(A/n) Officially a month later, here is the next chapter!! Fall will begin after this and so will Trent's birthday! XD
Thank you Ninny-Na. Soccer-Chan, RaisingDawn, Anon named Girl, Anon named animelover1226, and Holy Star for your incredible reviews! -=hugs tightly=-
An Explosion of Rainbow Light…
"Annie, are you almost ready?"
"Almost!"
I folded the last of my shirts and placed it in the dresser that belonged to Trent. My heart gave a sudden thump as I closed the drawer and took a step back. He had made room for my clothes in his wardrobe and his dresser, my own personal belongings now had a permanent place in his room… It was a startling thought.
"Annie, c'mon," Trent's deep voice broke me out of my reverie as he entered the room. I glanced over at him and a huge smile lit my face at the sight of him. He was dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a short sleeved white shirt. He was as relaxed as I had ever seen him and the smile that touched his face was more than enough persuasion for me to move. I moved across the floor and threw myself right against him, wrapping my arms around his waist as I buried my face against his chest.
"Whoa there," He braced himself as he wrapped his arms around me and held me steady. My giggles were soft as I glanced up at him, the warmth on my cheeks quite evident of the blush that was there. The smile on his face grew warm and he leaned down to press his lips against my brow. "I take it that you're happy to see me…"
"More than you realize..." I said as I turned my head to breathe in the sweet scent of his cologne that I loved so much. "I guess it's just finally sinking in that I'm really here with you."
"That's always a good thought," he said, a deep chuckle rising up from the depths of this chest. I felt him run a hand down over my curls while his other arm tightened around me. "We have to get going Annie. We promised we'd meet the others at Claire's."
"Yeah, I know," I said in reply as I pulled away from him and went to grab my jacket from the peg by the door. The nights were getting considerably cooler; a sure sign that fall was just around the corner. I slipped my jacket on, pulling my curls away so they wouldn't get caught in the collar. "Where's Elli? Is she coming too?"
"Ahh," Trent thrust a hand into his dark hair, a confused look settling on his face. "To be honest, I have no idea. She said she had to stop by Ellen's house for something earlier today but she hasn't come back." He shook his head, the confused look giving way to the smile I loved so much. "She might have plans already but I can promise you that she didn't share them with me. She hasn't been speaking to me much as of late actually…"
"Oh…" I frowned lightly, knowing full well that Trent looked to Elli as one of his few, true friends. I mean, sure he loved me, but Elli had a place that I could never truly fill and that was as his nurse and his best friend. He did love Elli in his own way; we had talked about it quite awhile ago when the subject had first been brought up. He did not realize that Elli had loved him as more than a friend. By the time he had, we were already dating and starting to fall in love ourselves. He had thought back on it and had seen the signs that were there, he just had never recognized them for what they were. He had told me that if I had never come into picture, if I had never shown any interest in him as he had with me, given time he would have seen Elli as more than just his friend.
Ok, I had to admit that I felt a spark of jealousy at that statement; I'm only a woman after all. However, it was simply the truth that he spoke, the honest and blunt truth, and even I could admit that there was something between Trent and Elli that would never be between me and the man I loved. It was a truth that I disliked but it was there and I could be simply happy with the fact that Trent had chosen me. I trusted him and I knew that he respected Elli and he respected me. I was the woman he looked to as his lover and Elli was his friend. That was the way it was, simple as that. I shook my head, clearing my head of any doubts that harbored in the back of my mind. Trent knew all that there was to know about me and he still loved me just for that fact.
"Well, she might be meeting with the rest of us," I said with a smile as I reached out to take his hand. He grasped mine firmly as we turned to leave the room and make our way downstairs. "My brother is coming and he said he was bringing along a friend."
He raised a dark brow and glanced down at me as we walked across the quiet lobby. He opened the door and leaned against it for a moment. "I see where you're going with this," he said with a gentle smirk on his lips. "You know, it wouldn't surprise me if that were true. Your brother has been by the clinic a lot more recently and Elli's been acting a little funny whenever he's around…"
We stepped outside into the cool evening, the fading sunlight giving way to the beautiful night that was sure to come. He closed the door behind us and locked it. I looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean funny?"
He pocketed his keys and started walking up the brick pathway. I rushed to follow after him and tried not to smile too much as he reached out to take my hand. I took it and held it tight, my fingers intertwining with his larger ones. Trent simply shook his head as a chuckle slipped passed his lips. "You know, how you tend to act whenever you're around me. Always having this goofy smile on your face, constantly red in the cheeks…"
He laughed the moment I pulled away from him and pushed him to the side. He stumbled to the other side of the main road, not even phased by my abrupt change in mood. "I do not have a goofy smile on my face!" I said, already feeling my cheeks growing warm and knowing for a fact that it was true. I huffed lightly and folded my arms beneath my breasts, feeling terribly annoyed and happy at the same time. "Besides, since when were you so perceptive about me anyway?"
He was smiling by the time he caught up with me and wrapped an arm around my waist. "From the moment you stumbled on my front step and declared your undying love for me." He pulled me close and planted a sweet kiss on my head. We had passed the other houses by this time and were making our way toward the winery. "Actually, now that I think on it, it might have been the moment you were sick in the clinic and openly flirting with me in front of the local farmer…"
I didn't say anything to that, the blush on my cheeks quite obvious to that fact that I was now thoroughly embarrassed. Trent noticed my silence and stopped walking, pulling me to a stop beside him. He grabbed hold of my chin and gently brought my face up to look at him. He was smiling as he lightly ran his thumb across my lower lip. "There isn't anything about you that I don't notice anymore Annie. Every time I look at you I'm simply amazed at the fact that you're here." He leaned down and rested his head against mine, his lips just inches away. "That you decided to stay here and to love me… You could have gone back to your own world and you chose to stay here with me. You have no idea what that did to me. The simple fact that I could mean so much to someone… the fact that I mean as much to you as you do to me."
I closed my eyes as he kissed me tenderly on the lips, a sudden burst of happiness welling within my heart. It lasted for just a brief second but it was more than enough to make me realize how lucky I truly was. How many could experience a love such as this? A tender, ever growing love for another person that could manage to make you see things in a way that you had no idea could even be possible…
Trent pulled away and took hold of my hand once more. "C'mon, I want to see some fireworks." I walked beside him as Claire's farm came into view; there was lightness to my steps and a goofy smile that refused to go away. He noticed this and laughed softly, his hold on my hand growing firm. "You're going to love the fireworks down in the Valley. The twins really do know how to put on a show this time of year."
"Mm…" was all I could think to give in response as I leaned my head against his arm, a happy and surreal feeling growing along with the love in my heart...
--
When Trent and I had arrived at Claire's, we found that our small group wasn't going to be so small. Other couples had decided to join in the trip down to the Valley and I was surprised to see who it was. Claire and Gray were standing outside of her house, speaking with Rick and Karen. The bespectacled chicken farmer wasn't adding much to the conversation that Karen was having with Claire, he was glaring over at his sister and her boyfriend, who were standing some yards away.
Popuri was either ignoring her brother or hadn't noticed the murderous glances he continued to throw their way. She was smiling up at Kai, twirling a lock of her pink hair around a finger as she leaned forward to whisper something to the traveler. Kai's brown eyes widened as Popuri moved away and started to giggle behind her hand. Apparently whatever she had whispered to him, he hadn't been expecting to hear. I'm sure if the blush could be seen on Kai's tanned skin, it would be a deep red. I hoped Popuri wasn't being too forward with him, she was a little too flirtatious for her own good sometimes…
"Dr. Trent! Annie!" Popuri had noticed us walking up the path and waved to us, her pink curls bouncing around her petite shoulders. The others glanced our way as we walked toward them; Claire was already moving to meet us halfway. The smile on her face was somewhat apologetic as she glanced between Trent and me.
"Hey guys, the others wanted to come along with us… I hope it's not too much." She clasped her hands behind her back, her braided, blond hair slipping over one shoulder as she glanced back at the others.
"The more the merrier," Trent said in reply, his hold on my hand never loosening. I was beginning to notice that he wasn't as shy as he used to be about public affection. Not that I was complaining mind you, I loved every bit of affection he was willing to give. He pulled me closer beside him as he glanced around. "It seems we're a person short though…" I looked around as well, noticing that my brother was no where to be seen. I hoped he was all right; poor guy worked himself too hard sometimes.
"Jay said he was coming though so I think we should wait a little while longer," I said as I glanced over Claire's shoulder to catch sight of Gray speaking with Rick. He had his hands in the pockets of his brown slacks, his blue cap down low over his eyes as always. His blue eyes were focused on the other young man as he listened to whatever Rick talking about; judging from the smile on Rick's face I could only guess it was about the chicken farm as usual. However, Gray listened without appearing to look bored, in fact he seemed to have this intent look in his eye, as if he were taking in everything that Rick was saying and filing it for later purposes.
"Ah hah! There he is!" Claire smiled as she moved around me and waved to my brother. We all turned to find the tall, lithe form of my brother walking up the road toward the farm but we noticed that he wasn't by himself. A woman walked beside him, dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a brown, short sleeved shirt that was tucked in. If I hadn't known who it was before hand, I never would have recognized her.
Elli was laughing at whatever my brother had said to her, her short brown hair dancing around her ears as she nodded. It was odd seeing Elli in a pair of jeans when she had always worn her blue dress. It turned out that she had very nice curves that her dress managed to hide. Jay and Elli stopped walking the moment passed the main gate to Claire's farm. They noticed that we were unusually quiet and staring at the nurse with various looks of surprise and amusement.
"Hey guys," Jay said with his trademark grin, a hint of a dimple appearing in his cheek. He was trying to ease the awkward silence that had fallen but it was going to need a little more than a greeting to break it. The sight of Elli not wearing her blue nurse's dress was a bit of a shock to the system. I glanced up at Trent and I felt my stomach drop at the sight of the look on his face. It was more than shock; it was as if he were seeing his friend for the very first time. It was a look that I did not like at all and the little doubts that had always lurked in the deepest part of my heart began to surface.
A piercing whistle broke the silence, a seductive sound that came from none other than Kai. He had his arms folded across his chest as he gave an approving nod. "Elli! You look terrific!" The response to that statement was a deep blush on Elli's cheeks followed by an audible slap. Popuri was looking none too pleased as she glared at Kai, her dark pink eyes blazing as she clenched her fists. Everyone else started to laugh, the tension now gone though I couldn't say the same for myself.
"Well," Claire laughed a little as she threw her hands up and turned around to look all of us. "It seems like everyone is accounted for. We should get going before it gets too late."
Conversation erupted right on the spot as we all turned and started to walk through the farm toward Mother's Hill. I didn't add anything to the conversation; I simply walked in silence beside Trent as we followed the others. Jay and Elli were behind us and I could hear their hushed tones as they spoke to each other quietly. They were lagging further behind the rest of the group, as if hoping for a little more privacy.
I jumped a little when I felt the hand that had been holding mine let go. His arm wrapped around my shoulders and I glanced up at him, trying my best to keep my face as blank as possible. Of course, it didn't work, Trent knew me well enough to know that something was bothering me. Thankfully, he didn't ask me what it was; he simply smiled and rubbed my arm. I knew I was being so silly in having these doubts when I knew that Trent loved me, but I was only human… I had experienced enough in life to know that things could change in a heartbeat. I prayed that this wasn't going to be one of those times…
--
The beach in the Valley was somewhat bigger than the one in Mineral Town so it was a perfect location to hold this year's Fireworks Festival. As we followed the others onto the sandy shore, the memory of my first date with Trent surfaced. It had been so romantic… I couldn't believe it had only been several months since then. It felt like a lifetime ago…
The villagers of Forget-Me-Not Valley were already there of course, as well as a number of our fellow Mineral Towners. My somewhat sour mood was lifted the moment I saw Mary on the other end of the beach talking with Lumina. Jack was standing beside his wife and speaking with the blond haired son of the innkeeper, Rock. While the others began to drift to various sections of the beach for prime locations to watch the fireworks, Trent followed my lead as I pulled him over to say hello to my other close friend.
Since Mary had moved to the Valley, she was a regular sight on the farm. Every morning she would be walking through the farm, on her way to open the library. Of course it was a bit of a journey for her but she was perfectly happy with her life. She was always glowing and always smiling, I could understand how she felt in those moments. Love had a way of doing that to you.
"Mary!" I cried out as I let go of Trent and ran the last few yards to the librarian. Mary had glanced my way and barely had time to say anything in response before I had swept her up into a tight hug. She gasped and started to laugh, returning my hug with just as much enthusiasm.
"Annie! I'm so glad you were able to come!" She said as she pulled away, her dark eyes sparkling behind her large glasses. She looked genuinely happy to see me and I pulled her into another hug.
"Now that's not fair," Lumina said with a playful pout, her hair had grown longer over the summer and she left it loose as usual. Her bright brown eyes were studying me as I pulled away from Mary and moved over to give Lumina a hug as well. She laughed as she returned my hug before pulling away to get a better look at me. "You look great Annie, have you been working hard on Claire's farm?"
"Everyday," I said in reply with a smile. I studied her in return and gave an approving nod at the sight. She was dressed in a simple yellow dress but it accented the gentle slopes that her petite frame possessed. "You look incredible. Trying to impress a certain blond haired gentleman?" I raised a single brow as I said this; her response was a small giggle and a deep blush. Of course, since Mary's wedding, Lumina and Rock have been getting a little closer and I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before I would be hearing wedding bells again.
I laughed a little and shook my head, glancing around quickly to find where Trent had gone to. He was standing next to Rock and Jack, his hands buried in the pockets of his jeans. He was listening to Jack as the other man began to get into the details of a certain type of wild grass that bloomed only in the fall here in the Valley. Rock was looking rather bored of the conversation and started glancing around the beach, taking in the crowd.
"Annie, isn't that your brother?" Mary asked, pointing out toward the dock where a couple stood, watching the water. It was Jay all right; I could pick my brother out of a crowd in a heartbeat. Mary leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Who is that woman with him?"
I blinked in surprise as I glanced at her and then back to the dock. "Well, I guess you would have trouble recognizing her since she's usually in a dress." I watched as Jay reached out to take Elli's hand and she looked up at him, the smile on her face was hard to see now that the sun was sinking beyond the horizon. However, she leaned in close to rest her head against his arm, her hand holding his firmly. I smiled at the sight of it, my romantic side squealing with joy. "That's Elli. She came here to watch the fireworks with Jay."
Mary and Lumina's mouths literally dropped, glancing at the couple before looking at me. It didn't take long for the questions to start pouring out of their mouths. I hadn't realized how close Jay and Elli were getting until Claire had pointed it out to me just yesterday and I saw them nearly everyday. Mary and Lumina did not see them as frequently so they would want to know all of the juicy details as to how it had started. I was about to open explain when Mayor Thomas started calling for everyone's attention, his little red top hat visible even in the growing darkness. The festival was about to start and everyone was to find a nice place to settle down to watch the fireworks.
"We'll ask you about it later," Lumina whispered, a mischievous smile appearing on her face. She giggled as she turned and went to go stand with Rock. Mary gave me a meaningful look as well before she went to Jack. I stared after them and then glanced back at the dock; Jay and Elli were now sitting on the edge of the dock, their feet hanging over the edge. Jay said something to Elli and she giggled in response, shaking her head as she moved closer to him.
"It looks like you were right," I felt a warm hand wrap around mine and I glanced up to find Trent staring at the dock, the look from earlier in the evening playing on his face. The doubts from earlier surfaced once again and my smile faded slightly as I looked at Jay and Elli. "I know of this perfect little spot where we can watch the fireworks away from the others," he said as he began to walk, pulling me gently along,
I followed along side of him, my eyes wandering through the crowd to all of the couples who were sitting along the beach, waiting for the show to start. Rick and Karen were sitting on one of the benches; Karen was already getting started on a bottle of wine that she had brought along. Rick had said something to her but all that he got in response was a wave of the hand and a silly laugh. Kai and Popuri were seated on a blanket near the dock, Kai was being his flirtatious self as usual and Popuri was blushing and giggling, as usual. Claire and Gray were standing right near the shore, watching the water. Claire was hugging Gray's arm tightly as she pointed out to the water, picking out the first evening star that was twinkling to life. The smile on her face was one that was filled with awe and Gray was staring at her rather than the sky.
I noticed, with interest, that some of the natives of the Valley were also sitting together. Marlin was sitting next to Celia; he was blushing deeply but looked fairly happy compared to how he usually was. Celia was her usual smiling self as she spoke with Marlin, her eyes taking in the sight of his faint smile. Nami, the redheaded traveler, was standing next to Gustafa, the hippy musician, and he was strumming away on his instrument and singing whatever song he had written. Nami was smiling only a little but it was a sight to see, considering that she hardly ever smiled.
"Over here," Trent said as we walked along the edge of the shore, following the curve of the water until we came upon a spot that was littered with driftwood. We walked toward a large piece of driftwood that looked as if it had been part of a fishing boat. It was buried halfway into the sand and bleached white from the sun. The tide was coming in but it did not reach this far onto the beach. Trent pulled me toward the driftwood and sat down on it, turning me around so that way he could pull me onto his lap.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his lips against my temple, "I used to come here when I wanted a break away from my studies. I like the Goddess Spring but the ocean, it has a magic all its own." He rested his chin on top of my head and I felt his chest rise and fall as he took in a deep breath. "It always helped to relax me whenever something was troubling me." He paused at this before he let me go. I moved away from him and turned around to look at him, taking in the sight of the light frown on his face. "Tell me what's bothering you now…"
I could feel the warmth in my cheeks already, the stupidity of why I felt the way I did and the realization that Trent knew me better than I had known, made me a little wary to share my troubles. I rubbed the back of my neck as I shook my head, feeling embarrassed and somewhat ashamed to have been thinking what I have. He waited patiently for me to begin, the light frown growing deeper the longer I stalled. Finally, I dropped my hand and looked back up the beach, where I could see the dock. Jay and Elli were just a pair of shadowed silhouettes sitting above the water.
I sighed softly, sticking my thumbs into the belt loops of my jeans. "Did you ever think about how much things have changed? How things will always change?" I didn't look at him as I said this; I stared at the dock while a sudden sadness filled me. "Just ten years ago, I was annoying the hell out of my brother, hanging out with friends, going to school… Now here I am, standing on the shore of a beach in a place I never dreamed could be real. It all went by so fast and I had no idea of where I was headed in the long run." I glanced at him then and he was studying me, his dark eyes revealing nothing of what he thought.
"I guess what I'm trying to get at is that… well, we love each other now, but will we feel the same way a year from now? Five years from now?" I turned to face him and shook my head. "You had known Elli far longer than you had known me. Did you ever think that maybe you really did had feelings for her? Did you ever wonder what if... what if things weren't supposed to be this way?"
He stared at me as if I had just asked if he had ever wanted to wear ladies' underwear. The blank look gave way to confusion and then understanding. He stood up and walked over to me, reaching out to rest his hand against my cheek. "After everything we had experienced so far, you're worried that I might have regrets about us?"
I looked away, the tears threatening to fall as I listened to how silly I really was sounding. I closed my eyes and gave a single nod. "Elli is a beautiful woman and you've known her a lot longer than we've been together…"
His eyes grew wide for split second and than he smiled at me, he was actually starting to laugh. He dropped his hand and pulled me into a tight hug, lifting me up so that my feet dangled a foot from the ground. "I can't believe you… you're jealous!"
I gasped as I squirmed against him, my cheeks burning from embarrassment. "W-well… I-I…" I could barely get the words out and instead, I continued to try and squirm out of his grasp. "Trent, will you put me down?"
He continued to laugh as he set me back down on my feet and let me go. He took a step back and watched me, his dark eyes shining with amusement. I frowned up at him and folded my arms beneath my breasts. I turned my back on him and huffed lightly. "So what if I'm jealous? I have every right to be jealous…"
He continued to chuckle as I heard him walk up behind me and wrap his arms around my shoulders. He brushed aside my curly hair and placed a warm kiss right on the side of my neck. I shivered from the pleasure of it though I tried my best to ignore it. "You have nothing to be jealous about Annie. I'm in love with you. If I had wanted to be with Elli, it would have happened long since… but it didn't. It happened with you, everything clicked into place with you." He pointed out toward the dock then, his lips just inches from my ear. "Look at that and tell me if Elli wonders 'what if' anymore…"
I looked over at the dock and found the sight of Jay leaning forward to kiss Elli. She was looking terribly shy but she returned his kiss, leaning into it with surprising enthusiasm. I couldn't believe what I was seeing but there it was, Elli was kissing my baby brother. The sudden urge to laugh took over me and I shook my head as I watched them. "I guess not…"
A whistling pierced the night air and sailed high into the sky before it was replaced by a loud boom. We turned to look as the sight of red, green, blue, yellow, and every other color imaginable rained down from the dark blue, evening sky. The lights sparkled down toward the water, an explosion of rainbow light that took my breath away. Trent held me close as we watched the fireworks, the rising cheer from the crowd further up on the beach joining in with the noise.
"You really do know how to make my life interesting, don't you Annie?" Trent said as he pulled me back to sit on the driftwood. I settled on his lap, now feeling very comfortable and very at ease, a light smile playing on my lips as I shrugged in response.
"I'm not trying to… I just tend to think too deeply into things…" I said as I leaned back against him and rested my head against his jaw. He gave me a brief squeeze in response to that and chuckled a little.
"Remind me to keep you thoroughly distracted from now on… We don't want you reading too much into things that aren't there."
"Distracted?" I blinked in confusion, wondering what he could possibly mean by that. It hit me the moment the next series of fireworks went off and I blushed deeply, refusing to say anything in response to that statement. He started to laugh again, taking my sudden silence as answer enough. He kissed my temple then, the sight of the fireworks giving me good enough reason not to speak. We continued to watch the fireworks, the force of the explosions reaching down into the very depths of my body. As the last of the fireworks slowly sparkled down toward the ocean, it signaled the last day of summer.
Fall was to begin soon and new crops were to be planted, more animals to be brought onto the farm… It had been a strange summer and yet I didn't have reason to complain. So much had changed and it had been for the better, I was looking forward to what the fall had in store for all of us. Whatever it was, I'm sure that it would be wonderful…
