"Vincent, please stay on the sidewalk!" Penny scolded the young boy, who was happily jumping around in a mud puddle. It was always a struggle to get the kids focused on rainy days like this one.
"Oh, sorry Miss Penny!" Vincent returned to the sidewalk next to Jas, who had her eyes trained on a butterfly, looking ready to pounce on it like a cat. Penny sighed. How was she going to manage to teach them anything? They were supposed to be learning a new math problem today.
As the trio rounded the corner past Haley and Emily's house, a figure slumped over by a nearby tree caught Penny's attention. Oh, right, I heard Kent came home recently. Penny had known Kent when she was little and he and her father were friends, but hadn't seen Kent since he left for overseas. She hadn't seen her father for even longer than that.
"Jas, Vincent, go on ahead to the library. I'll meet you there in a few minutes."
"Why, Miss Penny?" Jas inquired.
"It's nothing. Don't be getting into any trouble, okay?" Penny affirmed with a soft shove of Jas' back.
Kent sat with his legs pulled to his chest, not caring that the back of his pants were getting soaked from the wet grass. Penny quietly approached him. "Um...hello. Are you alright?"
The man jumped, his eyes widening.
"Penny?"
"Yes, sir. Haven't seen you in a while." Penny giggled politely.
"What have you been up to?" Kent asked, sounding genuinely intrigued.
"Oh, well, aside from cleaning up after my mom I tutor Jas and Vincent."
"Ah, that's right. Jodi told me about that."
After he concluded his sentence, he returned his stare to the ground. The two sat in silence for a moment before it started to make Penny feel uncomfortable.
"You seem down."
"I just have a lot on my mind."
Penny searched for words. She wanted to let him know that he could talk to her about it, but didn't want to push it. "I'm here. If...you need someone to listen."
Kent took her up on her offer right away.
"It feels strange being back in Stardew Valley. Everyone's different. Everything's different. Like everyone's adjusted to life without me and there isn't a place for me anymore." He placed his hand on his forehead, pushing his slightly droopy hair back. "Even Sam and Vincent. They hardly know me."
Listening to him say these things struck Penny as wrong. She knew that they were untrue. "I wouldn't say that. Sam and Vincent missed you the entire time you were gone. Vincent talked about you all the time, wondering if you would come back, and Sam always assured him that you would even if he didn't know for sure himself." She explained.
"Willy always said he missed fishing with you. Pierre always said he missed talking with you at the cash register. Even Gus always said he missed seeing you standing in the corner with a drink in your hand. Please don't feel like an outsider, because nobody sees you as one. They all missed you, Kent. I did too."
"Thanks, Penny. That helps."