“That’s perfect,” I said.

“We can talk to some of the community coordinators at the Lavender Center,” Midge said. “They don’t do garden projects there, but they’ve had to do plenty of work with the city, gettin’ around red tape and a whole bunch of other bullshit.”

“And I’ll call my grandson,” Alice said.

Eddie coughed into his fist but stayed quiet.

“All of these ideas are brilliant and top-notch. There’s no way in hell they’re taking Annie’s lot from us.” I shook my head. “From all of you, I mean. I’ve got a flight to catch tomorrow, but I know we can pull this off.” I avoided six sets of sympathetic faces by peering over at the park.

“Oh, we are going to miss you, Tabitha Tyler,” Alice said. “Don’t you dare sneak off to that airport without coming to see me.”

“I would never,” I said with the kind of false cheer I’d seen my dad express at the diner, every time the conversation turned to my next job. Dean rounded the corner at that same moment, sending my stomach flying like a flock of sparrows.

Knowing you understood made me feel less alone. And I feel that way about you now.

Everyone turned to both greet him and then immediately vent about the possibility of having Annie’s old lot being turned into a “three-story monstrosity that’ll block out the fucking sun,” according to Midge. He listened with his usual respect for his elders but didn’t make eye contact with me once. His hands were shoved into his pockets, body vibrating an energy I couldn’t decipher.

Maria studied him closely, her gaze darting back and forth between the two of us. I winced, guessing our awkwardness was in the process of being discovered. When I tuned back in, everyone was starting to head off for their tasks. Dean greeted his parents, one hand on his stoop railing, and said, “I’m going to come by and see you both later today.”

“Of course,” Maria said. “We’ll be home. Is everything okay? I mean, besides all of this.” She indicated the park, and Midge muttered a few unkind words toward Oswald himself.

He nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s okay.”

When he didn’t expand further, his parents said a fluttery goodbye to us both, and I watched them walk down the sidewalk, hand in hand, with a pang in my chest.

“You don’t really think we’re gonna get to keep it, do ya?” Eddie asked, lighting a cigarette with narrowed eyes.

“I’m not gettin’ my hopes up,” Dean said. The pang intensified.

Eddie blew out smoke with a look of resignation. “City does this shit to people all the time. Don’t know why I got myself all excited.”