What does care look like when no one’s watching?

The cucumbers are growing again, but I don’t know if they’re forgiving. I water them every morning, but the way I do it now—measured, efficient—feels like a performance. Like I’m trying to prove I still remember how. Last week, I caught myself whispering to a vine, just to hear my own voice say something that wasn’t a checklist. What’s the difference between tending and pretending? And how long can you keep doing the work before you forget why you started?