Mr. Binh had grown flowers along his fence for ten years. Every morning, he carried his watering can from bed to bed as if greeting old friends.

The children asked when the flowers would bloom. Each kind has its own appointment, he told them. You cannot hurry a flower by pulling its petals open.

The following spring, the seeds he had shared sprouted on doorsteps all along the street. The neighborhood felt bigger now that everyone had something to look forward to.