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When Jen woke up, her stomach was growling loudly and her bladder was screaming at her. She wasn’t sure which one was more prevalent, but she ended up listening to her bladder first. After using the bathroom, she grabbed herself some granola from the cooler before stepping out to take care of her ever-growing garden.

‘I kind of feel like exploring a bit. Maybe I can get some more pictures!’ With a nod of her head, she started down the dirt-covered trail, her eyes scanning the trees and bushes. ‘That would be a perfect shot, wouldn’t it?’

She pulled the digital camera from her jacket pocket and lifted it, leaning side to side to try and get the perfect angle for the picture.

“Did you get a nice picture?”

Startled, Jen whipped her body around to see a man standing behind her.

He smiled, waving his hand. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I-It’s okay,” She forced a smile, trying to push down her nerves in her mind. “And yeah… yeah, I got a good picture. Would you… like to see?”

“I would love to,”

Jen pulled up the picture on the camera and held it out to him. He leaned closer, adjusting the red glasses that sat atop his nose. “I’m still new to photography, so…”

“How beautiful,” he mused. “You seem to have a natural talent,”

“Thanks,” she smiled, showing him another. “I took this yesterday,”

“This small island is the perfect place to practice photography,” he explained with a smile. “You’ll see many beautiful spots. I also recommend visiting the islands of Sulani,”

“Sulani,” she mused thoughtfully. “I don’t think I’ve heard of that…”

“Do keep it in mind,” he glanced up at the sky. “I’m afraid I must get going. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?”

“Winchester. Jen Winchester.”

“Alika Kahananui,”

She waved as he walked away, feeling a bit more confident. ‘Now that I think about it, I was always interested in photography as a child. I remember wasting an entire roll of film on just two caterpillars I found in the back yard. Leyva was so upset that I wasted it, but I was happy. Maybe I can make a career out of photography?’

Stepped back onto her lot, she frowns at the empty tree. Patchy still had yet to return. This fact made her feel quite sad because she believed it was her fault that he left.

‘I wonder… should I sell the tree? If he doesn’t come back, it’s just wasting space, but… what if he does come back and then feels upset that his tree is gone?’ With a sigh, she decided to leave it be for now.

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