Autumn is here and the afternoon air has a soft, earthy smell. Pol watches from the doorway as Naomi runs to the house. The child waves goodbye to her mum at the same time as waving hello to her nan. It looks like she's conducting the starlings squawking from the rooftops they've lined.
She wraps her arms around Pol. “You've got leaves in your hair, Nan.”
“Have I?” Pol grins. “I've been busy gardening. Shall we have a snack in the kitchen or do you want to come and help me?”
The child considers. “I'll come and help.” She drops her rucksack on the tiled floor and leads the way through the house and out into the garden.
Pol has been moving tender-leafed aloe vera plants into the greenhouse beside the fig tree that…
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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2023