The Relief of Understanding
The search felt longer than it probably was.
I kept glancing between the red mass and my screen, half convinced I’d look up and see it moving. When the results finally appeared, the tension in my chest loosened.
It was a fungus.
A strange one, yes. Rare. Dramatic. Showy in appearance.
But harmless.
I let out a small laugh — soft, shaky, and slightly embarrassed. Just minutes earlier, I’d been mentally planning to dig up the entire garden bed. Now I felt oddly humbled.
This alien-looking thing wasn’t threatening me at all.
It was simply existing.
Seeing the Garden Differently
As I went back to watering, I kept glancing at it. Something had shifted.
I started wondering how long it had been growing underground before deciding to show itself. How many processes were constantly unfolding beneath the surface while I rushed through my mornings without noticing.
