text:  The stories on today's selected shorts are all about growth, aided by some sort of fantastical assistance. The characters in these pieces are stuck, and consciously or not, they're looking for something to give them just a little push. And that nudge comes in the form of magic. In the first story, a backyard garden presents a young family with a new world of fertility. And in the second, the afterlife provides a perfect platform for questions about love, commitment, and the meaning of forever.