"This is punishment duty, right? Because I made that comment to Carol about her casseroles?" Tara sighed, sweeping a bit of hair back from her forehead. "I didn't actually mean anything by it, it's just that it feels like we've been at a church social for the last three weeks and I want a change." She dug the tip of the shovel into the ground and pried it back and forth to loosen the soil.
Eugene stopped staring at her for a moment to look down at the soil she was disturbing. "If you are being punished, why am I here?"
"Misery loves company?" She laughed and continued working on the new row. After they had put in their large garden plot most of the work was done save for planting and weeding, but Carol had suddenly decided that they could use a few more systems of compost and water gathering in their yard. Tara was trying to level some ground so a path could be placed between the different work spots, and it was not easy going.
"Hardly, misery really likes to be left alone." Eugene smiled at her, "I think I remember being volunteered because of math." He shrugged and swing the level through the air, "I never knew that being smart would lead to physical labor."
"Being smart-mouthed usually landed me with physical labor. My dad would make me clean until my elbows were going to fall off." She scraped another shovelful of dirt into their wheelbarrow and then used the tamper to press down the loose soil. When it was mostly flat she waited for him to check whether the section of path was even yet.
Eugene nodded, "I think this is going to be good enough. We have that leveling sand for the pavers so it doesn't have to be perfect." He glanced up at her, "Don't tell Carol I said that or I'll be the one on punishment duty."
"Really? What else could she request that you do that would be worse that this?" Tara laughed, "Come on, I'll flatten the loose dirt a little more up the path and then help you pour that sand, if you'll get us each a glad of lemonade from the kitchen."