Heart In The Stars

CHAPTER 6 ✨

"A bit tired," I responded softly. "I spent the day helping my mom in the garden."

"Aww, that's sweet! How long have you been interested in gardening?"

"Since the day I accidentally watered a plastic plant and wondered why it didn't grow," I replied with a playful grin.

She chuckled. "Haha, you're funny! Gardening seems like an intriguing hobby."

"Thank you! Gardening has been a hobby of mine since I was a child. I used to pick flowers and give them to my mom. One day, she wasn't too pleased and said, 'Some flowers should stay with their mom too!'"

"That's adorable," she said, smiling warmly. "Your mom sounds sweet."

"She is, most of the time," I chuckled. "I helped her plant a tomato sapling today."

"Tomato is my absolute favorite vegetable," she responded cheerfully.

"Here's a fun fact for you," I began with a serious expression. "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I had no idea that tomatoes were fruits."

"No wonder some people consider ketchup a smoothie," I teased her playfully.

"I've been enlightened today. But really, who puts tomatoes in a fruit salad?"

"You're right. It's like inviting a vegetable to crash a fruit party," I replied with a grin.

"I need to rethink my secret ingredient for my salad recipes." Her face glowed, and my heart melted, but pleasantly so.

"The secret ingredient is you, of course. You turn any salad into a masterpiece." I regretted saying that as soon as the words left my mouth, luckily, she wasn't angry.

She scoffed in response to my comment. "Nice try Sherlock, I've seen better pickup lines from my grandma."

"Maybe I should enroll in your Grandma's Pickup Line Academy."

"I'd pay to see that! My stomach kinda hurts -that's enough joking," she replied, holding her stomach and chuckling.

"By the way, how's your father doing now?"

"My dad needed a lot of medical attention. He has a problematic liver, due to alcohol consumption," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice as she delicately tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "That day, the nurse made me buy some prescribed medicines."

"That sounds incredibly challenging. I hate to see you going through all of this. Do you have any siblings to share the load with?"

"No, I'm the only child. I have cousins, but they live far away. With my father being sick, the entire burden is on me..."

"How is your mother holding up?" I scratched my chin nervously.

"My mom is with my dad, taking care of him day and night, while I'm the one shuttling between home and the hospital, bringing food and medicines," she sighed.

"Is there any way I can assist you? I can deliver the food to the hospital every day."

She smiled faintly, appreciating the offer. "Right now, it's mostly the emotional support that matters. Having someone to talk to makes a difference."

"Anytime! I've been through something similar with my family earlier," I said, offering a reassuring smile.

"Oh, so you think you understand everything about my situation now?" she retorted, her expression hardening.