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Kia stood in front of the gates to the new Taste the Love Land.

Behind her, trees grew from holes cut in the concrete of what was once an RV lot, then an abandoned RV lot.

It’d be years until the fast-growing hybrid poplar trees created the canopy she dreamed of, but that was years, not decades.

A willow tree grew in the center of the space, fed by gray water from the plate-washing station where teenagers were washing dishes with organic detergents at their first summer jobs.

Birdhouse boxes set around the perimeter of the space had already attracted the black-capped chickadee and the Northern flicker.

Sullivan stood beside her dressed in her chef’s white coat.

Kia wore the new edition of the Kia Gourmazing T-shirts made from recycled materials and screen printed by an artists’ co-op in Guadalajara.

A crowd gathered in front of her and Sullivan, including two of the local news stations and several environmental influencers. A reporter from American Fare was also there to document American Fare’s most dynamic winner .

Deja stood on the sidelines ready to live stream for Kia’s and Sullivan’s feeds.

And most exciting, Kia’s father, her aunt Eleanor and uncle Erik, Lillian, and Izzy stood front and center.

Erik had immediately hit it off with Sullivan’s parents, all of them academics, and Izzy regaled Sullivan’s brother with the history of burlesque.

It had been nice meeting Sullivan’s family.

She didn’t talk about them much, but their relationship, while not as close as Kia’s family, seemed supportive and uncomplicated.

“Thank you all for coming to the opening of Taste the Love Land Portland.”

She handed the microphone to Sullivan.

“When it comes to the environment, I used to feel like I was doing my part, but it didn’t matter.

The problems were too big. I could serve sustainable food, but it was too expensive for most people.

Together Kia and I have created a model of affordable, sustainable dining for communities across the country.

” She went on to describe the solar power and to-go-container return program. “And yeah, we’ve had a few setbacks.”

The cardboard forks drooped and melted. Attracting starlings had been a mistake.

“But I think we can say the soft opening of Taste the Love Land has been a success, and we’re very excited to welcome you to the official opening.”

They’d invited the girl who’d stood up for the snake at the first rally. She was dressed in a one-piece printed with snakes. Kia gave her two thumbs-up for fashion. And Kia handed her a pair of scissors to cut the hemp ribbon that fluttered across the opening.

“Welcome to Taste the Love Land,” Kia said.

The food trucks were ready to serve. Live music played beneath a shaded canopy made of vines grown on a large trellis.

“We did it,” Kia said as the crowd ambled past them into the food truck paradise, the little piece of Eden.

“We did.” Her wife, Alice Sullivan, put her arms around her.

“I have been in love with you since I was twenty. No one can say we didn’t know each other long enough. You just had to see the fabulousness I am.”

Sullivan kissed her head.

“I always knew you were fabulous. I just didn’t know how fabulous we were together. Now are you ready to defend your point six percent?”

“Chef Sullivan, you are on!”

“Don’t get too proud, Jackson. I might just stuff a tofurkey with a free-range duck with a whole fern. Where would you be then?”

“Taking your bouillabaisse recipe to the next level with cola and a splash of Pbr.”

“And it’ll be amazing.” Sullivan made a show of rolling her eyes, but her whole aura was smiling. “You don’t lose.”

“Well…” Kia scrunched up her nose as she thought through all the disasters of their early marriage. “As long as I have you, I feel like a winner.”

“Same.” Sullivan lifted Kia’s hand to her lips and kissed it. “I guess it’s a tie.”