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‘Yes.’ Sarah stared at the ground as her foot scuffed back and forth against the path.

‘Don’t you have something to say to Liv?’

‘I’m very sorry for damaging your plants. Even if they are just weeds.’ After a few more scuffs of her foot, she looked up at Liv, her eyes sparkling with defiance and mischief. ‘But I found the fairy well.’

‘You did?’ Liv was shocked.

‘Yup.’ Sarah grabbed her hand and pulled her past the large tree, towards the curved stone seat where she so often sat to have her breakfast.

* * *

Liv gasped as she rounded the tree. The rest of the garden was far messier than what she’d already seen, with bare earth and stripped, bare stems where there had once been bright green leaves and flowers. But now, the curve of what she’d thought had just been an old stone seat seemed to continue, sweeping towards the edge of the property in a rustic circle, exposed from its green veil. It was muddy and still partly buried, but now Liv could clearly see its true shape.

‘You know, your dad’s right. I should be angry at you for all the mess, but now I’m more worried that you could have been hurt.’

‘How? It’s only plants.’

‘You could have . . .’ Liv had to swallow hard to finish the sentence. ‘You could have slipped and fallen.’

Sarah laughed. ‘I wouldn’t have fallen in. I was careful. Everyone knows fairy circles are dangerous.’

‘You’re still in a lot of trouble, young lady.’ Callum’s voice was stern, but Liv was barely listening.

Instead, she knelt and grabbed a loose branch to try and brush away some of the soil that still covered the ancient stones. Now that the top level of plants and debris had been removed — and deposited all over the garden, thanks to Sarah — Liv could see that the carvings she’d idly traced during many a morning coffee out here were part of detailed swirls that danced and dipped in and out of the remaining greenery and weeds. When she peered inside of the circular bench, or well as she’d now have to think of it, she could see that the greenery — while thick and lush — was growing across darkness that hinted at a depth she hadn’t noticed before.

‘I was right, wasn’t I?’ Sarah knelt beside her, and pulled away a few more leaves. ‘Isn’t it pretty?’

‘It really is. I’m going to have to call my landlord and see if I can get permission to uncover it all properly. It must be hundreds of years old, and it would be really cool to reveal it all.’ She glanced up when Callum cleared his throat. ‘But what you did wasn’t good. You could have been hurt, and you shouldn’t go changing other people’s things without asking them first.’

‘Even when it’s a lost fairy well?’

‘Even if there’s a lost fairy well.’ She glanced up at Callum again. ‘You know, if my landlord is happy for me to uncover the well properly, there’s going to be a lot of work to do.’

Callum nodded. ‘There’s a lot to do just clearing up this mess.’

‘Maybe the person who made the mess, should help clear it up,’ Liv offered.

Callum grinned at her over Sarah’s head, his eyes sparkling. ‘Maybe they should.’

‘Me? Really?’ Sarah looked between them both, her eyes wide.

‘Yes. And you have to rake up every single leaf. Do you understand?’

‘Yes, Daddy.’ Sarah was clearly trying not to grin.

‘Right. We’d better get you home and cleaned up.’

‘OK.’ Sarah hung back next to Liv while Callum shook his head at the mess once more, and headed up the garden path. ‘Can I tell you something now?’ Sarah said.

‘Sure.’

‘It’s a secret. You have to promise not to tell.’

‘OK.’ Liv smiled.

‘I like gardening with Grandma. I think I will like gardening with you.’

‘Maybe it’s not a very good punishment if you enjoy it,’ Liv mused aloud.