Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Cheryl, who had a big flower garden that she tended every day. She had worked hard to collect and plant all the flowers. The whole process took years to complete with petunias, marigolds, impatiens, daffodils, tiger lilies, day lilies, jonquils, and tulips. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any roses. She wanted roses. She went out and looked everyday, but couldn’t find the right ones for her garden.

One day Cheryl was in the store searching in vain for roses. She sighed when she found all the ones the store had to offer. “Oh, these just won’t do! Why can’t I find the right roses for my garden?”

Dejected once again, she left the store and started walking through the little neighborhood back to her house and garden. She was distracted as she was busy thinking too hard about the roses she couldn’t find for her garden. She didn’t have any warning. Nor did the young man she walked right into. They almost fell over each other on the sidewalk.

“Ouch!” They both said at the same time.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Are you alright?” asked Cheryl.

“Oh, I think so, but I couldn’t see you until it was too late.”

“But you’re wearing glasses.”

“They don’t help that much. I’m legally blind.”

“Oh. Well, I’m even more sorry that I wasn’t looking.”

“Why weren’t you paying attention to where you were going?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about the roses that I can’t find for my garden. I’ve been looking a long time, but I haven’t found the ones my garden needs at the store.”

“You have a garden without roses? Is it a very big garden?”

“Yes, it’s quite big, but it’s beautiful.” She paused as she thought had for a moment. “You seem familiar to me. Haven’t we met before?”

“Well, that’s possible. I do walk around here quite often. I’m Jack, and you are?”

“Cheryl.”

“Nice to meet you, Cheryl. Would it be possible for me to see your garden someday?”

“Sure. I’m usually there tending it.”

*****

Later that same day, Cheryl was busying tending her garden once again. She was so absorbed that she didn’t notice when Jack came strolling down the garden path. He didn’t say anything for awhile as he watched her tend to her flowers. Finally, she stood up and turned around.

“Oh, my goodness! I didn’t know you were there. How long have you been standing there?”

“Oh, not long at all.” He paused to make sure she was alright. “I decided since I didn’t have anything to do today, that I would come by to see your beautiful garden.”

“Oh, okay. So what do you think of it?”

“It’s large and very beautiful, just like the gardener herself.”

Smiling she said, “Thank you. I’m glad you like it. Would you like something to drink? I was just about to get a lemonade for myself.”

“Sure, lemonade sounds good to me.”

Cheryl then turned to the house and went inside. Jack watched her and when she wasn’t looking, he pulled out his wand. He held it up and pointed in the garden where no flowers grew. He waved it a couple of times as he silently said a few words. Then he put the wand back inside his coat out of sight. By that time, Cheryl had returned with a couple of glasses of lemonade.

“We can drink our lemonade over here at the table.”

Jack followed her and sat down opposite of her.

While they chatted about what wasn’t so important, roses began to bloom in the garden where no flowers had ever grown before. Jack knew it was happening even though he couldn’t see them well. Cheryl was too busy drinking lemonade and talking with her guest to notice the newcomers.

Just before sunset, Jack told Cheryl he had to go home. She thanked him for a pleasant afternoon and then he walked out the way he came in. After he was gone some minutes, she looked over her garden and gasped when she saw the roses.

“Those are the exact roses I have been looking for a very long time! I wonder how they got here.” Baffled, she picked up the empty glasses and took them inside the house.

*****

At home, Jack was busy dictating to his quill about his daily adventures. He was thankful he didn’t have to write with the quill and that it wrote whatever he said. It was good to be a wizard, he thought. The only problem with the dictating quill was the cats. His two cats, Lilly and Spitter liked to swat at the quill when it was moving. So, Jack added a spell that would allow the quill to defend itself. That spell only made matters worse as the quill would swat back and the cats loved it even more. It was truly amazing how much writing Jack was able to do everyday.

He hoped Cheryl liked her present of roses in her garden. He knew he would have to tell her, a muggle, the truth sooner or later. He wasn’t sure what he would say to her, but he knew he would have to tell her. In the meantime, he thought it wouldn’t be a problem to keep visiting her in her garden and making sure all her flowers were healthy. So, that’s what he kept doing.

*****

Months passed by and Cheryl and Jack became the best of friends. The garden prospered under their friendship. All the flowers were healthy and beautiful. They seemed to never fade. Then one day as Jack was casting another spell on the garden, thinking he wasn’t seen as usual, but Cheryl has stepped back outside sooner than he had expected.

“Hey, Jack, what kind of sandwich did you want?” She walked over to him and saw him pointing his wand directly at the garden. Her eyes widen and she said, “What are you doing to my garden?”

Jack froze in place. He lowered his wand and then turned to face her. “Well, I thought you’d appreciate it. All the flowers that is.”

Cheryl just stared at him for a long time. “Did you plant those roses?”

“Yes, with my wand.”

“Oh, thank you, but I had no idea you were a wizard.”

“Well, yes, but I knew I would have to tell you sooner or later.” He paused. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“No, actually I’m shocked, but I love how beautiful my garden has been since you’ve been here.”

“I’m glad you like it. You have done a lot of work on it.”

*****

Later that evening, Jack talked to his cats about what had happened with Cheryl that day. They stopped playing with the quill and listened intently.
“Now, I’m afraid once she gets over her shock that she won’t want to see me anymore. What am I to do?”
Both cats wagged their tails and walked over to him and touched his face with a forepaw. Then they jumped down from the table and ran off. Jack heard them go and knew that they would be back before long.

*****

Cheryl was sitting in her garden, staring at the roses. She wasn’t so sure about Jack now that she knew he was a wizard. She had heard too many bad things about them and she hoped he wasn’t like that. As she sat musing, two housecats ran up her garden path. Without any warning they jumped on the table and starting meowing at her.

“What? Where did you come from?”

Both cats wouldn’t stop talking for several minutes. Then they got quiet. Lily jumped off the table and ran over to the roses. Spitter remained and lifted a forepaw to point to her sister.

That was when comprehension dawned on Cheryl. These two cats obviously lived with Jack and they were trying to tell her he gave her the very flowers she wanted because he loved her. “Hey, cats, where is Jack now?”

Both cats came together on the garden path and pointed their forepaws in the direction they needed to go. Cheryl stood up and followed the two all the way to Jack’s place.

Once there, she found him sighing.

“Oh, why did I have to get careless with the flower spells? If I hadn’t, Cheryl would still be happy with me and her garden…” He sighed again.

“Jack, it’s okay. I was just shocked. After what I’ve heard about some wizards, it made me pause. But then I thought about it and you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re not like those bad wizards. You even gave me the roses I’ve been wanting and searching for a long time.”

Jack turned around. “I’m so glad you’re not upset with me.”

“Would you like to come back and visit my garden again?”

“Yes, of course!”

The four of them, Cheryl, Jack, Lily, and Spitter, walked back to the flower garden. There they spent many happy times with a few occasional spell blow-ups.