Cici stopped walking on the sunlit lane. She dropped to her knees in the soft grass.
She pointed at a tiny green shoot poking through the dirt. 'Hello?' she whispered.
A ladybug crawled onto the sprout and ticked its legs. The plant wiggled slightly.
Cici held her breath and watched for a long minute. The sprout unfurled one more petal.
Cici gasped, her eyes wide as saucers. The little plant stood taller.
A gentle wind swirled dust around Cici’s shoes. The plant reached toward the warm sunlight.
Cici stayed kneeling, tracing the shadow of the leaves on the grass.
She rested her chin on her hands and kept watching. The lane felt quieter.