Then I touched the tomato. Just once. And I followed my father home.
That was a year ago.
A lot has changed since then.
Tyler Ostrowski got Dad the special permit in six weeks instead of six months. He walked the paperwork through the county office himself, desk to desk. The garden is officially registered now as the Marta Lindqvist Community Garden. There’s a little wooden sign at the end of the driveway. Tyler made it in his garage. He comes most Saturdays now with his girlfriend. They pick tomatoes for her grandmother.
Brent withdrew his complaint on that Monday. And then he did something none of us expected.
In October, a construction crew showed up at the big gray house. I was scared at first. I thought maybe he was building a higher fence. A wall.
They tore out half of his perfect painted lawn.
Brent stood on his deck in a sweatshirt and watched them do it. Then he walked over and knocked on my father’s back door.
