“Hello,” she said.

He jerked around, a little startled. “Oh. Hello. I didn’t know there were any other people here.”

She smiled a little. “Well, I am here now.” She looked him up and down, smiling.

Somewhat self-consciously, he brushed the dirt off his knees. “What?” he asked, noticing her smile.

“You are very handsome,” she said, smiling wider at his blush. “What are you doing?” The curiosity in her voice was genuine.

He jumped at the opportunity to change the subject. “I am planting a tree,” he said. “There are some of these on the other side of the garden, but none here; I thought one or two over this way might be nice.”

“I agree,” she said. “I found these seeds over that way,” she held out some new seeds he’d not seen yet, “and thought they might go well here, also.”

He touched the seeds in her hand, shyly looking at other parts of her entirely.

She caught his eye and his hand, and laughed.

He grinned back, and they forgot about the seeds for a while.

And later when things got bad and they had to leave their garden and he started blaming her for all their misfortune as if he’d had no free will of his own, Eve would remember that day, and those seeds, and wonder what could’ve grown if she’d sown them.