I was pleased by my reflection when I looked in the mirror this morning – which is not typical for me.

Usually looking upon myself in the mirror leaves me feeling unnerved, as if the visage that I’m faced with is another man entirely, gazing back at me. Judging me for my past sins. I will not lie, I felt this way today as well, but today I also had reason to feel positive about what I saw there.

My poor battered eye was able to open almost all the way and the swelling had gone down enough that my face was no longer lumpy or misshapen. The skin would likely remain yellow and purple in places for a few more days to come yet, but overall this was a positive sign of recovery. This was something that I could work with. I was hopeful.

There was a storm last night. The rain fell in torrents, thrumming pleasantly on the roof above and wrapping occasionally on my window panes when the wind chose to be particularly boisterous. There had been distant thunder for a while as well, out over the ocean to the east. The sound soothed me and put me in high spirits. I was finally able to finish my letter to my aunt Charlice. I’m certain that she will be unhappy at how long it has taken me to get a response out to her. She’s a busy woman and does not like to be kept waiting. …but perhaps being busy has given her reason to overlook the tardiness of my correspondence.

I dressed and readied myself and set out into town, planning to drop my letter at the post office when I arrived – though I knew that by the time I got there, my boots would be so muddied that I would fret at the thought of stepping inside.

The garden had righted itself. I looked, and then looked again. I’m embarrassed to say that I found my jaw hanging slack (though I rather believe that no one saw me in that state). All the rows of plants and vegetables that had been torn from the ground and savaged were once again pristine and restored to their rightful places. I wasn’t sure if I was hallucinating or if the island had been visited by a miracle, but clearly one of the two was the case. I turned away, blinked, and looked a third time just to be sure.

There is a library in town at which I have recently started volunteering, mending and rebinding the books when such work is needed. It had been my plan to spend the afternoon there offering my assistance where I could, but this development changed things. So many plants had been inexplicably recalled to life and were ready to be harvested. Quick action on my part was essential. I was not going to let Mrs. Mayshire down!