CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: "ECHOES OF MINERAL TOWN"

To say you could have set the seasons by how they passed in Flowerbud was an understatement. No sooner did Jack get up on the first day of Fall than there was a cool air on the breeze, the leaves taking a tiny golden hue and occasionally falling off into the breeze. The grass was a little less greener than it was in Summer, the air was crisper in the morning and went down the nostrils cold, and noises were easier to hear.

Jack inhaled deeply and leaned out of his home, looking about at the arrival of Fall. No more lazy Summer days. It'd be Spring before he could fall asleep by the creek with a fishing rod between his toes. Today, it was a little bit of rest recovering from the night before.

And oh my, what a night it had been. He realized that the memories of himself and Karen were not that long ago, yet they seemed distant, as if from a dream. The beautiful girl was so enraptured by him, the look in her eyes, the way her arms had reached for him. He felt a stirring, but not in his stomach. Just a little farther south. He attributed it to the lack of female companionship for the last eight months since his "disappearance"

There was one thing Jack soon came to learn about Flowerbud and that was that in fall, the cool breeze was a constant. It rolled down from Mother's Hill onto his farm and always seemed to carry the distant breath of winter on it. Even now, the day after Summer's end, he was chilly enough to want a flannel shirt instead of his Tees or going shirtless. Yes, going shirtless in the cold while hacking away at a tree stump. That was a recipe for the flu if he'd ever heard of one.

In truth, he didn't feel all that well that morning. Something was nagging at his stomach and it wasn't the four sips of beer he'd nursed last night. Something a little off, for sure, but nothing to worry about.

He set out about his work for the day. Cliff wasn't there at dawn. Easy to understand when he had passed out drunk the night before on the Inn's bar. Jack only had some sprucing up to do. He cleared away the standing hay in the barn and knocked the dust off some of the stalls, getting it ready for it's new occupants. He meant to fix up the barn for some live animals and make this shabby little farm into a real farm. He had spent so much time doing crops that he simply didn't have the reserves for anyone else besides Sam, his trusted chicken who ruled the coop with an iron beak.

Although he'd have no use for it for long, he planned to turn half his field into a grazing land for his livestock. Planning was something Jack was used to, something he had always done in the business. There was an old saying 'Those who fail to plan, plan to fail' and it was true. He'd seen careers gone down path's they had never recovered from because of poor planning or a lack of planning.

Even though the farm was a purely recreational endeavor for him, Jack had never failed at anything in his life. His life had been a ceaseless torrent of running for one goal or another. He simply couldn't be stuck with nothing to do, he had to have SOMEthing to work towards. His time off was merely something to do in between the moments he wasn't working towards a distant goal.

When he was ten, it was working on the perfect go-cart for the annual go-cart races. He fine-tuned his machine time and again until the year he finally won first place and then realized he had nothing left. Then it was the high-school wrestling team, which he strove for perfection and the state title. When he won the state title, he drove himself to the brink of madness trying to get the national high school championship. When he won that, he was preparing to psych himself for the international championship and, yes, the Olympics. He wouldn't have stopped until he was the best there was, but a trip to a pro wrestling match had changed his mind. He was going to be the best professional wrestler in the world.

He succeeded.

Now, though, he couldn't rule the farming world with an iron fist, though he had no doubts he could churn out the world's biggest agricultural company from dirt scratch if he set his mind to it. No, since his arrival he set small goals—baby steps, in essence. Fix the leak in the barn roof, grow crops, that sort of thing.

A bigger picture was coming to him. He imagined half his field for grazing and half for crops. But there was a little work to do first. He cleaned out the barn until close to lunch, when Cliff came ambling in with a surprising spring in his step. Jack narrowed his eyes.

"Well, well, here comes Mr. Lucky." He taunted Cliff, before the farm hand had a second to say anything. "At work last night with the ol' flesh hammer?"

Cliff cast him a confused look. "Pardon?"

"Don't give me that innocent look, you were busy last night and I don't mean busy with a late night school project. You sure are taking advantage of living next to Ann, aren't you?"

"Well, truth be told, Jack, not everything Ann and I do together is your business. I mean, I'm not going to come in and dance around with pom-poms every time Ann and I are intimate. That's a thing between me and my girlfriend, frankly."

"Girlfriend? Oh, getting serious, are we?" Jack smiled. "Careful, Cliff, you don't wanna get wrangled too tightly around her finger, now do you?"

Cliff looked Jack straight in his eyes and said, "Yes. Quite frankly, nothing would make me happier. Jack, I don't think you understand. I LOVE Ann. And she loves me. She told me last night."

"Of course she said it, spanky. Girls always say it. You know how many times I've been told that. I don't even have to get them in bed, just give them a look or two and it melts their hearts."

"If by 'melting their hearts' you mean 'flashing your immortal popularity and lots of cash around' then I assume so." Cliff shook his head and tapped his fingers to his chest. "Jack, I don't think you understand what love really is. I love Ann, no matter what. Coming here has been the best thing that's ever happened to me because I met her. You've got your head stuck on nookie, but it's not like that."

"Sure it isn't." Jack turned back to his work, leaving Cliff a little miffed at having his opinion undermined. "It's always love until they're sniffing around your bank account. Then 'I love you' becomes 'Where's my ring?'. Next thing you know, they're trying to drop subtle hints like looking at wedding dress magazines in front of you or saying out loud how much they LOVE that ten thousand diamond ring at Tiffany's. Pretty soon, they start getting antsy because you haven't said the 'M' word around them. Then they start showing their TRUE side and THAT, my boy, is where the female gender starts turning south. Greedy, unwilling to give something a little time, unable to see past the selfish need to surround themselves with everything sparkling and shiny, having the best of everything. Then, all you are is a cash tree, raining leaves of green on their lives and so long as you provide that, they're willing to put up with you and anything you say. But when that green stops rolling in, they'll take that axe to you and bring you down hard, never caring where you land or how it affects you, just as long as THEY have the good end of the deal."

"Jack," Cliff sighed, "No offense, but you're full of shit."

Jack laughed. "I know. That's what girlfriend #3 used to tell me all the time when I said I loved her. I thought I did, too, but she just wanted that Mercedes so bad she couldn't wait around for a little thing called love to enter the picture. Every time I told her that, that's what'd she say." Jack stopped, then muttered to himself, "Last time I told anyone that."

He turned around to face Cliff, but caught his backside just disappearing around the edge of the barn and headed out. Jack shrugged. "I guess he couldn't handle the truth. Poor deluded soul."

The conversation with Cliff notwithstanding, nothing else about the day went about the same way. Jack marched down Farm Row, as he had come to call the small brick laden avenue that connected his home to the Poultry Farm and the Yodel Ranch.

He passed up the Poultry Farm, but didn't see anyone outside. Not surprising, given that the man of the house was back. Jack wondered if it was permanent. After all, Richard was traveling the world in search of a cure for his wife's illness, whatever it was. He thought she should seek help from a medical center, but the old wive's tale about Popuri's family leaving the village always reared its ugly head. According to Popuri, her mother steadfast refused to leave and there wasn't a doctor in the world that would make THIS house call.

He had Farm Row, then there was the main road that swept up north, then went all the way across the Village until it turned south. He called that one Mineral Road. The one in front of the Inn was Ann's Avenue. The dirt road that went up Mother's Hill was just the mountain path. Other than that, everything else was self-explanatory to him.

He passed them by and headed for the Yodel Ranch

XxXxXxX

Popuri had addled next to her father all day long. She wasn't much of a drinker, so she and her mother had shared a mug the night before. Still, it had left her woozy and guilty. Her mother wasn't supposed to drink at all, and when she tried to chastise her, her mother warded her off with 'I'm a grown woman, I can make that determination if I wish'.

She was as giddy as a schoolgirl on a first date being next to her father, caught up in the excitement of finally having him home after four long years. He enraptured them with stories of his travels, though he hadn't really been sightseeing when he'd seen the sights. If there was any talk of his true quest, it wasn't shown in front of her or Rick. Rick himself seemed sullen by their father's appearance, to say the least. He listened, but seemed uninterested.

"Was it really a mountain, daddy?" Popuri asked.

Richard chuckled. "Not so much a mountain as a big stone hill, but it was very impressive." Richard spoke of Stone Mountain, in Georgia, a place he had passed on his way to somewhere else. He started talking about the carving in the side when he noticed Rick seemed to be zoning out. "Rick, are you okay?"

Rick shook his head. "No, Dad, I'm not."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." He said, his eyes gazing off somewhere else. His father seemed dubious to his answer, not really believing it. "Come on, you can talk to us about it. We're your family."

Rick scoffed. "We are NOW. But for how long? How long, Dad? When are you leaving again?"

Richard sighed, a sad look on his face. Lillia set her eyes down and silent tears began to well up in her eyes. Popuri cast a look to her father. "Daddy, you're here to stay for good aren't you?"

XxXxXxX

Jack knocked at the door of the Yodel Ranch and waited. He heard rampant shrieking in the backyard, but that, he figured, was just May running amok. An elderly voice on the other side cried, "Open!"

Entering, Jack was assaulted by the musty smell of a house that an elderly person lived in. From behind a counter, old Barley, the proprietor of the Yodel Farm, looked back at him through thick glasses and smiled, scratching his old ragged beard. "Well, I was wondering when I'd see you around here, Jack.."

"No time to chit-chat today, Barley. I'm all business. I need a cow."

"Well, I can help you there." Barely leaned forward, whispering as if he were about to tell the secrets of the universe. "Just between you and me, I happen to sell cows."

Jack gasped, "NO! Then the rumors ARE true."

"HA!" Barley laughed. "Come on, let's take you out to the herd and let you pick one out. Now, you're not going to use Duke's method of payment, are you?"

"Only when I'm a detestable bore." Jack stepped towards the door with Barley when it suddenly flew open and little May ran headfirst into Jack's tree-trunk-like leg, not seeing where she was running. She fell on her little behind, but was up in a second. "Sorry." She said sheepishly.

Jack reached down and held his knee. "Oh sweet mother of mercy, I'm injured. Help, help, I need money to make it well."

May laughed. "You're funny."

"And YOU have pig-tails. Very rustic."

May frowned. "My hair isn't rusty! It's not even metal. Shows what you know!" She stuck her tongue out at him and ran off into the yard.

Jack laughed. "Yeah, what's wrong with me?"

"Forgive her, Jack." Barely said. "She hasn't got anyone her age besides Stu to play with and he's all the way across town. Right now, she's still too young to walk over there by herself and, well, you know how little boys and girls don't always get along."

"Dully noted." Jack said. They walked out towards the field. "I take it she's not yours?"

"My daughter, Joanna. May is her daughter." Barely sighed deeply. "This is all the saddest thing in the world. When my wife passed away, Joanna was so grief-stricken she ran away. I don't know why, but she'd been gone for five years when out of nowhere she shows up and May is with her. Well, that was all nice, but a few days into her stay, I wake up one morning and Joanna's gone and she left May behind."

"She sounds like a real bi—"

"Watch it there, young fella. Just because she made some mistakes doesn't mean I don't love her still. I keep hoping she'll come back one day, realize whatever mistake she made and be a mother to her. Truth be told, Jack, it breaks my heart, but what can I do? May's my granddaughter and I can only do so much with her. She needs more attention than I have."

Jack pursed his brow, thinking. They had reached the herd and Jack looked out at the cows he had. As near as he could tell, the cows all looked to be in perfect health. He spied a small one grazing off to the side. "She looks good."

"She was born last year, so she'll be coming into milk giving age about when spring hits."

"Perfect." Jack said. "I'll take her." He took out the money and handed it to Barley, who tucked it into his pocket. He spied something off to the side and frowned. "Stop moping, I say." He said aloud.

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "Who, me?"

"No, that colt." He pointed to a small light brown colt some thirty feet away. "Ever since he was born, he does nothing but mope around as if he has nothing going for him. The other colts prance around and run, but he just stands there. He's not happy, is what it is."

"How can you tell?"

"Oh, we old fools have a few tricks you young fellas won't learn through being told. I just know he's unhappy." Barley turned to Jack. "You know, Jack, you could do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"Why don't you take the colt? Give him a home. Your grandfather always had a horse on his farm. Said it made getting from one point to another much easier. Go on, I insist. No charge."

"No charge? Why that's the magic words!" Jack said gleefully. "Sure, I'll take that little thing." Jack pressed his fingers to his lips and whistled. The other animals perked their ears, but the small colt raised it's head and began walking towards him. Jack grinned. "How about that!"

"You should name him." Barely said. "Bad luck not to name a horse."

The colt came over and Jack put his hand before it, letting the horse smell him, get used to him. He slipped a hand to rub his neck. There was a sparkle of adventure in his eyes when he looked at Jack and bucked his head once, Jack could tell he was happy with the decision as well.

"I can't think of anything better than Bilbo Baggins." Jack said. "Mr. Baggins, welcome to the Old Time Farm family." The colt snorted.

Barley went to fetch some ropes to guide the cow—whom Jack later named Besse, because naming cows after Lord of the Ring's characters just seemed wrong to him—and Bilbo down Farm Row towards his farm. May came running over and like the playful scamp she was, asked Jack if she could ride Bilbo.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Barely said.

Jack just picked her up and set her on the colt's back. He turned to Barely and winked, making sure the old follow knew he had his hand where he could easily catch her. It wasn't needed. Bilbo carried her as gently as he could all the way to his farm, where he let her down and she immediately turned into Frodo's plaything, the two of them running off to Jack's watering pond to throw rocks in or something.

Jack threw open the barn and brought Besse into the barn, letting her scope out her new surroundings. Jack let Bilbo run loose and the colt darted into the fields, throwing his head about in complete joy. Barley shook his head. "He was just waiting to come over here, that's what it was. Well, good luck, Jack. Let me know if you need any feed or anything like that, young fella."

"Roger, Barley. Say, you think May might like playing out here? I'm out in the fields most of the day. She could just come run amok and play with Frodo."

Barley laughed. "I think she'd love that. May!"

The little girl heard her name being called and ran up on her stubby little legs. "Yes, grandpa?"

Jack bent down on his legs. "May, how would you like to come over and play on my farm when you get bored?"

May's face broke out into a great big grin. "I'd love that."

Barley turned to Jack. "You sure you wouldn't mind?"

"I can feed her and watch over her. I'm here most of the day anyway, like I said." He patted May on the head. "Just as long as she only comes over when I'm here and stays within sight. She can even work for me, if she wants."

May scrunched her face. "Nuh-uh. I don't wanna do that. Can I stay the rest of the day, Grandpa?"

"Oh, not today, sweetie. You know it's my day to go to the Hot Springs. But you can come over tomorrow, if Mr. Jack says it's okay."

"Come on by." Jack said. May ran up and hugged his thick leg. "Thanks, Mr. Jack." Jack chuckled as Barely ran off, May bouncing up and down by his side, talking his ear off.

Jack went inside his home and prepared himself a late lunch. He had just pulled out the ingredients when a sound shrill, distant sound caught his attention—almost like a scream. He ran to his door and looked out across his fields. At the edge of his property, on the other side of the creek, was a streaking red-and-pink figure, running as fast as she could for the path leading up Mother's Hill. Popuri.

This seemed different than when her chicken had been killed. He could hear Pupori's rampant crying even from this distance. Much as he knew it wasn't his business, he shut the door and walked in the direction she had run. He strode past the Hot Springs, climbing his way up the side of Mother's Hill. He didn't see her in the meadow or just past the bridge. Nearly twenty minutes into his hike, he finally arrived at the top and heard the sounds of sobbing.

He turned a large stone and found Popuri on her knees, her face buried in her hands, chest heaving, terrible sobs wrenching themselves from her. He knelt down next to her, his hand going to her back. He had only seen this kind of distress a few times before, but he knew it was serious.

"Poe?"

She looked up at him, her eyes and cheeks as pink as her hair, bottom lip quivering uncontrollably. "Jack?" She threw her arm around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder, her tears returning anew. Jack felt sad for her, that such a beautiful girl should be so distraught. He reached around her and pulled her tightly to himself, hoping his presence would reassure her, give her strength.

A long time passed as Jack sat there with Popuri in his arms, crying, unable to form coherent words. He stroked her hair, whispering assuring words to her, though he didn't know what bothered her so.

At last, she backed away from him and looked into his eyes, "Whu-what's wrong with me, Jack?"

Jack furrowed his brow. "Poe, nothing's wrong with you. Why would you say something like that?"

"Daddy's leaving on Friday. Why won't he come home, Jack? I don't want daddy to leave again, I want him to come home." Her face scrunched again as her tears returned. Jack just hugged her close, unable to comprehend how she felt. His own father had never abandoned him. The closest he and his father had come to being on the outs with each other had been Jack's decision to be a pro wrestler. His father, a no nonsense ex-Seal, had seen the decision as mere lark, something that wouldn't ever take him anywhere. After owning the world ten times over, he had long since proven his father wrong and they had long since made their peace after several years of bitterness between them.

This was different. He gently tried to calm her, "Poe, just because he's leaving doesn't mean he doesn't love you. He only wants to help your mother. Don't you want your mother to be well again."

She sniffled. "Yes."

"If your father can find a cure, wouldn't that make you happy, to have your whole family healthy again?"

"Yes."

"That's true love, Poe. Your father loves you and Rick and your mother so much, that he's wiling to go to the ends of the earth to find a cure for her. Even I know that's real love, and I've never been in love bef—" He paused, realizing what he was saying. He couldn't contemplate the thought, as Popuri looked up at him. "Jack? You've never been in love before?"

Jack bit his lip and that voice taunted him again. He didn't need love before, did he? He shrugged. "Can't say I have, but what do I know? I'm just a...farmer."

Popuri looked at him, confused. That Jack had never been in love before ate away at her, as if the thought that one person couldn't fall in love was unthinkable. She shivered as a cool breeze caught her and she hugged her arms to herself. Jack noted this and looked up to see the sun dipping low, getting ready to descend into the horizon and the temperature was beginning to drop.

Jack helped her to her feet and began walking, his arm around her so that shed follow. "Come on, why don't you come over to my place for a little while. I'll start a fire and make us some early supper, okay?"

Popuri nodded and rested her head against Jack's upper arm as she walked.

XxXxXxX

Karen cut open the plastic wrapping on a crate of boxes and began stuffing them onto the counter. Her head was swimming a bit from the beer the night before, but the headache's at least had gone away. She didn't think she'd drunk so much.

The door to their home opened and her mother poked her head out. "Karen, could you come in here? Your father and I would like to speak with you."

Karen's heart jumped into her throat and she briefly contemplated running for the door. It was the hidden guilt of the night before that made her think the worst: that her mother had found out about her skinny-dipping with Jack and wanted to lecture her. She thought about bursting in with a lecture of her own about her privacy and not being a little girl anymore, but she decided to button her lip. No sense in pleading guilty to a crime they might not know about. Best to play it safe.

She went in and her mother and father were sitting at the dinner table with that 'We're going to lecture you' look on their faces. Even her father looked like he had something to say, and usually these kinds of lectures were strictly her mother's affairs with his presence being a mere formality.

She sat down, eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. "Yes?"

"Honey, we were concerned last night. You didn't come home until close to four in the morning." She held up her hand, as if anticipating what Karen wanted to say. "I already know you didn't stay with anyone and that the only other person who was out that late was Jack. I just want the truth: were you and Jack out last night?"

Karen suddenly felt a hot flash across her face, as little bits of a large puzzle flew together. "You were SPYING on me? Mom!"

"Honey—"

Karen leapt up. "Don't 'Honey' me! Everyone knows you get together and gossip with Manna and Anna every day. What did you do? Ask them to see where everyone was and then ask Manna to stay up, waiting to see what time Jack went home?"

"Then you know Jack was out late last night, if you know THAT." Sasha said evenly.

Karen ground her teeth together, embarrassed that she had hung herself so easily. She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Okay. Fine. I was with Jack last night. We watched the fireworks festival together."

"The festival ended at one in the morning." Her father said. "What were you doing for three hours?"

Karen decided the tell the truth: "Swimming." Just not the WHOLE truth.

"You two were swimming for three hours?" Sasha asked, lifting an eyebrow in suspicion. "I hardly doubt that. Karen, I'm not saying you're not allowed to see boys, but I don't have a good feeling about Jack. I think he's trouble. Remember what we talked about?"

Jeff looked to Sasha. "What did you talk about?"

"Girl business, Jeff." Sasha said, dismissing his question effortlessly.

"Momma, I heard you, but I don't think you're giving Jack a fair chance." Karen protested.

"He's just like Duke." Jeff said. "Just like he is right now and was when he was younger. You don't want a guy like Duke, do you, sweetie? Imagine if Duke were your father."

Sasha turned a vicious glare on him. "Jeff!"

Jeff held up his hand. "It's okay, Sasha, she's old enough to know. You see, Karen, when your mother was younger, she and Duke used to..., well, used to be together like a couple."

Sasha stayed silent, looking elsewhere as her husband explained. "I was just an insignificant little nobody, the town wimp, really. It's just who I am. Duke was always big and arrogant and acted like he ran the show and, in a way, he did. He couldn't stand losing to anyone for any reason. I loved your mother and I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world and for years I used to buy her candy, flowers, write her love poems, do anything she asked me to do. It may sound silly to you, but back then there was nothing in the world that mattered to me more than your mother."

Karen listened, knowing much of this story, but from her mother's perspective from reading her diary. She had written nothing of her father that she knew of, for she had only read the early parts of it.

Sasha spoke, her voice breaking occasionally. "I was terrible to him, Karen. It wasn't a good day for Duke and I unless we had mocked your father or tripped him in the mud or thrown him into the river. I thought he was a pathetic little man, but when that awful day came..." She paused, silent tears slipping down her cheeks, "When Duke hit me and called me a foul name. He'd been drinking, of course, but your father ran to my defense and tried to hit Duke."

"Duke beat me like a bad step-child." Jeff said. "I never touched him."

"But I saw something then, Karen. Your father, unlike Duke, had stood up for me. Duke apologized the next day, of course, being the slime that he is. But it only took that one spark to ignite the flame that burns for your father. You see, I began to think about it more and whereas Duke always pawed at me, used me in any way that he wanted, I always swallowed my pride and did it because I thought I was lucky to have Duke—even when I caught him flirting with the other girls in town."

"I began to see your father in a new light. He wanted nothing from me than my mere presence. The more I asked around, the more it became apparent that his infatuation with me was more than a mere crush. His mother especially was helpful, telling me he never stopped talking about me. When he was gone into the woods one day, I snuck into his room and looked through his things. I had to know if he truly felt something for me or not. I found his journals and, oh my...I was humbled beyond words. And I found something under his bed, in a music box, that he had hidden away."

"I went to Duke and asked him if he loved me, if he wanted to spend all his dying days with me. Can you guess what he did? He just tried to charm his way around my question and made false promises of distant commitments that weren't worth the wine he said them with."

"But that night, when your father returned, I was waiting in his room, sitting on his bed and with that music box in my hands." Sasha stood up and walked into another room and returned with a red-and-gold music box that Karen had never seen before. Her mother opened it and a beautiful tune began playing. More than that, inside the box, lying in a long depression probably meant for jewelry, was a Blue Feather, still shining as clearly as the day it had been bought. Karen's eyes widened.

"I asked your father if this was what he really thought of me. If he really thought I was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Do you know what he told me?"

Karen looked, her gaze asking for her.

Sasha sniffled, her eyes reddened, her mouth opened and unable to find those distant words. Jeff spoke up, his hand reaching out to take hers. "I told her that if I could never have her, I'd rather live my life alone because there was no one who compared to her, in my mind. I didn't have Duke's charm, or wit, or money, or strength. The love I had was all I could give her and nothing more. She told me it was more than Duke could have given her in a lifetime."

"I made a decision that night, Karen." Sasha said, through her tears. "And I had a revelation. I realized that for years, your father was the only man who had ever loved me. Not Duke, he wanted me but for everything else but love. Your father worshipped the ground I walked on, would have died for me. Duke wouldn't have and once I knew that, I realized the mistake I was making. I chose what my heart told me, that your father truly loved me, over what my body wanted from Duke."

Karen looked down. "I guess Duke wasn't happy about that."

"He has resented me for that to this day, sweetie." Jeff said, "Why do you think he never pays his debts? In as much as he can, he's still trying to take what I have from me. Why do you think he also waited until he was well in his thirties before he married Manna when she was seventeen? There was no one else left who could have married her—except maybe Harris or Gotz, but he wasn't going to be outdone. He took her as a wife, but in face only. I can tell you, they aren't happy at all and Manna just tries to make up for it with a happy face."

Sasha closed the music box. "I love your father with all my heart, Karen. But now that I see the same thing happening to you, I want to spare you that kind of pain, the kind of guilt I have had to live with for so very long. To this day, I feel I can never make it up to your father the terrible things I did to him when we were young. If you and Jack try for this...I don't see a happy ending in it."

Karen suddenly pounded her fist on the table, her own eyes glimmering in angry tears. "So you think Jack is some kind of heartless bastard? That I can't even TRY to just make something work? That whatever I feel may be doomed from the start? Have you ever thought that maybe, in my case, I can have BOTH my body AND my heart's desire? I didn't want to feel this way about Jack! I wanted to LEAVE!" She cried the last bit of that, her tears full in force now. "I wanted to leave this stinking, boring town! But then Jack came and now that he's here, I just can't leave! I...I do love him! Jack's funny, he's carefree, he knows how I feel and think when we talk, and most of all, when I'm around him I don't feel like this stinking town is choking the life out of me! I don't think either of you is giving Jack a fair chance at anything!" Karen leapt out of her seat and stormed out through the door, leaving her parents behind.

She ran into the woods behind her house, far enough that she hoped they wouldn't come after her. She got into a small clearing and began to take her anger out on every fallen twig or lying stone.

XxXxXxX

Much at the same time, Jack and Popuri were sitting in his home, sharing a home-cooked meal of roast, gravy, rice, and mashed potatoes. Popuri gobbled it up as if she had never eaten such food in her life. Jack had to admit, he was a much better cook than he had once thought. Must have run in the family, but his grandmother's recipes had helped a good bit as well.

They talked for a long time, mostly Popuri telling stories of her father when he was home all the time. She asked Jack about his father.

Jack shrugged. "My old man? Tough guy, so I grew up learning how to take a man down with my shoelaces more than playing ball. He's big, broad-shouldered, tall, like I am."

"I don't remember hearing about him much from the other villagers. A lot of us didn't even know Old Jack even had a son. We knew he had a wife who passed away a long time ago."

"Yeah, according to dad, he didn't like living here. Said he left home when he was fifteen and made his own way in the world. I guess, for better or worse, my father just isn't a farmer."

"You are." Popuri said with a giggle, "You must have had your own farm before, because you seem to know what you're doing here."

"Oh, I think we can chalk that up to dumb luck, Poe." Jack rolled his eyes, "And Sparky helps out a good bit, too. I never set foot on a farm before—except once when I was five."

Popuri smiled, wiping her mouth. "Well, what did you do before you were a farmer?"

"I was..." Jack paused. "I'll tell you what, Poe. Would it be too much to ask if you never ask me that again?"

Popuri did that confused look she wore when she didn't understand something too well. He put a hand on her hip, tilted her head slightly, and closed one eye. "I don't see why not. Are you ashamed of your old life?"

Jack shook his head. "It's not that."

"Oh. Are you gay?"

"NO!" Jack cried, "Believe me, I'm not gay. Why would you think that?"

Popuri seemed dubious to his outburst. "It was just a question."

"No, I'm not ashamed of my old life, I just don't like talking about it. Trust me, you're not missing anything. You can live your life in peace not knowing what I did before I came here."

Poprui just shook her head in defiance. "Still be nice to know." She muttered. She looked aside and spied Jack's record player, the one that had been his grandfather's. "Do you know what we do at home when daddy's at home and we get done eating?"

Jack shrugged, "Is it incestuous?"

"No...I don't think so." She said, looking confused. "Is that a dance?"

"If you want to look at it like that, I'd say it is." Jack laughed. Her naivety was so funny sometimes.

Popuri stood and walked towards the record player. "You're silly, Jack. No, we always dance. Come on, I want to dance with you."

"Well, you're the only one, then. Poe, I don't dance." Some upbeat folk music began playing on the old record player and Popuri ran over and took Jack's arms. "Come on, Jack. Dance with me, it'll be fun."

"If having a two-hundred and thirty pound man smash your toes is fun, I don't want to be your friend anymore." He found himself rising, even though he didn't really want to. "I'm not into dancing. I suck, I really do."

But he was on his feet, Popuri holding his hands as she danced and smiled. "Come on, like this! Doesn't this look like fun?"

"It looks like a full body dry heave set to music, but I guess you like this kind of thing, don't you?" Jack did his best, but men his size aren't light on their feet, though he managed a reasonable dance by shuffling his feet, rather than lifting them. Popuri laughed as they danced, her face turning a bright pink as she did. Jack laughed with her, adoring the laugh she always gave when they were together. It seemed that there was nothing more she could ever want than what they were doing.

They danced from the beginning of the record to the end and Popuri grabbed another record to put on, eyeing the title of it and putting a small smile on that only she could see. "I don't know what this one is."

When it started playing, it was a slow, sensuous music. She stepped towards Jack, her ever obvious shying smile on. "I guess it's a slow song."

Jack was tempted to call her a sly little minx, but thought better of it and just accepted her as she stepped into his reach and put her hands on his waist and his put his arms over her shoulder. It was normally the other way, but with Jack being taller than her, this was easier. It didn't take long for the arms-length to close and soon he and Popuri were right next to each other, Popuri leaning her head to his chest, listening to his strong heart beat.

"I need to go home." She said, softly. "Mom and Dad'll be worried." But she stayed next to him for a long time, her skin prickling happily as she felt his strong hand caressed her head, his fingers running lovingly through her hair.

And they just danced, unto the night and long after the record player had stopped playing it's gentle music.

XxXxXxX

When Popuri walked into the house, she didn't see anyone at the table or in the house at all. She shut the door quietly and tip-toed her way silently up the stairs to her room—no small feat given how creaky her house was. But she knew how to tip-toe around the worst points and managed to make it into her room without mustering a noise that absolutely screamed, "GUESS WHO'S HOME!"

She shut her door and sighed wistfully, moving towards the small shrine she had erected at the corner of her large vanity mirror and makeup table, an heirloom that had been in her family for generations. There, on the mirror itself, was a picture of Jack, one that he had given to her after she had given him one. In her mother's crystal vase was the glass rose he had bought. There, also, was wreath of flowers she had worn around her head the day of the Harvest Festival, when she and Jack had first met, had their first date. She figured their picnic was the second and this dinner was third. (No sense in counting the second picnic, when she had practically kissed that gopher)

She smiled sweetly at him, remembering that first kiss fondly. She had hoped he would do it again, but she wasn't going to let that spoil her romantic evening with him. She laid on her bed and tried to sleep with her heart nearly bursting from her chest. After some time, she heard the door creek open and turned to see her father peeking in. "Daddy?"

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I'm awake." She said. Her father walked over and sat himself on her bed, sitting next to her. He spied her little Jack shrine and smiled. "You had me worried. You were gone a while."

"Oh, Daddy, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking." He sat up and hugged him, "I was okay, Jack was with me."

"Old Jack's grandson, eh? I take it you've got a soft spot for the lad?" If there was one thing that had never changed between her and her father, it was that he knew exactly what she was thinking. She just blushed. "Jack is a really sweet guy, daddy. He cooked me supper and afterwards we danced like we do here."

"You really like him, don't you? I can see this is serious." Richard said, turning his gaze to the smiling picture of Jack.

"He's the greatest guy in the world." She said without pause.

Richard rubbed his daughter's head and kissed her on the brow. "If you think he is, then I'm sure he must be. But don't you go getting married before I can be there for it, okay?"

"I won't, daddy. I promise." She said, sheepishly, wondering if it would go so far. "I'm gonna miss you when you're gone. Promise you'll write?"

"I will, if you promise to let me know how things are with you and Jack. He seems like a nice enough guy, but you know I don't think there's a guy in the world good enough for my little Popuri." He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, you know."

"I love you too, Daddy. I'm gonna miss you."

"I promise we'll all be a family again...one day. I promise."