Zola doesn’t climb the stepladder the next day when she visits the little green shed. Nor does she look at the kite up high. Or touch any of her old toys.
Instead, she lies down on the ground and gathers the special seeds with her ruler. The ones that had slipped under the shelves last week.
That night in the shower, Zola makes sure she places the bucket in the right spot to collect water.
The next morning, she plants most of the special seeds, patting them down the way she’s seen Nonna do so many times.
She collects the eggshells from the bin and lays them around the soil, to keep the snails and slugs away.
For weeks, Zola waits.
Until finally, she sees the tiniest shoot.
‘Nonna Rosa!’ she calls out. ‘Come and see!’