The grass almost swallowed his shins.
She looked up when she heard me, wiped the sweat from her forehead and managed to sketch a smile that wavered at the edges.
“Hello, Ariel. Beautiful day for a little gardening, isn’t it?”
Her tone was light, but I could see she was struggling. The clippers stumbled on a hidden clump and stalled with a groan.
I hesitated. The sun was burning my skin, my back ached, and the last thing I wanted was to play the hero.
She looked up when she heard me.
A hundred things flashed through my mind. The way my ankles had been hurting for weeks. The unopened bills in my hands. All the ways I had failed. For a moment, I almost went back inside.
But Mrs. Higgins blinked rapidly, struggling to catch her breath.
“Would you like me to bring you some water?” I asked, already moving closer.
She gestured for me to leave, pride etched in every wrinkle. “Oh, no, it’s fine. I just need to finish this before the HOA starts its rounds. You know how they are.”
I tried to laugh. “Don’t remind me.”
I almost went back inside.
Mrs. Higgins smiled, but her grip on the lawnmower did not loosen.
“Seriously, let me help you,” I said, moving closer. “You shouldn’t be outside in this heat.”
She frowned. “It’s too much for you, my dear. You should be resting, not mowing lawns for old ladies.”
I shrugged. “Resting is overrated. Besides, I need a distraction.”
“Are there problems at home?”
I hesitated, then shook my head, forcing a smile. “There’s nothing I can’t handle.”
I picked up the lawnmower. It finally let go and slumped down onto the porch steps with a sigh of gratitude.
“There’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Thank you, Ariel. You saved my life.”
I started the lawnmower. My feet were slipping in the grass and I felt dizzy, nauseous, but I kept going.
From time to time, I would catch Mrs. Higgins watching me, with a strange, thoughtful look in her eyes.
Halfway there, I was breathless. I stopped, leaned against the handle, and wiped my face. Mrs. Higgins shuffled over with a glass of lemonade, cold and sweating in the heat.
“Sit down,” she ordered. “You’ll make yourself sick.”
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