4
The days were long, but Jake loved having a purpose again. After Duke died, he was only in the field for about a month. Then he spent time going through debriefing and transitioning back into the real world. Having a task to put his mind to was helping him feel like he was making a difference again.
Being outside in the midst of so much life was bringing him back to the person he always hoped to be. His childhood was less than stellar, but nothing compared to losing Duke. Having his hands on the vines every day, and helping them thrive, was healing something deep inside.
Alyssa was helping with that, too. He spent most of his time thinking about Alyssa. He hadn’t seen her since their lunch under the big tree, but Jake wanted to see her again. He was staying at the bed and breakfast fo
