidgeted with it. Even her green eyes bespoke her disarray -- wide with concentration, her brows knitted into a line above them. Currently, those eyes were trained on an iPad in her hands, long fingers flicking deftly through spreadsheets as she looked over what her inventory should be before she spent the night there making sure what she had matched what she should have. Luckily, she only had to do her own inventory. Individual stalls took care of their own stocks and numbers.

That meant, of course, that at the end of the month she was flooded with paperwork, but at least she could do that at home with a glass of wine and her new tom cat.

The voice before her caught her attention, causing her hand to pause and hover over the screen of the iPad, presumably while her brain did some sort of reset. Within an instant, her lips, previously soundlessly reciting what she was seeing, shut and split into a wide smile and her brows released their tension.

“Oh gosh, thanks,” she chirped in a clearly newly adapted customer service voice, “welcome to the Farmer -- “

And then she stopped. Because she realized who she was looking at. Who was talking to her. Who was standing in her market, beautiful as ever and holding a delicate little cactus. Violet, of course. Because as much as Lavender said that she didn’t care about the Dark Mirror Court, Rhona’s colors as Acubens seemed to resonate with the other woman. Not that Rhona minded of course -- whenever she saw frost blue, she found herself looking away as of late.

“Lav… ah…” Rhona looked around herself, suddenly aware of where she was, what she was doing, and what she looked like. s**t, Lavender was so breathtaking and Rhona probably hadn’t showered in three days, was wearing a stretched out tee shirt and ripped jeans, and her hair was an utter ******** and absolute mess. She tried half-heartedly to fix the neck of her tee and readjust the bun on top of her head.

“Heather, watch the counter for me,” she finally called, already half way out from behind it by the time the teenager clambored to the register.

“Um, where are you going Miss Lee,” the girl asked, fumbling with the jar that she was handed by a patron very suddenly.

Rhona either didn’t hear her or was ignoring her. Instead she closed the distance between her and Lavender, still
not certain what to do next but hey, that wasn’t new to her.

“Can I… help you find something? Or are you just browsing.”

Oh you ******** idiot.

“Er -- ******** -- no -- sorry. Hi… Lavender.” She forced a smile despite the way her brows furrowed in apology for her lame-a** apology for her awkward first greeting. “You look good -- well. You look… well. Like you’re doing well. I think.” Shut up. “I mean maybe. Are you well? I was worried.” You changed your number I couldn’t ask. “Um. Hi.” Anyone else, Tress, Gwen, literally any one of the faceless ******** she’d had in her mourning since Lavender had left she knew exactly what to say. Why was talking so hard now?

Because it was Lavender. That’s why. And this wasn’t a game anymore. This was real. There were things to lose and things to gain. ******** up with a one night stand meant a night alone. Come back later and try again. Messing this up meant losing this chance. Maybe for another six months… but maybe forever this time.

And that tied her tongue in knots.

She was smiling, and that was more than she was doing last time they were in contact. Honestly, Rhona wasn’t even sure what had transpired that night. Only that it hurt. It had all been so charged and painful that the actions and words bled into one another that she no longer truly knew who said what. So when Lavender apologized for being dramatic Rhona honestly didn’t remember what she was talking about. No doubt she’d been just as frantic, knowing her.

Can we find a place to talk?

Rhona looked down at the succulent that was handed to her, her pale fingers wrapping around the tiny pot easily as she cradled it in the cup of her hands. God, it was so sweet. And not just the plant but the gesture. She could feel the pained expression crossing her features as Lavender detailed wanting to call but not being able to. Rhona should have gone. She should have sat outside of her apartment door and waited like in those rom coms.

Except that this wasn’t a rom com at all. This was real life and Lavender’s real pain. Her real pain. No, the choices they had both made led them here and maybe… maybe this was exactly where they needed to be.

“Thank you,” she finally choked, face feeling all too hot. “Thank you for thinking of me. I think I missed yours too but… well if I had expected to see you I’d have put something together… oh god Lavender I thought I’d never see you again. I’d… I’d love to have you back in my life, in whatever way you want.”

There had been so much darkness recently. So much loss and so many questions with no answers. She’d cling to this godray with all that she was.

“I’m going out back, Heather, radio Seth to come and keep the peace.”

Her instruction ws perhaps too fast and no doubt Lavender hear the eagerness in her voice, but then again when did Rhona ever veil herself? Too much effort for not enough gain in most scenarios. Especially this one. She had to be raw with Lavender. Had to be honest and open. And if that meant being awkward and bumbling then so be it.

“Out back is my garden. No one’s allowed back there, so we can talk.” Rhona swept her arm out, free hand still clutching the tiny desert plant.

Rhona’s garden wasn’t the mystical and magical place that Lavender had imagined. There were no wisteria draped arbors or climbing ivy. No hidden places or secrets to find. But it was hers and she loved it. Anyone who knew Rhona even cursurally could see how she let go of the tension in her body when she stepped out of the back door into the maze of crops.

A larger version of her communal plot at the park, what seemed like senseless planting actually had purpose. Tomatoes in cages were planted with wild patches of basil. Corn stood tall and proud in the back of the garden, the stalks holding up pole beans, and the ground covered with squash to keep the roots shaded. Herbs lines the sides, the scent irritating most pests, both in pots and planted in the earth. Each plot was lined with a lumber and chicken wire fence that cake up to about Rhona’s waist. Just enough to keep anything out that may have gotten past the herbs. There were, however, a pair church pew that she had salvaged from the inside of the building to make a small seating area, a table made of reclaimed wood sitting between the two pew. Around the seating were various raised planters, laden with sweet, smelling flowers and blooms.

“I’m… I’m glad you came,” Rhona finally said, placing the succulent down on the table between the two pew. “I didn’t think I’d ever hear from you again, honestly.” Things ended kind of messily, but Rhona wasn’t about to bring that up. Not now. Not that there was much to talk about. She didn’t remember who said or did what, so what good would talking even do? They both knew they both hurt and were hurt. That’s all that mattered, right? “Winters are usually messy for me, though.”

Always so cold. So barren. A woman who thrives in the growing seasons tends to wither in the dying months.

“And thank you for the succulent. She’s adorable. I think I know exactly where to put her too.” A tiny macrame pot hammock that she bought on a whim seemed to be the perfect size, if memory served. This darling could join the other cacti hanging away from direct sunlight.

Rhona pushed the pads of her fingers into the wood of the table, focusing less on the grain of the wood and more on the vibrations from the woman beside her. She didn’t feel or look angry. Maybe they were on the same frequency then. That there wasn’t much to discuss from that night. Not avoidance. Just wordless mutual understanding.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said, sinking into the pew as her knees turned to water. “For what I said and did that night.”

Friend.

The heat in her hand from Lavender’s touch spoke of a want for more, but Rhona knew better at this point than to push it. Lavender wanted to be her friend and Rhona jumped on it.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Lav. We were both hurt. Things were said and done… forgiveness is for malice. Not for pain.”

The flush that crossed Lavender’s cheeks warmed Rhona further, causing her smile to grow. Of course she had. Rhona smiled, wondering which part of her Lavender liked more, the woman or the senshi. Not that it mattered. Two sides of one coin and all that. And so as Lavender curled her fingers around Rhona’s hand, Rhona let the warmth spread from her palm all the way up her arm, mirroring the action.

“It’s a good name,” she said with a laugh, “and she looks good. You might have a knack with plants.”

And then she ran out of words. She sat in silence until her next statement came unbidden from her lips.

“I’m happy you’re here too.” I’d hoped you would have come to the stall. Come to the church. Anything. But the words caught in Rhona’s throat and she didn’t want to scare Lavender away so she just smiled, her hand in Lavender’s and the sun on her newly freckled face.

Whatever Lavender kept hidden behind her eyes, Rhona tried to read, wondering if she was seeing correctly or putting answers there that she was hoping to see. But the longer she lingered on the questions that were bubbling to the surface, the more confused Rhona got trying to parse truth from hope. So she let it ride. Lavender said that she was here to be friends, and after how they parted the last time, that was more than Rhona had any right to ask for. She would be Lavender’s friend. She’d let Lavender back in with no boundaries and no reservations. Just like before.

“I mean it’s almost lunch,” she offered, checking the fit bit on her wrist. “And I allow employees to leave for their half hour breaks. Alternatively, we can grab something from a stall inside and come back out here.” She wrapped her other hand around Lavender’s encased that hand in hers. As she did this, her lips curled up into one of her wicked little smiles, eyes still locked on Lavender’s somehow caught there in a trance.

“And,” she continued on, finally breaking the spell and casting her gaze down to their hands in mock-coyness, “I may have contracted a particularly fabulous family owned mexican joint, and I may have lived off of those tamales for a week when they first opened.” Because Rhona had a poetic soul and why not use tamales to mark important milestones in their relationship.

Tamales for their first date. Tamales during that terrible winter day. Tamales now. A ring beside a plate of tamales. Tamales catered to the wedding. Rhona cleared her throat and pushed the thought away, trying to ignore the blooming hope in her stomach as it floated through.

“Of course it’s up to you.”

Was that flirting? Could Rhona categorize that as such? No. Best not to overthink it. Best not analyze things into the dirt and ruin things. She would take things as they were presented to her now. Face value you. A light hearted banter between reunited friends. It make Rhona’s heart swell, really, having Lavender back.

“Come on. I figure I’ve got another half hour or so before my employees start organizing a coup while I’m gone… I’ll buy them lunch to make up for my sudden disappearance…” that might do it. As it was, there were only four of them there; Rhona, two high school students, and an older lady who was keeping busy during retirement. Still it felt odd to say employees… It was like Rhona was growing up… and maybe this time she was grown up enough for Lavender.

“I’m so glad you gave me another chance,” Rhona finally blurted, giving Lavender’s hand one last good squeeze before she stood up, ready to lead the way back into the Market for food. Really glad wasn’t the word for it. Blessed was a better one. Lavender with her infinite patience and grace had come back into her life. A second chance on life as everything was deepening into the second spring that autumn was. Every leaf was a flower, but none was so beautiful as the garden that stirred to life between them. Beds for now. Bright green promises, ready to come to fruition.

And Rhona would be patient this time.