Many moons from now

Many moons from now This is my contribution to the IndieWeb Fiction Carnival of September 2026, hosted by James. The topic is “Moonlight”; I’m joining the Carnival for the first time. Many thanks to Juhis and Maartje for feedback on the first draft. You arrive early at the food forest: the sun is only just starting to set. You look forward to spending the evening working outside. Hopefully, it’ll calm you down, after the emotional conversation with Grandma yesterday. After you’ve clocked in for work, you notice your friend and co-worker Sam, who you secretly admire, standing beside a hedgerow. Sam is already deftly picking the raspberries and carefully placing them in one of the trays. Hi Sam! Any word on the new manager? No, they had to drop his application, Sam says, he was assertive, charismatic, and bold; but had little else going for him. Of course, those aren’t the main qualities they look for in a leader. You ready your own tray and start helping Sam with the harvest. Drones…