Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by Shipping Wars, and Summer Bingo on Monthly Challenges for All.

Shipping Wars - Stanley Richmond/Mimi Clarke (Manley Taxation), Summer Micro 2 List (Berries/Fruit), Word Count: 1,160

Summer Bingo - 3A red, Word Count: 1,160

I hope you all enjoy Packet Picking Disaster.

"Maybe we should plant some berries or other fruit," Mimi suggested folding her arms across her chest in thought as she planned out the garden she wanted to put in order. "That way we wouldn't be depending on Jennings and Rall for all of our food, Stanley."

She'd been badgering him for days to help her make a decision on what they'd grow from the seeds that Dale Turner had brought in during the night. That had been at least three weeks ago. Mimi really didn't get why Stanley wasn't feeling like helping her out with this. It wasn't like she was asking him to do everything by himself.

"Mimi," Stanley sighed running his hands through his blonde hair. He'd been having a hard enough time thinking clearly as it was, the anniversary of his sister's death was right around the corner after all, and Mimi badgering him was helping things. "Look just give me a minute to think things through. I've a lot work to do around here. I still have to plant the corn for the fall."

"I'm just asking you to look at the packets and pick out a couple that you think would sell," she stated as though it was that easy. "It's not that hard."

"If it's not that hard than maybe you should do it," Stanley said walking off towards the field. Didn't Mimi understand that that was usually his mother or Bonnie's job. Picking out the fruits they planted for the season.

He remembers watching the two of them sitting together, the mother and daughter duo, side by side looking at the pages and pages of seeds and choosing only the most profitable ones. He wouldn't know where to begin even he did try. Not that he wanted to try it just reminded him of everything he'd already lost in his life.

Mimi sighed as stared at the packets of seeds in her hands. How had something so small started an argument like that? It was sort of amazing to her. She was so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized that Jake Green had gotten there until he spoke startling her.

"Stanley's mother and sister used to pick out the season's seeds," Jake said remembering seeing the mother daughter duo at the task many a time he'd come over to visit Stanley. "It's nothing person. Right now it's just another reminder of what's he's lost."

"I didn't know," Mimi said covering her mouth in shock. She'd known that Bonnie's death would leave a lasting impression on Stanley, it certainly did on her, but she didn't know that impression would be this big. "I really hadn't thought of it like that."

"I know," Jake tells her. "I'll talk to Stanley for you. Maybe get him to come around about helping you pick out your seed packets." He walks the way that Stanley had just gone, as though knowing where his best friend was already.

"Thanks Jake," she calls after him. She watches his retreating back until she can't see him any more and goes back to studying the seed packets in front of her. She doesn't know how to do this. Before getting her she'd never gardened a day in her life. She knows she's out of her element her and she wishes like Stanley does that Bonnie was still alive. Bonnie would be able to help her with this. Bonnie had grown up doing this and knew what everything was.

Meanwhile Stanley just stared at the grain to planted. He had every intention of doing as he'd told Mimi he was going to do. He really did but then she'd insisted on looking at the packets and all he can see is Bonnie as four year old. Begging him to come help her and Mama pick out seeds. Bonnie as six year old in pigtails and overalls, shovel in hand leading the way out to the small fruit and vegetable garden. But it also brought back the image of Bonnie he hated the most. A sixteen year old girl, cut down in her youth, blood staining the pink shirt she'd worn that day with a rusty red.

"Stanley," Jake called out breaking him away from the awful image of Bonnie floating before his eyes.

"Jake," Stanley called back waving at his friend. He waited for the sandy haired man to join him over by the grain pile. "What brings you here, man?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm f..."

"No. You're not." Jake folds his arms over his chest and watches Stanley waiting for him deny it. Waiting for him to say something. Anything at all. But Stanley just stays quiet. "Talk to me, man. What's up?"

"It's just...seeds," Stanley says voice cracking. "That's always been Bonnie's job on the farm. Picking out and helping plant the fruit and vegetable garden. Mimi just doesn't get..."

"She doesn't know. You have to tell her these things for her to get them, Stanley. She's not a mind reader."

Stanley had figured that Bonnie had told her everything about her running the farm. She used to like to rub it in his face that the farm was basically run by her. It hit him then. Bonnie hadn't done that because she knew Mimi was the one. She didn't want to ruin Stanley's chances with Mimi by making him look like a moron. Not that he wasn't doing a good job of ruining his chances by himself, mind you.

"I have to go, man," Stanley says walking back to the farm. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

Mimi had been staring at the packets of seeds for so long her eyes had started to blur. She didn't know which should be planted when and Stanley didn't seem to want to help her. So she was on her on with this stuff and she was sure she'd fail too.

"Bonnie would probably plant the raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries as far as fruit went," Stanley's voice breaks her concentration on the packets in front of her. "As far as vegetables go I have no clue. I only ever helped plant the stuff. So this is going to be a whole new adventure for the both of us."

Sitting and watching Mimi's smile transform her face Stanley prepares for his first planting season without his little sister. Maybe it'd be a little more bearable than he thought it would with Mimi by his side.

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"This should be enough to keep us afloat for a while," Dale Turner tells them as Stanley unloads the first of many bushels of red berries from the back of the truck. "Thank you, guys."

"Thank you, Dale," Stanley says as he puts an arm around Mimi. If it weren't for Dale Turner and those stupid seed packets he and Mimi wouldn't have had the break through they did. Maybe he could begin to look forward to planting season once again.

I hope you all enjoyed Packet Picking Disaster.