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"How big?"

"Approxi back a ways I could measure it, if you need specifics"

She s up your backyard out of the blue? I like that"

I took that as encouraging "What if I brought a photo withwith?"

She fished around in the pocket of her housedress and found a chewed-up pencil and a slip of paper that looked like a receipt "Tell you what," she said, handing them to me "You write down your address, and I’ll stop by on my way home It’s better if I see your mess in person"

I bent to write ivea carrot as a hair ornament?

"My name is Mykia," she said, amused "And I don’t need to come over if you’re unco after work," I said, la to cover my suspicions I scribbled my address and handed it to her "I’

Mykia slid the paper into her pocket "Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure about that"

She was kidding, right?

"Why don’t you invite your work buddies, too?" she said So Mykia was not only an alchemist, she was a mind reader "Those two can help us measure"

"I’ve never had a plant that didn’t die," I adured that Whatever Doesn’tcan be learned, you know? So deal if the outcome is the sauests didn’t seem to mind, especially my new friend Mykia She’d taken one look at my backyard, and then announced she needed to eat before she could think about where to start with ical disaster After a quick trip to her truck to grab soan to familiarize herself with my kitchen

"Are these spices fro up sonized "I think they’ve permanently adhered to the side of the jar"

I squinted at the labels "Coriander and ?"

"They’re always a thing You can’t mix up herbes de Provence without oose? And could you iine without coriander?"

I couldn’t is because I never had But I didn’t adetarian," I said, changing the subject

"What gave you that idea? I like everything I eat everything" She surveyed the pantry, stopping at the tower of tuna "Are you a pescatarian?"

"Those are my son’s"

"You have a son? Where is he?"

Mykia was probably just curious, but her question gave er insideaboutwhat I hoped was a clear e "He’s out with

"Cool," was all she said, and she got to work setting pans on the stove She washed the veggies and then began to slice them, a peaceful, satisfied look on her face She hadn’t asked us anted for dinner She hadn’t asked for help I felt petty andthe best of me