Summer came, and with it, the first signs of recovery.
The cover crop had done its job. The soil was alive again, teeming with worms and microbes. I planted a test plot of the new tea varietal, a hardy cultivar that could tolerate slightly alkaline conditions, and I watched it grow with the kind of fierce pride a mother feels for her children.
The trust board came for a site visit in August. Walter Keene walked the eastern terrace slowly, examining the soil, the plants, the irrigation lines. He didn't say much, but he didn't have to. I could see the approval in his eyes.
"The land looks good, Mrs. Ashford."
"It's getting there."
"You've done what no one thought was possible."
"I had help."
Walter smiled. "Margaret would be proud."
It was the first time anyone had compared me to Cal
