"This was the one thing Mom loved," Emily said, wiping her brow. Her soiled glove left a trail of dirt across her freckled forehead, and Tina had to smile.
"Yes, it was," Tina agreed. She looked at her sister for a moment, pressed her lips together in thought. Then she sighed. "But do you love it?"
Emily surveyed the lawn where she had labored for the past six weeks, working to nurture these stubborn bulbs into blooms that her mother would have been proud of. She'd put it off for so many reasons, but once her father passed, she felt like she'd delayed too long. It had seemed so important once, for her to do this, to honor her mother's memory, to bring cheer back to their house.
Now, as she stared at her muddy clothes, and felt the sun burning her cheeks and neck, and let herself realize just how tired she was, she realized her mother wouldn't have cared less. And she began to laugh.
"No," Emily said. "No! I hate this. I really and truly hate it."
Tina began to laugh as well, and she held out a hand to lift her sister up. Emily took it, and together they rose. "Come on," Tina said. "Let's get you a soda."
"And a shower," Emily added.
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