Most wedding ceremonies call for candles or colorful sand, but ours called for a seed. We heaped soil, smiles, and a shower of water on it. We promised to tend to our bonsai tree, and to each other, for the rest of our lives.
It was the perfect unity symbol.
Except, as I gazed down at the little pot, my heart hammered with the secret I harbored: I was a carefully trained plant assassin.
Hailing from the botanical Bermuda Triangle, I was infamously skilled in the art of over-watering. The color green had been completely eradicated from my life.
But maybe this time, with my husband’s help, it could be different.
I memorized the care instructions from the “Grow Your Own Bonsai” kit like a passage from the Bible. The seed needed to be kept moist. It needed five to six hours of sunlight every day. Pre-measured packets of plant food were to be distributed appropriately.
I. Could. Do. This.
With its need for constant moisture, the bonsai seed joined us on our honeymoon. We took turns giving it a cool drink from the hotel tap every day.
Finally, a slender shoot peeked up at us from the soil.
A wellspring of affection flooded my heart. Arboreal assassinations were all in the past. With the help of my husband, I would become the picture-perfect plant protector. For the first time ever, I would share a home with a beautiful, live plant.
Reader, this was a delusional fantasy.
Our bonsai sprout gave up the ghost as soon as we got back home. I had to tell my husband the truth, that I was a blight upon flowerbeds. I had to confess to him that—
“It’s probably all my fault,” he said with a sheepish smile. “To tell you the truth, I’ve never been very good at gardening.”
While our carefully chosen unity symbol may have withered, our bond was strengthened by the laughter we shared that day, firmly rooting us together. Five years later, we still dream of growing things together, like a vegetable garden or apple trees, but for now, we’re starting small. Wish us luck with our new succulent! ❖
About the Author: Cinasee Pollett is a freelance writer and aspiring amateur gardener, currently striving to keep succulents alive. She is the author of the YA fantasy novel, WildWood Revisited, and enjoys spending time with her husband and cats.
