Chapter 3

3

F aith grabbed a cart and walked into the produce section of the store. She usually either had groceries delivered or picked them up. But lately the avocados and fruit she'd received hadn't lasted very long. Faith knew she could be considered picky, but why do something halfway instead of doing it right? She was that way with her work and expected the same of the people who worked with her.

She squeezed an avocado then another as she put them in a bag.

"Faith?" a woman said, pushing a cart up beside her.

Faith looked up into a kind face with a loving smile. Gretchen Green was one of Faith's favorite people and she didn't have many. The problem was that Gretchen also happened to be Destiny's mother. She hadn't seen her in a long time, but she'd talked to her once briefly on the phone and texted with her a handful of times since leaving Destiny.

One advantage of living in an urban area is that you didn't just run into people like you might in a smaller town. But Faith missed Gretchen almost as much as she did Destiny. Gretchen was always kind to Faith and genuinely cared about her well being.

Faith hadn't grown up in the best of circumstances and her trust issues had begun at a young age. Her parents hadn't been around much when she was growing up. They provided basic necessities but were never interested in what she, her brother, or her sister were doing. Faith was a decent athlete and managed to get a scholarship at a small college, working her way through school. The only time she heard from her family was when they needed money.

The first time Destiny took her home to meet her parents, Faith immediately liked Gretchen and Michael Green. But somehow Gretchen knew that Faith hadn't had the nurturing influence of a mother and she took her in and restored that part of her wounded soul. Faith truly felt like part of the Green family.

"Gretchen," Faith said with a genuine smile.

The woman held her arms open and Faith walked into them. She couldn't remember the last time she'd hugged another person.

"It's so good to see you," Gretchen said, letting her go.

Faith nodded and smiled at her. She guessed Gretchen knew not to ask how she was doing or could tell by looking at her.

"I've been thinking about you," Gretchen said.

"You have?" Faith replied, furrowing her brow.

"You sound surprised. Don't you occasionally think about the people you love?"

Faith nodded. There weren't too many people Faith could say she loved, but Gretchen Green was definitely one of them.

Gretchen took Faith's hands and inspected her fingernails. "I see you've been out playing in the dirt." She ran her thumb across a faint scar on Faith's index finger.

Faith chuckled. When she and Destiny would visit, Gretchen would send them to the sink to wash their hands. She loved to tease them and said their jobs were "playing in the dirt." But she was their biggest supporter and proud of the beautiful expanses they created.

"I stopped by for a few things on my way home from a job," Faith explained.

"Well, it's good to see you're going home before dark. I'm aware of the long hours you work along with someone else I know." Gretchen raised a brow.

Faith smiled and rested her hands on her cart.

"You know, scars are a kind of blessing. You had to learn that at such a young age," Gretchen said with a compassionate smile. "They can not only make us stronger, but also enable us to look at things again when it might not be as painful."

Faith tilted her head. She knew what Gretchen was trying to say. Maybe enough time had passed for her and Destiny to be able to talk about what happened between them.

"They certainly make us stronger, but…" Faith sighed. "Time is supposed to make it not hurt quite so much, right? I'm not sure about that."

Gretchen nodded. "Oh, I don't know that the pain ever eases. Maybe we learn to deal with it and perhaps not be afraid."

Faith felt like Gretchen was seeing straight into her heart. There was a part of her that was afraid to talk to Destiny. She hoped that someday the fear might fade and she could tell Destiny just how much she'd hurt her.

"I love you, Faith," Gretchen said, hugging her again.

"I love you, too," Faith said around the lump in her throat.

Gretchen pushed her cart past Faith and continued down the aisle.

After several deep breaths, Faith pushed her cart back to the front of the store and walked to her car.

She hadn't seen Destiny or anyone in her family in years and now she'd seen her and her mom on the same day. Faith wasn't sure what the universe was trying to tell her, but she wished it would stop.

Faith pulled into the parking lot in the front of her business. She drove around to the side of the building and through the gate that opened to a large fenced area. The yard held all the various equipment Lush Fields Landscaping owned as well as random plants that hadn't been used. The back of the building was a shop where equipment was repaired, things were stored, and still more unused plants were sprinkled about.

Faith stopped her truck in front of a small tiny house at the rear of the building. Inside was a small kitchen, living area, bathroom, and bedroom that would just fit a queen sized mattress. It was larger than her dorm room in college, but not by much.

There was an area beside the front door with a chair and a small table that served as a makeshift front porch. Faith didn't sit outside very often. Sometimes she'd make it home in time to see a killer sunset this time of year. The summer brought heat, but it also brought beautiful evening vistas. In the winter months the sun disappeared behind the buildings across the street, but this time of year the sun would go down in a small field, lighting up the sky as darkness descended like a soft blanket.

Before she walked up the two steps to her front door she turned in time to see that the sun was already gone, but the sky was a dark orange fading into a deep purple. When she and Destiny worked together they would always stop, no matter what job they were working or if they were already home, to watch the sunset together.

She remembered one of the first days after they had each been given their own crews at Landscape Artists. Their crews were both working at an apartment complex. Faith and Destiny were on opposite ends of the large complex, each planting flower beds. Faith's phone vibrated in her pocket and when she looked at the screen Destiny was calling her.

"Hey, look at the sun," Destiny said softly.

Faith walked to the end of the building where she was working and saw the sun slipping beneath the horizon.

"That sunset was almost as beautiful as you," Destiny said. "Look to your left."

Faith turned away from the sun and looked to her left. On the sidewalk, two buildings over, she could see Destiny staring her way with her phone to her ear.

Faith chuckled. "You can't see how much dirt is on my face from there."

"I see you with my heart," Destiny said. "And you are beautiful."

Faith smiled and was pretty sure Destiny could see how her face lit up from where she stood.

The orange had disappeared from the sky and Faith sighed. Had the love she and Destiny shared disappeared just as easily? How could she say she loved me and do what she did?

Faith walked into the house and could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. Scars may make you stronger, but they still hurt.

Destiny backed her truck into her parents' driveway. She got out, opened the tailgate, and took out a flat of marigolds.

"Hi, honey," Michael Green said, walking out from the garage.

Destiny got her love of working with her hands from her father. He had a nicely equipped shop built on one side of the garage.

"Hi, Dad," Destiny replied, walking to the flower bed at the front of the house.

"Whatcha got there?"

"Oh, I know how much Mom likes marigolds and I had a few left over from a project I finished today. I thought I'd surprise her and give her flower bed a pop of color." Destiny plopped down on her knees and began to take the bright gold plants out of the plastic carrier.

She reached in her back pocket for the small garden trowel and began to dig holes in the front of the flower bed to evenly space the flowers along the edge.

"She'll love those," Michael said.

"Love what?" Gretchen said, walking out of the front door. When she saw what Destiny was doing, she clapped her hands and exclaimed, "I love marigolds!"

Destiny chuckled. "I know. That's why I'm planting them for you."

"Thank you," Gretchen said, walking over and squeezing Destiny's shoulder.

"These will brighten up your flower bed," Destiny said.

"They'll make me smile every time I pull into the driveway."

Destiny grinned. "Good."

"You'll never guess who I just ran into at the grocery store," Gretchen said.

Destiny continued to plant the flowers then she stopped and looked up at her mom. "Oh, am I really supposed to guess? Uh, I have no idea."

"I talked to Faith," Gretchen said matter-of-factly.

Destiny's hands stopped and she sat back as her butt rested on her heels. "Hmm."

"That's it? Hmm?" Gretchen said.

"What do you want me to say, Mom? Faith wants nothing to do with me. And if I wondered before, she made it abundantly clear this morning when I ran into her at the nursery. She bumped her shoulder against mine, knowing I wouldn't do anything, yet hoping I would," Destiny said, her voice rising with anger.

"That's a lot of information from a brush of the shoulder," Gretchen said.

Destiny looked up at her mom and groaned in frustration. "Just because we broke up doesn't mean I don't know who she is. Well, I thought I did."

Gretchen kneeled down next to her daughter and put her arm around her shoulder. "You do know her," she said softly.

"Mom," Destiny said, carefully pulling away and standing up. "I can't. I'll fall apart." She took a couple of steps away and went back to planting the remaining marigolds.

"She's scared of something, honey," Gretchen said. "I could see it in her eyes."

Destiny sighed loudly. "I know she is. But she will not take, nor does she want, help from me. If you only knew how many times I've seen that frightened look in her eyes and convinced her to trust me. It worked and we were happy, until we weren't," Destiny said. "I don't know what she thinks I did, but she'll never trust me again and I'm the last person she'd ask for help."

"Maybe not," Gretchen said. "Something seemed different about her."

Destiny stood up and her shoulders slumped. "Not with me. She was just as angry and venomous as ever when I ran into her this morning. We've been over this, Mom. It's been three years."

"Yet neither one of you have moved on. All you do is work," Gretchen said.

Destiny let out another deep breath and looked into her mother's eyes. "Enjoy the marigolds." She gave her mom a sad smile and walked to her truck. "Bye, Dad," she said, opening the door.

"I love you, honey," Michael said, walking over to her.

Destiny paused and smiled.

"You know I don't like to butt into your life," he continued.

Destiny raised her brows. "That's why we get along so well."

Michael chuckled. "I don't think your story with Faith is over."

Destiny nodded. No , she thought. As long as we're both in the landscaping business and occasionally run into each other, Faith will continue to be the nemesis in my story.

She started her truck and drove away. Destiny used to believe that someday Faith would tell her what she did, but she was beginning to think she'd never know. After seeing her this morning it seemed that Faith was even further away. Maybe that's what seemed different to her mom. Destiny knew she had to stop hoping or she'd end up a sad, lonely old woman.

A bitter laugh escaped her throat as she pulled into her parking space at her apartment. "You're forty-two years old and you're already a sad, lonely woman. Great," she groaned.