Counting by 7s

Willow's court date is set, and Pattie worries about what will happen to her. At the farmers market, Mai notices vendors selling sunflowers, and is overcome with urgency to figure out a way to transplant the ones they are growing so that they do not become stunted.

The board members approve Willow's proposal (under Dell's name), and they are so impressed that they ask Dell to be the Building Representative. Willow assumes he has never had this much responsibility because “he looks like he won the lottery” (296). When they finally uncover the soil under the layers of lava rock and plastic sheeting, Willow realizes they will need to rent a rototiller to make it viable for any plants.

After tilling the soil, Willow tests its pH, which is a perfectly neutral seven. Mai points out this is Willow's favorite number. That night, some wind blows the dirt all over the side of the apartment complex, making it filthy. They us a power washer to clean the building, and as they start spraying off the dirt, layers of paint start peeling off too. To make the walls match, they realize they have to spray the entire building. Willow reflects on the “connectedness” of everything, and how “one thing leads to another,” “often in unexpected ways” (307). 

Willow is impressed with the effort that everyone, including Jairo, puts in to washing the apartment building. It is exhausting work, but Willow finds herself “laughing at nothing,” sharing the joy that everyone feels from this project. Once they’ve cleaned the building and prepped the soil, they transplant nearly 50 sunflowers. Willow's gardens provide her with perspective on life, and she considers herself like one of her sunflowers— “temporary,” “but attaching [herself] to the ground beneath [her]” (314). She knows her court hearing will be next month, and she thinks to herself: “I’ll be ready. I’m not sure for what exactly. But maybe that’s what being ready really means” (314).

Dell tries to fit into a narrow parking spot at work and hits the fence and the school van parked next to him. He runs off to avoid getting in trouble, when Cheddar suddenly appears. The cat is in bad shape, which makes Dell realize “he [has] to take more responsibility for his actions” (317). He starts with Cheddar by taking him to the vet, and when he returns to school, he reports the damage to the van.

Willow and Cheddar become “obsessed” with each other once Dell brings him back to the apartment. Willow is anxious about her future, but she is simultaneously preoccupied with how she will replace the sunflowers once they die. Dell brings her to the local nursery, and Willow observes the owner, Henry, having a serious conversation with Dell. Later, Willow tells Dell that she is “trying not to put down permanent roots” (324). At home, Quang-ha suggests that Willow look through people's yard waste bins to find more plant cuttings to propagate, which she thinks is a great idea.

About two weeks later, Willow starts a makeshift nursery up on the roof with all of her containers of found cuttings. Not long after, a repairman comes to fix someone's leaky ceiling and throws away all of the rooftop plants. Willow considers this a sign that she will have to leave soon. In her session with Dell, she tells him: “'I can’t return to the past. Having a garden in the courtyard will not ever be the same as what was in my backyard at home'” (329). She is mentally preparing herself for her permanent placement. Later that night, she finds a note from Dell telling her to take Cheddar with her to her future home.

A couple of days later, Willow consults Henry at the nursery for advice. He agrees to help her, much to Willow's relief. The following morning, Henry shows up with some coworkers in a big truck carrying lots of plants, all of which are a gift to Willow. Mai is stunned when she returns home to see the finished garden, and Quang-ha tells Willow: “I don’t want to know how you did it. I want to believe that you’re magic” (335). Willow is impressed that Dell kept this secret from her. When Pattie gets home from work, she says: “It is no longer wrong to call this place the Gardens of Glenwood” (336).