Sam paced with Wally to get the pup moving. “And you’re going to tend to it? Take care of it?”
Meena shrugged. “That’s the best part. It doesn’t need tending. It can be left alone, and the seeds will do their thing.”
“I see,” Sam said.
“I’m not doing anything wrong.” Meena tucked her hands in the pockets of her jacket. “This garden doesn’t have to be only what Sabina wants; it could be for everyone. I bet even Tanvi would love wildflowers.”
“And what’s to stop Sabina from mowing them down?”
Meena’s excitement was dampened. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m kind of winging things.” She wiped her hands on the front of her jeans, unsure what to do with them.
“This isn’t natural for you, is it?”
She laughed. “Not even a little. But hey, it’s never too late to learn a new thing.”
“But that’s not the only reason,” Sam said.
Meena shrugged. “I think Neha would like it too.”
“Why are you trying to get under Sabina’s skin?”
Meena began to walk toward the porch. “I should go back inside, make coffee.”
She heard his sigh. Somewhere along the way, they’d become friends, or at least become friendly with one another. She stopped and walked back to him. “I’m trying to settle in. See what it would be like to make this place one of my bases.”
“When’s the last time you lived somewhere?” He sat down on the short iron bench.
“College, I guess.” She sat next to him.
“It’s not so bad here.”
She looked at him. He’d thrown a coat over his green-and-black-and-gray flannel pajama bottoms, hair wild as if he’d just gotten out of bed. “No. It’s not bad at all.”
“Maybe you’re ready to put down roots,” he said.
Meena stood up and paced. She took the leash from Sam and led Wally to a sniffing spot. “I was in Romania one summer, six years ago. Most people think vampires when they imagine Transylvania. But there’s a region nearby that had the most incredible wildflower meadow. I was going through photos of it recently, and I thought, That would be nice here. Not on that scale but just along the fence. To muss up some of the perfect landscaping.”
He stayed quiet. She liked that he didn’t push. It was his superpower, really, because it made her want to talk, reveal things she rarely did. “I don’t know if I’m the type to stay in one place. I keep busy, keep moving. If I’m not doing . . .” She didn’t know how to finish that thought. “I’m just wired to stay on the move, I guess.”
“Have you tried self-help books?”
She laughed. “No. I had my fair share of therapy after I lost my parents.”
“They say therapy is a lifelong endeavor,” Sam said.
She’d been raised to believe that she was responsible for solving her own problems. Even Neha had said that after thirty, you shouldn’t blame anyone. She’d fixed herself. “If I were a less nomadic person, maybe.”
“Already planning your next trip?” Sam asked. “Don’t you want to see the wildflowers bloom or at least see Sabina’s reaction?”
“That would be fun,” Meena said. “But I won’t be around much after the holidays. I might be gone for months.”
“Guess I’ll have to record Sabina’s reaction.”
“I’d love that.”