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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” She said accepting her gift

“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?”

“Um, kind of…my fridge is empty, so I wanted to do some shopping, but the store is closed”

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

“We?”

“Yeah, my dad is Pierre from Pierre’s General Store…” Abigail shrugged and laughed sheepishly

“Oh, I see” Dahlia laughed along “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’ve never had eel, it sounds slimy”

“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 go in 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 try 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.

“I’m Dahlia, I moved in a couple of days ago from the city”

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

“Miss Dahlia is fine. I’m not that old, and certainly not married” She laughed. Once inside, 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?”

“Two, please” A rumble in her stomach reminded her of what she really wanted. “I’m going to need some ingredients 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, 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 box from behind the counter “Take his, too. It’s fertilizer, it’ll make your work easier, 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 “I’ll be back for that beauty soon” She laughed, glancing at a leather backpack.

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

She walked towards her house, ready to cook some rice and continuing clearing the farm to prepare a 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.