A Seed Of Something Greater

Alexis relaxes at home when the doorbell rings. Lumi stands on the threshold with a grin, holding something wrapped in burlap. She’s brought news, she says—good news. Alexis ushers her inside and the two women stand close in the warm hallway, voices quick and excited. Their words tumble over each other: the council has postponed the chainsaws, at least for now. While Alexis’s pulse thuds in her throat, Lumi unveils the gift—a slender sapling, roots knotted in damp soil. They carry it to the garden, their shoulders brushing as they dig. Sun warms the earth around them. Every time their hands meet beneath the dirt, the heat travels straight up Alexis’s arms. Lumi wipes her brow with the back of her wrist; Alexis leans forward and dusts the smudge from Lumi’s cheek, fingertips lingering. Moments later, Lumi catches the strap of Alexis’s shirt slipping off one shoulder and tugs the fabric closed, knuckles grazing bare breast. Both women freeze. The air tastes like sun-warmed leaves and sweat. When the sapling stands firm in its new bed, Alexis steps in until her thigh presses Lumi’s. “Inside,” she whispers, and neither needs to explain why.