"Don't loosen the soil too deeply." Elena stopped beside the flower bed. "The roots are shallow. Too much loosening will damage them."
Elonore looked up and smiled at her. "Got it."
Elena sat down on the stone bench nearby, her cane propped beside her knee. She watched Elonore's movements without saying anything else.
The wind drifted over, carrying the scent of earth and flowers.
Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
At dinner, there was no roast meat on the table, only a large pot of thick soup.
Saina sat in her chair, looking at the soft, overcooked ingredients in her bowl with a frown.
"Why is it soup again?"
"You couldn't chew the meat yesterday." Su Li sat beside her, scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew it cool, and held it to her lips. "Open up."
Saina glanced at him but did not move.
"What, still embarrassed?" Su Li raised a brow. "You didn't have this attitude when you used to make me feed you as a child."
"I was only a few years old then!" Saina's face reddened. "Now I'm over a hundred..."
"You still have to eat when you're over a hundred." Su Li moved the spoon closer. "Open up."
Saina pressed her lips together, but in the end, she opened her mouth.
The soup was just the right temperature, lightly seasoned—not too salty or greasy.
Su Li fed her spoonful by spoonful, moving slowly and carefully blowing on every spoonful.
Elena sat across from them with a bunch of grapes in hand. She peeled one clean and placed the flesh in Saina's bowl.
"Eat some fruit."
Saina looked at the perfectly peeled grape in her bowl, then at Elena's stern face.
"...Thank you."
Elena gave a snort and continued peeling the next