Author's Note: Welcome to my first-ever Harvest Moon fic! I got A Wonderful Life for my birthday, and I've been playing it ever since. When it came to choosing a wife, I decided to have the player character, who I named Jack (yeah, I know, totally unoriginal ^^), marry Celia. Although I do also like Muffy and Nami, I like Celia the best and think she and Jack make a really cute couple.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.

A Friendship

It had been two days since Jack moved to the village of Forget-Me-Not Valley to run the farm his deceased father had left him. Jack never thought of himself as much of a farmer, but his father's old friend Takakura was kind enough to help him get started. Takakura had supplied Jack with a hoe, a watering can, a sickle, two tomato seeds, and even a milk cow, who Jack had named Annabel.

At present, Jack was exiting the house on the other farm in the village. Said farm was co-owned by a woman named Vesta and her younger brother Marlin. Personally, Jack didn't see how the two could be related—Vesta was tanned, strong-looking, and seemed rather abrasive, while Marlin was pale, thin, and much quieter than Vesta—but he'd kept that thought to himself as he bought the seeds he wanted.

At that moment, Jack noticed a brown-haired girl kneeling in front of a field of growing crops. He remembered Takakura saying two days ago that the girl's name was Celia and that she lived and worked on Vesta's farm as hired help. After a few seconds, Jack decided to go over and talk to her.

"Hi, Celia," Jack greeted as he walked up to her.

Celia quickly stood up, a little startled, then smiled as she saw who it was.

"Oh, hello," she responded brightly. "Jack, is it?"

"Yeah, that's me." The new farmer smiled back.

"Did you need something?" Celia asked.

Jack shrugged. "I just came by to get some seeds from Vesta."

"Oh." Celia paused for a moment. "How do you like farm work so far, Jack?"

"Honestly, it's not as bad as I thought it'd be," Jack admitted, "but I don't think I'll ever get used to waking up at five in the morning. I didn't even know it was possible to get up that early!"

Celia giggled at that, and a moment of silence passed.

"I enjoy raising crops," Celia said presently; Jack watched as she looked back at the field. "It might be hard work, but it's fun to watch them develop." A faint smile came to her face. "I don't know why, but I always feel like tending to the growing crops makes me stronger."

Celia turned her gaze to Jack again. "It might sound strange, but there you are."

"It doesn't sound that strange," Jack said thoughtfully. After several seconds, he continued. "Well, I guess I'll head back home and get those seeds planted."

"It was good talking to you, Jack," Celia said.

Jack grinned. "Yeah; you, too."

It was on the sixth of spring, three days after that memorable conversation, that Jack was visited by Celia.

He had just finished with watering his growing tomatoes and watermelons when he heard a voice call, "Hi, Jack! How's the farm today?"

Jack looked up to see Celia standing on the path that led to his farm. With a warm smile, she turned to walk away; curious, Jack started to follow her. She led him to a forested area and sat down near a spring.

"So is this your way of prying me away from work?" Jack asked jokingly as he sat down next to Celia.

Celia turned her head to look at him, hugging her knees to her chest. "I didn't know you'd follow me, but I guess so," she replied. She was quiet for a moment as she scanned the grass, flowers, and trees.

"I love this place," Celia finally said. "I come here whenever I want some peace and quiet."

"I see," Jack mused.

The two sat in silence for several minutes. At last, Celia stood up.

"I should be going home," she said, taking Jack's hand (he felt himself blush slightly, but she didn't seem to notice) and helping him to his feet. "Don't work too hard, now," Celia added, smiling.

"Uh, sure..."

As Jack watched Celia leave, he suddenly remembered something Takakura had told him the day he started working on the farm.

"It might be none of my business, but you should find a wife soon."

Jack blushed harder at the thought.