and sighed with pleasure. The condo didn’t have an en suite bathroom and there wasn’t enough room to have one built, so she’d compromised by giving up some closet space to enlarge this bathroom and add a door into the master bedroom. Her condo still had only one bathroom, but it was big and beautiful, with the toilet area and a small pedestal sink separate from the shower and bathtub area, which had another sink and a long vanity. This way, guests would see what appeared to be a powder room, while she could access all of it from her bedroom.
She’d lived here for three years now and she loved, loved, loved her home. She loved the old duplex with its red stone front, high ceilings, arched doorways and hardwood floors. She loved the fireplaces in the living room and bedroom, the kitchen that she’d renovated last year with its pristine white cupboards and granite counters, and she especially loved the tiny courtyard out back that was her own little green space. She loved the Gold Coast neighborhood too, so close to restaurants and shopping and even the beach and Lakefront Trail.
She changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top in her bedroom. The weather had been hot and humid for days now. She couldn’t wait to get out into her tiny yard. In her kitchen, she pulled out some leftovers and set them in the microwave to reheat.
She moved to the back door and looked out into the courtyard. She’d spent much of yesterday out there pruning and deadheading. She hadn’t known much about gardening when she bought this place, but it had developed into a hobby that gave her peace and satisfaction. She wasn’t one to sit and do nothing, but there were moments when she poured herself a nice glass of red wine and sat in one of the comfy chairs on her patio admiring her plants and flowers. And she was going to do that tonight.
Eating by herself was more of a nuisance than a pleasure. She liked food, but living alone meant she usually tried to multitask while eating. Well, the truth was, she tried to multitask doing pretty much everything. She flipped through her mail while forking the leftovers into her mouth. She knew she should be more mindful and spend a few minutes enjoying her food, but who had time for mindfulness? Not her.
As she tidied the kitchen her phone rang. Eric. “Hey you,” she answered.
“I need help.”
She smiled as she wiped the counter. “What kind of help? I guess I sort of owe you.”
“It’s not that big. How do you get mustard out of a white dress shirt?”
“Oooh.” She made a face. “I think your shirt might be toast.”
“Shit.”
“Did you try a stain remover?”
“That spray stuff?”
“Yes. What kind of fabric is it? You could also try bleach.”
They discussed his laundry issue, she asked about the date he’d had on the weekend and if he was seeing her again—no—and then Eric ended the call to go try to salvage his shirt. She poured that glass of Cab and walked outside. The warm humid air caressed her bare skin.
Her mom had liked to garden.
For years after her mom had gone missing, Sloane hadn’t thought about the big yard they’d had in Oakville. Her mom had spent a lot of time out there planting flowers and pruning shrubs. As a kid, Sloane hadn’t had much interest in or appreciation for it. But when she’d bought this condo and had a small yard, she’d found herself researching plants on the Internet and visiting garden centers. Now she could see it was an attempt to bring back a little of her mom, to maybe connect with her and keep her with her.
She plucked a dead petunia, brushed her hand over a pot of impatiens, checked the soil to see if it was dry. In this hot weather, the smaller pots needed watering nearly every day. She set her wineglass on the glass-topped table and reached for the watering can to fill it from the rain barrel tucked in the corner.
The brick wall between her unit and the neighbors’, the wall at the back of the property and the wall of the house on the other side created an outdoor room. The bay window of her kitchen with mullioned windows added character, and the neighbors’ maple tree shaded the yard with big leafy branches. She’d coaxed vines to grow up the walls and had discovered through