Chris Mastree's Arc

Chapter 10 of 10

Spring arrived, and the greenhouse walls stood complete. Chris watched as the first buds appeared on the seedlings they had nurtured through winter. Green pushed through brown bark on their own trunk, spreading like warmth through their branches. Fresh pine scent filled the air. Chris breathed it in and felt their needles brighten to the vibrant color they had lost. The work was done. They were whole again. The saplings had outgrown their pots. Chris lifted each one and checked the roots pushing through the drainage holes. The young trees needed permanent ground now. They carried the first sapling outside to the spot they had cleared months ago. The soil was soft and ready. Chris dug a hole with their branch-fingers and set the roots deep into the earth. They packed dirt around the base and stepped back. The sapling stood straight, its green needles catching the morning light. Chris planted three more beside it, spacing them wide enough to grow tall. The greenhouse had given them life. Now the forest would give them a home. Chris touched their own trunk and felt the vibrant needles that had returned. The scent of fresh pine filled the air around them, just like it had when they were young.