Emily looked back toward the field.
"We've only harvested part of it."
"Still. It's better than nothing."
She smiled.
"That's what I'm telling myself."
Frank hesitated.
"You know, I owe you something."
Emily turned.
"What?"
"An apology."
She looked surprised.
Frank shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
"I thought you were making a mistake. I told people you were going to lose the farm over those sunflowers."
Emily said nothing.
"I didn't know about the contract, the numbers, or all the work you'd put into this. I just saw something different and assumed it couldn't work."
She studied him for a moment.
"Most people did."
"That doesn't make it right."
Emily glanced toward the farmhouse.
"No," she said quietly. "It doesn't."
Frank nodded.
"I should've asked questions before I started laughing."
For a moment, the only sound was the wind moving through the dry grass.
Then Emily smiled.
"Well, you can make up for it by helping me finish the harvest."
Frank laughed.
"Fair enough."
They shook hands beside the machine shed.
And for the first time since planting, Emily felt that she was no longer carrying the entire burden alone.
Part 10: The Numbers Nobody Expected
The following morning, Emily returned to the elevator shortly after eight o'clock.
She had spent the early hours reviewing her harvest records and calculating the estimated yield from the first day's work.
The preliminary figures were promising, but she wanted the official test results before drawing any conclusions.
When she entered the scale office, Susan looked up from her desk.
"Good morning, Emily. We've got your first test results."
Emily stopped.
"Already?"
Susan smiled and reached for a folder.
"Your buyer's representative reviewed them this morning. The moisture is within the acceptable range, and the oil-content result qualifies for the contracted premium on this sample."
For a moment, Emily simply stared at her.
"You're sure?"
Susan handed her the laboratory report.
Emily read it once, then again, checking the contract requirements against the figures printed on the page.
The result was favorable.
Not merely acceptable, but sufficiently strong to qualify for the premium she had built into her financial projections.
She felt her shoulders relax.
"Does that apply to the entire field?" she asked.
Susan shook her head.
"This result applies to the sample from your first delivery. The remaining loads will be tested separately according to the contract."
Emily nodded.
She knew better than to assume that every part of the field would produce identical results.
Still, the first test had confirmed that her growing and harvesting methods could meet the buyer's specifications.
She thanked Susan and carefully placed the laboratory report inside her notebook.