A/N:

This is really my first fan fic for Harvest Moon. Lately I've fallen for Gray. And I think that the beginning is kind of slow. So you've been warned.

Chapter 1

The morning was warm. Like any other summer day. I could hear my grandfather's hammer banging against the silver. He was commissioned to make a necklace for Grant's daughter, Kate. She was turning 10, so her father wanted something special her.

The morning slowly grew into noon, only getting hotter. The sweat coming off of grandfather's brow made me chuckle a bit to myself. When he looked up at me, he only grew more irritated, telling me to get more ores at the mine.

I have to admit that I was relieved that he made me go. It must have been over 110 degrees in that little shack that's called a house.

I made my route through Jack's farm. He was a nice guy. Around my age. Maybe a year or two older. About my height, dark brown hair hidden under his cap. He struck me as the hard worker type as soon as he moved to Mineral Town. The kind of guy that would make me look bad in front of my grandfather. But after awhile I got to know him. And we had a little friendly competition for mining ores in the mines.

I got to the edge of Jack's farm. I heard a whistling sound coming from the south end of his property. I knew that it was him. I made my way to the whistling, to find Jack in his chicken coop. I knocked on his door and he told me to come in, so I did.

"Hey there Gray!" Jack said as soon as I opened the door, with a small grin.

"What are you doing Jack?" I asked, even though I knew that he was giving one of his chickens medicine.

"Old Clucky here got sick. And I can't let her go." he said, still with a grin on his face.

It had always bothered me how no matter what happened, Jack always had a some sort of smile on his face. I often wondered how bad things had to get for him to stop smiling.

"I'm sorry Jack…" I didn't really know what to tell him. I was never good at assuring people that everything was going to be alright. When I knew that it wasn't.

Jack put the chicken down, next to his other three and laid out some feed.

"Before I forget, I have something I've been meaning to tell you. But it's been slipping my mind." Jack told me with his palm covering his forehead.

I didn't know what he could possibly mean. Was it something urgent? No, it couldn't be. If it had been, it wouldn't have slipped his mind, for however long.

He opened the door and I followed him out.

"What it is Jack?" I peeped as I looked at my feet. I couldn't help but blush.

"Oh right. It's about my cousin.-"

"I never knew that you had a cousin!" I busted out.

Jack couldn't help but giggle. I did too.

"My cousin, she-" I didn't let him finish.

"A girl?"

"Will you let me finish?" Jack still giggled.

"…" My pause told him to continue.

"Anyway, my cousin, Claire. Decided to move to Forget-Me-Not-Valley. You know the village on the other side of the Mountain." His voice seemed to get lower as he talked about the next valley over.

"What about her?"

"Well, she's moving in a few days, and I need help with her getting situated."

"And you were wondering if I would help you, help her move."

"Pretty much."

"Alright, I'll help. What day is she coming?"

"Thursday."