Chapter 2: All Quiet On The Westown Front

Twenty miles seemed like a long distance from Avonlea. But to Harper, who had visited Westown with her family many times throughout the years, it could actually go by pretty quick. It only took about half an hour for her and Daryl to get there by car, which, to Harper, seemed like no time at all. When they passed a sign that said, 'Welcome to Westown!' she couldn't hold back a smile. Here she was.

Westown...what an apt name for a little town that looked like it came right out of an old Western movie. Well, the part of it that Harper was in right now, that is. The grass had a more yellowish green, rustic hue to it than the pure, green grass that she was used to seeing. Westown's grass looked more like it was slowly turning into hay. Of course, she could still see some greenery around, like some small pine trees and prickly bushes, what with it still being February and all. The dirt roads were a very vivid, vermillion orange, like autumn leaves. On her left was a white two-storey house with burgundy shingles, and behind it was a pretty little lake, which narrowed into a river that flowed through the town, the rush of the water soothing to her ears. Harper caught a whiff of smoke, which she could tell was coming from the chimneys.

"Alright!" Daryl announced, bringing his car to a stop. "We're here!"

Harper was quick to hop right out of the car the second it stopped.

Compared to the other house a little further down the road, her Uncle Frank's house was smaller and had much more of a farm-like, country look to it. It was a relatively average-sized house, painted olive green, and Harper could make out the shapes and markings of the wood panels that kept the house together. The only thing that really stuck out was the obnoxiously orange front door. Still, Harper smiled as she stepped onto the porch. It was her Uncle Frank's house, after all. She and her family often visited him from time to time, and all of the memories she made in that house were happy ones, memories she'd always remember fondly. Even outside, it still had the scent of fresh vegetable pizza. It was warm, familiar, and safe.

Her new home for the time being.

One detail did stick out to her, and not in a good way: those wooden wheels sitting behind the mailbox. She narrowed her eyes into a glare. Those wooden wheels...even after six years, her Uncle Frank still hadn't bothered to get rid of those useless things. She couldn't help but wonder why he still had those wheels in the first place. Were they decorations, or just stuff he randomly put there for no reason? Making a mental note to ask him later, Harper knocked on the door.

"Hey, Uncle Frank!" Harper yelled. "It's me, Harper!"

No answer.

She looked to her left, noticing the little green barn just about ten feet away, secured by a white picket fence. Three large cows hung their heads low to the ground, contentedly munching on some grass. Harper zipped from the porch, running over to the barn. Inside was a large man standing in front of a sheep, using a brush to comb through its thick wool. His blue eyes were fixated on the sheep as he brushed, and his straw hat bobbed from side to side as he joyfully hummed a little tune to himself.

"Uncle Frank!"

"Wha?!" The man in question, Frank, was so startled that he jumped for a second, nearly dropping his brush. Thankfully, he managed to catch it right before it could slip through his arms. He looked over to the entrance and saw Harper flying right towards him. Suddenly, Harper leaped on him, throwing her skinny arms right around his neck. Surprise morphed into joy as he smiled and took the girl into his arms. "Well now! Is that you, Harper? Howdy, girl! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Me too!" Harper rejoiced, reveling in the scratchy feel of Frank's straw-like beard.

"Goodness, you've grown some tall last time I saw ya!" Frank crowed, his scratchy voice booming with cheer. It was here that Frank gestured for her to get down. Getting the message, Harper let go of him, releasing him from her hug. "It's good to have ya here!"

Harper nodded in agreement.

"Harper!" Daryl huffed as he walked into the barn with a suitcase in hand. "Oh, there you are," It didn't take long for him to catch up, the suitcase still weighing heavy in his left hand. Still, he flashed a grin in his brother's direction. "Hello, Franklin."

"Daryl!" Frank bellowed, wrapping a large arm around his brother, pulling him into his own hug. "How's my big bro?"

"Very well, thanks."

Frank looked down at his niece, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder. "So you're livin' with me for a while and gonna learn how to work on a farm, huh?" The Maxwell family had already told Frank everything about Harper's move and what they had planned, which he approved of without hesitation at all. Harper could see that Frank liked the idea of having her around all the time, what with the way his red apron bounced in tune with his large belly as he laughed that scratchy laugh of his. "If she's under my roof, you don't need to worry about a thing, Daryl. She'll be just fine!"

"I know she will," Daryl agreed. "But there's still some things I'd like to go over before I leave, if that's alright with you."

"Sure, sure. Anything!"

As the two brothers chatted amongst themselves, Harper happened to notice a dog sniffing around the entrance leading outside. A young, brown and white beagle with floppy ears, its tail standing straight up, the tip white as snow. Spread across its back was a big patch of black fur that looked like ink had been spilled on it. The dog held its head up, its round eyes taking in Harper's presence. Harper smiled, kneeling down and holding her hand out.

"Here, Lucky! It's me, Harper!"

Lucky barked before leaping over to Harper, flinging his wet tongue all over her hand.

Wait a minute...she brought her cat with her. Cats and dogs normally don't get along.

Her face turned white as she stood back up quicker than a jack-in-a-box. "Oh, shit!"

"Huh?" Both Frank and Daryl turned around in shock.

Harper's hands flew to both sides of her head, and she couldn't help but scream right out loud, "I completely forgot about Lucky, and I brought Reese with me!"

It had completely slipped her mind. Her cat Reese had never met Lucky. How was she going to react to seeing this dog? Would she go after him? Or would Lucky go after her? Would they try to kill each other, or would they actually be friends? As far as she knew, Lucky did get along well with other animals, but Reese was an indoor cat and rarely ever went outside. Harper scolded herself for not having thought about this before she arrived. "Holy crap holy crap holy crap holy craaaaaaaap!" All of a sudden, her thoughts were awhirl, conflicting with one another, overwhelming her with all the possible outcomes of Lucky and Reese's potential meeting.

"Now now, Harper," Daryl reassured. "There's no need to panic. Why don't we bring everything in first?"

It didn't take long for them to bring Harper's things into Frank's house. All she really brought with her were some clothes, hygiene products, books, and other necessities. For now, they decided to keep Lucky in his cage and let Reese explore the house on her own. They did watch as they let the cat out, allowing her to explore her new living quarters and sniff out Lucky. Oddly enough, much to their surprise, when Reese approached Lucky's cage and sniffed it, the beagle showed no reaction whatsoever. Lucky simply sniffed right back before Reese turned around and went under the dining room table. Relief settled over her face as she watched her cat lick her paws. Thank God nothing bad happened!

For the time being, Harper was to move into one of the rooms upstairs. It wasn't as big as her room back in Avonlea, but it would suffice. Frank had cleaned it out several days ago, and it was a pretty simple room, with wooden floors, a mattress complete with linens and a comforter, pillows, and a desk. He mostly used it as a guest room for when the family would come and visit, and as far as Harper remembered, there used to be another bed in here. She figured Frank moved the bed frame and the mattress somewhere else. The back of the barn, maybe? Nevertheless, Harper was satisfied with her new room. Sure, it wasn't her bedroom in Avonlea, but she could make do. It helped that she didn't bring everything with her all at once. Anything she absolutely didn't need at the moment was still with her family, and they promised to hold onto the rest of her things for her when they moved to Beldingsville.

At about 4:30 PM, Daryl decided it was time to leave. He stood out in front of Frank's farm, looking over what he saw of Westown. Harper ran over and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his suit.

"I'm gonna miss you, Dad," Harper whimpered, her choked voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt and tie.

Daryl squeezed his daughter tight, not wanting to let her go. But a part of him reminded him that this was her chance to fulfill her dream, so he had to let her go. "I'll miss you, too. Do everything Frank says, remember to eat healthy food, don't talk to strangers, don't get into cars with anyone-"

"I know, Dad. I know. I love you."

"Love you too, Harper. We'll call you when we've settled into Beldingsville, and let us know if you need anything. Anything at all. You can call us any time, even if you just want to talk."

Eventually, the two broke from their embrace. Daryl got into his car and drove away. Harper kept waving at him, even as the car drove down the dirt road, eventually disappearing. It was here that it finally hit her. She was finally take the first steps toward fulfilling her dream...but it would be away from all that was familiar to her. Of course, Frank was here, and she brought Reese with her, so she wouldn't be completely out on her own. She kept staring at the dirt road, even as Frank walked next to her, fiddling with his red apron.

"You hungry, Harper?" Frank asked, rolling the end of his apron into a cylinder shape. "I'm gonna start dinner soon, and it won't take too long."

Before she could answer, a rumble echoed from her stomach. Harper's cheeks burned. "Does that answer your question?"

Frank suppressed the urge to laugh, holding a fist to his mouth, allowing his apron to roll back out. "Marlena said you like potato au gratin, so I'll make that and cook up some veggies. How's that?"

"That'd be perfect."

The rest of the day went by rather uneventfully. Harper had to admit, she hadn't eaten much since she left Avonlea, so being able to eat some cooked vegetables was much more fulfilling than usual. It helped that he made carrots, her favorite vegetable ever. Unable to resist the allure of her favorite foods, Harper savored every bite of her uncle's home cooked meal, relishing the softness of the scalloped potatoes, the warm, gooey yellow sauce that filled her mouth...just like old times. By this time, Reese had left her spot underneath the table and made herself at home on the couch, sitting high on the cushions and scanning her surroundings, a little cowed by this new environment. Frank had put Lucky outside for the time being, so Reese didn't have to worry about him. After dinner, she offered to help Frank with whatever farm work needed to be done, but he gently rejected her offer, saying that it was pretty much done. But he did let her water his crops, namely the tomatoes and radishes, teaching her how to use the hose and how much water they needed. He had already watered most of his own crops and didn't want to overwhelm her with too much to do, so watering some tomatoes and radishes would be a good start.

Hose in hand, Harper doused the rows of tomato trellises in water, watching as the clusters of green leaves were showered in dew, sparkling in the orange sunset. She kept her eyes focused on the task at hand, making sure she didn't douse them in too much water. Good thing the hose nozzle wasn't too heavy or too strong, and was adjustable, so she could change the water output at will. She had to admit, this was a smart move on Frank's part, making a mental note to consider buying her own adjustable hose nozzle for when she ever got her own farm. By the time Frank came to check on her, Harper had already started watering the row of radishes behind the tomato trellises.

"Heeeey! Lookit you workin' hard!" Frank complimented, his scratchy voice booming with cheer. "Those tomatoes look perfectly hydrated! You've done this before, right?" He asked, scratching his beard.

"Yeah," Harper replied as she continued watering the radish leaves. "I've grown vegetables before over the years. I've gotten pretty good at it," She couldn't help but flash a proud smile as she slid over to another set of radishes, giving them their much needed hydration. "You should have seen some of the crops my colleges had us grow. Maize corn, cauliflower, melons...man, it took me months just to manage to grow some good eggplants that didn't wind up withering or looking like they were slashed with tiny knives!"

Frank laughed a big, hearty laugh. "I know that feeling. Good thing radishes are pretty easy to grow this time of year, and I intend to make a good killing off them," He kneeled down to examine Harper's handiwork. The soil was dark and moist, and the green leaves had already perked up. "How about we start plantin' your own radish crop tomorrow? It'd be a good start, since you've planted those before, right?"

"Sure. That's fine."

Eventually, all of Harper's assigned crops were fully watered. After that, Harper did what she always did after dinner. She took a shower, changed into her pajamas, spared a few minutes to read one of her books, blow dried her hair after that, and was ready for bed by 9:30. But Frank did tell her that she needed to be up at six in the morning so she could help him with the farm. Good thing Harper's phone had an alarm setting, and she had set it to five thirty AM already, so there was no need to adjust it, only turning it and the volume on so she would hear it. Oddly enough, sleep came surprisingly quickly. Her brain wanted to go over everything that had happened. Telling her parents about wanting to move out, wanting to become a farmer, preparing for the move, moving out...everything happened so fast. It was like her new life was moving at warp speed, and she wanted to just lie there and think about it all so she could process it. Too bad her body protested, and before she could think too much, her eyes closed and she drifted deep into sleep.

The sky was completely dark, almost pitch black when she woke up. She didn't need to start working until six, but as far as Harper was concerned, she needed time to wake up, eat breakfast, and get herself energized before doing anything. A half hour of time for herself before work would suffice. She treated herself to a banana and some vanilla flavored yogurt, her favorite, before getting dressed and washing the sleep out of her eyes with cold water. Since it was cold early in the morning, especially with it still being winter, Harper decided to just throw on a long sleeved gray shirt, her favorite purple overalls, her fluffy gray jacket, and her brown work boots. Perfect for getting down and dirty on the farm. When she got downstairs, Frank was already in the kitchen, taking a sip of some hot coffee.

"Top of the mornin' to ya, Harper!" Frank greeted her warmly, just as he set his cup down on the table. "You ready for your first day on the job?"

Harper smiled in anticipation, slipping some gloves on. "Sure am."

Although it was dark outside, Frank made sure to keep some outside lights on, that way they could see where they were working. The first thing to do was to water the crops first. They carried the hoses from out back and pulled them over to the fields. Frank watered one part of his field, and Harper's job was to water the other part. Harper kept her eyes on her work, watching as the spray of water rained down on Frank's radish and tomato crops, giving them a much needed shower. She could already see the leaves start to perk up a bit. When the sun came up, the dew resting on the leaves would shimmer, like little jewels. One of nature's little beauties.

"Hey Harper!" Frank called out, his hose still spraying water. "Make sure they're nice and wet, but don't drown them!"

"Yes, sir!"

She wasn't sure how much time she spent watering her half of Frank's field. Her arm started to throb from holding the hose up for so long, but this was nothing. No way was she going to let that stop her. She kept her eyes on her work, hydrating the crops and taking her time, making sure they were nice and wet. Nice and wet. By the time she reached her final row, the sky was already turning dark blue, with splashes of pink and red going right across it, making it shine brightly, like a flame in a hearth.

Harper adjusted her glasses before getting a better look. "Uncle Frank! Look at the sky! Isn't it pretty?"

Frank looked up, using his arm to wipe some sweat off his brow. "My oh my. It sure is, Harper," The sky looked like it came straight out of an old painting, brimming with vivid colors that seemed to spring to life. Then he crossed his arms and scanned his fields. "Alright. Looks like all the crops are watered," He flashed a grin in Harper's direction. "Pretty good for your first time!"

Harper's cheeks turned red. She averted his gaze and locked it onto the sky, running a hand through her dark brown locks sheepishly. "Oh...it's nothing," She stammered, thinking the praise was a bit much, even if she did have experience in watering crops. "But...thanks."

"I have some radish seeds on me," Frank told her, pulling some small packets of red radish seeds out from the big pocket on his apron. "How about we start you on your own crop right now?"

Nodding smartly, Harper approached Frank and took the radish packets into her hands. This would be her first real crop. On a real farm! Granted, she had grown her own crops before, back at home, but they were mostly grown in her backyard, not on a farm. "Sure. Why not?"

Despite the cold winter air stinging at her cheeks and nose, Harper couldn't wait to start. But she watched as Frank showed her how to use a hoe and till the ground. Not too deep, but deep enough for her to lay the seeds down. Harper took a hoe in her hand and tried it herself, tilling the ground, pulling dirt out to make what would be a bed for her radishes. She then got down on her knees and examined the row of dirt she cleared out, sticking her index finger into it. From what she could tell, the tilled soil was about an inch deep. Harper smiled, nodding proudly to herself. Perfect! This could work. She laid the seeds down, taking care to make sure they were all an inch or two apart from each other before watering them with the hose. It was here that she saw that the sky had changed again, turning a much brighter shade of blue.

She pulled her phone out from her pocket to check the time. It was 7:46 AM. "Whoa! I've been working for over an hour and a half?!" Harper exclaimed.

A hoarse laugh from behind her was the only response she received. "Time flies by mighty quick when you're working," Frank told her, kneeling down to roll the hose back up. "We'll put these away and then start milkin' the cows. Got it?"

Harper didn't reply. She just pulled the hose up and started rolling it back to where she got it. It didn't take long for them to put the hoses away, since that was relatively easy. All she had to do was roll them over a rack. Once that was done, Frank and Harper made their way to the barn. Before Frank could explain anything, Harper found a stool and a milk bucket, setting them up next to one of Frank's three cows.

"Now wait right there, Harper," Frank admonished, running right up to her before she could sit down. "We have to feed them first, then we milk them. Feeding them kicks their milk production into gear," He explained.

"Oh!" Harper's hand slammed into her face. "I completely forgot!" She had wanted to start milking them right now, and the excitement made that part slip her mind. "Sorry, Uncle Frank," She apologized ruefully.

"It's alright. No harm done," Frank reassured, rubbing her shoulder with one hand. Harper did find herself turning rigid when his hand made contact, even if the touch was muffled by her jacket.

The cow didn't seem to mind too much. The cow Harper sat next to simply tilted her head to one side, her long ears twitching slightly at the sound of this new voice. Even though there was no grass to be cut, since it was too cold for it to grow tall enough to cut, Frank kept a lot of fodder in the silo that was connected to the barn, so there was plenty of food for the cows. Frank and Harper pulled feed out from the shute, spreading it all over the trough. They had to make sure they put in lots of fodder, enough that it just about reached the very edges of the trough.

"Whew!" Harper could feel her back throb as she carried the feed. Once she put one heap of it into the trough, she stopped to bend over and rub her back with one hand. "I can do this," She told herself, repeating it over and over like a mantra. "I can do this. I can do this."

Frank saw Harper hunched over as he put his last pile of feed into the trough. "You okay? You can take a break if you want," He advised, looking a little worried.

"I'm fine," Harper replied. "I can't let stuff like this get me down."

"I like your attitude, but I wouldn't want you to push yourself too hard."

Thankfully, once the feeding was done, everything else was a piece of cake. It took only 20 minutes for Harper to milk each cow by hand, which meant that an hour had gone by. She had done it before, back in college, so this was a no brainer. At least with milking cows, she knew exactly when she was done via the cows not giving any more milk. After that, she brushed down the cows and the sheep, taking care to get some of the knots out of their hair and wool. As she brushed one of Frank's sheep, she could feel rushes of air on her back. She turned around to find a cow standing right behind her, watching her curiously with her big brown eyes. Then, the cow suddenly nuzzled Harper's back.

"Whoa! Easy there!" Harper exclaimed, shocked that a cow would just approach her like that.

Having watched the scene play out before him, Frank couldn't hold back a laugh. "Well well! Seems like Ness here likes you a lot! She usually never approaches people like that!"

Ness the cow continued to trail her muzzle across Harper's back. Unsure of what else to do, Harper simply took one hand and stroke Ness's head gently. "Awwww, you like me? You're so nice, Ness!" Harper crooned, liking the attention she got from this playful cow. If there was one thing she liked about cows, is that they were nice and simple. Cows, and animals in general, didn't lie, cheat, or use people for their own convenience.

Leah's angry voice echoed in her mind: 'I'm done with you, Harper. I don't want a retard cramping my style. It was bad enough dragging you around every single time I went out. Do you have any idea how much you embarrass me?!'

Harper swallowed a lump in her throat, returning to brushing Frank's sheep, keeping her eyes firmly locked onto her brush. It wasn't the first time someone had called her a retard, but hearing it from her girlfriend-someone who was supposed to be her girlfriend-hurt more than getting trampled by a buffalo stampede. She kept reminding herself that words like that didn't matter. Words like that couldn't define her, and they didn't matter to her. But it didn't do anything to ameliorate the pain lingering in her heart. 'Screw you, stupid Leah! Screw you!' Harper clenched her teeth, trying hard not to let her anger get the better of her.

Finally, at 11:30 AM, the farm work was done. Her body felt like a limp, wet noodle as she plopped down onto a patch of grass near the fence. "Done and doooooone!" Her brown hair mingled with the blades of grass underneath her, and all she saw in front of her was endless blue sky. Already, she could feel energy surging back into her limbs just from lying down.

"Well," Frank pulled out a stool and sat down next to her, adjusting his straw hat just a bit. "I say for your first official day on the farm, you did some fine work!"

"Thanks…" Harper croaked, her throat somewhat dry from spending several hours without water. Every single part of Harper felt heavy and dry. Of course, this was the farmer's life. This was something she was going to have to get used to. Farms were a lot of work. Then again, knowing that didn't mean she had to like being tired.

"If you're feeling up to it, how about we take a walk into town later?" Frank suggested as he wiped some grit and dirt off his pants. "There's a lot to see."

Harper sat up. "Sure. I don't mind."

It was then that she saw something blue and brown ambling up the road. She couldn't quite make it out since she was sitting on the grass, but it definitely looked human. Curious, Harper stood back up, this time getting a much better look. It was a young man, about the same age as her, with shaggy, pale blonde hair underneath a brown cowboy hat, matching cowboy boots, and dressed all in blue. A big brown satchel dangled from his shoulder, weighing heavy on him. Who was that? Harper scooted closer to Frank.

"Hey! Looks like the mail's here early today!" Frank exclaimed, waving as the blonde haired man-the mailman, as it turned out-approached the fence. "Top of the mornin' to ya, Wayne!" The farmer greeted the younger man with a big, friendly smile.

Wayne tipped his hat, smiling back at him. "Mornin', Frank."

Harper watched silently from beside Frank. She had to admit, this mailman was actually kind of cute, though his deep, suave voice belied his youthful features, and his bright blue eyes were friendly and welcoming. He looked like the kind of guy who had girls swarming all over him, swooning to the point of fainting if he so much as glanced in their direction, all fiercely competing for his affection. She had met guys like him before in school. Wayne rummaged through his satchel before pulling out a packet of letters and handed them to Frank.

"Here's your mail for today."

"Thank ya kindly."

It was here that Wayne flicked his blue eyes over to Harper. Just like that, she felt herself turning rigid. He was looking right at her. "Well well, who's this lovely lady here? You finally started hiring part-timers or somethin'?"

Her cheeks burned, turning red as a tomato. 'Did he seriously just call me lovely?!' Harper could feel her head start to spin. She did expect a few compliments, as new neighbors and townsfolk usually did fling some her way whenever they met her. But she didn't expect some guy to straight up say that like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Frank waved his hand at him dismissively. "No, she's not a part-timer. This is my niece, Harper Maxwell. She's livin' with me for right now. Harper, this is our mailman, Wayne Fitzgerald."

Knowing it'd be rude to not do so, Harper simply muttered a quick hi and waved her hand. Suddenly, Wayne looked a bit taken aback, as his eyebrows shot up. "Your niece? Hmmm…you two look nothin' alike, though."

No surprise there. She totally expected him to say that. "I'm actually his adopted niece, if that clarifies things," Harper explained matter-of-factly, having found her voice.

Truth be told, this wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence. Anyone who looked at Harper and her family always said that they looked nothing alike. Compared to her blonde haired, blue eyed, fair skinned parents, sister, and relatives, Harper stood out like a brown cow among nothing but white cows with black spots. Her umber skin, large glasses, dark green eyes, and chocolate hair were all Harper and Harper only. But the fact that her parents adopted her and raised her like she was their own for decades told her and everyone else all they needed to know, so she was family to them no matter what.

"Oh. I see," Wayne smiled again, flashing his pearly whites at her. "Sorry. Didn't mean to be rude. There aren't too many fellas our age 'round these parts, so welcome to Westown! I hope ya like it here!"

"Umm...thanks," Harper mused shyly.

"So where'd you move here from? Someplace far away?" Wayne asked.

"Avonlea. It's not too far from here," Harper replied.

Wayne rolled a sleeve back and glanced at his watch. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have some deliveries to make," He turned on his heel and waved back at them. "See ya 'round!" Just like that, he ambled down the orange dirt road toward the other house down the street. The morning sun glinted off of his golden hair, making it almost glow as he walked further down. He definitely had his looks going for him, Harper was sure of that.

A breeze blew through the area, rustling her hair, making some of it fly into her face. Frank had to slam his hand on his hat to keep it from blowing off. "Alright then. Work's done for right now, so how 'bout we have ourselves a break? Maybe I can show you more of Westown at about...two? How's that?"

"Fine by me."

Harper wasted no time going back inside, treating herself to some water before plopping down on her new bed. She didn't even notice Reese laying at the foot of the bed. Thankfully, the cat was mostly undisturbed, only holding her head up to see who decided to join her. Harper buried her face in her comforter, savoring the soft, luxurious touch of something that wasn't a farm tool. Her limbs were completely limp and relaxed, not keen on moving any time soon. As much as she wanted to see more of Westown, she knew there was no way she could handle walking over there right now. Recharging was very much needed right now.

"Hey, Reese," Harper muttered, flicking a glance over at the unassuming cat sitting next to her. "You've got it easy. All you cats do is eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, and go wherever you want."

"Mrowr," That was Reese's only response, a squeaky meow.

"Oh well. It's not like I didn't want to do this," Harper said, her voice muffled by her comforter. "A farmer's gotta do what a farmer's gotta do, so I say bring it on!" She held a fist in the air, only for it to limply fall back on the bed after a second.

Reese said nothing. The end of her tail silently tapped the blanket beneath her. Harper didn't mind. Some quiet time in her new room was very much needed as of right now.

By lunchtime, Harper's tired limbs finally recharged after having some of Frank's leftover pizza, garlic bread, and red velvet cake. Not an idea lunch, but definitely a winner for Harper. As promised, Frank and Harper crested up the dirt road that led further into town. When they got there, the first thing Harper noticed where the small cacti and the big white windmill on her left. The second thing she noticed was that houses were all on three different levels, along small cliff sides, with stairs leading up to every level. The soil and the cliff faces were just as vividly orange and red as where she lived right now. Four big stalls were situated on the very bottom level, forming a semi circle in the middle of town. Just above it was a very short set of train tracks, brown and rusty from years of exposure to the elements, with a small, black steam locomotive sitting right behind a red building on the second level. Was that locomotive fake or real? Harper couldn't tell. There wasn't any steam coming out of it, so she assumed it wasn't functioning.

One thing she did like was the big, bronze buffalo statue on her right. It stood tall and strong, taller than she by several feet, its horns raised up and ready to gore some prey. A tall, white, two-storey building stood on the right side on the second level, and Harper noticed some small fields with leaves popping out from it, probably some crops whoever lived there was growing. Finally, at the very top, on the highest level, were three other buildings. From left to right they were mossy green, bright pink like cotton candy, and straw yellow with a blue door and matching shutters. Frank told her about every establishment: the red building was the post office, where Wayne worked. The white building was the clinic. The green building was the restaurant, the Garden Grill, the pink building was the flower shop, and the yellow building, Straw Market, was the main shop in the area. The stalls on the lower level sold everything from food, to tools, to animals.

"I gotta say," Harper finally said after taking everything in. "This place really does look like it came right out of a Western movie."

Expression brightening, Frank stood up straight and nodded. "Sure does. Westown's built on the side of a mountain, which is why everything's built on all these cliffs here," Frank crowed. "Yep, she's a fine town, if I say so myself. I didn't spend thirty some years of my life here for nothing, y'know?" He spread his arm outward, sliding it across the air like he was showing Harper a beautiful museum exhibit. "Oh! That reminds me!" He suddenly exclaimed. "I gotta run to Straw Market to pick up some potato seeds. Want to come with? You don't have to come in with me."

It didn't take but seconds for her to answer. "Sure. I don't mind."

As they ascended several flights of stairs, Harper wondered if everyone here in Westown was physically fit. As soon as she got to the highest level, her legs started feeling heavy again, probably from all the work she put in this morning. On the other hand, Frank and several others she saw barely broke a sweat, which she assumed was because they had done this for a long time. Harper made a mental note to come here every now and again, if only to get herself used to this. She waited outside as Frank went into the yellow building. Still, the obnoxiously pink establishment right next to her caught her eye. For what it was worth, it did look pretty, even if whoever painted it went a little overboard with making it as obnoxiously pink as possible. Curiosity seized her.

'I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a quick look. Maybe they're selling some seeds,' Harper thought, rubbing her chin with one hand. Planting some flowers might be a good idea if she was going to start now, and she still had some money on her. Why not? Mustering her courage, she went inside, the bell above the door making a lively jingling sound as she pushed it open.

Floral scents caressed her nostrils. Flowers were everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling, lining the shelves on every table in front of every wall, laying straight on the counter. Behind the register, Harper could see a pretty young woman wrapping some plastic around a bundle of flowers, happily humming a tune to herself. Her golden curls bobbed as she swayed her head left and right, and the flower accessories in her hair seemed to look just as lively as she. Her little flower necklace dangled from her neck since she was bending down as she worked on the bouquet. Harper was at an impasse. The woman looked busy, enjoying her work even. Harper didn't want to disturb her. On the other hand, she did want to know if she had certain flower seeds she could plant.

Mulling about it wasn't going to help, so Harper simply approached. "Umm...hello?"

The woman looked up, meeting eyes with Harper. They were a sparkly bluish green color, gentle and warm. Harper averted her gaze, focusing on her bouquet. She felt like she was being stripped to the bone the second someone laid eyes on her. Thankfully, once the surprise wore off, the blonde woman flashed a friendly smile.

"Hello! I didn't see you there. I'm sorry, I got a little too caught up in my work," The woman explained in a high, cheery voice, though still distinctly an adult voice. "Anyway, welcome to Thousand Bouquets!"

'How fitting,' Harper thought. Considering all the flowers in here, the woman could easily make a thousand bouquets with this many of them. It was like Harper had walked into a rainbow garden. Not helping matters was that even the walls were pink. Harper liked pink as much as the next girl, but there had to be a limit to how much of it one needed in this place.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," The woman said, standing up from her seat. "Are you new here, or are you just visiting?"

Scratching her head with one hand, Harper mulled over her words. "Yeah, new here. I just moved into my Uncle Frank's house down the road."

Suddenly, the woman's jaw dropped, and her blue green eyes were as wide as saucers. "Frank? Do you mean Frank Bradbury?"

"That's him."

"Oh!" The woman's hands clasped together as she made an approving squeal. "Is your name Harper? Frank did say his niece was moving in with him!"

Knowing she was going to say the obvious, Harper held her hand up. "I'm his adopted niece, yeah."

"I see! Welcome to Westown!" The woman was practically giddy. She kept jumping up and down, her gold curls bouncing right along with her. "Oh! I probably got a little too excited. I'm Lisette Blumenthal, the florist. It's so nice to meet you, finally!" Her cheeks were red like cherries, and she glowed with joy. "Frank's told me so much about you!"

Harper nodded again, cheeks reddening, more out of shyness than joy. Lisette's outward excitement was a bit too much, so she took a step back. "I'm sure he did."

"Whoops!" Lisette suddenly remembered where she was. "I need to be professional. I'm still at work, after all," She reminded herself aloud, giving herself a minute to compose herself. "Alright then. Are you looking for anything?"

"Yeah. I was wondering if you had blue morning glory seeds."

Lisette smiled sweetly. "Indeed we do! I'll go get them," In no time at all, Lisette trotted over to a nearby stand, plucked out a packet of seeds, and handed them to Harper. "Here they are!" She rung them up at the register. Two packs of them were two dollars, and Harper paid for it without difficulty.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome! Come again!"

Morning glory seeds in hand, Harper waved goodbye before going out the door. Three words popped up in her mind that described Lisette: Dorky. Enthusiastic. Passionate. Lisette seemed nice enough, though maybe a little too easily excited. Then again, Harper wasn't exactly an erupting volcano of rainbows and happiness herself. She liked her alone time, with only a few people. Being surrounded by too many people sucked the energy right out of her. Still, she told herself not to write off Lisette completely. Who knows? Maybe she could be a potential friend. As she found herself lost in thought, she didn't notice a big man standing in front of her, only a sheet of red.

"Harper!"

"Oh!" Harper almost jumped two feet in the air. She looked up. "Uncle Frank! Sorry about that."

"It's alright. I see you got some seeds."

Harper looked down at the seed packets. "Yeah," Her voice lowered into a soft lull, almost dream-like. "I really like morning glories, especially the blue ones. I'm thinking about planting some when the weather gets nicer."

Frank flashed an approving grin. "I don't see why not. Anyway, how 'bout we head back? I bet you're plum tuckered."

Plum tuckered was putting it mildly. But Harper agreed with the idea. She had enough of Westown for today.

At 5:12 PM, Harper took Lucky out so he could do his business. Being a beagle, Lucky spent most of his time sniffing practically everything, from single blades of grass to those confounded wheels by the mailbox. Harper held onto Lucky's leash, watching as the curious little beagle searched for the perfect spot to urinate. Frank sat on the front porch, peacefully strumming the strings on a small ukulele, playing low, lonely notes. It was impossible to ignore the melody of her uncle's hoarse, raspy voice singing a cheesy, country love song.

Finally, Lucky decided to do his business right near the road, lifting one leg. "Took you long enough," Harper spat under her breath. As much as she liked Lucky, she did wish he wasn't so picky about where he wanted to go to the bathroom. If she ever got her own dog, she'd get one that wasn't picky about this kind of stuff. Maybe a pit bull or a Brittany spaniel. Those were good breeds. When he finished, Lucky simply looked up at Harper with his large, round eyes. Soft, watery, and soulful. Harper rolled her eyes.

"You've got me under your spell, Lucky," Harper kneeled down to stroke Lucky's floppy ears.

"Hello, Frank!"

Out of nowhere, the voice of an old woman caught everyone's ears. Not only that, it was strangely close by. Harper stood up, freezing in place as she saw an elderly woman approach Frank. The woman's grey hair was tied into a tight bun, though the orange bonnet wrapped around her head stood out far more. Her blue eyes gleamed when she met Frank's gaze.

"Howdy, Megan," Frank stood up to talk to her at eye level, even though they were the same height.

"I'm glad I caught you," Megan said, pulling at the sleeve on her green cardigan. "I'm here to collect your business tax," It was here that she noticed Harper just a few feet away. "Oh! Is she the relative you've been telling me about?"

"Yes'm. This here's Harper Maxwell."

"Uhh...hi," Harper could only wave her hand rigidly.

Megan's blue eyes locked right onto her, and Harper was helpless to get out of the way. Suddenly, Megan approached her instead. "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Harper! My name's Megan Rubens, and I'm the mayor in this town. Well, I'm technically the town elder, but it still counts, since I practically run everything here, so I might as well be mayor."

Although her voice was hoarse and a little crackly, just like any other old woman, Megan had no shortage of energy and enthusiasm in the way she talked and moved. "I'm also a farmer, just like Frank!" Then, a set of arms wrapped around Harper, trapping her in an embrace.

Harper's breath hitched, and her eyes shrunk. Megan's green cardigan scratched at her skin, and the unfamiliar hands digging into the fabric of her clothes send searing jolts of pain into her. She was trapped. For a moment, Harper couldn't breathe. But she knew she needed to get out. This was too much. Suddenly, Harper broke from Megan's grasp, pushing the old woman off with both arms before returning to Frank's side, trembling. Megan looked quite taken aback.

"My, my. Did I startle you? What's wrong, sweetie?" Megan asked, her cheer immediately morphing into concern.

Frank took it upon himself to explain. Harper would have liked to do so herself, but she could still feel her skin itch, and it overpowered any attempt she made at speaking. "Sorry, Megan. Harper doesn't like being touched or hugged suddenly, especially by people she doesn't know. She's autistic, y'see."

"Is that what it is. I see," Megan tugged at her yellow turtleneck shirt. "I apologize, dear. I didn't mean to frighten you."

Harper got her voice back. "No, it's fine. It's nice...meeting you. Come on, Lucky," With that, she took Lucky back inside, walking back into the house through the back door. At least walking a dog proved to be a good excuse to get away from the situation. Even when she got back inside, she could still hear Frank and Megan making conversation. Thankfully, it was mostly about farming and business tax, nothing about her, so that was a relief.

It didn't take long for Megan to leave the premises, and a little later, Frank and Harper sat down for dinner. Today, Frank made chicken with white rice and spinach noodles. Another favorite. They sat and ate their meal quietly, just the way they liked it.

"Hey, Harper?"

"Hm?"

"Sorry about Megan. She always greets people by hugging them. That's always been the custom here in Westown," Frank told her, prodding at his chicken with his fork. "She's a real nice lady, just so you know. She really didn't mean any harm."

Harper waved off his apology. "I know. It's alright. You don't have to apologize," She reassured, though she did doubt whether it did any good. "I'm sure she's nice."

Thankfully, Harper's reassurance worked, as Frank took a bite out of his rice before continuing on. "She's helped me a lot the whole time I've been here. She's kind of like my Ma all over again," Frank added happily. "If you ever need any help if I'm not around, she's the go-to lady for all your farming needs and advice on life."

Harper made an approving, noncommittal hum as she swallowed some noodles.

After dinner, Frank and Harper had to water the crops again, since the sun likely dried up the water by now. Crops needed to be watered twice a day, daily, so that way they received continuous hydration. Like before, Harper worked on her assigned field, and Frank on the other side. Harper didn't feel as tired or sore watering the crops this time around, which she attributed to having had dinner. It still took a while for them to water everything, but once everything was watered, Harper took a shower, fed the animals, blow dried her hair, and got herself ready for bed.

The sky had already turned black when she plopped down onto her bed. "What a day," Harper mused aloud, looking up at the rustic brown ceiling above her. "This is gonna take some getting used to."

Oddly enough, Harper felt surprisingly calm and at peace in her uncle's house. It wasn't her old home in Avonlea, nor any of the other homes she lived in, but it was nice enough. Still, the annoying little bug known as anxiety still flitted around her mind, like a fly that she knew was there, making those buzzing noises, but couldn't figure out where exactly it was. Thoughts of owning her home, mortgage, making a steady income, fields of crops, all of them piled up in her mind. She knew she didn't have to worry about that stuff until later, but it always seemed to come back to her.

With a grin, Harper then leaped off the bed and began galloping around the room, skipping and hopping to push out any excess energy she had left. There wasn't any point in keeping it in if all it was going to do was make her feel restless. She galloped all over the room, skipping and waving her arms. The burn in her stomach was starting to go away, which was good. Reese, who had trotted into the room shortly after she started, didn't pay her any mind. Reese just laid down on the carpet, curling herself into a comma shape, content as can be.

'Today's been good so far. My first day as a real farmer,' Harper thought as she continued galloping. 'I'll finally be able to fulfill my lifelong dream! The people I've met liked me so far, though I still have a long way to go,' As much as Harper wanted to believe the people she met so far liked her-Wayne, Lisette, and Megan-she was sure that if they learned the truth about her, they'd probably change their mind like how a chameleon changes color. Once again, she pictured Leah's angry face as she rattled off a list of how having an autistic girlfriend who loved farming was social suicide. With a soft groan of frustration as memories of her break-up soured her mood, Harper stopped galloping and sat back on her bed.

'Screw you, Leah! I don't need you!' Harper reminded herself. This was a new start. The beginning of a long road that would lead to her becoming the farmer she always dreamed of being. A new place. New people, who may or may not be better than others she had met in her life. Maybe new friends. A new life, one that she could forge for herself once she felt she was ready. She knew this would be tough. Nobody said farming was easy. Her father and Frank even said as such. Nonetheless, part of her was excited. Excited to take the first step to becoming a farmer, just like she always wanted.

She wasn't sure how it was all going to happen yet. For all she knew, she might stumble, fall, make some mistakes, even break down and cry. But she wanted to do it. She had to.

"Tomorrow's a new day," Harper whispered to herself, turning off the light and letting sleep take over.

That was how Harper spent her first full day in Westown, and thus it was how her new life started.