Piper liked it.

She shortened it to “Helpers need helpers.”

We planted marigolds by the front steps and watched their first green shoots push through the soil.

I discovered that recovery could resemble gardening.

You could not demand a flower open because you were tired of waiting.

You gave it conditions in which to grow.

One evening, Piper reached up to touch the faint scar near my hairline.

“Does it still hurt?”