The morning sun pressed warm against Kai's back as he reached under the vines and twisted another tomato free. The skin gave with a soft snap and it felt smooth and firm in his hand. He turned it over once, the red gleam catching sunlight, before dropping it into the basket at his side. It landed against the others with a muted thump and the sound was oddly satisfying.
His hands were streaked with soil, his nails darkened, his knees stained from crouching too long. The shirt clinging to his back was damp, sweat making it stick to him, but he didn’t care. The weight of the tool bag hanging low against his hip, the scuff of his jeans against the dirt, the simple repetition of reaching, twisting, collecting...it all felt normal to him.
For once, there was no clock ticking down, no phone buz
