By Molly Quell

Room to Breathe

Maude went out to trim the hedges. 

The hedges didn’t need to be trimmed but Maude could no longer stand to be inside the house with her mother. 

The hedges didn’t need to be trimmed because Maude had just trimmed them the week prior, the last time she visited her mother. And the week before that. Sometimes Maude weeded instead during her weekly visits. Or washed down the paving stones. 

No matter that her mother contracted a gardening service to come twice a week for upkeep. Maude always found a reason to putter about outside where her mother’s wheelchair couldn’t reach. 

Maude didn’t notice the truck pull up to the curb. She was too engrossed with the clippers. 

Two men got out of the cab, exchanging a glance across the hood. 

Daniel looked again at the woman with the shears and walked in her direction. The Nordsen garden had been easy money, even if the old lady was awful, and Daniel would be disappointed to lose it. 

“Hello, ma’am?” Daniel said to the woman in jeans and strappy sandals. She was facing away from him. 

“Oh. Uh, sorry,” she turned, revealing the attractive face of a woman in her early 40s. She seemed startled. “Can I help you?” 

Daniel smiled. “Can I help you?” he asked, emphasizing the I. “We,” he gestured to the truck where Manny was still standing, “are here to take care of the garden.” 

“Oh yes. Yes of course. I just…” Maude faltered. She looked at the house. The curtains in the front were drawn, as they always were. 

“Mmm,” said Daniel, also looking at the house. He wasn’t clear what this woman was getting at. 

“I just thought they could use a bit of a trim,” Maude said, still looking at the Federal-style brick building, away from the hedges and from Daniel. “I didn’t mean to do your job.” 

Daniel looked back at the row of neat green hedges. “No, No I understand,” he said. “It’s good to give them some room to breathe.”