Chapter 4 · Continued
CBIE
Jane released a small laugh, half amused and half overwhelmed. “I said not a hundred.”
“You did. I reduced the initial dataset by forty percent.”
Jane closed her eyes, nodded once, and appeared to accept something inevitable.
“Okay.”
She looked at the phone and then at Cam. “Let’s try again.”
He straightened slightly. “Ready.”
Jane held up the phone. “Ten.”
Cam’s processing pause lasted longer this time. “…Ten reduces biodiversity.”
She pointed at him. “I don’t need biodiversity. I need flowers I won’t kill.”
Cam went still for a moment. “…Adjusting priority.”
Jane’s phone chimed again.
She opened the new list.
Ten items.
Marigolds. Petunias. Lavender. Coneflowers.
Her eyebrows lifted. “…Okay.”
She continued reading. Item nine was fine.
Then she reached item ten.
“…Cam?”
“Yes?”
Jane turned the phone toward him. “Why is there a cactus on this list?”
“It has a high probability of survival.”
Jane stared at him, then laughed. “…You’re not wrong.”
Cam inclined his head. “…Acceptable.”
Jane grabbed her purse and dropped the phone inside. “Okay, Cam, I have the list you sent. We’ll see what I can find.”
She headed toward the door. “I’ll be back soon. Will you wait in the living room?”
“Yes. I will remain here.”
Cam watched through the window as Jane backed her small car out of the driveway.
Then he waited.
A couple of hours later, the car returned. Cam moved back to the window and observed as Jane climbed out carrying two small boxes of plants.
Marigolds.
Petunias.
She also carried several bags that didn’t contain plant material.
Cam opened the front door before she reached it.
Jane smiled as she stepped inside. “Hi, Cam. Well… I didn’t get much in the way of plants.”
She lifted the boxes slightly. “They said they’ll have more in a few days, so I might have to go back.”
Cam examined the plants.
“Tagetes patula,” he said, indicating the marigolds. “Petunia × atkinsiana.”
Jane blinked. “…You’re naming them now?”
Cam inclined his head. “They are consistent with my recommended selections.”
Jane set down the boxes. “Yeah, well… they were also what was left.”
Cam processed that. “…Inventory constraints affected the outcome.”
She pointed at him. “Exactly.”
Cam looked at the plants and then at Jane. “…The result remains acceptable.”
Jane smiled. “Good, because that’s what we’re working with.”
Cam took the plant containers from her while Jane carried the remaining bags into the kitchen. He followed and waited as she began putting away the groceries.
“If you want to take those outside, you can,” she told him.