The Fruit of My Affection

Previously

…She watched, a quiet joy blooming within her, as each customer savored the tart, their smiles a silent confirmation that the orchard, once on the brink of ruin, was indeed coming back to life. She glanced towards the orchard, a silent thank you passing through the air towards Liam, the boy with earth on his hands, who had helped her rediscover the language of growth, not just in the soil, but within herself. The debt still loomed, a shadow at the edge of her newfound light, but for the first time in a long time, Elara felt a genuine sense of hope, as sweet and promising as the first ripe strawberry.