(A/n) So here is the next chapter. :) I just realized that this story is almost finished, I have maybe several more chapters and then it is done. Ha, I didn't think this story would get this far.
Thanks for all of the favorites, alerts and to Holy Star for my only review for last chapter! XD
Seasons Change…
I had enjoyed my first breakfast at my new home since Trent had decided to stay and eat before heading downstairs to get ready for the day. There was a small room beside the bathroom, a room that contained a small kitchen meant for a bachelor. I had decided to get started in reacquainting myself with a stove. After living at the inn for over eight months, I was spoiled with having three course meals each day without me having to make them myself.
When I had lived by myself, I had always shopped for easy foods to make or simply ordered out. I won't lie to you; I was never a genius in the kitchen. I could make anything as long as it came out of a box, a can, or if it could be microwaved. A modern working woman never had enough time in the day to cook for herself. However, every woman was entitled to have at least one culinary gift and in my case, it would be breakfast. I was great at making pancakes, eggs in any way you would like, bacon, sausages, and don't forget the most important cup of coffee.
Of course, Trent wouldn't find the type of breakfast I liked to make to be healthy. Thankfully, Elli had left more than enough healthy food stocked in his small kitchen. She had sometimes cooked for him and Trent, when he found the time, would cook as well. I wondered if she felt I would be intruding… Well, I wouldn't know for sure, seeing as she hadn't joined us for breakfast. In fact, she had not come home at all last night… I wondered if she was giving Trent and me a little privacy since it was our first night together as a live-in couple, as silly as it sounded. I supposed she might have spent the night at her grandmother's like she sometimes did when I spent the nights previously. It was a little strange though because I now had a permanent place in this home… Maybe she didn't want to live here anymore now that I was around. I had voiced my concern to Trent when we were sitting down in his room to eat a rather healthy breakfast of poached eggs, some fruit and whole wheat toast with margarine.
"I wouldn't worry about it Annie. She had probably gone to spend the night at Ellen's," he said with a smile as he finished the last of his toast and set the plate down on the coffee table. His home was only big enough to accommodate the two bedrooms, the one bathroom and the small kitchen. There wasn't enough room to have an actual table to sit down at so Trent and I had always eaten at the sitting area in his room. I wondered if this living arrangement was going to be a bit crowded for him…
"If you're really concerned about it, you can speak to Elli before you head to work," he said as he got up and grabbed our plates. I had been about to get up to grab them from him but he had leaned down and caught me off guard with a quick kiss. "I have this; you need to get ready for work. Thank you for breakfast by the way, it was wonderful."
I could do nothing else but stare at him as he piled the dishes on one another and smiled down at me. "Have a good day sweetheart, don't overexert yourself," he said, just before he turned and walked off to grab his white coat from the peg by the door. He flung it over his shoulder and shifted the dishes over to one arm. How he managed to open the door I have no idea, but he had turned around and glanced back at me with a smile.
"Love you…" He said as his smile grew warm before he left, the door closing behind him with a gentle snap. I was left sitting there in his room, clad in one of his white t-shirts. I stared at the door for a moment before I threw my arms around myself and a very girly giggle emerged as I allowed myself a brief moment of glee…
--
By the time I was showered and dressed and my rucksack slung over my shoulders, it was a little after seven thirty in the morning. Thanks to the festival, Claire had given me some of the morning off to sleep in. I was grateful to her for it but still, the knowing smile that had been on her face when Trent and I had left her farm last night was a dead giveaway. I hoped that Gray had enough sense to be gone before I arrived for work.
As I made my way downstairs to the lobby, my boots thudding heavily on the wooden steps, I turned the corner to find Elli behind her counter. She was dressed in her regular blue nurses' dress and white apron and currently rearranging one of the filing cabinets. She was humming to herself and I just knew that she had a dreamy smile on her face. I glanced at my wristwatch and figured I could spare a few minutes. I walked up to the counter and leaned against it, tapping a toe against the linoleum floor in rhythm with Elli's humming.
Elli paused at the strange noise and glanced over her shoulder to find me staring at her, a knowing grin lighting my face. She blinked once before she returned the smile and a faint blush rose up into her cheeks, "Oh, good morning Annie," she said as she placed a file back in its proper place. "Wasn't the festival fun last night? It's been a long time since I let myself relax like that…"
"Oh really?" I studied her with interest, my eyes following her as she moved from the filing cabinet and onto the medicine cabinets. "I hoped that Jay behaved himself last night." The deep blush that I saw in reply was answer enough and I laughed. "Elli, my brother is a terrible charmer but he means well. I think it's great that you care about him, you're a wonderful woman and you'll be good for him."
Elli paused in the middle of pulling out a few bottles and glanced back at me. She stared at me for a moment before she set the bottles back in the cabinet and turned around to face me. "Do you… do you really mean that Annie?"
"Well… yes," I said. I could feel the faint heat rising into my cheeks as I smiled at the nurse. "I love my brother to death but he can manage to get under your skin pretty quickly. I've noticed he's been calmer recently and a little happier plus he's been hanging out here at the clinic like I used to do…" I trailed off at that and looked over at the door to Trent's office, which was currently closed.
A few moments of thoughtful silence passed between us, neither of us knowing exactly what to say and yet, our thoughts followed the same line. How strange life had become, how terrible and wonderful change could be… I heard a gentle sigh escape her as she moved toward the counter and clasped her hands in front of her. She always managed to look so proper even when she was uncomfortable; I envied her for that sometimes.
"I'm so glad to hear that Annie. I was worried about what you would think," she said, breaking the silence as she began to relax. "I was afraid you wouldn't approve of us."
I didn't say anything to that at first. I could understand how awkward it must be for her. She was beginning to care for the younger brother of the woman who had stolen the heart of the man she used to love. It sounded like something straight out of a cheesy soap opera or one of Mary's romance novels. I would have laughed at such a notion but I simply shook my head after a moment, a light smile appearing on my lips, "I suppose I wouldn't have, if I didn't know you well enough and if we hadn't gone through what we had."
Elli seemed to take my comment to heart as a faint blush rose up into her cheeks, "I wasn't expecting this… Ever since you and Dr. Trent had gotten together, I had never dreamed that I could feel this way for another person." She looked at me then, her brown eyes flicking between my own. "All of sudden, your brother washes up from no where and flipped everything upside down, much like you had," A light smile touched her lips then, a tender sight that seemed to make me feel a little better. She shook her head and moved forward to lean against the counter across from me. "Jonathan… he is so different from Trent. He is loud and brash, sweet and charming… He wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't afraid of what others think of him. I know what is going inside that quick mind of his just by looking into his eyes…" She trailed off then, a sudden dreamy look sliding over her pretty face.
"They are rather different," I said as I have a single nod in agreement. "It's hard to tell exactly what Trent could be thinking when he can manage to keep his emotions under control." I propped my elbow up on the counter and rested my chin in my hand. "But he surprises in such a good way sometimes…"
Elli's gaze focused on me and she smiled a little more, her short brown hair dancing lightly above her brows as she shook her head. "Look at us, talking like a couple of lovesick school girls." She began to giggle and I laughed with her, it felt good to laugh. There was no wall between us at this moment and it felt so nice to talk to Elli like this.
As our laughter subsided, I took the moment to finally get around to what had been bothering me all morning. "Elli," I began, lightly running my fingers over the curling grains of the wooden counter. "You weren't home last night after the festival." I paused at this and glanced up at her, my heart pounding slightly. "Are you all right with me living here now? I mean, I understand if you're not, it is a bit sudden-."
"Actually, it isn't," she said with a smile as she reached out to take my hand, her fingers curling over my own. "Trent has been planning on asking you for the past few weeks. I'm sure he had already told you that we had spoken about it."
"Well, yes but-."
She gave my hand a squeeze, cutting off my protest. "It's fine, really. If this would have happened two months before…" She left it at that and shook her head. "You've made him happy, more so than I had ever seen him and that is what truly matters. We can deal with whatever comes along when it happens. Besides, it's not like this is the first time you've spent the night here when I was around and it won't be a permanent arrangement."
That caught my interest and I gently pulled my hand away, "What do you mean?" I asked as I straightened off of the counter, studying her curiously.
Elli blinked once, obviously a little confused by my question. "Well, things are going to change eventually. You and Trent will decide to settle down at some point, have children, and build a life together. You're going to need all the room you can get."
I was blushing furiously at that little statement and I shook my head as I laughed nervously, waving her comment aside. "Y-yeah right, life doesn't usually work out that way. Besides, Trent needs you here at the clinic, where will you be when he gets an emergency if you're not here?"
She pushed away from the counter and walked around it. She stopped in front of me and held out her hands, indicating the area around her. "I'll be here. I will always be here to help the doctor. Even when I am not living here, I'll still be close by at hand. My grandmother's house is right up the road, I would be here in no time." She dropped her hands and glanced at the door to Trent's office. "Trent has plans for his life here in Mineral Town." She glanced back at me and smiled a little. "You're a part of those plans now. Whether it happens sooner or further down along the road, it's going to happen regardless."
I stared at her, the sudden truth of Elli's words sinking in deep. I opened my mouth to reply but all that came out was a soft squeaking. She blinked as she watched me, her brown eyes growing slightly wide. "You haven't realized that Trent is really serious about you, did you?"
"I…" I placed a hand over my brow, suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed. "I didn't want to try and believe it…" I said softly in reply before I shook my head and took in a breath. "The future is never a sure thing…" I sighed softly and glanced down at the floor, a light frown tugging at the corners of lips. "I have dreams, dreams that I hope would come true but I never allow myself to fully believe in them." I looked at her and tried my best to make light of the topic. "It makes the disappointment a little easier to bear when life throws a curve ball at you."
Elli had a thoughtful frown on her face and a moment passed before she reached out and placed a hand on my arm. "Annie, I know where you and Jay come from, that other reality." She watched the surprise that flickered across my face and she dropped her hand. "Jay had told me about it shortly after you had disappeared, I didn't want to say anything to you because it wasn't my business but..." She clasped her hands and smiled a little, a reassuring smile that actually made me feel somewhat better. "Whatever had happened to you there in that world, it's over and done with. You have a new home here, a new life with people who care about you. Don't allow yourself to think as you used to. In order for the change in your life to become a new opportunity, you have to think of it as such." She sighed softly and reached out to take my left hand, where Trent's promise ring shone beneath the lighting. The sapphire flared with brilliant blue fire. "It took me awhile to realize that simple truth but I finally did." She looked up at me and smiled. "When I did, I was able to move on with my heart lighter and my eyes clear."
I stared at her, the wisdom of those words a bit surprising since they were coming from a woman a year or so younger than I. "That is so insightful Elli," I said with a smile as I curled my fingers around her hand that still held mine.
She blushed lightly in reply and shook her head, clearly embarrassed. "You should thank Grandma for that one. It really helped me when I was feeling the way I was." She gave my hand a squeeze before letting it go. "You should get going to Claire's, it's almost eight." She glanced down at my wristwatch as she said this and I nearly jumped in surprise. Where had the time gone?
"Agh! I gotta run! I'm sorry Elli," I pulled her into a quick, tight hug and whispered a soft thanks in her ear. She giggled just a little as she patted my shoulder before letting me go. I waved goodbye to her and turned on my heel to run out the front door. Elli was right; what had happened to me in the past would remain there. The way my life was now was nothing like it had been. In fact, it was infinitely better. The way I was feeling wouldn't work with how my life is at this moment in time. I had to learn to allow myself to believe in my dreams, whether I was ready to or not. After all, I had made the choice to stay here in Mineral Town. I had to learn allow myself to acknowledge that the magic of my life was real. I would deal with whatever change would happen, I just hoped that change would go along the same lines as my dreams…
--
"Annie!"
The voice that called my name was not what I had been expecting to hear from across the field. I set my sickle down on the ground and straightened, looking at the entrance to the farm. A familiar purple bandana was making its way around the tilled soil and over the fence that separated the crop field from the field of grass I was currently cutting down. Claire was in the barn taking care of sheering the sheep and had left me with the task of stockpiling some grass to dry for hay. The farm was doing very well this year and it was becoming a little tougher to handle with only the two of us. Claire and I had wanted the farm to be as successful as possible and were debating on whether or not to put out an ad out for hired help.
The farm was bringing in enough money so that Claire could afford another pair of hands to help. If we had an extra person helping on the farm, we would be able to ship out a lot more crops and goods. It was actually incredible; Claire had been including me in a lot of the decision making for the farm lately. I was beginning to feel more like a partner rather than a simple farm hand and the fact that she trusted me enough and valued my opinion was just wonderful.
I was careful to make sure the blade of the sickle was pointing away from me while Kai was trying his best to avoid Mason and Callie, who were barking and running around him in circles. I laughed a little as Kai managed to avoid getting plowed over by my Doberman and he finally stopped in front of me. "What is with those monsters? They are so hyper today."
"They like you. You should take it as a compliment," I said as I tried my best not to laugh at him. Mason and Callie had just noticed a squirrel that was making its way carefully around the chicken coop and had gone off to chase it. Kai let out a sigh as he held a hand to his head, the sigh ended up as a laugh.
"Remind me not to get on their bad side then," he said as she shook his head and glanced at me. "I'm glad I was able to catch you, I wanted to say goodbye."
My smile fell somewhat as I studied the traveler, faint disappointment making itself known. "Oh, that's right, you're leaving today." I held out a hand to him, my other hand gripping the handle of the sickle tightly to avoid dropping it. "I wish you could stay longer, I feel like I hardly got to know you this summer."
"Heh," Kai took my hand in his own and gave it a firm shake, his chocolate brown eyes twinkling with amusement. "I can't stand the cold to be honest with you. When the summer goes, I follow it." He let go of my hand and glanced around the farm. "Besides, I never liked staying in one place for too long, it gets a bit stale for my taste. I don't know how you and your brother can stand it."
"Well," I smiled a little as I gripped my sickle more securely. I looked over to the neighboring chicken farm across the way. I could see the large, white chicken coop and could see the little white balls of feathers that were the chickens. A familiar pink-haired head was bobbing among the chickens, feeding them their breakfast. I could just imagine that Popuri was singing in an off key tune, coaxing the chickens she loved so much to try to eat. "It depends on the person and what they are looking for. For me, I'm quite content to staying in this little town. The people make this place worthwhile…"
Kai followed my line of vision and caught sight of his girlfriend going about her daily chores. A strange look softened the features of his deeply tanned skin and he gave a single nod to my comment but said nothing in response. We stood there in silence for a few moments before I heard someone calling my name. We glanced over to find Claire moving along the field of grass, her long blond hair bouncing over her shoulders with each step.
When she finally reached us, she was looking a little flushed but smiling happily. "I can't believe it; one of the cows had gotten pregnant. I was checking up on her to see if she might have. The bull we had bought certainly had done his part of the job." She laughed at this as she glanced over at Kai, a hand moving to rest lightly on her hip. "Oh hi Kai, on your goodbye tour all ready?"
An easy smile slid across his face as he folded his arms across his chest and gave a nod. "Yeah, it's that time of year again. Are you going to miss me Claire?"
Claire rolled her eyes, those orbs of light blue filled with amusement. "I'll be devastated the moment you leave Kai," she replied. The dry tone in her voice made me choke with laughter and hid my face in my arms, leaning on the handle of my sickle for support. I heard Kai's deep chuckle and I looked up to just in time to see him shaking hands with Claire.
"All right ladies, it's been a blast but I got a boat to catch," he said as he let go of Claire's hand and gave a mock salute. "Till next summer, enjoy the rest of your year." He flashed a charming smile before raising his hand in goodbye and turning to leave.
As we watched his retreating form leap nimbly over the fence, we glanced at each other and started to laugh. We could only imagine how much things would change this year. When Kai returned next summer, who knew what he was going to find? I sure as hell didn't know and to be honest, I was a little afraid and excited to find out…
--
Fall began the moment the emerald shades of the trees began to change to different tones of red, orange and gold. Claire and I were hard at work growing and tending to the fall crops and preparing for another long winter. Claire had decided to place an ad for help in the newspaper of the local big city. I couldn't wait to get a new person on board to help with the chores. I was looking forward to spending some real time digging in the lake mine this year. I was hoping to beat my record from last winter, if I could ship out more precious ores and gemstones this year, the farm would be set for the coming spring.
I was surprised to realize that the second month of this coming winter would mean that it would be a year since I fell into the river. I've been living here almost a year… Where had the time gone? I couldn't even tell you but I was amazed to find that I had made it this far, with everything that had happened, and I was still smiling.
The days flew by in a flurry of changing and falling leaves, ripening crops and the slowly growing belly of our pregnant cow. The days turned into weeks and the first real chill hit the air just shortly into the second month of autumn. There wasn't much happening in Mineral Town aside from the occasional horse race, the different festivals and some birthdays to celebrate. One of those birthdays was especially important to me and that was happening on the nineteenth.
I had been planning Trent's birthday party for weeks now and managed to reserve the entire restaurant of the inn for the occasion. Ann and her father were going to be baking a wonderful birthday cake. Popuri, Elli, Karen and Claire were going to be helping in the decorations of the restaurant and I was borrowing a stereo that belonged to the shipper of our crops, a muscle bound man by the name of Zack. The chatter hens of the village would be doing there part for me, just like they had for my birthday, by not breathing a word of the event. I wanted to surprise Trent with everything I could manage and the whole town was being such a huge help.
It wasn't surprising that the entire town was all for the party, Trent was their doctor after all. He was the one that helped them when they were sick, made sure that they remained in the best of health, and was there for those emergency midnight calls. He was a solid member of the community, more so than I could ever hope to be, and the celebration of his birthday was a no brainer for everyone involved. I couldn't have been more grateful to everyone.
As the day drew nearer for the party, I was making sure of any last minute preparations needing to be done. I didn't want there to be any major hiccups but I was getting ready for them just in case. On the day of the party, I was done with my work earlier than usual. I wanted to run down to the inn to make sure everything was ready.
Claire was finishing up with the last shipment of sweet potatoes. It was going to be our last week in being just the two of us working on the farm. We had gotten a response from the ad Claire had sent out, it was a phone call from a young woman named Jill. She was interested in starting a new life in a small town and the job offered her the perfect opportunity. Claire had asked her if she had any experience working on a farm and Jill had said that she had grown up on a ranch that had been owned by her father. We had been using the only phone in town, which was located at the inn, and thankfully the restaurant had been somewhat empty. Claire had held a hand over the phone then and glanced at me, her light blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
"What do you think Annie? She has experience working with animals, that's a plus. We can teach her everything else, I really like this one. She would be perfect."
I mulled it over for just a brief moment, pretending to think. What were the odds that the woman on the phone named Jill would be the one and the same from the game? The odds were in her favor, I was sure of it. I had given Claire a bright smile and a single nod in agreement. "Go for it," I said and Claire's smile had grown before she went back on the phone. I had heard Jill's squeals all the way from where I stood after Claire had said she was hired. She had said she could arrive to Mineral Town as early as the following week. It was all settled.
I was looking forward to meeting Jill face to face next week. I wondered if she was going to be as energetic as Claire or be somewhat quieter. It was hard to tell from the game Another Wonderful Life since I had played as her. She could be a complete contrast to Claire or me, which would add a nice mix on the farm.
As I ran up the main road and turned onto the road that led passed Aja's Winery, I waved to Cliff and Duke, who were currently picking the ripened grapes from the vines. Cliff caught sight of me and waved back, a cheerful smile on his face as I ran passed. I hurried on to Doug's Inn and up the brick pathway, nearly slamming into the person walking out of the front doors. I skidded to a stop and glanced up to find it was none other than my brother.
"Annie?" He was staring at me in surprise, having caught him completely off guard. He looked strained for some reason, the lines between his brows a clear sign that he was worried about something. I straightened out my rucksack as I took in a few deep breaths to calm my pounding heart. Jay reached out slap my back, the lines between his brows easing somewhat. "Easy there, take a breath. You really need to learn to stop running everywhere."
"I know," I said with a smile as I looked up at him. The worried look in his hazel-green eyes had nothing to do with my being out of breath and my smile fell away. "Jay, what's going on? Why do you look upset?"
He blinked in reply and dropped his hand, a light frown appearing on his face. He hadn't looked this upset since he had first washed up on the beach. In fact, he had been nothing less than happy since he had been spending time with Elli. Though they haven't been officially dating, everyone in town was quite aware of their growing relationship. He had been happy so you could imagine how troubling it was to find my baby brother looking upset.
"I'm that obvious huh?" He tried to smile but failed miserably and simply shook his head. He pulled off his red cap and ran a hand through his dark curls. "I just found something out yesterday and I've been trying to figure out how to tell you."
I studied him in confusion before I frowned and folded my arms beneath my breasts. "The best way to tell me what is bothering you is to simply spill it out." I shook my head and sighed softly. "We're not kids anymore Jay, you can speak to me about anything. We're two grown adults; whatever that it is I can handle it."
He dropped his hand and studied me long and hard. "Are you sure Annie? I don't know if you would like this." He sighed and placed his cap back on his head, the frown growing deep.
"Jay," I dropped my arms and took a step closer to him. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He focused those hazel-green orbs on me, studied me for a few, tense heartbeats before he said that last thing I would have ever wanted hear. "We have to go back to our reality…"
My breath had caught at those harsh words as the thought of leaving my home, my love, my friends, my very life, struck a terrible chord within me. "W-what do you mean we have to go back? What happened?"
Jay was about to reply but the doors to the inn opened at that moment and Ann's red head poked outside. Her blue eyes glanced at Jay and finally caught sight of me. A bright smile lit her face as she opened the door wider and stepped outside. "Hey Annie, you're just in time to help with the decorations! The cake is coming along great too. Dad is putting on the finishing touches…" She trailed off when she noticed the tense silence hanging in the air between us. She looked back and forth between my brother and me. "Is everything all right you two?"
I couldn't reply; I was still dumbfounded by what my brother had told me. Jay glanced at me before smiling at Ann. "Yeah Ann, it's all right at the moment." He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at me. "Annie, hurry up inside and help with the party. The last thing you need is to slack off on your boyfriend's birthday." He reached out to grab me by the shoulders and turned me around. I glanced up at him in surprise, still dumbstruck over everything as he gave me a push toward Ann. I stumbled toward the innkeeper's daughter and barely managed to stop from tripping over her. "Go, I'll tell you what's going on later tonight, after the party." He took a step back as he said goodbye to Ann and turned to walk away.
I watched the retreating form of my brother disappear up the road while my mind churned with prospect of having to leave this world. I could feel Ann's eyes on me but thankfully she didn't say a word. I took in a breath to fight back the depressing thoughts that were trying to suffocate me. Ok, so whatever it was that Jay had found out must have been bad but… it couldn't be that bad, could it? It didn't mean that it would change everything… I looked at Ann and gave a cheerful smile. "Well, let's finish up with the decorations. I want Trent to be caught completely by surprise."
As much I tried to sound excited about the party, I was doing a horribly at it. I was never a good actress but Ann didn't say anything about it, she simply smiled at me in a reassuring way and went to lead the way into the inn…
