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Dex was just finishing his homework when Molly came into his and Albee’s room.
“What is it, Molly?” Dex asked, closing his textbook.
“This week is Mother’s Day,” Molly said in a low voice, looking over her shoulder.
“How can a week be a day?” Dex was puzzled.
Molly shook her head. “I meant that Mother’s Day is Sunday, and we really should get Mom a gift.”
“Oh, how nice!”
“My class is gonna make something,” Albee offered. “But that’s always kinda…”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Molly replied. “That’s why I was thinking we could go to the garden center on Saturday.”
“Mom’s gonna get flowers from Dad, is she gonna want more?”
“That’s why I said the garden center and not the florist. The garden center has rosemary bushes, when I looked it up it was about ten dollars.”
“Florist? Fanny’s Florist has Fresh, Fabulous Flowers starting at low, Low, LOW prices!”
Molly ignored Dex. “So? What do you think?”
Albee nodded. “Mom can use it for her cooking, right?”
Molly looked relieved. “That’s what I was thinking, yeah.”
“We should go for it, then! I can only chip in a little bit of money, though…”
Molly patted Albee’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. We’ll get up early on Saturday, though, and we’re going to have to take the bus. Oh, and Dex?”
“Yes, Molly?”
“This is a surprise for Mom, okay? Don’t tell her. Or Dad.”
“Molly? What are you doing in the boys’ room?”
“Just had a question on the homework, Mom!”
“Well, it’s nearly bedtime, so go finish it if you got your help.”
“Yes, Mom.”
She left the room, finger on her lips as she looked at Dex.
“Boys, you too! Especially you, Albee! School tomorrow!”
“Yes, Mom!”
The week passed quickly, and on Saturday morning, Dex found himself being shaken awake by Molly.
“Come on, we have to walk to the bus stop.”
There was a hasty breakfast of cereal and then there was a short walk to the bus stop, Albee yawning the entire time. Thankfully, Ferbus had been sleeping too hard to bug them.
“Molly, I never had the chance to ask what a rosemary bush is and what makes it special.”
“Oh! It’s an herb, Mom puts it on the chicken or pork chops sometimes, but we’ve never had a fresh plant.”
Satisfied with that answer, Dex fiddled with the change in his hand again.
“Here it is,” Molly said soon after, nodding towards the bus coming and taking Albee’s hand.
They got on the bus, Dex looking at everything curiously. He usually drove or they walked, so they hadn’t taken him on public transportation yet. He followed Molly to the very back.
“How many stops?” Albee asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Six. You two can take a nap if you want, it’s supposed to take about half an hour.”
Albee nodded and leaned on Dex.
For his part, Dex wasn’t quite sure why this was the mode of transportation they had taken.
“Why didn’t I just drive to this ‘garden center’?”
“Dad needed the van today, and plus Mom’s always saying it’s a good life skill to have, just in case.”
“I see.”
As promised, they were at the garden center half an hour later. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open and wouldn’t be for another hour.
“Oh, darn it, I forgot it would be Saturday hours! Sorry guys.”
“There’s a cafe we could spend our time in,” Dex said, pointing towards the cafe he had spotted.
Molly sighed. “I guess, but we need at least ten dollars for Mom. Stuff is more expensive over here since it’s closer to the city.”
“I’ve been saving my money,” Dex reassured her. “Remember to save for a rainy day! Use Ventara wallets to keep your money safe!”
“...so much do you have?”
“Forty dollars, from Grandma and allowance.”
“Well…okay.”
The cafe was very pleasant, the three of them getting hot chocolates and muffins, not that much more expensive than the cafe near Leawood High.
When the garden center opened, they were the first ones there.
“Well, hello, young ones! Getting a present for Mom?” the employee unlocking the gate said cheerfully.
“Yes, we’re looking for the ten dollar rosemary bush, please,” Molly said.
“Oh, a good choice! Come on, it’s right this way!”
They dutifully followed the employee, looking and exclaiming over the various plants.
“Hey, Mister, what are these?” Albee asked, stopping in front of some plants that were being kept in some sort of aquarium looking thing.
“Oh, these? These are Venus Fly Traps! From North Carolina, the bug-eating plants!”
Dex stopped in his tracks, nearly running into Molly.
“How horrific! The plants eat bugs?”
“They evolved to do so! The soil they’re native to didn’t have enough nutrients, so they turned to bugs for them! They’re not the only plants to do so either, there’s also pitcher plants and sundews, and others!”
“Yes, well, the rosemary bush?” Molly interrupted.
Dex was glad for that, the employee apologizing and leading them to the rosemary plants. They smelled nice, distracting him from thoughts of insect-eating plants as they discussed which plant would be best for their Mom.
Twelve dollars later, they were back at the bus stop, Dex holding the large bush.
“Where are we going to put it?” Albee asked, rubbing some stalks of the herb between his fingers.
“I figured the backyard for now, you and I will distract Mom so Dex can put it way in the back.”
“Ferbus won’t mess with it, will he?”
“I will inform him that it’s for Mom, he should leave it alone after that.”
The bus came, Dex now slightly disheveled from fighting an Insectovore that Count Dregon had sent. The bus driver, the same one from earlier, chuckled as he waved them through.
“Rosemary, huh? My wife likes putting it in her cooking, and it can help keep mosquitoes away! Your mother is sure to enjoy that little perk.”
This time, the back was taken, so Dex sat with the plant next to him while Molly and Albee sat in front of him. Unfortunately, this allowed him to contemplate the horrors of insect-eating plants.
“Come on Dex, it’s our stop,” Molly said, interrupting his thoughts. “You okay?”
“My apologies, I was thinking about something.”
Albee and Molly exchanged glances.
“You’re thinking about the plants, aren’t you?” Albee asked.
“Yes, it’s so horrible!”
“It’s just evolution, Dex, you know that,” Molly said.
“I know, and yet…”
“Well, you don’t have to worry too much, come on, we have to get this rosemary home. Thank you!”
“Thanks for the ride!” Albee echoed as they got off.
“We’ll all come in through the back, it’s less suspicious that way,” Molly ordered as they started walking home.
“Hi Dex, hi Molly!”
“...hi, Patsy,” Molly sighed.
“Hi Albee,” Albee muttered, crossing his arms.
“...hi Albee. Is that for tomorrow?”
“Yeah, shhh, keep your voice down, it’s supposed to be a surprise.”
“I already got my mom something, you waited till the last minute, didn’t you?”
“We have it now, Mother’s Day is tomorrow.” Albee pointed out.
“We’re also going to make Mom breakfast in bed, so this is just another present.”
“We are?” Dex asked, while Albee was nodding in agreement.
“We do it every year,” Albee confirmed.
“Patsy! Come in, please!”
“Ugh. Bye, see you on Monday.”
“Bye, Patsy,” the Stewart siblings chorused.
“Go place the bush in the corner, Dex, that should be okay until tomorrow.”
Dex did as told, and the three of them went inside.
“Hey kids, how was the library?” Barbara asked when they came into the kitchen, gesturing towards a note that Molly had left.
“We learned about bug-eating plants!” Molly said brightly.
Dex sighed. “Earth has some questionable plants. On Edenoi, such a thing would never be tolerated.”
“Well, Dex, as I’m sure you know, Earth is a little different than Edenoi!” Barbara said with a little laugh.
“I should say so!”