Chapter 39 Delivery

• Victoria knelt by the flowerbed, her hands deep in the rich soil, pulling out weeds that had been growing too fast in the humid heat. She preferred the simple task of gardening—where her mind could wander, and the world felt a little quieter, a little less complicated.
• “You know,” Sophie said, standing beside her with a pair of gardening gloves on, “you really should stop doing all this yourself. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
• Victoria glanced up at her, wiping her brow. “I find peace in it. It’s the only thing that lets me stop thinking for a while.”