Tuesday afternoon's sun was warm but gentle, perfect for digging in dirt. The bell rang, and I met Mia, Tao, Lila, and Aom by the school gate—all bouncing with excitement, like we were about to open a secret gift.
"C'mon!" Mia yelled, grabbing Aom's hand. "Dad said he'd clear a spot in the yard—we can plant the lotus seed right by the mango tree!"
Tao slung his backpack over one shoulder, grinning. "I brought my manga—we can read while we wait for it to grow! Though I bet it takes longer than Luffy's training."
Lila pulled a mango lollipop from her pocket. "I brought snacks. Detectives need energy, and so do seeds."
Aom tucked the lotus seed into her palm, like it was precious. "Grandma said to plant it in soft dirt, with a little water. And to talk to it—said plants like happy words."
We walked fast, Lavender trotting beside us (Mom had let her skip the leash today—"Just don't dig up the seed," she'd warned). When we turned onto our street, Dad (John) was already in the yard, holding a small shovel, a patch of turned-up dirt next to the mango tree.
"Found the perfect spot!" he called, waving. "Sunny, but not too hot. And far from Lavender's digging holes."
Mia ran over, dropping her backpack. "Can I dig? Can I? I promise not to hit the seed!"
Dad laughed, handing her the shovel. "Go for it. But be gentle—this seed's been waiting a long time to grow."
Mia knelt down, digging carefully. The dirt was soft, and she made a small hole—just big enough for the seed. Aom leaned over, guiding her hand.
"Not too deep," she said. "Grandma says lotus seeds need light to wake up."
Mia nodded, and Aom placed the seed in the hole. It was small, brown, with a tiny crack—like it was already trying to sprout.
"Talk to it!" Lila said, leaning in. "Say something happy. Like 'Grow big and give us mangoes!'"
We laughed, and Mia cleared her throat, speaking soft but clear. "Hi, little seed. I'm Mia. We're gonna take care of you. And if you grow, I'll bring you mangoes—super sweet ones."
Tao knelt down, too. "And I'll tell you manga stories! You'll be the most well-read lotus in Chiang Mai."
Aom smiled, patting the dirt around the seed. "Grandma says my aunt Lin used to sing to her lotus plants. Let's sing a little—just a happy song."
We hummed a silly tune Mia made up (it was mostly "mango" and "elephant" repeated), and Mom (Ann) walked out with a watering can.
"Time to water it," she said, handing it to Aom. "Just a little—too much water will drown it."
Aom poured the water slowly, the drops sinking into the dirt. The seed disappeared under the damp soil, like it was curling up for a nap.
"There," she said, smiling. "Now we wait."
Mia plopped down on the grass, pulling her elephant craft from her backpack. "I'm gonna make a sign. 'Lotus Seed—Do Not Dig! (Looking at you, Lavender)'"
Lavender, who'd been sniffing the dirt, looked up like she understood. She trotted over, curling up next to Mia, tail flicking.
Tao pulled his manga from his bag, and we sat in a circle under the mango tree. He read aloud the latest One Piece chapter, and we laughed when Luffy tried to eat a giant mango that was actually a trap.
Lila shared her lollipops, and Mom brought out glasses of iced mango juice. The sun filtered through the mango leaves, dappling the grass with gold, and the air smelled like dirt and ripe fruit.
"This is perfect," Aom said, quiet. "Grandma would love this. She misses Lin's lotus pond."
I nodded, pulling the wooden box from my backpack. I'd brought it to show Dad and Mom—the photo of Lin and her family still inside.
Mom leaned over, looking at the photo. "She's beautiful. And that villa—look, the mango tree was already there, just smaller."
Dad touched the lotus carving on the box. "Lin was a carver? That's amazing. This box is well-made—you can tell she put love into it."
Aom pulled out her phone. "Grandma sent me a photo of the old lotus pond. Look."
We crowded around her phone. The photo was faded, but you could see a big pond in the backyard of our villa, filled with pink and white lotuses. Lin was sitting on a bench by the water, holding baby Tai, smiling.
"Wow," Mia whispered. "Our yard used to have a pond? Can we dig one again? For the lotus?"
Dad shook his head, but he was smiling. "Maybe not a big one—we don't have the tools. But we can make a small container. Your mom has those big ceramic pots in the garage."
Mom's eyes lit up. "Yes! I was gonna use them for herbs, but a lotus pot is better. We can fill it with water and dirt—perfect for the seed."
Tao stood up, grinning. "Let's get the pot! I'll help carry it. I'm strong—like Zoro!"
We raced to the garage, Mia leading the way. The pot was big, beige, with a tiny mango pattern painted on the side. Tao and Dad lifted it, grunting, and carried it to the yard.
Mom filled it with dirt and a little water, making a muddy mix. Dad carefully dug up the lotus seed (Mia yelled "Be gentle!" three times) and placed it in the pot.
"There," he said, stepping back. "Now it has its own little pond. Just like the old days."
Mia stuck her sign in the dirt next to the pot—pink paper, elephant stickers, big letters that said "LOTUS SEED—HANDS OFF!"
Lavender sniffed the pot, then curled up next to it, like she was guarding the seed.
"Good job, Lavender," Mia said, scratching her ears. "You're the official lotus protector."
As the sun started to set, Tao, Lila, and Aom had to go home. We hugged goodbye, and Aom promised to come back tomorrow to check on the seed.
"Grandma says we should visit her this weekend," she said. "She has more photos of Lin—we can look at them. And she'll make coconut cookies."
Mia cheered. "Yes! Cookies and photos—best weekend ever!"
After they left, Mia and I sat on the grass next to the lotus pot. Lavender was asleep, her head resting on her paws, and the mango tree swayed gently in the wind.
"Think it'll grow?" Mia asked, quiet.
I nodded. "Yeah. Aom's grandma said it's a happy seed. And we talked to it, and sang to it, and gave it a little pond. It has to grow."
Mom sat down next to us, handing us each a mango. "Lin would be happy," she said. "Her seed, growing in her old yard. With new friends to take care of it."
Dad joined us, sipping his coffee. "And who knows? Maybe one day, we'll find Tai. Tell him about his mom's lotus, and the mango tree, and how we're taking care of her things."
Mia bit into her mango, juice dripping down her chin. "I hope so. I wanna tell him about my elephant crafts. And how his mom made the bookmark and the pendant."
I pulled the ivory bookmark from my backpack, holding it up to the sunset. It glowed warm, like it was smiling.
The wooden box, the ivory box, the pendant, the seed—all pieces of a story that wasn't just about the past. It was about us, too. About new friends, new homes, and seeds that grow when you give them love.
Mia leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm glad we moved here," she said. "I like our house, and our friends, and the lotus seed. And the mangoes."
I laughed. "Of course you like the mangoes."
She stuck her tongue out, but she was smiling. "Hey, mangoes are important. And so are lotuses. And friends. And Lavender."
Lavender woke up, stretching, and rubbed against our legs. The lotus pot sat quiet in the grass, the seed safe inside.
Outside, the sky turned pink and orange, and the first star of the night twinkled.
This was home. Not just the villa, or the mango tree, or the shed.
Home was the people we loved, the friends we'd made, and the little seed that was just starting to grow—full of hope, full of happy beginnings.
And tomorrow, we'd come back. We'd water the seed, talk to it, and wait.
Because some things are worth waiting for.
And this lotus? It was gonna be amazing.