Sarah flinches , though it goes unnoticed . She walks with her husband through the rows of unborn baby girls . Each baby ' s umbilical cord connects to a living plant which sustains their growth . This row is a tight-knit forest of purple pansies . Occasionally Sarah crouches , touching her finger to a petal or stem .
“ Sarah , the woman asked us not to disturb them ,” Thomas chides . He has his eyes on a patch of sweet peas three rows over ; those are most likely to be musically inclined .
“ I ’ m not disturbing anyone ,” she murmurs . She ’ s not sure he heard , but she ’ s well used to that . “ I ’ m only listening for the heartbeat .”
Thomas continues down the rows , in a measured sort of manner . He examines each flower , and reads the card staked beside it . He reads one : Girl . Average Height and Weight . Average Intelligence . Average Physicality .
If he were to flip the card over , he ’ d read other character traits and physical features most likely to flower in the child . Instead , he huffs through his own , superior teeth , and walks on . Why pick an average baby when he has the money for a superior ? ( If Thomas is a little materialistic , he can ’ t really be held accountable . It was declared on his own planter card when his parent ’ s dug him up 34 years prior . Boy . Superior Intelligence . Superior Physicality . Likely to Excel Socially . Prone to Materialism .)
Sarah has never read her card . It was thrown away soon a er her birth . Once the blight was discovered , all other info became suspect . Was she the superior daughter the Greenwell ’ s paid for ? Or had the blight ruined her ? Only time would tell , and the Greenwell ’ s did not remain in Sarah ’ s life long enough to find out . A baby from the earth may not be returned , but it can be abandoned as easily as any natural-born child .
She pauses at another pansy . This one sits at the far end of the row , a little apart from the rest , as if the seed had been sewn in carelessness . No card accompanies it . Sarah kneels . Her index finger traces the shi of yellow to white to violet . Sarah sighs and something catches , like