The Lighthouse Keeper’s Greenhouse
Chapter 3 - The first red tomato
The greenhouse survived the next storm. The tomatoes grew slowly, then all seemed to ripen during the same week. Walter delivered bowls to everyone who helped, including neighbors whose names he had only recently learned.
Ada received the first red tomato, a small one with a split skin. She ate it beside the stone wall and pronounced it worth the inconvenience.
Walter began growing seedlings for the village school. Children visited to learn about watering and soil, then asked about the lighthouse. He told them how many people were needed to keep one dependable light working.
He still missed the old job. The garden did not erase that. It gave the days another structure, with room for visitors.
When a hinge worked loose, he repaired it himself. When the roof needed attention, he called Ada. Knowing the difference felt less like surrender each time. Beyond the wall, the automated light continued its steady turn.
