Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She could clearly remember her grandpa’s faint words as if they had spoken two weeks ago:

“There will come a day when you feel crushed with the burden of modern life…and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness”

Sadly for her, that day had already come. A sense of dread would open her tired eyes every weekday just before 7 am. She’d pour herself a cup of instant coffee, drink half of it and jump in the shower. There were days when she’d just remain there for a couple of minutes longer, just to let the warm water jumpstart her brain. Regret would soon follow that moment of calm. She’d hurriedly get dressed, reminding herself shorter showers were crucial if she wanted to keep her job.

No matter how hard she tried to get there on time, she always managed to be late for work. There’s always something. Traffic, blackouts, accidents, stupid people. She was so sick of stupid people, herself included.

“One more mess-up and you’re gone. Did you understand me well enough? Gone!” Her boss had screamed that morning after she arrived ten minutes late because the bus driver started arguing with another passenger and she had to make a run for it.

“Fuck,” She muttered to herself as she plopped down on her squeaky desk chair, “I don’t deserve this, if I have to be here for 30 more years, I swear I’ll kill myself.”

She covered her head with her arms. The constant humming of the old fluorescent tube light above her was like an annoying swarm of flies. She needed to get out of there somehow. She missed the sun, the wind in her face and the peaceful chirping of the birds on top of the trees. The constant clickity-clack of dozens of computer keyboards were her only soundtrack during the workday, since music was reserved for their resting moments and even then, music there consisted of a set of Joja jingles playing on repeat. Grandpa wanted to help her when she felt like that. The envelope he had given her was somewhere in her desk drawer. She opened it and looked around, hoping she hadn’t lost it. After digging for a few seconds, she finally found it among the trash and office supplies.

“If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So, I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.”

To think he went through the same was a depressing realization, but it made her feel less alone, somehow. Yes, she was feeling crushed under trivial tasks, performance reports and her own colleagues’ low morale that only added up to the poisonous work ambiance. Little did she know that reading the next sentence would completely change her life.

“I’ve enclosed the deed to that place…my pride and joy.” She took a moment to take a look at the deeds to her grandpa’s old farm, remembering a couple of summers from her childhood. Her dad would take her to see the jellyfish, and she had some vague memory of her and some other kids playing hide and seek in the forest one day and looking for bugs and frogs the other. She smiled to herself, still not fully understanding what this truly meant for her near future.

“This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my girl. Good luck. Love, Grandpa”

Immediately, her smile turned into a chuckle that carried an amount of joy and freedom she hadn’t felt in months. Years, even.

She didn’t even think about it. She got up from her seat, pulled up a smaller envelope that contained her resignation letter and placed it on her desk. Then, she took the keyboard and smashed it against the screen with all her strength. Not once, not twice, but as many times as it took all the keys to fly away as she repeated her new mantra.

“FUCK. YOU.JOJA.YOU.DON’T.OWN.ME.ANY.MORE”

“What do you think you’re doing?” The voice of her horrible boss resounded behind her, but that wasn’t enough to startle her anymore. She quickly shoved the envelope against him

“I think I’m quitting and I’m never coming back to this rathole.” She replied with a smile so wide it made her cheeks hurt. She quickly took all her belongings and darted out of the building to prepare everything for her new life.

That night she couldn’t sleep at all. Hundreds of anxiety-driven thoughts wouldn’t let her. They’d race around her mind, making her heart beat fast and her stomachache.

Oh fuck, I made a terrible mistake…What if the farm doesn’t exist anymore? Or what if the deed is so old it’s no longer valid somehow. What if other people are currently living there? I can’t get my job back, not the way I quit. The sole thought of going back to sitting through one of those three-hour long meetings was enough to put her mind to work on a more positive headspace.

Suppose the farm is still there. Let’s be optimistic about that bit for a sec—Then what? What can I do with it…? Grandpa used to have cows and sell milk and cheese whenever he could, it didn’t look so hard. Maybe I could do that…But I have no idea how to take care of a cow, maybe I should start with something smaller. Chickens? But what if it dies because I forgot to feed it? No, the guilt would kill me right after… I get it! What if…we start with planting something? She took out a small notebook and jotted down some ideas. For example, if I forget to water a blueberry plant and it dies, it’s not that tragic…as opposed to an animal…and definitely cheaper.

After scribbling some additional ideas for making money and a quick packing checklist, she could finally close her eyes and jump from daydreaming to having hopeful dreams of her new life in Stardew Valley.

Right before completely falling asleep, she whispered a small prayer.

“Please, Grandpa, help me finally make something good of myself”

Chapter Text

Dahlia woke up early that morning with a detailed list of the things she had to do. First, clear up a small portion of land so she could prepare the soil to plant the parsnips Lewis gave her the previous day.

“Well, that wasn’t so hard...” she said with a tired smile once she was done. A long sigh escaped her mouth as she sat down on the thin steps of her porch. She looked back at her new home. It certainly smelled worse than the apartment she used to rent; it was clearly abandoned after her grandpa died. Even though Lewis and Robin did their best to prepare it for her arrival, the signs of neglect were hiding in plain sight. At least this place was hers. Having it fixed was a challenge she was determined to overcome.

A rumble in her stomach stopped her train of thought. She headed back inside and opened the fridge “Oh, right...” She grimaced, “I forgot to buy food when I got here”

After washing up, she made her way to town. Robin told her there was a JojaMart crossing the bridge, but she could get better quality items in a place called Pierre’s General Store. Her farm was relatively close to the rest of the town. She decided to take the path that led to the bus station, since it was the most familiar. She stopped for a couple of minutes to pick some sweet peas to decorate the old basket she found by her chimney.

When she finally made it to the store, she noticed a sign hanging from the door.

“Of course it’s closed...!” Dahlia huffed and turned around with her arms crossed in front of her. She was already starting to feel too tired to wander around town trying to find the JojaMart Robin told her about.

Suddenly, a little bell chime made her turn around and a purple haired girl bumped into her, making her drop her basket full of sweet peas.

“Oh- sorry! Are you okay? Let me help you with that.” They both put the flowers back in the basket.

“Yeah, sorry about that too, I shouldn’t be in the way.” she offered her a sweet pea in gratitude.

“Thank you!” The girl smiled kindly.

“I’m Dahlia.”

 “Oh, that’s right…I heard someone new was moving onto that old farm. I’m Abigail, by the way. Are you taking a break from work?”

“Kind of against my will if I'm being honest…my fridge is empty, so I wanted to do some shopping, but the idiot who owns the store hasn't opened yet...”

Abigail giggled, “don’t worry, we open at 9. It should be open anytime now.” 

“We?” 

“Yeah, my dad is Pierre from Pierre’s General Store…” 

“Shit, sorry...” Dahlia let out a nervous laugh, "I didn't mean to insult your dad."

"He can be an idiot sometimes," she mused looking at her gift before looking back at the new acquaintance, "you read people well!" 

“So, I’ll be able to have lunch after all”

“He closes on Wednesdays, though. If you get hungry you can always drop by the Saloon!”

“The Saloon? What’s that?”

“The Stardrop Saloon. It’s right across the store” She pointed to a rather big building “In the heart of the town, you can’t miss it!”

“So, they have good food there?”

“You bet! Gus is the best, you must try the spicy eel, it’s delicious!”

“I don't eat seafood if I can help it.”

“Don’t knock it till you tried it” Abigail’s eyes suddenly widened “I have an idea. Why don’t you join us? I’ll introduce you to my friends!”

“What, now?” Dahlia looked down at her dirty clothes.

“No, no…Friday evening, we all hang out there, it’s kind of like a Friday tradition, I guess…”

“I guess I can—”

“No! There’s nothing to think about. Just be there!” Abigail insisted “You’ll have fun, I promise!”

“Okay, then...” Dahlia gave in.

Behind them, a tall man turned a small sign to indicate the store was now open.

“I guess you can enter now. I must go anyway. It was nice meeting you, Dahlia. Thanks for the sweet pea, I’ll eat it on the way!” Abigail turned around and started walking away.

Did she just say she’ll eat a flower? Dahlia frowned, looking down at her basket. She picked one and put it in her mouth figuring it wouldn’t do any harm to trying something now.

“Well, she’s either a liar, a joker, or a crazy person” She mumbled after she spat it out.

“She’s certainly a bit of everything.” A voice spoke behind her. Dahlia turned around to see the same man who opened the store.

“Ah, you must be Abigail’s father.” She smiled, a little embarrassed.

“I’m Pierre, owner of this store” He nodded and extended a hand for her to shake.

“I’m Dahlia Belrose, I moved in a couple of days ago.”

“Mrs. Belrose! The new farmer! Come in, come in, the store is open” He led her inside the building.

“Miss Dahlia. Actually, just 'Dahlia' is fine. I’m not that old, and certainly not married.” she explained. As she walked inside right behind Pierre, she took in the sweet aromas and intense colors of the different seasonal fruits and vegetables “Wow…I can only hope to grow these kinds of beauties one day!”

“Well, if you’re looking for seeds, my shop is the place to go. I’ll also buy produce from you for a good price! A little agriculture could really inject new life into the local economy!”

“I don’t think I’ll harvest in a long time, though. I only have some parsnips in there...”

“Don’t worry about that, you’ll see the fruits of your labor sooner than later. Trust me.” Pierre stood behind the counter “Now, what do you need?”

“You see, I’m a little short on funds” she confessed, “and I need seeds. Do you have something that’s, you know, affordable?”

“Sure thing, we have the best prices in town. Can I interest you in some pepper seeds for 40g?”

“Yes. Two bags, please.” A rumble in her stomach reminded her of what she really wanted. “I’m going to need some groceries as well: Rice, oil…flour, sugar…do you have any eggs?”

“Sorry, we’re out of eggs right now, but you can talk to Marnie, she’s our primary provider.” He took out a map of the town and showed her a point near a forest “She lives not far from here.”

“I live just across that forest...!”

“So you're neighbors! There’s no way you’ll get lost. Take the map, just in case.” He folded the piece of paper and handed it to her. He took a bag from behind the counter “Take his too, free of charge. It’s fertilizer. It's not much, but it'll help you get started. Just remember to mix it with the tilled soil before planting your seeds.”

“You’re too generous, thank you very much.”

Dahlia took out the flowers out of her small basket and pushed her purchases in it, eyeing at a big leather backpack, “I’ll be back for that beauty soon!” 

“You’re always welcome, have a nice day!”

She walked towards her house, ready to cook some rice and continuing to clear the farm to prepare good soil for her new crops.

Chapter Text

Dahlia had been counting seconds for the weekend to come. Every day she thought about Abigail’s invitation to hang out with her and her friends. The thought of that moment gave her the motivation she needed to do her chores.

She hesitated before the entrance to the Stardrop Saloon and made sure she was decent enough to present herself to society. She was usually very confident about her looks, but she hadn’t been the new girl in a long time. She inhaled and exhaled to let go of her apprehensions. When she was about to step in, a tall figure opened the door for her.

“Please, after you” A grinning blonde man winked at her.

“My, what a gentleman, thanks” She chuckled after she could compose herself from that first impression.

Once she entered the saloon, the young man that let her in nodded his head as he walked past her, leading her to a comfortable room beyond the booths.

“Aw…You guys met already?” Abigail jumped from the sofa to greet them

“Met who?” Dahlia blinked

“We haven’t met properly, Abby. We just ran into each other outside; I figured it was her” The blond guy explained.

“Uh… I’m still lost” Dahlia sighed

“I’m Sam. Good to meet you”

“Dahlia” She shook his hand, smiling along without even realizing. He had a very contagious smile.

“Hey, you just moved in, right?” A man slightly taller than Abigail asked before walking closer to the group

“Yeah, just this week, actually”

“Cool…and out of all the places you chose Pelican Town?” The judgmental tone in his observation made her raise her eyebrows

“I guess it wasn’t much of a choice” She shrugged “I had nowhere else to go, what’s your excuse?”

“C’mon, Dahlia… you make it sound like you’re escaping your impending doom…” Abigail laughed “Please, excuse our friend Sebby, he comes off as rude at first, but he’s adorable once you get to know him”

“Can you not call me that in here?” Sebastian nudged Abigail while Sam laughed.

Once more, Dahlia found herself laughing with him. Their eyes met, making her blush for a second. She looked down at her shoes and around the room.

“No way, you guys have Joja Cola in here? Sweet” She ran to a vending machine by the arcade games as Sebastian rolled his eyes and sat back down on the couch

“You really like that stuff?” Abigail grimaced

“Leave her, she has great taste” Sam leaned on Abigail’s shoulder

“I got addicted to these working at JojaCorp. You’d think they would have other options in the building. In that floor it was just us and a bunch of JojaCola vending machines”

“You worked for JojaCorp?” Abigail crossed her arms, making Sam lose balance.

Dahlia nodded.

“Same here” he said

“You have a part-time job at the local JojaMart, Sam, it’s not the same” Sebastian argued

“Still, it’s the same evil mega-corporation”

“I hated every second of it. That’s why I moved here. I just couldn’t take it anymore, but I’d trade the farm in a heartbeat for a sip of JojaCola” Dahlia reached for her pocket to take out some coins for the machine “Anyone want one?”

“Yuck” Abigail sat down next to Sebastian

“I’d like one” Sam raised his hand

“Of course you would, you human trash can” Sebastian laughed

Dahlia bought two cans and gave one to Sam “Thanks, I promise I’ll pay it back” he said, slightly touching her fingers as she passed him the can

“You don’t have to, it’s my pleasure” She winked

“Hey, you two” Abigail called “If you’re done eye-fucking, come sit with us”

“So, how do you like the Valley so far?” Sebastian asked Dahlia as she and Sam sat next to each other on a red couch

“It’s calm, I like that. I wanted to be as far away from the city as possible and my grandpa left me his farm. I don’t know the first thing about farming besides what I’ve learned when I started growing pot in my apartment” She laughed “But I’m sure I’ll learn in no time”

“Do you plan on growing weed in your farm?” He leaned forward

“You bet! Those were the first seeds I bought before moving the city. They’re already in the soil. I’ll let you know when they’re ready to harvest”

“Neat” Sebastian gave her an approving nod.

“I told you she was cool” Abigail nudged Sebastian.

“Ouch, Abby, not so hard!” He narrowed his eyes at her “Control your strength, woman”

Sam cleared his throat after a sip of his cola and turned to his new friend

“Say Dalhia, do you play pool?”

She glanced at the green table and nodded with confidence

“Do you guys gamble?” She asked The three of them shook their heads.

“I told you she was too cool for us” Sebastian whispered to Abigail

“Maybe a quick game?” Sam insisted

“Sure, let’s sink some balls” Dahlia said excitedly before finishing her can

The group stood up and started a quick game of cutthroat pool. Dahlia sank her rival’s balls in less than fifteen minutes.

“Well, it’s a good thing you don’t gamble. Stay in school” She laughed once she sank Sebastian’s last ball.

“Wow, you have to teach me how to do that” Abigail took Dahlia’s hands “Pretty please?” She insisted jumping up and down in place

“I will, but maybe some other time? I get an early morning tomorrow” She promised

“Wait, you’re going home already? Let me walk you home” Sam offered hastily

“I don’t know Sam, it’s a rather long walk, are you sure you can handle it?”

“Just go” Sebastian and Abigail said in annoyed unison

“Bye, Abby! It was nice meeting you, Sebby” Dahlia giggled. He immediately glared at Abigail as the rest of his friends laughed with her.

Sam and Dahlia left the Saloon and started walking together until the silence started to feel awkward.

“What…? Don’t tell me you turn shy when your friends aren’t around” Dahlia looked up at him, giggling.

He had a serious expression on his face. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking…”

“About what?”

“You know when you have so many thoughts in your head you can’t focus on a single one?”

“Oh”

“I was actually trying to remember if the girl that used to come during the summer and play with us really was you or someone else”

“I spent a couple of summers here when I was little” She nodded “Now I remember you”

“So, it was you!” Sam laughed “You used to be taller than me, what happened to you?”

“You were shorter because you’re younger than me, that’s all”

“Huh, time flies…”

“Sure does” They continued walking a little slower “You stopped coming that summer, Abby and I missed you the following year”

“My mom had just died, and my dad took me to another city, far away from here” Dahlia shrugged

“I’m sorry to hear that”

“It’s okay…it’s been a long time” She sighed and looked around to take in the warm summer air “I missed this place, too”

“You know… I used to live in the city, and I have to admit, this place is much nicer in the summer. The city is so hot with all that concrete”

“I can get used to this” She caught him glancing at her and they shared a sheepish laugh “I mean, I’m so done with the city. I just wanted to start a new life in here”

“If you need help with anything, we’re friends now”

“Thank you” She tried to focus on her own shoes as she walked to avoid that smile she was starting to find too adorable to ignore

“This is your place?” Sam asked when they got to the end of the trail

“Yeah, this is me” She turned to him and stood on her toes to give him a small peck on his cheek “Thank you for the walk down memory lane” Dahlia ran back to her house, leaving Sam standing without a single thought left in his mind.

Chapter Text

Dahlia was never bored with her life at her new farm, despite how tough it was to manage it. There were always different things to do every day. When weeding and clearing rocks made her too weak to continue with her chores, she’d go back to her cottage and turn on the Queen of Sauce and write down a new recipe to learn it another day. Other days, she’d focus completely on her growing crops.

Once per week, she would dedicate her morning entirely to practicing her fishing skills. A man named Willy gave her an old bamboo rod during her first week and taught her the basics. It certainly had a learning curve, but Dahlia’s easy-going nature helped her take fishing as an opportunity to relax. During one of those early mornings, she was fishing in the river while sitting under a tree, when she saw Sam walking by.

“Hey, Sam” She waved to him

“Hey, Dal, how’s it going?” He responded as he walked closer to her.

“It’s a slow morning, can’t complain” She shrugged nonchalantly “What are you up to?”

“Oh, I was just taking some fresh air before breakfast” He turned and pointed to a two-story house nearby “That’s my place right there”

Dahlia turned her head to look at the blue wooden building. A big timon above the door completed the beautiful front adorned with delicate pink climbing roses. The more she looked at it, the more details she found and ended up being taken by the idyllic picture.

“Wow…This is just incredible. I’ve walked by this place so many times and I’ve never stopped to see its beauty”

“Heh, I know, it’s really something. My mom works hard to keep it like this. She never says it, but she takes great pride on her roses” Sam explained as he sat next to his friend.

“I take it from nautical theme that your dad is a sailor?” She guessed. He slowly shook his head with a weak, almost mournful smile.

“Nah, my dad’s a soldier. He’s fighting the Gotoro Empire, that’s why he’s not here” He turned to Dahlia. His smile hadn’t changed, but his eyes showed hope “He’ll come back someday”

“I see…” She smiled back at him and gave him a reassuring pat on his arm “I’d love to meet your dad when he comes back. I bet he’ll have amazing stories to tell” He chuckled, a bit impressed that a single gesture and her friendly grin managed to lift his spirits.

“Thanks Dal” he said while he absentmindedly rubbed his fingertips and clutching his left hand.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” She said, noticing some redness in his fingertips.

“Oh this? Last night I practiced guitar for four hours straight. My fingers hurt like crazy”

“That so?” She raised her eyebrows “I didn’t know you played… Have you tried stretching before playing?”

“Not really, I just play. Once I get in the zone, I forget about everything else”

“I get that is a passion, but you still have to take some precautions, so it doesn’t turn into torture. Maybe I could teach you some exercises, so pain isn’t a problem anymore”

Sam looked at her rod with the reel still the water

“I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to interrupt you”

“It’s okay, really. Nothing was biting anyway” She reeled back and put the rod on the ground “Here, give me your hand”

Sam put out his hand and Dahlia started softly pressing his palm, going from the wrist to his fingertips

“If you do this before and after playing, you’ll see you’ll have less pain…” She explained, too focused on pressing and stretching to notice his discreet winces

“How do you know all this?” He asked to deviate his attention from the pain to literally anything else

“My dad used to take me to piano lessons… I hated it, my teacher was so old and boring but he knew a lot. Now that I don’t play anymore, I kinda miss it” She moved her gaze from his hand to his face only to notice it was burning red. Amused, she let out a giggle and gave his hands a last gentle squeeze “All done”

Sam was frozen. Neither of them dared to let go. He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

“Bye, I’ve got something to do” He blurted out before standing up and running back to his house, leaving her sitting under the tree. She looked at her fishing rod and decided to try once more, relying on her newfound confidence. At least one fish bit this morning, she thought with pride.

Around 4PM, Dahlia was getting ready to give the mines a try. She was preparing everything for her task when she saw a familiar figure at the entrance.

“Hi, Sam. Forgot something?” She greeted from a distance as he walked to her. “I—uh, I think I left without a proper excuse. Honestly, I don’t know what came over me. I’m very sorry. It was rude of me”

“Don’t sweat it, I figured you had something burning in the oven” She giggled

“Speaking of, I had this idea, but if you’re too busy, then, maybe—”

“Spit it out already!” Her smiled widened, which almost made Sam stutter

“Would you like to come to my house tomorrow? We could have breakfast, I make killer pancakes...and maybe walk around town after…I mean if you like”

Dahlia raised her eyebrows, but was quick to disguise her excitement

“I love pancakes”

“Awesome. Tomorrow at 10 AM. My mom will be in her aerobics class and my little brother will be with his teacher.”

“So, you’re saying… we’ll be alone?” He nodded confidently before realizing the implication of that setting.

“I mean—we could not, uh, do that and just walk around, maybe go to Seb’s…”

“No, no. I’ll be there. 10 AM sharp”

“Cool” He noticed she was all geared up and ready to leave her farm

“I won’t steal any more of your time. See you tomorrow” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left running, as he did earlier.

She wanted to ask him to walk with her to the mountains but seeing him leave in such a haste made her realize he was way more nervous than her about their growing friendship and decided to give him space.

On her way to the mines, she tried thinking about something else that wasn’t Sam, but his face appeared from time to time in her mind. After an hour of exploring, she gave up to her exhaustion. She decided to cut her labor short and head for a quick shower and a cup of tea. She trusted her feet to guide her back home, since she was too busy drifting away back to Sam’s. In her mind, he was still standing there. The beautiful blue front contrasted with his blond hair. His eyes smiled along with his mouth, and she could swear she heard his laughter echoing softly in the distance. She didn’t even dare to pretend she didn’t like him. She tried to find something, anything that she didn’t like about him but just like her adventuring inside the caves, it was a lost cause. Before she could notice, she stumbled upon the steps to her house.

Chapter Text

After showering, she turned on the TV and let the Queen of Sauce yap about pancakes while she made herself a cup of tea and sat on her bed, both amused and annoyed by the recipe choice for that day. She took small sips trying to figure out whether it was fate, Yoba or plain coincidence, but she took it as a sign.

If only there was somebody I could talk about this, she thought while bringing the mug close against her face, trying to mimic the warmth of his lips against her cheeks when he kissed her goodbye.

“Enough” She huffed and stood up to wash the mug

“Why do I do this to myself? I should focus on my work, there’s so much to do, and I can’t fall for distractions. What would Eleanor think?” She paused for a moment “She probably doesn’t remember me anymore”

Eleanor had been a close coworker from JojaCorp. They got along well, though they never socialized outside office hours because they lived far away from each other and neither of them had enough time or money to spare. She reached for her little notebook to check if she still had her phone number.

“It’s too late to go to Robin’s anyway…I should just stop behaving like a baby and take it as it comes” she said to herself as she put away her notebook and went back to bed.

The following morning, three knocks on the door startled her. She got up and opened the door.

“Oh, I’m very sorry to wake you up, I know it’s early, but—"

“No, no… it’s okay” She interrupted her rambling “Hi, uh…Marnie, right?”

“Yes, we met the other day, remember?"

"No yeah, I remember" She said, rubbing her eyes "I'm not very good with names, sorry"

"Look miss Dahlia--"

“Just Dahlia, please"

"Dahlia. We don’t know each other that well yet, but I’m here with a favor to ask…”

"I will help in any way I can”

“Well, some days ago a kitten appeared on our ranch. There’s no sign of its mother or any of its littermates. I don’t know where it came from, but we can’t have it there. My niece insists on keeping it, but we’re currently at our full capacity. I was wondering if you could offer it a good home?”

As soon as Marnie showed her the tiny, fluffy black cat, Dahlia held out her arms to take hold of it

“Oh my gosh, look at this baby!!” She squealed in excitement “Of course I’ll take it, it’s like you answered my prayers. Thank you, Marnie”

“I knew you were an animal lover; I could tell when I first saw you”

“I really do, I’m planning to keep chickens soon, but I want to learn about it first, I wouldn’t want to kill them in their first week”

“Invest in a coop and then we can talk chicken business” Marnie was leaving when Dahlia had an idea

“Marnie, may I use your phone?”

“Of course, follow me”

“Awesome. Hold on” Dahlia went inside with the kitten and came back carrying her small notebook and a plastic bag full of hot peppers

“This is for you. As gratitude for the little bug and for letting me use your phone”

“Oh, they’re wonderful” She squinted as she looked inside the bag “Shane’s going to love them”

“Is he your husband?”

“No, no” Marnie laughed “He’s my nephew. Shane has been staying at my place the last few months. He helps me out with the chickens”

“Family in a place like yours must be so valuable. I’m glad you have a helper”

“He’s great company, too…most of the time. We have our issues, but I would be so lonely if Shane ever moved out”

“He sounds like a good person”

“He is” Marnie looked back at the bag of hot peppers and smiled a bit “He really is”

They finally reached the ranch. A big wooden structure made to house a variety of farm animals “Well, would you look at his place!” Dahlia exclaimed “how long do you think it’d take me to have a place like this?”

“Four, maybe five years? It really depends on your discipline, determination, and luck”

“I was lucky enough to inherit my grandpa’s farm, I don’t know how much luckier I can get”

“We’ll just have you wait and see. We live close by if you ever need a hand”

“Thanks, Marnie. I’m truly amazed at how nice everyone is around here. It’s like living in Paradise”

“Well, come in” Marnie quickly invited her “You can call whoever you want but please, make it quick”

“I promise it will be quick; I have a da--- uh appointment!... at 10”

“Going to see Doctor Harvey?”

“Who?”

“Harvey is the Town’s doctor… I thought by appointment you meant a medical check-up”

“Oh, I mean, I guess I have to schedule one, but no…I’m meeting a friend I made a few days ago”

Marnie kept quiet, hoping Dahlia would disclose her friend’s identity. Instead, she just smiled awkwardly back at her.

“So, it’s an old phone, you have to make sure you pressed the buttons, sometimes they get stuck” She blurted and walked down the corridor.

Dahlia opened her small notebook and dialed the number of the closest thing she had to a friend back in the city.

“Thank you for calling JojaCorp, this is Eleanor, how may I help you today?” A cheery, yet robotic voice picked up.

“Eleanor, it’s Dahlia!”

“Dahlia? DAHLIA!” Eleanor’s voice regained her personality “How have you been, I haven’t heard from you in forever since you lost your mind and quit”

“I’m definitely better” Dahlia laughed “I’ve been working on my grandpa’s old farm. It’s still a mess, but I’m hopeful I can make it work. How are you? How are things out there?”

“Ugh, a bore-fest as usual…I mean, karaoke night last Thursday was fun, but Friday hangover wasn’t” They laughed “Anything fun in your faraway tiny town?”

“Eleanor, I think I have a date…”

“Shut up, really!?” she squeaked “Tell me EVERYTHING”

“He’s an old acquaintance, although I don't know him at all, we used to play together when we were kids and--"

"Cool story, but what's he like?" Eleanor interrupted her

"Oh, well, he's tall…blond…he plays the guitar, and I think he sings, too”

“Dal, a musician? Come on, you can do better”

“I’m not going to marry him, he just invited me over for breakfast, is all”

“When?”

“In uh…” Dahlia checked her watch “about half an hour”

“I can’t believe it you lucky, lucky girl”

“I just wanted to tell you…”

“I’m so happy you called; you have to invite me over and introduce me to your musician boyfriend some time” She teased

“Quit it, Elle, you’re on company time”

“Whatever, I’m saving your number so I can call you from home”

“This is my neighbor’s phone, I don’t have one of my own just yet”

“I’m still calling you; you won’t get rid of me so easily!”

“I’m counting on that”

“Well, go on! You have to get ready for your breakfast date, friend! I’ll call you tonight, mwah”

She hung up before Dahlia could say anything. Something in her rushed words told her Eleanor was about to get scolded for answering personal calls during company time.

She left Marnie’s ranch and ran back to her place with a list of to-dos she quickly finished before rushing to Sam’s.

Dahlia knocked on the beautiful mahogany door at 1 Willow Lane, but nobody answered.

She tried again with no success.

“Have you been here long?” His voice startled her “I went out to get some things, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting”

“No, not at all, I actually thought I was running late” They smiled to each other long enough for Dahlia to feel weird “Well, uh…I’d love to see the inside of your house”

“Right, right” Sam shook his head. He used his key to open the door and entered “Make yourself at home”

“Your house is really pretty, Sam. Thanks for inviting me”

“Thank you for accepting” He winked, making her heart skip a beat.

“So, uh…breakfast, huh?”

“Yeah, I got some flour to make you pancakes…”

“I've been thinking about those”

“Good because they’re my best dish…also my only dish”

“What do you mean your only dish, you must know more recipes”

“I only cook when I’m alone. My mom doesn’t let us use the kitchen too often”

“Cooking is a vital skill, though. She must have taught you the basics”

“She did, but we can hardly practice. I’ve been cooking in secret for as long as I can remember, but I’m satisfied if I can feed my brother whenever he’s hungry and mom isn’t around”

“You’re sweet”

Sam’s cheeks ran hot for a second. He quickly turned to the sink to wash his hands

“Anyways, aren’t you too young to run a farm by yourself?” He quickly changed the topic

“If you feel 26 is young…”

“26! Wow, that’s older than I thought”

“Are you calling me old?”

“No, no, I mean—You already stablished you were older than me”

“…How old are you?” Dahlia scoffed

“I’m 24” He shrugged before opening the fridge door to reach for a couple of eggs “I’ve been told I’m baby-faced but—”

When he looked up at Dahlia, she had already walked closer to him

“24 isn’t that young either” She interrupted him “But I have to admit I envy your face”

“How so?” Sam noticed her small smirk as she ran her thumb against his cheekbone.

“It’s so soft…I bet your lips are softer” She stood on her toes to reach for his mouth only to hear a cracking sound on the floor.

“Shit, sorry” Sam knelt to clean the broken egg “What a mess, I’m really sorry”

“It’s okay, don’t worry, it cleans easily” Dahlia knelt in front of him and tried to calm him down right before they heard the front door closing

“Sam? Is that you in the kitchen?” A voice called

“Dahlia, please, follow my lead” He whispered

“What?”

“Just play along” he insisted, panic overflowing in his hushed voice.

“Fine!” They stood up and revealed the smashed egg and the mess in their hands from trying to clean it up.

“This is absolutely terrible! What happened?”

“Hi mom, this is Dahlia” Sam said trying his best not to yell in fear.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am”

“Likewise. I’m Jodi” She stated swiftly, determined to stay on topic “What happened to my kitchen floor, Sam?”

“Well, uh—” Dahlia glanced at Sam, he seemed frozen and scared.

“I’m sorry ma’am, it’s my fault” She quickly said “Sam was teaching me how to make pancakes. He handed me that egg and I dropped it. I'm too clumsy for kitchen work, I guess”

Jodi stared at Dahlia for some seconds before shifting her glance to her son.

“Y-yeah, that’s exactly what happened” He nodded, gaining a bit of confidence in his friend’s lie.

After a few seconds, Jodi took a deep breath and turned to Dahlia

“Thanks for telling me the truth. It’s really not such a big deal if you clean it fast”

“I’m really sorry about this, mom, I’ll clean it up”

Her son's words melted her heart and softened her smile

“Thanks, honey” She said “I’ll be in the living room”

Sam knelt again to clean.

Dahlia thought of running away for a split second as she glanced at Jodi and back at Sam. She decided to stay and help.

“Sam, I feel terrible. I ruined it” She whispered handing Sam a paper towel.

“You didn’t ruin anything” He laughed, cleaning the rest of the mess

“I did! If I hadn’t been so forward, this wouldn’t have happened”

Sam looked at her straight to her eyes before leaning in without hesitation to press a kiss on her lips for a solid, but endless second.

“I’m glad you were,” he whispered, bashful but sure of his words. “I didn’t think I’d actually kiss you today, but I’ve wanted to since the first time I saw you.”

Dahlia’s heart was racing. Neither of them had planned their sort of date would take that turn. The floor was completely clean, but they appeared to be suspended in time. She didn’t know what to say.

“Sam, I need to go, I—” She finally mumbled only to be interrupted by her friend

“Yeah, no, I get it”

“It’s just that I have work to do and—”

“Let me walk you to the door at least” he said as he helped her up

As soon as their hands touched, they realized they had cleaned everything but themselves. They laughed and took turns to wash their hands in the sink and walked out the door right after.

“It was nice meeting you, ma'am”

“You too, Dahlia, and please, no more of that ma'am foolishness, it's Jodi. Sam’s friends are always welcome” The girl let out a relieved sigh adorned with a small grin

"Bye, Jodi"

Once out, Sam closed the door behind him and grabbed Dahlia’s hand.

“I need to see you again” He pulled her closer to him

“You will” She assured him “but when I said I needed to go back, I meant it. I got a kitten today and I didn’t leave any food or water for him, so you understand I need to run”

“I understand” he repeated before she gave him a small peck on his cheek

“I’ll be seeing you” she said, turning around and running back to her farm.

Chapter Text

Mornings at the Ranch are usually calm. Everyday Marnie gets up and helps Jas get ready. She wakes Shane up, oftentimes with some difficulty.

She understands the current state of his world is practically ruins. He hasn’t been able to recover from the accident that left Jas orphaned years ago. Despite being evident, it’s hard for him to admit that some days he needs a little push, so Marnie does her best to make his nephew understand he’s not alone.

One day, trying to think of ways to help him get a healthy daily routine, she decided that at least once a week, she’s going to wake up extra early to cook something special for her family.

Jas was especially happy about it when her aunt made her plum pudding or served her a slice of pink cake. Cake for breakfast was her idea of a perfect morning. Other days, she wasn’t so stoked about the food on the table, particularly if it was scrambled eggs with a touch of spring onion or fruit salad, but those days she focused on enjoying the company of her family. Seeing his uncle Shane smile at her still half asleep made her entire morning.

Shane, on the other hand, could see Marnie’s intentions behind those weekly morning feasts.

Every Saturday morning, he’d wake up to Marnie’s knock on his bedroom door. Most of the time it’d take him a couple of minutes to open his eyes, sit on his bed and stretch. He’d put on some clothes and walk to the kitchen. There, he’d find the little family he still had left.

“Morning uncle Shane” Jas would usually greet him in a cheery voice “do you want some eggs? You can have them all if you want”

“Thanks, kiddo” he’d answer offering her a smile to let her know she was one of the few things that have kept him alive so far.

“How did you sleep last night?” Marnie would ask, already knowing his usual uninterested

“Same old, same old” He’d answer

They’d continue to eat their breakfast, enjoying each other’s company in comfortable silence.

There were darker days, though. One particularly difficult morning was a specially hot Saturday. The summer sun woke Shane up with its rays shining from his window and directly into his face. He tossed and turned on his bed, trying to find an angle comfortable enough to keep sleeping but he ended sitting up, groaning in frustration.

If that wasn’t enough, three knocks on his door startled him.

“Shane! Breakfast!”

He scratched his face, looking around his room; one big mess he tried to fix countless times. Eventually, he deemed this task pointless because sooner than later chaos always found him.

He reached down to a half empty can of beer and took a swig to ease the dryness in his mouth. He remembered Harvey telling him that his problem was just a consequence of heavy alcohol consumption during his annual check up. He chuckled bitterly at the irony before taking another sip. It didn’t bother him it had gone completely flat overnight. A disappointing drink to celebrate a disappointing life, he thought.

Three more knocks on his door made him roll his eyes, fall on his back and push a pillow against his face.

“Shane” Marnie insisted “Jas is already eating and your coffee is getting cold”

“That’s OK, I’m not hungry” he answered

Marnie sighed

“Please, you need to eat”

“I’ll eat later, Marnie, go away”

Marnie looked at Jas, worried she might have heard it. Her niece looked back at her, smiling.

“Jas, darling, Miss Penny will be waiting for you. Go. Don’t forget your pencils this time”

“Yes, aunt Marnie” the little girl ran to her room to get her supplies and left the ranch waving goodbye.

Once Jas left, Marnie tried a completely different approach.

“Shane, open this door. We need to talk” she said in that stern voice she hardly ever used “Now”

Seconds later, the door opened and the heavy air hit her in the face.

“I swear… Would it kill you to open a widow?” She asked looking around the cluttered space.

“I would have tried that long ago” he mumbled, turning his head away.

“I heard that, young man”

“I’m almost thirty, Marnie, I’m not a young man”

“Then why do you insist in behaving like a dumb teen?” She opened the windows to let the fresh air in.

Shane huffed and sat on his armchair with his beer can on his hand. She started taking out the bed sheets and putting them away along with a small pile of Shane’s dirty clothes.

“Marnie, no-what are you doing? I was going to-” he hurriedly tried to stop her, afraid she might find something embarrassing.

“Then do it, I have a whole ranch to manage and I’m wasting time doing things that are entirely your responsibility”

Her words stopped him in his tracks. Did she really just say that?

“Nobody asked you to waste your time on me! Why are you always like this?” he yelled.

“Because I worry about you, Shane!” she answered, matching the volume of his voice. She took away the beer from his hands and held it to his face “THIS. This makes me worried” Shane was too ashamed too even look at her but she still searched for his eyes “you didn’t think I haven’t noticed all these around your room, or well hidden in the trashcan? How long do you think before Jas finds out?”

The sole mention of her goddaughter made him lash out.

“GET OFF MY DICK, MARNIE, YOU’RE NOT MY MOTHER”

She interrupted his yelling with a slap across the face so hard, it made him lose balance. She stiffened up while Shane pursed his lips, trying his best not to cry.

“If that is the language you want to speak to me, that’s fine. Let me put it into words you can understand: If you don’t get your shit together soon, you will hurt Jas and I will not allow you to do that. She’s already lost her parents and I will not just stand here seeing how she loses her godfather, too” She made him look at her and spoke in a softer voice “I might not be your mother but she gave me the responsibility of taking care of you and you have the same responsibility to Jas. I love you like you’re my own son. You both are so young and gone through so much that I can’t stand the idea of seeing any of you in pain, so please-” she sighed to hide the little break in her voice" please, promise me you’ll get better.

Shane fell silent since she hit him. All her words made sense, of course, but he was too ashamed to say anything in return.

He nodded and finally looked at her, with tears in his eyes “I’m trying…” he whispered before she held him to help him cry “I’m really trying, but it’s so hard, I can’t…I can’t” he sobbed onto her shoulder

“Oh, little one… of course you can. You’re capable of so much”

She walked him to the kitchen. Shane sat down in his usual place and Marnie poured some fresh black coffee in his cup as he started eating his scrambled eggs

“I know you came to this town unwillingly at first, but during all this time you have met so many people that care about you. I’ve seen you with Emily and Sam. They’re kind and fun and you seem happier when they’re around , but you never really hang out much with them. Even Lewis asks about you sometimes… Imagine how much they can help if you’d let them in”

“What did you put in the eggs?”

Shane’s question caught her off guard.

“Uh, just the usual, eggs, salt, a little bit of butter, oh! And some chili peppers to give it a little more flavor”

“I didn’t know we had chili peppers…” he managed to say with his mouth full

“That new girl Dahlia from the old farm brought them. She’s been around the valley giving samples of her first harvest”

“I’ve never seen her” he shrugged, washing down his meal with coffee “she’s got good produce, though”

“She came here yesterday morning. You were asleep, thats why you didn’t see her, but I think you’d be good friends. She's planning on keeping chickens, but she’s afraid she won’t be able to take care of them. Maybe you could teach her?” she elbowed him with a giggle before she began to clear the table.

“Marnie, please” he sighed half amused, half annoyed.

“That’s aunt Marnie for you” she kissed the top of his head while she passed behind him “don’t you forget again”

“I won’t” he mumbled into his cup, smiling to himself.

Chapter Text

Long summer days lasted enough for every kind of task Dahlia would think of. From dawn to dusk, she’d be out preparing the soil for new crops, sowing seeds, watering the sprouts and harvesting ripe produce. She barely made time to spend with her new friends at the Saloon, not because she didn’t want to, but because when she realized she wanted to, it was already late. She was used to working in an ongoing flow without distractions. No people talking to her, no music, just work.

Days were reduced to only that.  Wash up, breakfast, work, work, work, lunch, work work some more, dinner, and fall asleep to the weather channel until she’d wake up in the middle of the night to turn off the TV and continue sleeping.

After she fell asleep one night, she opened her eyes and saw herself in her eleven-year-old body. She felt a presence nearby, but she couldn’t see who she was, nor could she smell anything that would give her a clue and still she could recognize who that presence was.

“Mom?”

The presence said nothing, but she felt a familiar warmth. She smiled as she felt her tender embrace, and even when she believed she was home for a second, there was a hidden discomfort that wouldn’t let her enjoy the moment.

“If she hadn’t been born, none of this would have happened. We would have been happy!”

Little by little, that feeling of security faded away and a sense of uncertainty filled the air around her.

“Get out” She mumbled, looking around, trying to gleam anything from the darkness. Just across from her, shadows began to take a tall, slim masculine form.

“Get OUT” She demanded the impending nothingness radiating from the now distinct figure of her father.

A new embrace surrounded her. She tossed and turned, trying to escape the voice she had dreaded for the past fifteen years.

“No matter how hard you try, girl. You’re always going to be this. Just this…little insignificant pebble in my shoe”

“Shut up!” She puffed out her chest, trying her best to keep her grit.

“And as insignificant as you are, you still managed to get the only person that mattered to me in the world”

“I didn’t kill her!”

“YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME!”

“Mom! Come back, mom, please!” She screamed

“You’ll pay for what you did, girl”

“Mom” She pleaded in a shrill voice, flailing her arms around to dissipate the harrowing figure about to absorb her

Suddenly, the energy around her became lighter. Her father’s voice was still around her, but now it was an echo every time more distant

“I did try to love you, Dahlia…but you were so goddamn difficult to love…you know I tried but you’re destined to live and die alone”

“Mom, please” She cried softly “Please, make him leave”

“That’s how you’ll pay, girl” The echo finally stopped, leaving her weeping softly into the old pillow she was holding the whole time.

The pounding of her own heart inside her chest woke her up. She was drenched in sweat and her cheeks were damp with tears.

When she moved to the valley, one of her biggest hopes was to get rid of her nightmares. Every time her father showed up in her dreams, she woke up so tired, all she could do was stay in bed all day. Of course, living a corporate life clashed with that idea, and she had to get up and go about her day pretending she hadn’t seen a ghost the previous night.

When she opened her eyes and found herself in her own place, birds chirping outside, she ran her hands through her face, clearing away her tears and sat up. She silently thanked the heavens she didn’t have to go sit in a cubicle for the following eight hours.

All she wanted was to stay in bed the whole day, but duty called that Tuesday morning. She had to check her growing crops and right after that she had to go downtown for her first medical check-up.

However, no day could start without a trusty cup of black coffee. She sat on the edge of her bed with a heavy sigh.

She couldn’t stop hearing her father’s threatening prophecies. Closing her eyes, she tried to take a series of deep breaths to ease the anxiety building up inside. Unfortunately, it was too late for preventive measures, and she quickly lost control of her breathing, her heart started racing again.

She hoisted herself up from the bed, rushed to run the sink, pushed down the stopper and waited for the basin to fill up.  The only thing that would calm her down was to dip her head in cold water. The colder the better.

She dove her head and stayed there for half a minute in hopes she’d drown the voices and be at peace with herself once again. After those long seconds had passed, she pushed her hair back and slapped her cheeks three times with her palms.

“Right…Coffee”

She cleared her throat and let the water drain out, pretending none of that had happened.

She poured herself a hot cup and walked out of the cottage to sit on the steps. She could see her small flower garden and the different patches of blueberries, hot peppers, and corn. Some were growing faster than others but all of them were in good health.

A small shriek-like meow startled her

“Buggie, where were you? It would have been kind of you to wake me up”

The kitten’s only response was a loud constant purr as he flopped onto her lap. She smiled down at him, scratching him behind the ears.

“Don’t get too comfy, boy. I have to go to town today. I’ll try to be here by lunchtime”

--

After a quick shower to rinse off the nasty reminders of her awful night, she put on clean clothes and headed towards the small clinic by Pierre’s.

When she stepped into the building, a bell announced her arrival

“Welcome” A young woman walked to the counter “You must be Dahlia. Dr. Harvey’s nine thirty”

“Yes, I am” Dahlia sat down in one of the chairs in the waiting room while the woman scribbled some lines on her clipboard

“You’re punctual. I like that” She mumbled, not looking up.

“Thanks?” Dahlia didn’t know what else to say to the weird compliment.

“Sorry” She put her pen down and gave her an apologetic smile “Some patients don’t come to their checkups at all. I’m Maru. I work part-time here”

“Nice to meet you” Dahlia forced a smile and quickly looked away. She couldn’t hide her anxiety building up again. A heavy sigh filled the silence between the two of them

“Are you alright?” Maru asked, ready to start the first aid protocol

“It’s nothing, really. It’s just…it’s my first checkup in ages. I guess I’m a little nervous. My stomach hurts like crazy”

“You’re also visibly shaking” Maru walked to her with a glass of water “Drink this. In the meantime, maybe I can tell you what to expect, so you don’t stress too much about it. What do you say?”

“okay” She made a conscious effort to stop her right leg from bouncing.

“So, after he calls you in, he’s going to tell you to sit, and he’s going to ask things”

“Things? What things?” Dahlia frowned

“Personal information mostly, but nothing without medical reasons”

“Okay…and then?”

“And then…”

“Maru, send in the next patient, please” a voice called making Maru and Dahlia turn their heads

“Um, don’t worry you’ll be fine” Maru turned back to Dahlia with a sympathetic smile.

“I trust you” Dahlia handed the glass over and stood up from her seat.

Walking towards the doctor’s consultation room felt like walking to the principal’s office back at school for some reason. She really didn’t want to be there, but she understood it was necessary. She was living there by herself. Nobody was going to save her if she got in some kind of danger. She was alone.

“Alone” She muttered just before entering, and the sole word made her stomach churn

“Morning, miss Dahlia. I’m doctor Harvey. Please have a seat. We’re just going to confirm the data you gave us when you came to register”

“okay” Dahlia muttered

“Full name?”

“Dahlia Sybil Straud”

“Date of Birth?”

“Eighth of August 1972”

“You left two items blank… you don’t have neither a phone number nor an emergency contact number”

“I don’t have anyone...” A heavy sigh interrupted her in the middle of her sentence and her leg started bouncing again “uh, no number for either of those just yet…”

“I can see we are a little nervous. I’ll tell Maru to get some water for you”

“Okay”

As doctor Harvey stood up and walked out of the office, Dahlia rubbed her face with her hands, feeling furious at herself for not keeping it together. It was a normal checkup, after all, she had had tons of those in the past. She knew nothing out of the ordinary was going to happen.

Dr. Harvey came back with a tall glass of water, which she received with a forced smile and a small ‘thank you’ out of her mouth.

“Now, we will continue with some personal questions but only when you feel ready, okay? Don’t feel pressured to answer to any question that makes you uncomfortable, but I want you to know that all these questions have a medical reason. Our final goal is to seek the best options to keep you in good shape, okay?”

“Yes, thank you, doctor” She took a long sip and nodded “Please continue”

“Alright…first question: What brings you in today?”

“I, uh—I want to know if I’m in good health in order to run my farm”

“Occupation, farmer…” Dr Harvey muttered as he typed her response “Have you ever had any medical problems?”

“I had asthma when I was a kid, but I don’t have it now, I don’t know if that counts” She shrugged

“Ever had any surgeries…?”

“No”

“Ever been hospitalized?”

“I don’t think so…”

“Any medications you are currently taking?”

“No…?”

“Any allergies?”

“No…”

“Do you smoke any cigars, cigarettes or use any tobacco products?”

“No…”

“Do you drink alcohol?”

“…Yeah…”

“How frequently do you drink alcohol?”

“I don’t know, it depends on the mood…”

“Okay, but when you are in the mood, how many drinks you would say you typically have?”

“I don’t know, doc” she sighed before stuttering to give him an honest answer “about five… six?”

“Mhm…” She felt a subtle judgment in his interjection “and have you ever felt the need to cut down on your drinking?”

“No. Never”

Dahlia left the half-empty glass on the end table by her chair, wondering to herself how much more of that she was willing to take.

“Do you use alcohol to steady your nerves, has drinking ever interfered with your social or work life?”

“I don’t have a drinking problem, doctor” She stated, notably worked up about the follow-up questions. Dr. Harvey seemed unphased by her raised voice.

“Do you use any recreational drugs?”

“What are you? A narc?” She scoffed, sitting back and crossing her arms

“Rather…not…say” Dr. Harvey typed, his eyes fixed on the computer screen. She just knew he was having the time of his life deep inside.

“Are we done now?”

“Bear with me, please…we’re almost finished”

“Fine”

“Are you sexually active?”

“Doctor-!”

“Again, medical purposes. You can choose not to answer”

“I am and no; before you ask I am completely clean. No illnesses”

“Aside from that, do you use any kind of contraception methods?”

“I, uh-yes”

“Okay…” He kept typing “What kind?”

“I’m on the pill…”

“Great!” He finally looked at her with a kind smile “Now onto the next part. Tell me about your family”

“What about my family?” She countered rather defensively

“Just tell me in a few words what your family medical history is”

“I mean, I don’t know…my mom died of a heart related illness…I don’t know much about it, only that it was very fast” She took another sip of her water as Dr. Harvey quickly typed the information into his database program

“Please, continue…”

“Uh…” She paused trying to think hard about it “My dad, he… we used to have issues, but…I mean, I’m not sure he was sick or what, but after my mom died he used to take some pills, I never knew what they were for, he wasn’t much of a talker…then he uh hang himself”

Dr. Harvey stopped his typing to look at his patient

“I am very sorry to hear that”

“It’s okay” She dismissed it with another shrug.

He squinted his eyes slightly, nodded a went back to his computer screen. He took some seconds to make sure he was entering everything correctly into the database “We’re almost done”

“Thankfully” Dahlia muttered pretending to remove dirt from under her nails, her leg hadn’t stopped shaking and she was ready to flee

“Any symptoms or unexpected changes in your routine since you changed your lifestyle?”

“Like what…?”

“Moving from a big city to a small town has its challenges and consequences”

“Well, I have always had recurring nightmares, and I thought I stopped when I came here, but now I’m having them here as well and I wake up too fatigued to do anything”

“Interesting, and frankly concerning” He moved away from his computer and gave her his complete attention “Would you like to talk about it?”

“About my dream—?”

“Yes, talking about it can help making the bad dreams go away”

 She rubbed her hands together and pursed her lips

“Well, in this dream I can’t see anything, I just know I’m with my mom and then she’s not there and I hear this voice –” Her voice stopped coming out, though her lips were still moving trying to form the words she wanted to say.

Dr. Harvey frowned. He could see in her empty gaze something was amiss.

“Dahlia…?”

“Doc, I- don’t know, I can’t—” She stumbled upon her own words. In a second, he sat down beside her and gently pressed his fingers to her wrist. As he was trying to take her pulse, he noticed her chest moving rapidly “I can’t breathe” She gasped

“Listen to me, Dahlia. You’re having a panic attack” His voice was calm and collected, but Dahlia wouldn’t respond. She was lost in herself, mumbling voiceless words.  He shifted his position so he was in her field of view and took both of her hands to shake them softly “Listen, Dahlia, this will pass soon. Panic attacks can be painful and scary, but remember you are safe. Look at me, we are going to take big breaths now. Okay?” He inhaled and exhaled a couple of times before she actually looked at him “In ...and out” He continued modeling until she followed along, her hands still damp and shaking in his.

“Doc, I’m sorry…” She slurred

“Don’t talk, just breathe. Let’s focus on slowing down for now, okay?”

Dahlia nodded and exhaled with difficulty.

“That’s it, exhale long…and breathe again, you’re doing well” Harvey’s volume never rose, he made sure his voice was gentle and steady. They continued breathing together for a couple of minutes until she regained control of her respiration.

She could still feel her heart trying to climb up her throat but at least her attention was in his hands swaying hers at a rhythmical pacing. She closed her eyes shut when she felt a stabbing chest pain coming and fading quickly.

“Look at me, Dahlia” He reminded her “Remember, there’s no danger”

“It hurts…”

“Keep breathing, you can do this. You’re safe”

She obeyed.

“As you breathe I want you to look around. Can you do that for me?”

Dahlia inhaled sharply and looked at the ceiling. Then, she slowly tilted her head to scan the room

“Good. I want you to name three things you can see in this office”

“I see…” She moved her eyes, trying to fix her gaze in singular objects rather than colors and lines mixing up together “I see a—a bookshelf”

“Yes, that’s one, continue…”

“I see a window”

“One more, Dahlia”

“Computer”

“Perfect. You did great” A genuinely proud smile appeared in his lips. He slowly let go of her right hand, but continued rocking the left one “Now, close your eyes. We are looking for three sounds you can hear.”

She followed his instructions and focused on the different sounds in and outside the building. She felt the warmth of the morning sunshine coming in from the window accompanied by the most delightful song of nature

“Birds chirping….”

Outside their office, Maru was cleaning and sterilizing medical equipment.

“Clatter… metallic clanking”

“And one more, please” He requested finally letting go of her left hand. Dahlia was too busy searching for sounds to notice

She could recognize the constant humming of the fluorescent lights above them. Only these were way lower than the ones at JojaCorp.

“The lights. I can hear the lights”

“How are we feeling now?”

Dahlia looked back at him realizing he had just grounded her.

“Better, doc. Thanks” She nodded “I’m really sorry about that”

“Don’t be sorry. Panic attacks happen without warning and sometimes it’s hard to find the trigger” He explained “If they come back, remember to remain calm. They don’t usually last long, but they can be intense”

“Noted”

Dr. Harvey stood up and went to a small sink to wash and dry his hands.

“Are these episodes frequent?” he asked, sitting back at his desk chair

“No…I haven’t had one in a long time and certainly not like this”

“We need to find what’s causing them and in case they become recurrent, I might need to refer you to a mental health professional in the city so you can get the necessary treatment”

“Thank you, doc”

“And of course, you need to schedule a follow-up appointment so we can see how this evolves”

“…may I go now?”

Dr. Harvey smiled and nodded.

“Yes, Dahlia. Remember to take care of yourself. I’ll see you in two weeks”

Dahlia hurriedly exited the clinic, barely saying goodbye to Maru on her way out.

Chapter Text

After leaving the clinic as if she was escaping a haunted house, Dahlia began walking back to her cottage. She had promised Bug she’d be there by lunchtime, and it was almost midday.

There was too much going on inside her mind to notice whether she was hungry or not. Without lunch plans in sight, her thoughts led her to her crops.

Having forgotten her early morning watering duties, she despaired thinking the slowly growing produce was about to die of thirst and hurried her steps back to the farm.

She picked up her watering can and absentmindedly went over each bush and sprout, but after several minutes, she found herself working automatically, just like in the Joja days.

Focus, she thought as she grabbed the weed puller and started cleaning around.

Or is it that you still can’t do a simple task without ruining it? The words filling up her mind now were starting to have a familiar voice. A voice she didn’t want to keep hearing.

Maybe a homemade lobotomy will get me some peace and quiet, she considered, looking at the weed puller in her hand. She dismissed the idea the instant she got it and let the tool fall to the ground.

She remembered Harvey’s calming words so she could stop herself from spiraling.

Doctor Harvey. A perfect stranger, no matter how knowledgeable, was still a stranger and she had to go and show her most vulnerable side inside his office and during the first time they ever met, no less.

Dahlia clenched her hand into a fist until her nails dug deep into her palm, feeling stupid for not being able to control her emotions. She couldn’t even understand why they hurt so much, nor why she felt unworthy of even the littlest grain of compassion.

What’s the point of going over all that?

She hated self-pity.

Drying the tears that were starting to roll down her eyes, Dahlia went to the small shed and picked up her axe. She figured it was time to let out some steam by chopping down a couple of trees.

Yes, this is definitely working, she encouraged herself.

Time had a way of flying by when she had an axe in her hands. Cutting down oak trees didn’t require much technique, according to her. Chopping was all there was to it. Dahlia could center herself while bashing the metal against the trunks. The first strike would always mark her focus point and from there the only thing she had to do was breathe and strike. Once, twice, three times, as many times it took her to bring it down. The echoing of her hard labor in every corner of her farm soon reminded her how lonely she truly was.

Not this shit again, she huffed pressing a hand on her chest, Why can’t I escape all this?

She threw the axe to the ground with an exasperated groan and sat down.

She wanted to call Eleanor and tell her everything. They weren’t even the closest of friends and still she thought she was the only one who’d understand.

Then again, would she?

Her mind traveled to Sam’s beaming smile. She couldn’t possibly burden him with her struggles.

Trauma-dumping him when we’re just starting to get to know one another. He doesn’t deserve that.

No, Eleanor was her final answer. She’d have to go to Marnie’s once more.

She lay there a little longer, planning the rest of the evening, hoping her neighbor wouldn’t mind her bothering them once more.

--

That night, Dahlia closed the door of her cottage and walked towards the Ranch. Bug was following her right behind, meowing occasionally.

“Buggie, why didn’t you stay home, you needy piece of soot?”

Bug’s meows became louder and longer.

Dahlia knocked on Marnie’s door and waited. When there was no answer, she hesitated before knocking once more.

“Marnie! Hi…” she greeted the woman when she opened the door.

“Hello, dear, it’s so nice to see you here. Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, great,” she lied, “I just need to use your phone really quick, if you don’t mind.”

“Come on in!” Marnie noticed Bug running into her house. “I see you didn’t come alone.”

“Yeah, sorry. Buggie tagged along. I couldn’t say no.”

“Don’t worry about it. You know where the phone is. I’m going to be in the kitchen if you need anything”

“Thanks.” She dialed Eleanor’s number and waited for her to pick up.

“Hey, I’m not home, but if you leave a message maybe I will call you back, or not!”

She tried again.

“Hey, I’m not home, but if you leave a message maybe I will call you back, or not!”

“Eleanor for fuck’s sake, I need to talk to you!” she yelled after the beep.

She dialed again, just in case.

“Hey, I’m not home, but if you leave a message maybe I will cal—”

“Ah, fuck you!” She yelled again, hanging up. The outrage in the living room made Marnie peek into the corridor, where her neighbor was pacing back and forth, fighting back tears of frustration.

“Are you alright, dear?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…I’m okay.” she repeated between sniffles and a fake smile, “I’m just a little tired”

Being vulnerable to the town’s doctor was one thing, but she couldn’t let two people feel pity for her in a single day. There’s no way she’d let that happen.

“Why don’t you come inside and have a cup of tea with me?”

“Oh, no… no, thank you very much for your kindness, but I really need to get back home.”

“Come on, Dallie…” Dahlia’s heart sunk to her stomach for a second, “it’ll do you good.”

She nodded. Her effort to hold back the tears made her head throb.

She felt weirdly comfortable around Marnie, especially when she called her the way she did. For a solid second, she felt at home.

“I really don’t want to be a bother, Marnie, it’s okay.” she said as Marnie poured her tea in a precious hand-painted mug.

“Nonsense, girl. I need company, too. Jas is playing in her room and Shane’s out, probably at the Saloon. Who knows when he’ll arrive…”

She put a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table and continued.

“Living here can be lonely sometimes. Is that what you’re going through?”

“Yeah, kind of…” she sighed and took a sip of her mug. The tea was slightly spiced up with cinnamon and nutmeg, “It’s a bit of everything, you know? It was an incredibly long day…my visit to the clinic gave me a lot to think about.”

“Really?”

“I feel a sort of homesickness…which is weird because my home wasn’t really a home. My childhood wasn’t the best. I mean, I learned a lot of things growing up, but I’d give all that in exchange for…” she suddenly felt Marnie’s intent gaze on her, “Nevermind” she finished, taking another sip.

“Don’t be ashamed…you just miss your mom.”

 “Yeah, well… I would if I had enough memories of her.”

“I remember her. She lived right here in Pelican Town with your grandparents. We used to play when we were kids…” Dahlia’s eyes darted to Marnie at the sound of her words, “Your grandfather was a very kind man, too. He was peaceful, but assertive. Everyone in town loved that old man. He was a proud member of the Adventurer’s Guild.”

 “What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s just a bunch of old men going in the caves to catch strange creatures.”

“Sounds fun…” Dahlia smiled to herself. She had encountered small pests while venturing into the caves, but she was unaware there was a whole club that went into them for the simple love of adventure.

“You have a slightly different spirit than your grandpa, though. I can see your intensity and determination. Very fiery. Maybe you take after your father?”

“Ugh, Marnie, I am nothing like that man.”

“Look, girl… Sometimes things are the way they are, even when we can’t do anything about it. Being in denial will only hurt you.”

“You didn’t know him. I would never treat anyone the way he always treated me.”

Marnie looked like she had a whole lot more to say but refrained.

“Why don’t you stay the night? You can sleep in the guest room.”

“But Buggie—"

“I’ll make a small plate of fish for Buggie, and he can sleep with you. I don’t mind.”

“I’m grateful, Marnie, it’s been a tiring day, but I don’t want to trouble you. None of you.”

“I already told you it’s fine. You’re welcome here. You need to keep talking about your day. It’s the only way to get a good night’s sleep.”

Dahlia sighed, secretly relieved. She didn’t want to go back to the darkness of her solitude; she couldn’t resist another night with hateful spirits crawling inside her head. The only other option was Marnie, her cinnamon tea, and a long conversation. A conversation that lasted until 1 A.M.

They talked about her nightmares, about Maru and Dr. Harvey and how kind they were to her during her first visit to the clinic, despite how messy it turned out in the end. Marnie told her about a woman named Leah, an artist who usually worked with wood, so she could ask her for tree-chopping tips.

Talking to Marnie felt humbling in the best of ways. She had found an unexpected friend in her. She wanted to continue talking all through the night, there was so much she wanted to hear about her and her mom as childhood friends, but the topic didn’t resurface.

A loud thud from outside the Ranch startled them both.

A heavy figure walked closer to the kitchen.

“You know my nephew, Shane?”

“I’ve seen him around,” she nodded before turning to the man who was rummaging around in the fridge, “You work at JojaMart, don’t you?”

Shane looked up at her over the fridge door and glared before closing it and leaving the kitchen without saying a word.

Asshole.

Dahlia narrowed her eyes as he disappeared into the dark corridor and into his bedroom.

“Excuse him, he’s going through some rough times…” Marnie said, her eyes still on the corridor.

“Aren’t we all? It’s not an excuse to be rude like that!”

“You’re right…but soon you’ll see he’s not really rude.” she giggled “Who knows? You guys might end up being friends.”

“I don’t know, Marnie. I usually end up getting into fights with rude people. Not that it’s happened recently, but I can’t stand people like that.”

“So,” Marnie cleared her throat, “you’ve seen him at JojaMart? Do you buy there?”

Dahlia grimaced.

“Blegh, no. I ran into him one day, he was in uniform. I can recognize that logo and the institutional colors anywhere.”

“Oh, sorry, you were talking about your visit to the clinic before Shane arrived…”

“Oh yeah, so I was sitting there, and the doc says: YoU DoN’t HaVe AnY pHoNe NuMbEr Or EmErGeNcY cOnTaCt WrItTeN iN yOuR rEgIsTrAtIoN sHeEt, and I’m like: Well, of course not! I just got here, I don’t know anyone!”

Marnie laughed at Dahlia’s impression of Harvey.

“So, are you planning on installing a phone soon?”

“I’m putting my last savings into the coop we discussed the other day. When I earn some egg money, I’ll buy the phone. I only call Eleanor anyway, and she goes out most nights, so there’s no rush.”

“And who are you putting as your emergency contact?”

“I don’t know… I know some people. I guess I can put Abby or Sam, but it’s a lot of responsibility for them. I wouldn’t know how to ask them about it…”

“They’re your friends, Abby and Sam?”

“I mean, kind of. Abby is very friendly and Sam…” A longing sigh unwillingly escaped her.

“What about him?”

Dahlia pressed her lips together, fixed on a particular brown chip in her cookie. She looked back at Marnie, who hadn’t stopped looking at her with a restrained smile. She squeezed her eyes shut before confessing her true feelings “Ah, he drives me crazy, Marn…I really like him. Like, really really like him”

“So, you two are dating?”

“No! I mean we kissed once…twice? But we haven’t spoken after that, I don’t think he’s interested in me.”

“He’d be calling you every night if you had your own phone!” She let out a long sigh as she stood up to clear the table, “Oh, young love…”

“Do you have a Mr. Marnie out there?” Dahlia leaned in with a sly grin.

“Oh, no dearie, my ranch is my one true love.” she let out a nervous laugh Dahlia couldn’t register. Instead, she went back to wallowing in her confusion as Marnie washed the dishes.

“Ugh, what will I do?” she stood up and took a dishcloth and helped her with the drying.

“You can put my name and number in your registration sheet, it’s okay” Marnie shrugged. Her nonchalant kindness didn’t stop to amaze her.

“Thank you, Marnie!”

“And as for the Krieger boy, he’s head over heels! Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but Shane came from work yesterday complaining how he wouldn’t shut up about this girl he was seeing”

“Shut up-! He talks about me to other people?”

“It’s only natural he’s so smitten, look at you!” she laughed heartily at the sight of Dahlia’s reddened cheeks.

“Marnie…!” She tittered.

“Well, you are a beauty. You’re just like your mother”

Her last words saddened her at first. Her father used to say the same, only in a different tone and often to bring her down in the middle of whatever argument they went into.

 Marnie gently raised her chin and offered one of her kindest smiles.

“I mean it. You’re a beautiful woman. You’re generous, honest, reliable, and worthy of all the love you receive. Don’t let the ghosts take that away from you, hm?”

Before Marnie could see the tears flooding her eyes, she hid her face in a tight hug, crying silently onto her shoulder.

“There, there, child…you’re going to be okay” Marnie softly petted her hair as Dahlia let her worries fly among quiet sobs.

That night there were no monsters. No spirits, no nightmares. She slept for long, uninterrupted hours cuddled up with Bug, waking up to the delicious aroma of toast and coffee.

As soon as she remembered she wasn’t at her own house, she got up and walked to the kitchen.

All of Marnie’s family were in the middle of breakfast

“Oh, sh—oot…” she refrained from cursing at the sight of little Jas enjoying her chocolate milk.

“I just had to let you sleep, darling. You looked really peaceful. Here, take a seat.” Marnie patted the empty chair next to Jas.

“Oh, Marnie, I wouldn’t want to interrupt family breakfast. I better go…”

“Dahlia. Sit.” Marnie’s change of tone made her obey without saying another word.

Across them, Shane was fixed on his coffee, apparently lost in thought. Perhaps he was just trying to survive his hangover.

“Good morning…” Dahlia greeted them.

“Morning!” Jas said with a smile.

Shane nodded at her without looking.

“It’s nice to meet you all…” she added when the awkward silence was starting to become audible.

“You’re Sam’s girl?” Shane looked at her briefly.

“My name is Dahlia.” she corrected.

He was rude the previous night, he was being rude at breakfast and Marnie was starting to look like a liar.

“Okay.” he shrugged, going back to his own mind.

They had their breakfast in silence. Shane was the first to finish. He stood up, put the dishes on the sink, and said a quick goodbye before leaving for work.

“What a shithead…” Dahlia muttered, raising her eyebrows at her blackberry jam toast.

“DAHLIA!” Marnie gasped, and Jas giggled right after.

“SORRY! I didn’t mean to say it out loud, honest!”

“Uncle Shane says that, too!” Jas’ giggles became high-pitched.

“Anyways, Marnie, thank you so much for what you’ve done for me. I won’t forget it” she said, hurriedly standing up to the sink to wash her dish and the others in it.

“Where are you going?” Marnie questioned.

“I need to go to Robin’s and schedule the building of the chicken coop. Then, I need to go to the clinic to update my contact data.”

“Come back for dinner!” Marnie shouted as Dahlia ran out the door.

Chapter Text

Dahlia opened her eyes to the sound of constant dull thuds. Robin said she’d be early but didn’t mention how early. She rolled on her back and grumbled looking at the ceiling.

A loud knock woke her up for good.

She dragged her feet towards the door, but she slammed it shut twice as fast as she’d opened it.

On the other side of the cottage was a confounded Shane with a basket of goods in his hands and a reddened face. Dahlia quickly put on a pair of shorts and a bra before opening the door again.

“Sorry about that! I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Yeah, me neither.”

“What?”

“I mean," he cleared his throat and held the basket out to her, "Marnie sends this for you. She’s worried you’re not eating.”

“Oh Marn, she worries way too much… I did run out of milk last night. You can tell her I’ll go to the ranch later today”

“You can tell her yourself, I have work to do.”

“Bullshit. Where’s your uniform?”

“I’m helping Robin with your coop, since you wanted it built in such a hurry.”

“Ah well, thank you, I suppose.”

“It’s a job. There’s no need for that.” Shane turned around but stopped dead in his tracks, as if he had forgotten something, “uh, yeah, about the other night… and the morning after, I’m sorry I was rude to you, I guess…”

“You guess…?” Dahlia raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t know your name!”

She scoffed at his poor excuse.

“So, it was easier to address me as someone else’s property, right?”

“Whatever, I'm not doing this. It’s too damn early…” He turned around and walked away from the cottage.

Dahlia pursed her lips and let out a contemptible huff. Shane would be out of her farm in a heartbeat if he wasn’t getting paid for his help.

She went inside for a quick cup of coffee and drank it on the steps of her house to supervise the work being done before she got started on her own chores.

At first glance, Shane didn’t look like the hard-working type. Or the working type at all. Seeing him out there carrying wood planks for Robin to measure was a refreshing take.

Dahlia drank her coffee in silent vigilance as Shane took off his hoodie and threw it on the ground. Who would have guessed that under those worn-out, stained threads, he was hiding such arms. The faint smile drawn on his face when he caught her starting made her go weak at the knees.

Why are you getting all worked up for? you’re allowed to watch them work in your chicken coop!, she encouraged herself before looking back up.

Shane had started carrying a beam over his shoulder.

Nope!, she stood up and walked back inside.

You’re just missing Sam; you haven’t seen him in how long? I don’t know… but Dahlia Sybil Belrose, don’t you get all stupid for a couple of arms and a strong back!, she scolded herself while washing her mug and putting it away.

She let the workers do their thing as she prepared a substantial meal for them. It was the only way she knew how to thank them for what they were doing; besides the payment she had already made.

By midday, the carp was already out of the oven. Dahlia was plating when she heard the drills and saws going quieter, announcing lunch break. She looked out the window just to see her guests walking in opposite directions.

“Hey! Hey, Robin!” the red-headed woman turned around, “aren’t you staying for lunch?”

“You’re a dear, but I have to be home by lunchtime…it’s the only time we can be all together” Robin waved at her.

Dahlia turned her gaze to Shane’s figure getting smaller as he walked back to the Ranch.

“SHANE!!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. She started running towards him once he stopped to look back at her, “hey, I made lunch for you guys, but Robin’s already gone and I kinda get it, she’s a mother and all that, she needs to be there for her family, but you…”

Shane’s expression went from confusion to annoyance.

“What makes you think I don’t want to eat with my family, too?” he crossed his arms.

Those arms again.

“that’s not what I meant,” she shook her head to stay focused, “It's just that I made way too much food and I really don't want it to waste, I'm sure Marnie will understand”

“Jas will miss me”

“I’m going to the ranch after lunch! I promise to tell her myself that you stayed here!”

“I have been nothing but rude to you ever since we met, you said so yourself. Why would you want to eat with me?”

“I don’t know. Marnie says you’re a decent man. I want to believe her…”

Shane groaned, “okay, I’ll stay…”

“Thank you! I was starting to sound a little desperate for a second.”

"A little too desperate" He corrected as they started walking back to the cottage. Dahlia chose to pay him no mind, he was right after all.

“I hope you like fish, personally it’s not my favorite but it’s the only kind of meat I can get, thanks to my trusty rod.”

“So, you fish?”

“And I’m quite good at it, if I can say so myself…”

“Selling fish can get you a lot of money…if you can do it, then it mustn’t be that hard.”

“You underestimate me, sir”

“Have you noticed you tend to speak all fancy when you try to sound superior…?"

Shane's smirk disappeared as he was taken aback by the state of the interior of her cottage as their entered. The same second it took Dahlia to notice the judgmental expression on his face.

“Why do you need all the extra money anyway?” She questioned as they sat in across one another.

Shane sat down at the kitchen table and received a plate of his host’s Carp Surprise.

“None of your business.” He muttered, already about to take the first bite.

“I'm sorry, but were you raised in the jungle or something?" Shane raised his eyebrows

"Oh, shit… you don't say grace before eating, do you?"

"I can see you really enjoy being unpleasant.”

She started eating with her gazed fixed on her plate.

“I’m sorry little lady, if you want me gone, you just have to say it.”

“No, sorry, it's just…” she sighed, “you make it really hard getting to know each other”

"I have a feeling I already know everything about you."

Dahlia scoffed. This smug asshole.

"You don’t know the first thing about me."

“Okay. Try me.”

“Okay," she mocked him, "how old am I?”

“You’re 25.” Shane pointed at her with his fork.

“Wrong!” she pointed back with her knife, “I’m 26. Next question: name one thing I like to do."

“Fishing”

“Fishing doesn’t count! I just told you that.”

“Uh,then… I’ll change my answer to playing the piano."

Dahlia did a quick double take.

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"I told you; I know everything about you… since your boyfriend won’t shut up about you."

 “Well, you’re still wrong because I haven’t played the piano in the longest time and when I did, I hated it, so no points for you. Also, Sam’s not my boyfriend, so your source is not reliable."

"From the things I’ve heard him say, he might as well be."

Dahlia felt her cheeks suddenly getting hotter. It would have been a long, awkward silence if it weren’t for Shane’s amusement.

"What else did he say?" she finally spoke.

"Sorry princess, it’s not my place to say." He managed to explain with his mouth full while finishing his plate.

"Princess…?” she laughed in disbelief, “I probably have more street smarts than you, peasant boy."

"You did not just call me that."

Dahlia could read "that girl needs serious help with her insults" written all over his smug smirk.

"You better get back to work” she said, picking up both plates and placing them in the sink.

"Yeah, yeah" Shane got up and stretched his back to his heart content before walking out the door.

Not even a thank you, nothing. She scrunched her nose as she scrubbed and rinsed, visibly flustered.

---

After washing the dishes, she put in a basket the blueberry tart she had baked the night before and walked towards Marnie's Ranch. Bug started running behind her.

“Buggie, please. I need you to stay and supervise the workers while I'm out. Okay, boy?”

“Mrow!” the kitten sat and watched her walk away before he got distracted by a passing bumblebee.

She walked swiftly, eager to meet her new pet. She entered the Ranch, but saw no one at the front desk.

“Marnie!” she called, “Are you there?”

Nothing but silence.

She walked towards the kitchen and put the tart on the counter.

“Dahlia?” Marine called back.

“In the kitchen!”

“There you are, dearie!” she walked towards Dahlia with open arms.

“Sorry I entered, it was open, and I thought—”

“No, don’t be sorry, it’s my fault, I should have locked the ranch while I was…uh, napping.”

“Well, I hope you’re well rested because I’m here for my chicken.”

“The chickens have been ready to meet you since the sun rose. Is the coop finished?”

“Nah, not yet. I’m just very excited about all this. Also, I needed the walk.”

“Let’s have some tea, then. I see you brought a blueberry tart.” she examined it for a second, “it looks like you’ve been practicing your baking skills”

“Yeah, I haven’t tasted it, but I’m very confident it’s going to be perfect.”

Dahlia set the cups and plates on the table.

“It sure looks great” Marnie cut up two pieces and place them on the plates.

“It does, doesn't it?”

“How’s the construction site? Is Shane helping?” She questioned as she took a bite of her piece of tart, "this is delicious, by the way…"

"Thank you" They ate in silence for a moment.

"So? Did you see him work?"

“Oh yeah! He’s very… what's the word I'm looking for…? Skillful. It really took me by surprise.”

“I told you! I told you he’s good!” Marnie looked proudly at Shane’s portrait on the wall.

“He was quite rude at lunch, though. So, excuse me if I still doubt you.”

“Give him time, he just needs to get used to you.”

“You say that as if he’s some kind of animal.”

“People are animals, dear…”

“I guess…” She drank a bit of tea before she finished her tart.

“So, he stayed for lunch?”

“Yeah. I hope you don’t mind… I cooked for three people, and I had to practically beg him to stay, because Robin had to go back to her family.”

“No, it’s completely fine. I could take my nap in peace without him in the house…”

“You got a good rest, then?”

“Yep, I’m very well rested” Marnie nodded with a closed grin, before quickly changing the topic, “So, did Shane like your cooking?”

“Ah, I couldn’t say. He was too busy being a little shit—”

"Dallie…" She warned.

"Sorry," Dahlia rolled her eyes, "let me rephrase that. He was too busy acting stupid to say anything about the food."

“Well, if he ate it all, then he must have liked it.”

“I wish he had told me, is all." she shrugged, "I need all the feedback I can get”

“Well, it was a little bland and you could have definitely used less oil, but it was edible enough,” Shane walked in, cut a little piece of tart and shoved it into his mouth, “this on the other hand, hm… this is good”

“That might be the first kind thing I’ve heard you say, bravo!” Dahlia smile quickly faded, “if only you knew how to eat like a person. You’re right, Marn. He’s a complete animal.”

“Turns out,” Shane cleared his throat, “this animal is also going to be your teacher.”

“What?”

“Marnie asked me to teach you about chicken keeping. I refused at first, of course… but she’s paying for your education.”

“Marnie!” Dahlia protested.

“I would love to teach you myself, but have a ranch to run, and Shane already knows everything you need to know to start your business.”

“I’ll meet you at the coop tomorrow at 5 pm.” He added with a triumphant smile.

“Fine, I guess.”

“Is the coop ready?” Marnie asked Shane

“Yeah, almost. Robin is painting the exterior, so it should be ready anytime.”

“Navy blue, like I told her?” Dahlia followed.

“Yeah, don’t worry.”

Dahlia rolled her eyes at Shane and turned to Marnie.

“Can I meet my chicken now, please?”

“Let’s go to the back” Marnie smiled and walked her to the back of the ranch, where a dozen chickens and three roosters clucked happily under the sun.

“Any of these are ready to be bought. Pick one you like and it’s yours.”

“They’re all so pretty!” Dahlia walked into the place, “they’re so trusting, a normal chicken would run away as soon as someone walked in.”

“That’s all Shane.”

“Okay…” She sat down in the middle “Who wants to go home with me?” the chickens continued clucking and walking around her. She waited a couple of seconds until a small chicken jumped on her knee, “Oh, oh, can I get this one? I can call her Cooper!”

“All yours” Marnie smiled.

Dahlia’s face lit up from sheer joy.

“You hear that?” She took the chicken and held her to her face “You’re all mine!”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Shane advised before pressing his lips, bracing himself for what was coming.

“Why—? OW!” Cooper pecked her nose “Bad, Cooper!”

“She’s not being aggressive. That’s how they communicate. And that was a soft peck”

“There was nothing soft about that.” Dahlia got up from the ground with her new chicken in her arms and a red nose.

“You’ll learn how bad it can get.” he shrugged, “you look really funny, by the way…”

“Here Marn,” Dahlia put some coins on Marnie’s hand, ignoring Shane’s comment, “I’m going back, I need to get this pretty lady home.”

As soon as she was out the Ranch, Marnie elbowed Shane's ribs.

"What?" He complained.

“Can you please be a little friendlier to her? She needs our help.”

“She’s fine, you care too much.”

“You didn’t know today’s her birthday. You would have acted differently.”

Shane opened his eyes wide in sudden realization.

“Buh, so that’s why…”

“Mhm… so, you better start thinking about apologizing to that poor girl.”

“I need to take a shower first. I’m disgusting…”

---

Later that night, Shane found his neighbor sitting inside the coop, watching her new pet sleep.

“Can I come in?”

“Hey, Shane…” Dahlia looked up at the young rooster in his hands. A beautiful ribbon adorned his neck.

“Happy birthday!”

Her gaze darted from the animal to Shane’s eyes so quickly it scared him a little.

“I don’t recall telling you it was my birthday…”

“I figured it myself. Sam told me you were 25 the other day. Today you told me you’re 26, either your birthday just passed, is today…or you’re lying to him.”

“I’m not lying! Today is my birthday.”

"Okay, then… here" Shane offered the bird to Dahlia. She took him in her arms very carefully.

“He’s Cooper’s best friend. They should be together. Besides, we can’t have so many roosters in the same coop, they were already picking on him.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Jas called him Rocky as in rocky road, because he’s speckled like chocolate and marshmallows…” Shane smiled to himself, probably remembering that moment, “but you’re welcome to change his name if you like.”

“Won’t he be confused?”

Shane shook his head.

“Chickens don’t understand the concept of names.”

“Oh”

“I know, sad, right?” He petted the rooster’s neck “but they’re smart enough to associate their name to your voice and other pleasant stimuli. So, when you call them, they come to you, even when they don’t fully understand it.”

“That’s actually very smart of you.”

“I have my moments…”

“I still want him to keep his name: Rocky.” Dahlia kissed the sleepy animal, took off his ribbon and placed him on one of the beds, across from his mate.

“Well, have a good one!” Shane was heading out the coop when she stopped him.

“Now that I’m actually celebrating, do you mind staying over for a drink or two?” She pulled out a six pack and a folded blanket from behind the coop door.

“You were planning to drink alone on your birthday?”

“I was also planning on getting a bit high before bed.” Shane raised an eyebrow and Dahlia laughed, unable to hide her embarrassment, “I know, pathetic, right…?”

“No, no, no! I am no one to judge, trust me” Shane scoffed lightly, “I could use a drink, actually.”

“Perfect” Dahlia walked out the chicken coop and placed the blanket on the ground. They sat down next to each other and opened their beer cans.

“So…can you explain something to me? Maybe I’m too stupid to understand…” He said after a big, refreshing gulp.

“What?”

“Why would a girl born and raised in the big city like you want to come and live here?”

“I’ve actually been asked that before” Dahlia laughed, before turning into herself "it’s kind of a long story, I guess…”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to tell”

“Nah, it’s okay. I guess I wanted to feel alive for a change” she shrugged, “Life in the city was slowly killing me, literally.”

She looked at the night sky already teeming with stars. Shane found it difficult to look away from her dreamy smile, but he still could follow her eyes towards the dark, speckled nocturnal sight.

“Ain’t that something…” He marveled, taking another sip of his beer.

“You don’t get to see these skies in the city."

Shane nodded

“I know.”

A sudden shooting star crossed the sky swiftly from left to right just before their eyes. Dahlia closed her eyes without thinking it twice.

"I wish, from the bottom of my soul, to find happiness right here in this town. I don't ever want to go back there again." When she opened her eyes, Shane was smiling at her.

"What…?"

"That's cute, wishing on shooting stars."

"Don't mock me again…"

"No, I didn't mean to, it really is cute, like… you believe in that stuff."

"You don't?"

"Of course not! I'm not a child! You're going to tell me you believe in Yoba, too."

"Well, no… but you gotta have a little faith in something, sometimes it's the only way to keep going…"

"You'd get along with Em"

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"What? No—!" Shane sounded almost offended, "Emily's my best friend. She works for Gus at the Saloon. I'm sure you've seen her around, you can't miss her."

"Oh yeah, she's the blue-haired girl at the bar, right?"

"That's her." He nodded "I'm sure you two will bond immediately over shiny rocks and stuff like that."

"If you say so. I'll visit her soon to talk about destiny and everything you don't believe in." Dahlia laughed.

Shane held his beer in front of him.

"To new beginnings, then."

Dahlia beamed a smile before clinking their cans together.

"To new beginnings." She repeated.

Chapter Text

Ten days. This was the tenth day without seeing her. His third night only meeting her only in his sleep. He wouldn’t mind dreaming of her at all if those nightly pictures weren’t the product of deep longing. Out-of-focus pictures of her body against his. Her lips smiling slowly against his mouth.

Sam reached inside the covers to check the consequences of her oneiric visits. He sighed, frustration.

He'd walked to the bathroom with the idea of taking care of himself in the shower, as he usually did, but he had been deprived of her for way too long. He wanted to take Dahlia’s hands in his once more, feel her soft lips brushing against his skin. He needed to know what it felt to call her name during a millisecond of pure ecstasy. It was not enough to dream about it. He had to see if what he was dreaming every night could finally come true.

What if this time I took matters into my own hands? He thought while rinsing the shampoo off his hair. He took the rest of his shower to plan a visit to her house

Once he had a clear idea of the execution of his plan, he quickly got dressed, and ran out the door, relieved that his mom and brother weren’t up and asking stupid questions.

He was walking past Marnie’s Ranch when he stopped on his tracks.

Flowers. Tradition dictates he should show his romantic interest with a beautiful flower bouquet. He spent a couple of minutes gathering a bunch of sunflowers and the few poppies he could find on his way to Dahlia’s place. Morning had already broken when he got to the steps of her porch. He knocked on the door three times.

The new day was tinted with beautiful orange hues that painted the little old cottage and brought it to life, but what made the place even more lovely was Dahlia, answering the door with bedhead, dressed in a nightshirt that barely covered her thighs.

“Sam? What are you doing here so early?” she was happy to see him, but groggy enough to believe she was still dreaming.

He couldn’t even speak before she pulled him in by the arm.

“Come inside, it’s chilly out here…”

Sam stepped into her home with little speech prepared and rehearsed but seeing her in the flesh after so many days made him forget about everything he had planned. Instead, he offered her the bouquet without saying a word.

“Oh, they’re lovely! Thank you!” She took the flowers, admiring their colors and brought them closer to her nose to take in its aromas, completely oblivious of the meaning behind them.

Sam inhaled sharply, determined to make himself clear.

“Listen, Dahlia” He began, “I haven’t seen you in so long, it’s been ten days since you kissed me, and then you disappeared all out the blue. Seb said that Maru told him that you were at the clinic some days ago. I got worried, but I didn’t want to push you. I was hoping you’d reached out to me, but nothing…"

"Oh, no, you don't have to worr—"

"You've kept me awake every night," he continued, "I think about you all the time, night and day, nonstop. I get that you might not want to date me, but ten days without talking? That’s not fair, Dal. I want you…! To…understand how important you have become to me…”

“Sam, I—”

“I mean, kissing me and then ignoring me right after? Who does that? It’s cruel. You’re cruel. Just put me out of my misery and tell me if that kiss was a mistake or not, but don’t leave me hanging!”

She put her flowers down on the dinner table as he kept on rambling.

“I’m practically on my knees here trying to figure out what hap—"

Dahlia interrupted him by pulling him closer to her for one quick peck on the lips.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t tossing pebbles at your window every night. I’ve been busy with work, trying to revive a whole farm isn’t easy, but if you really must know, I’ve thought of you constantly ever since our breakfast date, just like you. I’ve been very upset I couldn’t taste your cooking”

They stared at each other for a fragment of a second before Sam closed the space between them once more, cupping Dahlia’s head in his hands and kissing her hungrily, almost as if he was trying to make up for lost time.

Trying in vain not to break their kiss, Dahlia took him by the rim of his jeans, guiding him to her already unmade bed. There, she laid him down and started unzipping his pants.

Sam couldn’t stop looking at her. Frankly, he was amazed by what was happening.

She crawled beside him, resuming the kiss he started while at the same time getting familiar with the length of her new toy.

“You don’t know how much I missed you.” he confessed against her mouth.

She squeezed him lightly just to get a small moan out of him

“I didn’t mean to make you lonely. Let me apologize…”

She felt his underwear dampening with anticipation and smiled, tracing his shaft with one fingertip before looking at his squinting green eyes

“Please…” he whispered before she could even open her mouth. His begging voice made her dry gulp.

She reached inside to feel him. A pleasant mixture of firm, soft, and warm. She closed her eyes, smiling at the realization of what was about to happen. She freed Sam’s cock from his boxers and leaned in to lick its tip. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

She giggled at his flushed face.

“Now this… is breakfast” She smirked before wrapping her lips around it, molding to his girth

Sam threw his head back. A shaky sigh let her know he was thoroughly enjoying her mouth pressing and releasing against his skin. She started pumping slowly, but steadily, substituting her mouth for one of her hands when she felt the need to catch her breath.

“Fuck, babe, you’re so good…” He managed to say as she went in one more time.

Dahlia was surprised how that pet name rolled off his tongue so easily, like he had always called her that.  Far from putting her off, that only encouraged her to pick up her pace. When her jaw started to hurt, she began considering a more comfortable position.

“Your pants” She breathed, standing up from her bed “they’re in the way.”

Despite the early autumn morning temperature, Sam quickly took off his jeans, but before Dahlia could crawl back between his legs, he stopped her.

“A garment for a garment.” He commanded.

“It’s not fair…” she pouted,“there’s nothing under my nightshirt.”

He took off his own shirt.

“Happy now?” He asked, trying his best not to shiver.

Dahlia smiled and nodded, satisfied to know she had him wrapped around her finger.

“Very.”

“Take that off before I do it for you” He ordered.

She tried her best not to chortle. She was so used to this cute, puppy-like young man. To see him behave like that was a whole new picture. And a very attractive one at that. She had to give it to him; she’d gladly let him do some manipulation right back at her.

She took the time to unbutton her nightshirt, slowly baring her body for his sinful entertainment.

Her collarbones first.

Sam let out a smirk of contentment, stroking himself as Dahlia continued her quiet stripping.

Then, her breasts.  Pure perfection in his eyes.

She let the garment fall to the floor to uncover her waist. The rest of her still hidden inside a pair of black low-rise panties.

He raised his eyebrows and scoffed lightly.

“You said you had nothing under it…!”

“I lied” She stated with a presumptuous grin.

They laughed before Sam scooted over to the edge of the bed so he could press small kisses ontoher lower abdomen. His thumbs brushed softly against her hips.

He looked up at her with adoring eyes as he slid his right palm against her panties only to confirm they were silky smooth

The first touch of his index finger against the only piece of clothing she had left made her quiver. She rested her wrists on his shoulders, looking for balance as he pulled her panties down her legs.

“Now we’re talking”

She leaned in to kiss him slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck while he pressed his calloused fingertips into her thighs. She didn’t mind a rough touch. If anything, that only excited her more.

A cloud of hesitation fogged his mind when he was about to venture into her.

“What are you waiting for...?” She moaned against his ear “Please don’t make me beg. I hate begging.”

As soon as she felt his fingers, she pushed herself against them, slowly helping them slide into her body. Her warm slickness ran down, almost reaching his palm.

“Fuck…Sam” Dahlia sighed. Right before she began to thrust slowly against his hand, he slid it out to get a taste of her, locking eyes with her look of disbelief just to soak in the moment. She let out a groan of frustration.

“You taste exactly as you feel like…” He teased.

“Taste me, feel me, do whatever the hell you want, but do it now!” She urged him.

Having heard exactly what he wanted from her; Sam wasted no time. He gently pulled her down and closer to his body.

As they kissed, Dahlia ran her fingers through his hair, still moist from his morning shower.

His mouth wandered off to her neck, kissing her skin until he reached her collarbones, creating goosebumps on his way down. His breath against her chest in contrast with the crisp autumn air sent a shot of electricity from the nape of her neck and down her spine.

His hands found their own way to her breasts. He stroked them lightly, almost in a shy way at first. She placed her hands in his and pressed them against her chest, encouraging him to squeeze as hard as he’d like.

He kissed, sucked, licked, and squeezed her until he became almost drunk with desire. When he felt her seeping down her inner thighs and onto him, he knew he couldn’t wait a moment longer.

He had to have her.

In one swift move, he laid her on her back and placed her legs at his sides. He slid inside her effortlessly and thrusted slow, but passionately to gauge her reaction.

“Yeah…” Dahlia hummed, her hips matching his rhythm “Come closer, kiss me.”

Sam leaned in, obeying her request. He cautiously bit on her lower lip before she welcomed his tongue inside her mouth. As his kiss deepened, so did his thrusting. In a few seconds, he increased the speed and strength of his pace, making her grasp the bed sheets to brace herself.

“I need to see you,” He swallowed, trying not to mess up his rhythm, “see you come…”

“S-soon… hmm” she whined against his ear, “I’m almost there, don’t stop after I’m finished, don’t stopfortheloveof—yes, yes gimme—gimme, faster, faster pleas—please!” her high-pitched slurred pleading almost made him lost control, “f-fuck, that’s s-so good Sam, don’t stop, don’t stop, o-ooh, I’m co-cominn—aaaah!”

Sam, as obedient as he was, didn’t stop right there. He continued ramming into her already dripping pussy until he was almost ready to burst.

“Where, babe?”

“Wherever—” Dahlia was still panting loudly, trying to keep up with his stamina.

“Inside?”

“yeah, inside-hmm…” She conceded, pressing her lips together

He hugged her thighs, pressing them hard against his sides as he increased his pace one last time, making her scream out her pleasure. Quickly feeling himself coming to an end, his moaning became hoarser until it turned into slower grunting.

Dahlia could feel his cock pulsing inside her, shooting his cum in short, quick bursts

“Fuck me…” Sam exclaimed, collapsing next to her after he finished.

“I just did, don’t get greedy” She joked, still drawing out exhausted pants. He laughed along, turning to kiss the freckles on her left shoulder.

“It’s just – I can’t believe this just happened…”

“I have to admit I underestimated you greatly, no offense…”

“None taken, looks can be deceiving. Everybody takes me for an innocent boy, but at least I could prove you wrong.”

She traced a finger from his chest to his jawline before planting a single kiss on his mouth

“Feel free to prove me wrong as many times as you want.”

 "I have to work in an hour, but I can visit you later today."

"I can't. Shane is coming over" Sam sat up and waited for her to explain, "he's teaching me about chickens. I just got my coop made yesterday and I already have a pair of chickens, but since I don't know the first thing about keeping them alive, he's going to teach me the basics."

"okay"

A knowing smile slowly appeared on Dahlia's mouth.

"Wait. You're not jealous, are you?"

"No…" He smiled along, "not anymore."

"So, you still have an hour of freedom before work," she sat up and leaned closer to his face to steal a quick kiss from his lips, "What if we…"

"Go another round?"

"I was going to say have breakfast in bed."

"Oh…"

"But, if that's what you want for breakfast, then that's what you'll get…" she smiled against his mouth before she started kissing his neck.

"Oh…!"

Chapter Text

Shane met Emily during their childhoods. He'd spent every spring break at Marnie's Ranch with his parents and his sister so they knew each other well. And what a relief it was to see her tending the bar the first time he stepped into the saloon after he had to move in for good after his family was struck by tragedy. She was the only soul in town he felt truly comfortable talking to.

One day, he went to visit her before his shift at JojaMart.

"Oh good, thank Yoba you're here!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah… I just need help carrying a keg and Gus is out of town for the next couple of hours."

"Oh, sure"

"Follow me, I'll show you where it is."

Emily grabbed a set of keys from behind the counter before they walked through the corridor, past the bathroom to get to a door that barely received any light.

"Darn," she muttered to herself as she dropped the keys by accident when she attempted to open the door. She crouched to get a better look, "Shane, move out of the way! I don't have enough light!"

Shane snapped out of it and moved a few steps back. He was not good at pretending. Emily looked fine from that angle. A rush of sudden adrenaline traveled through his spine and into his pants, and promised himself he'd explore that sensation in depth later that night.

"Found it!" Emily quickly stood up to open the door. She let him in and pointed at the keg she wanted. Shane hoisted it up, resting it on his right shoulder. Seeing such spectacular display of strength, especially when he was still wearing his work clothes, made her reconsider many aspects of their friendship for a second. As she walked behind him, her imagination teleported them to her bedroom and made her wonder all the ways he could use that strength with her.

"Okay, Em, where do I put this?”

"All over me…" she mumbled without a single decent thought in her mind.

"What?"

"Th-the bar! I said the bar!" she begged Yoba Shane hadn't heard that.

"Right." he smiled to himself, pretending he didn't, but then again, he wasn't good at that.

"Shane?" Emily started shyly as her friend put the keg on the bar.

"Hm?"

She shook her head.

"No nevermind, it's a stupid idea."

"Tell me, I love stupid ideas". As birds of a feather, they often shared the same brain cell.

"Well, remember when you told me the other day you hadn't slept with anyone in so long… and I told you I was in a similar situation?" he had a feeling where this was going, "Since we're both bored, I was thinking we should do it from time to time."

Bingo.

He pretended to be surprised by her proposition.

"Sex?"

"Yeah, just sex, just a release of energy whenever we need it. It could help us both feel better. What do you say?"

"I don't know, Em…"

"What, you don't find me attractive?"

"You know I do."

"See? We're both attracted to each other…"

"I mean, do you need to do it now?"

Emily's face reddened at the thought, despite being her who came up with the whole idea.

"Well, I did have a rough week, and you did help me with that drunken tourist the other day. So, I kinda owe you…"

"You don't owe me shit, Em. I did what anyone should have done, nothing more."

"Yet only you stood up for me. All the others just sat and silent."

"Okay… we're doing this," he sighed and nodded, "but we need to set some rules then."

"Rules? What kind of rules?"

"This is not a relationship. We aren't dating."

"Of course not!"

"This is only a physiological thing. To feel better, like you said," Emily nodded, "we need a place that's neither your house nor mine."

"Here. we have two bathrooms, the storage room, the breakroom, the backroom…"

"Okay, we have many places." Shane looked around the Saloon, "but place gets crowded, it'll be suspicious."

"Then we need a code for asking in public."

"What if…" Shane squinted, trying to come up with a system.

"Okay, I got it!" Emily jumped, "whenever I want to get some stress off, I'll put a glass upside down. If you agree to my proposal, you'll flip it back up again and ask me or Gus to fill it up. While you're drinking, I'll make some excuse to go out, but I'll enter through the storage room and I'll leave it unlocked. Then, you'll say you're going to the bathroom… but instead, you'll walk a little further and we can have our fun in peace.

"What if I'm not in the mood?"

"Then you'll leave the glass as it was. I'll know."

"Nice. If I want to meet you back there I'll put a coin heads up on the counter and you'll get me that beer so you can go unlock the room for me. If you don't feel like it, then you get to keep the coin."

"Okay, we have a plan."

"One more thing."

"What?"

"No kissing. No romance. Are we clear on that?"

"Crystal. Since we're setting some boundaries, may I suggest no penetration?"

"What? Why?"

"If this is strictly about release… then, we have more than enough with our hands and mouths, right? It's also less messy that way."

"Fine." Shane tried to sound nonchalant about her rule.

"Also, please, if you call me on the phone, wait to know who's answering, I don't want my sister to know. She gets too judgmental about who I date."

"That's not what this is."

"No, I get that, but she won't. That's what she'll call it and it'll ruin all the fun."

"Ok. Same with Marnie or Jas. If they answer, just hang up. I'll still know it's you who called."

"Deal."

"So…" Shane reached in his pocket and placed a coin on the counter.

Emily giggled,"what will it be, handsome?"

"Lager, please."

[One year later]

One punt and the crowd could deafen him with their cheering. He could feel it all: the air quickly coming in and out his lungs, the saltiness on his lips when he licked the sweat off them, the exertion setting on his legs as soon as he finished a sprint, the ecstasy from scoring that couldn't compare to any other feeling in the world. He could feel all of that as if it was yesterday. Unfortunately, every single one of his fans on the stands fell silent when he opened his eyes, the cheers quickly faded away into soft echoes traveling to the back of his mind. What he'd give to hear them again screaming his name in unison.

He looked at the wooden ceiling with his hands resting on his soft stomach. What would his crowd say if they saw him now?

Buh, as if they could even remember me.

There was nothing to do. The glory days were behind him and if destiny was real, as Dahlia said the night before, then he was destined for failure.

He put on his JojaMart uniform and went out the door without breakfast.

When he got to the staff room, Sam was already there. He had an annoyingly cheerful expression as he munched on a field snack.

"I thought you didn't like those, why are you so happy?"

"Oh, yeah… they taste like dirt… but I had the most perfect morning and didn't have time for breakfast so Dahlia gave me these to go. By the way, she says Cooper and Rocky spent a good first night in their new house."

The realization sunk slowly in Shane's brain.

"You spent the night at the farm?"

"Of course not!" Shane waited silently for him to elaborate, "just this morning."

Shane lifted his eyebrows at the unexpected news. He had to admit he was impressed, and a bit envious of how easy he had it. Sam was younger and conventionally attractive. Of course he could have whoever he wanted whenever he wanted. He quickly added a smile to his expression.

"Congrats, man. Knew you could do it."

"No, dude, it's all you. If you hadn't advised me to tell her how I truly felt, none of that would have happened, so thank you for that. Really."

Maybe he felt old, but apparently he still got it.

"Okay… What advice? All I told you was to shut up and do something about it."

"And it worked! Here, catch!" Sam threw a field snack at him and Shane caught it with one hand. "You look like you didn't eat again."

"I'll eat it later, I'm late."

"Wait," Sam stood up and ran to his friend before he left the room, "can you give this to her after your shift? She told me you were going to the farm later."

"What the fuck? I am not your mailman!"

"Please, please, please…" Sam pouted.

"Fine," Shane took the letter off his friend's hands, "but don't make this a habit."

He put the letter in his back pocket, not even wanting to think about its contents.

Shane finished stocking the last box in the list and walked back to the staff room. Maybe it was Sam dancing around with his mop, listening to loud upbeat tunes on his personal stereo as he worked, but his shift felt shorter and easier.

He said goodbye to Sam, who had got behind on his work because of his constant daydreaming and walked towards Belrose Farm.

From the northeast entrance, he could see Dahlia sitting on the steps of the coop with Bug on her lap. She was intently looking at Rocky and Cooper eat from a distance.

"Good, you're studying already." Shane observed when he walked closer.

"Hi, I was just looking at them…they're so funny," before she could continue talking, he handed her an envelope, "what's this?"

"It's from Sam… apparently he had a particularly good morning today." From Shane's eyebrow waggling, she could infer he already knew too much. Bug jumped from her lap when she stood up.

"Gimme that," Dahlia took the letter from him,"you didn't read this, right?"

"Of course not!"

Dal, I just arrived at work and I'm already thinking about you again. What do you say if you ditch Shane's boring-ass class and meet me at my house? No? I figured you'd said no

please come see me when you're free, mom always goes to Abby's to have tea with her parents. Vincent will be playing my videogames in his room. I can show you my guitar or we could do something else.

please, be there. this morning wasn't enough.

-Sam.

Dahlia blushed at the last few lines. She read the letter again, and a third time after that.

"It's okay," Shane's voice brought her back to Earth, "you'll learn to read fast someday."

"Fuck you" She laughed, putting away the piece of paper.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Ok, we've already solved the housing situation. They have a lovely place to roost and lay eggs, and it's spacious enough for two or three more chickens that you will need later on. Now, I see you've let them out. That's good, but chickens have many predators."

"Like what?"

"Like raccoons, owls, hawks… and cats." Shane nodded at Bug.

"My sweet prince would never harm Cooper and Rocky."

"I'm just saying… You need to make sure they're inside every night, they go to sleep early. By the time the sun sets, the chickens are already in their beds."

"Check if they're all inside before bed." Dahlia nodded.

"You need to feed them and change their water daily."

"I already knew that…"

"Did you know Cooper is already laying?"

"Marnie told me." she nodded again.

"Did she lay today?"

"She did."

"Once Rocky starts mating with Cooper and the other hens you'll get eventually, we'll talk about breeding."

"Is there anything else I need to know for now?"

"I don't think so, but if you have any doubts, you know where I live. I'll be here next week, we'll talk about keeping the coop tidy to prevent diseases."

"Okay, see you then."

Shane was eager to get home and have a shower. His responsibilities were finally over and he could go to his favorite place in the world.

He stepped in the shower, and let the warm water run over his tired body. As he lathered himself, he realized he hadn't felt Emily's touch in a couple of weeks.

Emily…

He didn't have any romantic interest in her other than their little escapades. He was sure she felt the same way. She knew the kind of man he was anyways, why would she want to date him?

Once Shane was fully dressed, he announced he was going out and hurried his steps towards the Stardrop Saloon.

"Hey Shane, how are you?"

Before he said anything, he placed a coin on the counter.

"Could be a little better. Lager, please"

Emily smiled, keeping the coin to herself.

"Coming right up." She filled a tulip pint with the requested beverage and placed it in front of him without making eye contact before turning to her boss, "Gus, can I take five? I'm a little lightheaded."

"Sure thing."

"Thank you!" She smiled widely at him.

"Just make sure you leave the door locked this time…" Gus mumbled right after she closed the door.

Shane made it as if he hadn't overheard him while he downed his drink. Then, he stood up in silence and walked towards the bathrooms. Once there, he made sure nobody was nearby, so he could enter the storage room.

When he closed the door behind him, everything went dark. Emily's soft touch on his arm startled him.

"What took you so long?" she said.

"I heard Gus say something after you left, I think he suspects…"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," she took his hand and led him to their corner, "we're wasting time."

After a whole year, his heart still raced when her cold fingers grazed his skin as she unbuttoned his shorts. He almost lost balance when she reached inside his boxers.

"It's been a while…" Shane's words trailed off into a gasp when she started to cautiously pump his stiffened shaft.

"About a month… but who's counting?" She squeezed as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't tell me you've missed me…" He smirked. Emily knelt before him, her eyes still fixed on his.

"Only if you admit it first." She licked her lips and kissed his tip for a couple of seconds before taking him entirely in her mouth.

"Fuck, Em… okay, I missed your mouth… so much…" he managed to say. She hummed with a mouthful of him, satisfied at his confession "Just like that…" he sighed, grabbing her head to help her keep her pace at the same time his hips rocked against it.

He felt her mouth detaching from him. When he opened his eyes, he saw her taking some time to savour the precum dripping down her lips as her hands slid easily along his length from base to tip. A whole year of fooling around had taught him to finish quickly, as to not raise any questions.

"Put that mouth back where it belongs and make me come…please…"

"As you wish." Emily obeyed.

He could feel himself hardening against the inside of her cheeks. The moment she relaxed her tongue to allow him further into her throat until she gagged, he felt the need to pull out, but Emily grabbed his legs to make him come in her mouth.

"Em, wait—" A repressed groan replaced his protest. He pressed his lips together as he fixed his eyes on her lustful expression. Her eyes narrowed with pride after licking the last drop. He was still struggling to breathe when she showed him the load in her tongue and swallowed it entirely. It wasn't the first time she has done it, but it was hard getting used to that sight.

"Are you okay?”

"More than okay. Thank you, Em… I needed that." He breathed, arranging himself.

"Tough day?"

"Let's talk at the bar… let me go back first."

Shane left and Emily locked the door, so she could get out from the back door.

"I'm back!" Emily announced, getting behind the counter.

"Feeling better?" Gus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, perfect. Thank you." She beamed before turning to Shane, "So, how was your day?"

"Oddly enough, it was very good. It's just I've been feeling a little off these days… I've been having these dreams…"

"Dreams? What did you dream about?"

"The glory days."

"I see. You're still young, Shane. You'll get where you wanna get in your own time."

"I guess."

"Do you want some pizza with your beer?"

Emily's pizza couldn't be topped. She had learned Gus' recipe to perfection. The spiciness of the pepperoni blended into the cheese created a festival of flavor, all on top of a thin crust baked for the right amount of time.

"I don't know… I really should be eating better," Shane hesitated at first, until he looked up at her puppy eyes and laughed, "okay, okay… but only one slice. I won't be fed a whole-ass pizza again."

"It's only fair that you're well-fed… after you fed me."

"Em, shush!" he blushed, looking around to see if anyone had caught that but much to Emily's amusement, the Saloon was almost empty.

"Haha, gotcha! I'll get your food."

Shane took a swig of his beer to forget about her little joke.

"Thank you, it looks great!" he marveled at the dish before him.

"No problem… and don't even think about paying for it this time! It's on the house."

"No, it's not." Gus chimed in.

"It's on me!" Emily corrected herself.

After finishing the slice in a couple of bites, he washed the oily cheese aftertaste with his drink.

"Thanks, Em… for everything."

"Shane, you're just on your second beer. You need at least four drinks more to get emotional in this place…"

"Then fill it up so I can keep talking, will you?" Shane banged the empty pint softly until he got his refill, "No, but really…I guess I don't mention it enough, but you have been there for me during some of my darkest moments. You know me better than anyone here."

"I can say the same thing about you. That's why you're my best friend… and for the record, you do mention it a lot during seventh beer of the night."

"I told you to stop counting my drinks."

"Hey, I'm just following orders!"

"Whose? Gus'?"

Emily shook her head before letting out a concerned sigh.

"You know who. She's worried about you, Shane."

"It's none of her business."

"As your bartender I can't tell you what to do, but as your best friend, I guess I can at least remind you Marnie's your family, and she's very sweet. Please, don't hurt her."

"Fine…" Shane grimaced into his glass before taking a long swig, "but I don't appreciate you being her little spy in here."

"You love me anyway." She let out a cheeky smile.

"Fuck off" He chuckled after finishing his third pint.