(R: Dear Eden, how are you? I know it’s been a while, but I’m going to be in town this weekend, and I was hoping to see you. can we meet somewhere?
E: Dear Rose, you flaming trash heap of a sister. no word from you for over a year, and you just appear and demand an audience?
R: Dear Eden, nice to hear from you again too! how does coffee on Sunday morning sound?
E: Dear Rose, you’re lucky I have a heart of gold. I can be there at 11.
R: Dear Eden, see you then!)

(E: So, um. What brings you back into town?
R: Actually, I’ve been looking all over for this book we had called “In My Garden.” You didn’t hang onto it somehow, did you?
E: “In My Garden?” What are you talking about?)

R: At bedtime for years, mom would read us this story
of a girl who lived all on her own
She played everyday in a magical garden
full of flowers and trees that she’d grown

I memorized all of the plants in her garden
Before mom stopped reading each night
You may not remember a lot of the flowers
E: (Please don’t tell me you’re about to—)
R: so I’ll list out a few that you might

Violets, daisies, lilacs, lilies
Hyacinths, azaleas
Roses—her favorite kind of seed
E: (Oh, really.)
R: and at the end mom, without fail
E [sarcastically]: ‘cause mom would NEVER fail us
R: would read (the following passage out loud:)

In my garden, dreams come true
There’s nothing here that I can’t do
Every day brings new delight
In my garden, the future is bright

(E: Rose, I love you, but why do you always do this?
R: Do what?
E: You came here looking for a picture book? Don’t you have things to take care of at school?
R: I just thought—
E: Did you think? Do you ever think? Hey, you have a good memory—)

E: Do you remember those rose-patterned sneakers
you wore every day at age nine?
When it rained, you refused to wear actual rain boots
‘cause you loved things with floral designs?

You got sick after splashing through too many puddles
The pneumonia gave us a scare
I sat by your bedside and waited and waited
All the time that our mom wasn’t there

It’s exhausting, you’re still lost in
Your imagination
I can’t protect you every day!
R: But if you could have a garden,
E: (Oh, sweet mother of creation.)

E: Acting in praxis will always take some some R: What would you say?
Practice, I get that it’s inexact and If you could have it
Taxing but better than basking in cac- Your way, any
-tuses, I mean actually, what are you Way, what would you
Asking me? Life is not a Say?
Fairy tale where clouds are cottony, What would you
Woes forgotten in a litany of Say? What would you
Botany! But you keep going Say? What would you
On, and on, and will you ever Say?
Stop!?

R: (Okay.)

E: (Oh, twist my arm.) I’d say

In my garden, troubles melt
You’ll leave behind the pain you’ve felt
The sun will rise and you’ll be free
In my garden, you’ll be safe here with me

(R: Yes! What else?
E: Really, Rose? I was hoping we could actually catch up, not brainstorm fantasy homes like a couple of twelve-year-olds.
R: The fantasy is what makes it fun, dummy! Come on, you could have anything, live anywhere. What would it be like?
E: What will it take for you to just give this up?)

R: Picture in your mind a house in the woods
E: (No.)
R: (By a lake?)
E: (No!)
R: (On a hill?)
E: (Oh my god.)

R: Picture in your mind a house on a hill
The clouds change shape
But time stands still

Standing in the doorway
You gaze at the sky
Your hair drifts back
As a breeze blows by

The halo of the sun
Would light up the skies
And you’d sleep as it sets
and the moon gently closes your eyes

E: Rose, you can’t keep dreaming R: (Hey,) what’s
and acting on a dime, wrong with dreaming?
‘Cause you can’t drown out the voices saying Can’t you hear the future screaming
“Once upon a time!” “Once upon a time?”

It’s hard to leave the memories Which one of us is drowning?
That are closest to your heart Which one of us is stuck?
And I know this book is one of them There’s a book you should read that shows
But you have to make a start with Dreaming doesn’t suck, called
“In My Garden!” “In My Garden!”

R: I guess I like dreaming of paradise gardens
‘Cause real life isn’t as fair
Only you’ve ever helped me when I’ve been in trouble
And I know you can’t always be there

E: I get that a life with a half-absent family
Is the only one we’ve ever known
But I hope you don’t feel like the girl in her garden
‘Cause you don’t have to struggle alone

R: I’m afraid!
E: And
That’s okay! Rose,
Life is never easy.
But trust me, together we’ll be strong
R: And I guess the real garden
E: (No, too cheesy.)
R: Was inside us all along!
(E: Oh my god.)
(R: C’mon, Eden!)

R & E: In our garden, we won’t hide
Two friends and siblings side by side
We won’t give up when life goes wrong!
In our garden we’ll sing a song that goes
La [x36]

(R: Hey Eden?
E: Yeah?
R: Thanks for the coffee. And… for everything.
E: Don’t mention it.)