She knows this about him -- that he tries to do everything himself and pretends he can manage.

It's best to let him try at this, she figures, but she keeps an eye on him as he heads for the lilacs. "Okay . . ."

While he's managing somehow to carry it, getting it up high enough to water may be another story. She trains enough with weights to know this -- what seems manageable carried lower can be a lot harder when raised higher.