Kelsee's eyebrows shot up. "You're a groundskeeper?"

"Yes,"

"For the mayor?"

"Yes."

She stared at her grandma. "But, you're retired," she stated lamely.

Grandma laughed. "Yes, I was, for a while. But once the Mayor saw one of my flower displays at one of those art in the park festival thingys, I suppose he was just impressed with my skills, and presented me with the opportunity to tend to his personal garden."

"I didn't know the Mayor had a personal garden."

"Not many do. Its official name is the Solis garden, and it's actually been passed down from mayor to mayor, a personal little set-up that's been added to and tended to for generations."

"Wow," Kelsee said, her mind spinning with this new information. And to think, she had thought Grandma had been retired. "But, why did you keep this from me and my parents?"

Grandma shrugged. "I don't think your father would approve very much of his old mother toiling in the sun all day doing hard labor."

"But he already knows that you garden."

"As a hobby, not as a job. Those are two very different things."

Kelsee nodded her head. Yes, even she had to admit there was a vast difference between the two.

“But anyways, the main reason I asked for you here, is because I need assistance in maintaining the Solis Garden. This darn arm of mine has only been a nuisance," she said, waving the pink cast for emphasis. "And I can't keep up with my duties as a groundskeeper. I need your help."

Kelsee thought. Well, this was definitely not what she had been expecting. She had thought she was only going to be helping in little duties, like vacuuming and making dinner. But groundskeeping? For the Mayor? That was an entirely different ballpark.

After a moment, she finally said, "Why can't he just hire someone else to take care of it while you heal?"

Grandma bowed her head. "To be frank with you, my dear, I need the money. Retirement is a bit more expensive than I anticipated, and I don't want to risk losing this job of mine. I suppose that's why I was desperate enough to ask for my granddaughter's help."

Kelsee was astounded. Grandma was struggling with money? Why hadn't she told them? They would have helped her in an instant! It was unimaginable to think of Grandma struggling to get by. Poor Grandma, how long had she been in this situation? That's when Kelsee came to an important realization. Grandma hadn't asked for help the same reason Kelsee hadn't wanted to talk about herself and her job. Pride. It was a trait that apparently both she and her Grandma shared. Suddenly she understood why Grandma had kept it to herself. It was a humiliating thing to admit that you aren't getting by when you already declared yourself retired. It must have taken a lot of will power for Grandma to even write to Kelsee, asking for her help.

Everything suddenly made more sense. She could see why Grandma had chosen her to help her with groundskeeping. If anyone could understand Grandma's situation, it was Kelsee, who had just escaped a horrible job situation and was feeling the pressures of money crowding around her. Indeed, she felt honored that Grandma had chosen her.

She reached out and grabbed Grandma's good hand. "I'll help you with whatever you need, Grandma, including helping you with this groundskeeping job of yours. Actually, groundskeeping sounds like a lot of fun. I bet I could learn a lot by doing that."

Grandma's head sprung back up, and there was a new shine in her eye. "Oh, Kelsee dear, I knew you'd be up for it! Thank you!" She stood up and scurried around the table to envelop her in tight hug. When they broke apart, Grandma was smiling like the sun, and Kelsee couldn't be happier with her decision.

"Oh, do help yourself to more cookies dear," she said as she sat back down. She began heaping more cookies onto Kelsee's plate.

"Grandma!" Kelsee objected, laughing.

They resumed their conversation, watching as the sun began to set over the wall. Kelsee became much more engaged in the conversation, all the while thinking about the upcoming tasks in the days ahead. It would be a lot of work, but she was up for the challenge. And, she was secretly glad that she was so needed. It had been a while since she had felt useful. Yes, she was certain that this summer was going to be a summer to be remembered.