It was a cold, rainy Thursday morning.

Ella sat on her bed, wrapped in her blanket, and sighed. Dusk was curled up at the foot of her bed, purring contentedly, and for once even River seemed reluctant to get up and start the day. He had hidden himself under the blankets and was snoring softly.

"Okay, boy. Up time," she said drowsily. River whined in protest as she unfurled herself from the blanket and swung her legs onto the floor. "Oh, no…"

One quick survey of her farmhouse revealed two puddles of rainwater spreading freely across her floor. With a frustrated groan, the farmer rushed to her pantry and scrambled to find a couple of pots or bowls or anything that could serve as a bucket. She grabbed two as-yet unused pots from a shelf, threw some towels over the puddles, and placed the pots beneath the leaks.

It was a good thing that Ella had been living mainly off of peanut butter sandwiches, wild berries, and fish; she wouldn't be needing those pots for a while.

The farmer scrutinized her shack again to ensure she hadn't missed any leaks. Her small table with its lone cushion were dry. Her sink was empty, and the plate and knife from last night's supper were on the counter beside it where she had laid them to dry. Ella was very careful to keep all her dishware clean as she had no room for a stack of dirty dishes. Her "kitchen" consisted of a little sink, one cramped cupboard, a minifridge, and a tiny square of countertop where she kept a hot-plate.

She tried not to linger on the table too long. It reminded her most of all of how starkly different her new house was to the home she grew up in, with its spacious table and handmade tablecloth – a wedding gift to her parents – and its six chairs. Enough for the whole family and a few guests. She had never before realized how much a home's eating space really spoke for the love and bond of the family within. A table suited for only one person shouldn't exist, she decided.

Slipping into her well-worn overalls, Ella mused about how much she had learned about herself in the short time away from home. While she had always considered herself to be such an independent, self-sufficient problem-solver, it only took a couple weeks on her own to come to terms with how much she had always relied on the company of her loved ones. Only people who have never been totally on their own are confident in their ability to handle loneliness.

Clad in her trusty denim overalls with her hardy workboots laced up, Ella opened her door prepared to step into a muddy field and get to work. Instead she gasped in surprise, coming face-to-face with a plump, pleasant-looking woman holding a casserole dish, and a young grinning blond man confidently rocking '90s curtain bangs. They stood under a broad umbrella the man clutched.

The woman looked equally surprised but recovered quickly. A warm smile spread across her face. "Oh, my! We didn't mean to frighten ya, poor dear! We just trotted ourselves on over to say hello!"

"Oh," Ella laughed breathlessly, still recovering her bearings. She took a slow breath and tried to calm her pounding heart. "No, no, don't worry. I'm so sorry. My name is Ella, I'm the new farmer." The blonde wanted to bury her face in her hands as soon as the words left her mouth. You bonehead, they know you're the farmer. They came to see you ON YOUR FARM.

The woman smiled kindly and reached out to gently clasp Ella's arm. "It's lovely to meet ya, dear. I'm Ruby. I run the Inner Inn just on the other side of the road with my son, Rock." She gestured to the grinning young man. "I thought it was about time we came and welcomed ya to our little Valley."

"Hey, nice to meet you. Name's Rock," said Rock, unnecessarily. Ella smiled at them.

"It's so nice to meet you," she said, and grasped for something else to add. Thankfully Ruby took care of that as she offered the casserole dish to the farmer.

"We wanted to bring a house-warming gift! I love to cook so I whipped up a little something for ya to have some night when you're just too bushed to make dinner. It's my specialty cheese casserole. I hope ya enjoy it, dear."

"Wow, thank you so much," the farmer breathed, taking the dish. Her stomach practically growled at the delightful smell wafting up from beneath the lid. Unexpectedly, she felt her eyes prickle with tears at the kindness of the gesture, but chomped down on the inside of her cheek to stop it. "You are so kind. I—I really appreciate this, Ruby and Rock. Thank you." She looked back up at them and smiled.

Rock chuckled. "Aw, it was nothing. Maybe I'll see you around, hey? The Valley doesn't have much of a nightlife but I know how to have a good time. I can show you around sometime!" He finished with a wink and Ella smiled politely. Ah yes, the town playboy.

Ruby, however, noticed the subtle shine in the farmer's eyes and gave her another motherly squeeze on the arm. "I hope you'll like it here, Ella. Please come see me if you ever need anything, okay hon? All of us in town are so curious about ya and would love to get to know ya!"

Ella felt slightly ashamed. "I hope you don't think I've been hiding from you," she blurted out, and then inwardly cringed.

Ruby chuckled. "Oh, we know you've been busy. Whenever ya have the time, people would love to meet ya. I'm sure you'll get around to everyone eventually. Well, dear, we won't hold you up any longer! We hope to see ya around, don't we, Rock?"

Rock grinned lopsidedly. Ella wondered if it was his natural smirk or if he was doing it for effect. "Come by the Inn and we'll get breakfast sometime! Ma is an awesome cook."

Ruby's face took on the forced expression of someone who would have rolled their eyes if they possessed less patience than she. "Well, goodbye now, hon! Good luck today!"

"Thank you so much!" Ella called after them. The small woman and her son waved and carefully picked their way through the wet lawn and back towards the Inn.

That didn't go so badly. The blonde stood in her doorway smiling until she remembered she was holding a casserole. She placed it in her minifridge, then realized she hadn't had breakfast yet – and who was to say she couldn't have cheese casserole for breakfast?

River whined at her side, watching as she inhaled a rather generous portion of the dish, until she gave in and fed him a small piece of cheese. Dusk sniffed at the food with mild interest, then stalked back to the bed to curl up.

The farmer quickly washed her dishes and placed them down to dry.

Wait – should I have invited them in?, she suddenly panicked. She chewed her lip, but it was too late to dwell on that. They were long gone by now, and they hadn't seemed offended. In fact, they were very nice. If a bit flirtatious…

"That went really well, didn't it?" Ella turned her attention to her pup. River barked and wagged his tail, panting. He seemed to agree. She smiled and rubbed his ears. "I'm feeling very good about that, actually. They were so lovely…well, Ruby was, anyway. Her son seems like he might be a bit questionable, but still nice. Do you think I should push my luck and go introduce myself to someone else today? It would be a good day for it," she mused. "The rain eliminates the need to water, and I can't plant when the soil is wet. There's not much I need to do besides check up on Faye. I could go mining…"

River barked again, looking up at her.

"Yes, I know," she sighed. "I've hidden long enough and they're starting to notice. It's just being rude at this point, not introducing myself, isn't it?"

This time River didn't reply, only stared up at her with his tongue lolling out happily. Ella giggled and patted his head. "Imagine that, me asking you about manners, you jumpy, barky thing. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy who wants some fish for breakfast?" she asked, turning back to the refrigerator. At the sound of the minifridge opening, Dusk stirred and began sniffing the air.

Her pets fed, Ella ventured out again, this time not running into any well-meaning neighbours. Hood up and light blue raincoat tightly fastened, she examined her field, as though hoping to see tiny sprouts after only being planted half a day. She smiled at her own ridiculousness and made her way to the barn, where Faye totally ignored her existence until there was fresh hay forked into her manger. Then she spared the blonde half a glance before beelining to the food.

Ella rolled her eyes at the cow and dealt with the manure and water trough while she ate. Faye watched the farmer with great irritation as she approached with a milker and brush in hand, but grudgingly allowed Ella to do her work. Before leaving the barn with the day's bucket of milk, the blonde leaned in front of Faye's face and gave her an exaggerated eyeroll. Faye stared back, unblinking.

"You are the most sarcastic cow I've ever met," Ella said, exiting. She'd probably have to get the bovine a friend for company soon, but at the moment, Faye seemed perfectly happy to be left well enough alone. Ella frowned – a cow that was giving milk had recently given birth. Maybe Faye was in a foul mood from being separated from her baby… For a moment, Ella thought of her own parents at home at Mineral Town. She wondered if it was rainy there too; if her mother was glad to be relieved of the day's watering duty, if her father got up early to help with barn work.

By the time Ella returned to the farmhouse, the skies had cleared to reveal a somewhat cool, damp late morning. With her chores done and the rest of the day to herself, Ella grit her teeth and resolved to go introduce herself to more of the townsfolk. She might not have another opportunity like this for a long time, and by then the entire Valley was sure to think of her as snobby and unmannered.

Now, to dress – Ella didn't want everyone's first impression to be of a somewhat soggy, limp-haired girl in muddy overalls. The farmer rummaged through her suitcases, which remained largely unpacked; the little farmhouse only had one small dresser, and Ella used it to store things like socks and panties that she would need every day. Thus far, she had worn little else besides her work overalls. Everything else she had brought remained untouched in her luggage.

There was an oval mirror mounted above the dresser. Ella examined herself in her first outfit: a floral-print skirt and pink v-neck tee. She frowned. She had wanted to come across as pretty, but this outfit seemed too impractical for a farmer. She didn't want the villagers thinking that she had no idea what she was doing. She needed to look more…down-to-earth. Besides, it was still too chilly out to show so much skin. Maybe they would think she was being coquettish.

Ella wiggled out of the skirt and tossed it onto her bed, then pulled on a pair of plain black leggings. Staring at herself in the mirror, she shook her head. The combination of a pink tee and leggings seemed ridiculous to her now. Maybe older folk would be scandalized by the skintight pants, too. She pulled both off and dug back into her suitcases.

Next, she selected a forest-green hoodie and a pair of dark blue jeans. Too casual, she thought, turning in the mirror. What if the girls here wore impeccable little skirts and dresses, and she just looked like a slob in comparison? Off went the hoodie, and on went a navy tee printed with little white flowers.

Too dark. The jeans were swapped out for a pair in a lighter wash of blue. She fastened a belt around her waist and frowned in the mirror. Maybe the neckline of the tee dipped too low? She pulled it off, slipped into a white camisole, and put the shirt back on. There – modest, practical, put-together. She hoped. The farmer ran a brush through her collarbone-length hair and hoped it would behave.

Ella had been dreading deciding on an outfit, because the next step was to venture out and introduce herself to a bunch of total strangers. She exhaled deeply and met her reflection in the eye.

"You've got this. You can do it," she told herself. Her reflection stared back, blue eyes blazing, brow set in determination. A little brown blob over her shoulder barked and wagged his tail. Ella turned, softening, and scratched the pup behind his ears. "You stay here and guard the kitty, okay boy?"

He yipped delightedly and ran in blissful circles as Ella laced up her trusty brown boots. She didn't have a lot of other choices in footwear besides sneakers and a pair of sandals for the summer. Before she could talk herself out of it, she walked outside and shut the door behind her.

You can do it. They're just people, she reminded herself. Nobody was out to get her. Determinedly, she walked out into the town and then stopped, not sure where to start.

The Valley seemed pretty quiet in the late morning. She glanced down the bridge to the east of her farm and saw Vesta kneeling in her fields, Marlin and Celia at her side. Ella had met them in the first week here; Takakura had introduced them when he was explaining where to acquire supplies and seeds. They seemed nice enough.

As Ella watched them, a young, comely blonde appeared from the path by her farm that led to the Valley's Goddess Pond. Her hair hit to her waist and bounced as she walked, twisting itself in perfect golden ringlets. She wore a frilly scarlet dress and dainty black kitten heels.

The woman's eyes lit up when she caught sight of Ella, who immediately felt like blushing. "Hi!" she called, and trotted over as quickly as her heels allowed. A friendly, dazzling smile lifted her rosy cheeks, which the farmer tried to return. The other blonde grasped Ella's hands warmly. "So here you finally are! Ella, right?" she asked, but without a hint of doubt. Either the Valley never got visitors, or more people had glimpsed Ella sneaking around than she thought. "I'm Muffy. It's a pleasure to meet you! And my goodness, aren't you a pretty little thing!"

Pretty? Ella wanted to laugh. Not compared to Muffy! 'Feminine' was the word that came to mind. Everything from the immaculate eyeliner to the light perfume, carefully curled tresses, and the black lacy edging on her figure-hugging dress screamed glamour. Ella felt like a shrinking violet straining for sunshine beside a vivid red rose.

"Oh, thank you," Ella said weakly, still taken aback. There was no one this glamourous in Mineral Town; the farmer had nothing to compare the other woman to. Was this normal here? Should she go back and change and put a little makeup on? "Yes, I'm Ella. It's nice to meet you." She smiled again.

"Oh, it's so nice to have another girl in town!" Muffy practically squealed. "I think we're going to be good friends!" Suddenly, Muffy was hugging her, and the farmer felt her intimidation fade. Muffy didn't seem to be turning her nose up at her in the least.

As she released her, Ella found herself smiling more naturally at the other girl. "I think you're beautiful," she admitted. "I wish I had a dress like that. I'd wear it every day."

Muffy laughed. "Girl, I love you already. Let's do something. I want to know more about you! Hmm – I know! Why don't you drop by the Bar tonight? I'll be working, and we can have a few drinks and I'll introduce you to all our regulars!"

Ella surprised herself by nodding. "Okay," she said, and realized that she meant it. It did sound kind of fun. "So you work at the bar? When should I go?"

"Oh, anytime after 3pm! And you bet, I'm the town bartender! Well, with my boss, that is. His name is Griffin, and he owns the bar. He's real nice, don't let the gruff exterior fool you." She winked. "But I don't have to work yet, so where are you off to today, missy? I'll come with you if you want!"

"Well, actually…" Ella felt childish. "I haven't really met anyone yet, so I was just gonna go see if anyone was around to say hi to."

Muffy's emerald eyes glittered. "That sounds like fun! Can I come? I'll show you around! Trust me, this is gonna be more fun than you think. The Valley is full of weird people."

Ella laughed easily. It felt good to laugh with a friendly soul. "Weird sounds promising."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. First off, since we're right here, have you met that guy Rock yet?"

"Oh, yes, actually," the farmer nodded. "He and Ruby are what prompted this, they came by my farm this morning. They brought me a casserole."

"Aw, Ruby is a doll. But her son is such a flirt, don't let him make you think you're special. I mean – that sounded bad. You are special and there's someone great for you and, ech, maybe it's even him, I don't know! But what I'm saying is he'd flirt with a rock if he thought it might give him the time of day. And if it had rock-boobs."

Ella laughed uneasily. She felt a little uncomfortable talking poorly about someone behind their back, even if Muffy was just putting words to thoughts she'd already had. But Muffy had already changed the subject. Ella could see why she was a bartender – the conversation flowed effortlessly and engagingly from her fellow blonde.

"Not that he's a bad guy, he's pretty goofy and harmless once you get to know him. He'll probably put on some playboy act for you at first. Anyway, down this path is the Blue Bar. That's where I work, with Griffin, of course. We're open every day except Wednesday!" She pointed to a charming little building with a neon sign by the door: BLUE BAR. Ella followed her further down the cobblestone path, looking to the left and to the right as Muffy gestured and talked.

"That's old Dr. Hardy's place. You can go see him anytime he's in there, even if you don't have an appointment, he's good like that. Once I went to go see him at 1 in the morning because I thought I had food poisoning, but it was just the regular flu, but he was real nice about it, even if he looks a little scary. He's been here longer than me though and no one even bats an eye at his cyborg-y face. Part of his charm, I guess. See what I mean by weird people?"

Ella nodded. "I've met Dr. Hardy. He's training the new doctor from my hometown."

"Oh?" Muffy turned and looked at her. "Where you from, doll?"

"Oh, just Mineral Town," Ella shrugged, and quickly changed the subject. "What about you?"

"Hey! That's not too far away! Pretty nice for visiting. You should go see your family sometimes," Muffy smiled. "Hmm, I think I've seen that doctor of yours around. They're always digging in the dirt while I'm relaxing by the pond on my days off. Oh, I'm sorry, doll. I'm from a little place called Flowerbud Village. But I moved out when I was eighteen and traveled a bit before settling down in good old Forget-Me-Not. There's just something about it, you know?"

"Eighteen?" Ella gasped. "You were so young when you moved out! What made you do it?"

Muffy rolled her eyes. "Ugh, a boy, if you'd believe it. A stupid breakup and I needed something new. I don't have much luck with boys." She winked. "What about you?" Ella panicked for a moment, thinking Muffy was questioning her on why she'd left Mineral Town, until Muffy added, "Got a boyfriend back home?"

"Oh," Ella half-laughed with relief. "No. No boyfriend." But she was startled that a girl like Muffy ever had problems. She was curious about the other girl's experiences but knew it wasn't the right time to get into that conversation.

"This is where Grant and Samantha and their kid Kate live. Kate's cute but she's a brat. Samantha's nice but she's kind of uncomfortable. Grant's a good guy but really nervous. They might be home. Well, not Grant, but Samantha maybe." Muffy marched up to the door and knocked confidently. After a moment, it cracked open, and a round, kind-looking face peered out.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Samantha! Is this a bad time? I'm just giving our newest resident a tour and we were passing by!"

"Oh." The housewife opened the door fully. She wore a modest long dress with a wrap-waist, and her hair was wrapped in a tight bun. "Hello."

Ella stepped out from behind Muffy, to be fully visible. To her surprise, Samantha seemed even more shy than she did – of course, Ella was swallowing her timidity as much as possible. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. My name is Ella. I moved into the farm down the road."

"Yes, of course." Samantha bowed slightly. "Wonderful to meet you. I'm Samantha, I live here with my husband Grant, who is an accountant in the city, and our daughter Kate." She frowned. "Kate's not home, I'm afraid."

"She's never home," Muffy giggled lightheartedly, and Samantha's frown deepened. "I'm sure we will run into her! Well, see you later, Samantha."

"Bye," Ella said, waving. "Nice to meet you."

Samantha nodded and waved politely, and closed the door as they left.

"See what I mean?" Muffy muttered under her breath. "She's nice and all, just really – stiff. I swear to the Goddess I've never even seen her at the bar."

Ella wasn't sure what to say and just shrugged with a smile. "She seems nice. Maybe she's really stressed."

"Then that's more cause to have a drink," Muffy giggled. "Oh, this is Chris and Wally's house. Wally is a coach or athlete or something, he goes to the city every morning with Chris and Grant. His wife Chris is a reporter. They have a cute kid too, his name is Hugh and he wants to be just like his daddy! I'm sure none of them are home right now. Hugh and Kate hang out a lot during the day. I bet they'll get married one day."

Ella felt like she should be adding more to the conversation, saying something to make the other girl laugh, or to think she was interesting. But Muffy seemed content to have a listening ear as she continued her tour.

"And up this hill is Romana's manor."

"A manor?" Ella repeated. Here?

"I know," Muffy said, correctly interpreting Ella's surprise. "Come on, you'll love it."

The manor was a grand stone construction with a wrought-iron gate and front gardens exquisitely kept by the elderly butler, Sebastian. He had sugar-white hair slicked neatly back and wore a gentle, friendly smile.

Sebastian gladly led them into the manor. The foyer was large and elaborately decorated, with its chandelier and grand staircase, gleaming piano, and polished antique furniture. Flowers blossomed everywhere. Ella's eyes followed them from the pattern of the wallpaper and carpet to perky little blooms standing proudly in stylized vintage vases.

There wasn't anywhere like this in Mineral Town.

"Miss Ella and Miss Muffy. May I present Madam Romana and my lady Lumina," Sebastian said. Ella and Muffy hadn't noticed, but two women –one young, one old – had appeared from a side room and were watching them with interest.

"Hi!" giggled the younger one. She had shoulder-length, nut-brown hair, and wore it with a yellow headband. Her brown dress was prim and neat and layered over a sensible white blouse. Thick-lashed eyes, round and hazel, twinkled mischievously. Ella got the feeling that she was not as strait-laced as she appeared. "I'm Lumina, and this is my Auntie Romana."

The elderly woman, however, was. "Thank you, Sebastian. Good afternoon, ladies," Romana greeted. Her hair, fluffy and white as a cloud, was piled atop her head like a monument to cotton candy. She wore a fussy purple dress and an embroidered shawl draped over her shoulders. Small, round, golden-framed glasses perched upon her rather long and pointed nose. She held a walking stick in her right hand. "I am Romana. Welcome to our home. I know Muffy when I see her, but who's this?" Muffy giggled.

"I'm Ella, the new farmer, ma'am." Ella gave a small curtsy to the gentlewoman, thinking that a handshake might offend her, and smiled warmly at Lumina. "Thank you for welcoming me into your lovely home."

"Nice to meet you!" Lumina chirped. "Always happy to meet more people my age! Er…no offense, Auntie."

"Would you ladies care to sit a spell? Sebastian, be a dear and put some water in the kettle, if you please? Thank you, sugar." Romana settled herself into a cushioned armchair and gestured for the girls to sit on a cozy-looking brocade couch opposite her. "Lumina, sweet, why don't you play your latest piece for our guests?"

Lumina sighed, barely audibly, and sat at the miniature grand piano. Muffy and Ella exchanged brief glances – it looked like they would be spending the afternoon here. It's a good thing that neither of them had any duties to attend to right away.

After listening to all of Lumina's latest pieces, Muffy announced that she had to get ready for work. They both bowed politely to the stately Romana and thanked her for her hospitality, and Muffy led the way out of the manor.

"Yeesh," she said. "Lumina sure is talented, though."

Ella nodded in agreement. "She has more talent in her pinkie finger than I do in my whole body."

Muffy gave her a playful shove. "Oh don't be like that! You have lots of talents that I have to discover!" They neared the bar, and the bartender turned to Ella and smiled. "You, me, bar, tonight. Be there!"

"Okay," Ella laughed. Muffy waved and went inside, and Ella headed back to her farm. She passed Dr. Hardy, who seemed to be on his way home, and he greeted her with a nod. She smiled.

So maybe this wasn't so hard after all.

˙·٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•٠·˙

It was raining.

Trent stood at the window and sighed quietly. He had hoped to get out today, after closing up the clinic, and explore the town's foliage better. If there was such a plentiful supply of red choke-herb one town over, in Forget-Me-Not, surely it must grow somewhere here, too.

Well, it would soon be Wednesday again. Hopefully the blonde farmer they'd begun to befriend wouldn't have a problem letting them return to her property to forage. By the sounds of it, Trent thought, a smile curling at his lips, she wouldn't miss the prickly plants.

Elli joined him at the window, securing the buttons on her raincoat. "I'm going to check in on Granny and Stu," she said, referring to her little brother and her grandmother, Ellen, who had moved into town with her. Her nursing supported them both. "Stop thinking about work and go to Doug's or something, okay? Socialize. People here are nice. The red herb can wait."

"True," Trent said, turning to her. "Send Ellen and Stu my best." Elli smiled and headed out into the rain.

The doctor considered her words. He was sure the people were nice; everyone he had met so far had been. But he just really wanted nothing more than to brew a nice hot cup of tea or coffee and retreat upstairs. Write in his journal, or read.

Or…he could take a walk, familiarize himself more with the new town. This was his home now, after all, even if the word didn't carry much weight with him.

He stepped out, pulling the hood of his windbreaker over his head. Trent had always liked the rain – his parents were avid gardeners and he liked to think about how it gave plants a long, refreshing drink. Though too much rain could be just as bad as a drought for growth.

Trent splashed through the puddles gathering in the worn paths in the cobblestone street. He smiled and nodded to those who passed by, and rehearsed their names in his head – there was Rick, who worked at the poultry farm, probably uptown to see his friend Karen; Karen's mother, Sasha, who waved; Mary, the demure librarian, who smiled shyly as she passed; and further downtown, Ella's father Cliff. He was probably headed home to the farm after a day's work at the local winery.

The two men exchanged friendly nods, and Trent was glad that Cliff didn't pursue a conversation. The older man was likely eager to get home to his wife, and Trent was looking forward to decompressing in solitude after a long day in the office.

As the doctor walked, he thought. It had been a busy day, and very routine; mostly check-ups, with the exception of looking into prescribing stronger medication for Rick's mother Lillia after a particularly rough fainting spell.

But busy didn't mean fulfilling.

What's missing? he pondered. He was downtown now, pacing past the smithy where Gray and Saibara worked the anvil. He passed Rick and Lillia's farm, and turned right, following a winding path into the bush south of town.

Trent loved forests. The quiet majesty in the motionless, ever-reaching trunks, the whisper of rustling leaves. The peace and beauty that only nature could provide.

The trees were a cacophony in the rain. Drops beat down on the leaves like a chorus of tiny drums. The bottoms of his dress pants got soaked as he stepped through the mud and grass, but he didn't mind. He passed Gotz's cottage, a merry sight in the rain as its chimney spewed clouds of smoke. No doubt the woodsman was warming himself by the hearth after a hard day of rugged work. Trent wondered if Gotz felt content, living alone in the solitude of the forest with only the trees and work for company.

Trent had intended to be keeping an eye out for chokeweed, but instead found himself following the path towards the south end of Ella's parents' farm.

Standing just beyond the bridge over the river at the end of their property, Trent put his hands in his pockets and surveyed. The field was lumpy and muddy from rain, with small pools of water gathering in the lowest ground. Small green sprouts dotted the field – Claire had been busy planting before the rain. The short wire fence outside a small building that Trent imagined was the coop was empty, and the windows of the barn were lit up with a cheery glow. All the animals were comfortably inside, out of the rain.

It was a pretty, tidy bit of land, all green pasture and neat fencing. Trent wondered how long it would take Ella's rundown tract to look like this. He had to admit to himself, though, that he was impressed at her progress. He had seen how that farm looked at first.

His shoes were beginning to soak through, and the doctor took that as a hint to turn around. After changing into flannel pajama pants and a plain shirt, he pulled out his journal. Writing helped him clarify his thoughts. He was often surprised at the truth that appeared in the pages of that journal, so obvious and real, but not apparent until it was written in his own hand in front of his face.

I'm looking forward to my next visit to the Valley. Hardy really is a great instructor – he's experienced everything. Compared to him, I feel like I'm hardly prepared to be running the clinic of an entire village.

I'm also not dreading having to check up on Ella Kelley as much as I thought I would. I still think her parents' request is bizarre, but everyone parents differently, I guess. It's good that they're letting her go her own way, at least. But watching the farm develop from week to week is really interesting. The first time I saw it, the place was a complete mess. I knew it wasn't her fault, that she had bought it like that, but I didn't have a lot of faith in one young woman completely flipping the place around very easily. But by yesterday, the fields had been largely cleared, and she'd built a barn and even had a cow. I'm definitely eating my words…or my thoughts, anyway.

Trent was kind of looking forward to seeing her again, too, he realized. He snapped his journal closed without writing anything about that. It made him feel awkward, even though he knew his interest was tied into watching her farm progress, and finding more chokeweed. Still…it would have been an uncomfortable thing to write, and then have to look at again every time he reread that entry.

And he had always had a mild paranoia that someone would find and read his journal. He always wrote with that fear in the back of his mind. He wasn't so sure if Elli would be able to stop herself from reading it if she ever found it, but as far as Trent knew, the nurse didn't know about his journaling habit.

He stuffed the journal between his mattress and the bedframe and rolled over, ready for sleep.