Chapter Thirty-Eight

My new bed arrived the next morning as soon as I had finished tending to my chicken coop. I helped Zack assemble it and then he helped me shift my entertainment center and table to the left to make the house less clustered. After I had gotten my new burgundy sheets fitted, I sighed contently. The bed felt like a cloud. I knew I had made the right choice.

There was a knock at my door, drawing me from my envisioning of all the nights sleeps I had ahead of me. When I opened the door, Ann was standing there with the bar phone and cords tangled up in her arms. She marched right in and went to my bedside table, stretching the cords out and plugging them in accordingly.

"What're you doing?" I asked, closing the door after observing her for a few moments.

"Kai has been callin' all morning waiting for you to come to the Inn," Ann said, sticking her head under the table to find the plug, "My dad said you could just borrow the phone for now." She stood up and blinked, "Hey, did you get a new bed?"

"Yeah, finally!" I said, coming to the side of it, "Just delivered. Sorry he's been calling incessantly."

"Oh, it's-"

The high pitched ring of the phone cut Ann off, who made a face at the noise.

"That's probably him. I'll let you get that," Ann waved and let herself out.

I sat on the edge of my bed and picked the phone up, "Hello?"

"Is she there now?" Came Kai's voice from the other end.

"Who?" I asked with a big smile on my face.

"Come on, Ann!"

"No, really, who are you looking for?" It took everything in me to surpress my chuckles.

"Claire, is that you?" That's when the laughter escaped, "I thought Ann sounded different... Finally, you come for breakfast! Why're you eating this late?"

"Well, I'll have you know, you called so much this morning, Doug moved the phone to my house."

"Really? Nice," It was Kai's turn to laugh, "Well, what have you been doing all morning?"

"I had a delivery to the farm," I told him, laying out across the large mattress.

"Oh, something new?"

"Mhm."

"What is it? A new heater?"

"Nope."

"What'd you buy?" Kai asked.

"You'll have to see when you come back," I replied, sinking into the heaven of my new bed, "I think you'll like it. It's a great addition to the farm."

"Alright, well it better be good since I have to wait two weeks to see it!" Kai sounded pouty.

"Oh, don't be upset. You'll be happy I waited to tell you. It'll make it all the more enjoyable."

"I swear, if it's a pitch fork or a milk pail, I'm going to kill you," Kai said, mockingly serious.

"You'll see!" I laughed. I clutched a pillow to my chest, "Now is there a reason you've been calling all morning for me?"

"No, not really," Kai said sheepishly, "Just really wanted to hear my girl's voice."

I sat up now, still cradling the pillow to my chest. It felt just as good to hear his voice. My body felt warm and I yearned for him deeply in that moment. I wanted his arms around me. I glanced towards my bed. It would feel so foreignly large, I realized.

"I miss you," I said, "I miss you so much, Kai."

"You have no idea how much I miss you," Kai sighed, "Every day, I think about you. When I'm cooking in the kitchen, you're the only thing running through my mind. I'm just powering through the hours to come back to you, Claire. I don't know where I'll go once I live there, but knowing you're nearby is all I need."

"You don't know where you'll go?" I echoed slowly, "Kai, come live on the farm with me." There was a moment of silence and my voice got ahead of me, "We can run the restaraunt together... and, and run the farm together. It'll be a true farm-to-table restaraunt like you wanted. We'll expand the house and make room for us. I can see both of us here.

There was more silence before finally Kai's voice could be heard, "Do you really think I have what it takes to be a farmer with you? You won't regret having me there?"

"I couldn't imagine anybody else," I told him, gripping the phone tightly, "Please, live here on the farm with me."

"If you mean it, I'll do it in a heartbeat," Kai replied, "I wouldn't even hesitate accepting an offer like that. You and I make a great team. I know we'll make a happy family and a happy farm." Suddenly, tears had sprung to my eyes and I sniffled, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I said, my voice cracking. I laughed lightly, wiping the tears away, "I'm just so glad I have you. And I'm so happy you'll live here with me..."

"Two weeks and our lives start for real, okay?" Kai said. I could hear his grin.

"Deal."

"Hey, uh, Gray just walked in for lunch. I gotta let you go. I can call here anytime?"

"If I'm here, I'll answer," I told him.

"Alright, babe. Well, have a good rest of your day."

"You, too. Be safe."

After we'd hung up, I laid on the bed and cried into another pillow. It was angry crying or sad crying. They were actual tears of joy. I held the pillow close and felt a smile pressed into my lips, despite the blurry vision and wet face. I was worried after I settled down in Mineral Town that the excitement for the future would die away. Yet, as the months have gone on, the excitement for the future had only grown and I relished in the feeling. I sighed contently in my pillow and resigned to taking a happy nap.

...

Knocking on my door drew me from my lazy nap an hour and a half later. I rubbed my eyes and stretched, taking my time getting to the door. When I opened it, Rick was standing there with Popuri, both bundled up to avoid the sharp breeze running over the hill. They hustled in quickly. I closed the door and cranked the heater up.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, letting out a wide yawn.

"Remember, we were going to watch that new funny romance movie that just came to DVD?" Rick said in such a tense voice. His eyes were intensely focusing on mine. He snuck a glance at Popuri who was busy unwinding her scarf and unbuttoning her cotton candy pink peacoat that was quite complimenting to her features.

"Oh, yeah," I stumbled for my words, "Let me just, uh, look under my TV." I went to the cabinet and said a silent prayer as I opened the creaky doors. There were maybe a handful of movies. I pulled out the one that I considered to be rom-com, "Here we go. It's called, uh, 27 Dresses."

"Is that a wedding movie?" Popuri asked, hanging her winter gear up.

"Yeah, it has some weddings in it," I shrugged.

"Rick, is there a reason we're really here?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I thought watching a movie would help you relax," Rick said, "I wasn't sure what it was about, I just know you like comedy romances."

"I don't believe you. I can take one look at you and see you trying to fool me," Popuri said very sternly, "What's going on?" Just then there was a knock on my door again, "Is... is that Karen?" Rick didn't reply, he meerly rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly, "Claire, did you know about this?"

I looked to Rick in that moment and sighed, "No, I had no idea. And this movie came out, like, four years ago. It isn't even new."

"Rick!" Popuri looked to him in shock that she actually caught him in a lie, "You're staging a confrontation at someone else's house without them knowing?! Are you absolutely crazy?!" She pressed her hands to her forehead both in embarassment and stress. The knock at the door continued but no one made a move to answer it, "Is this about the bridesmaid thing? 'Cause I already told you, I don't want to do it. I just want to witness it. I don't want to stand up there with her."

"You and Karen have always gotten along!" Rick finally exploded. I had never heard so much emotion in his voice, "Why is it now, when we're getting married, you decide you don't like her anymore?!"

"I don't hate her!" Popuri shook her head, "I just don't want to be part of her wedding planning."

"Why?"

"She is a total diva, Rick! She is focusing on all the wrong things when it comes to the wedding. She is so damn bent up over what my hair looks like! I don't want it in a compressed french bun. It hurts when it's up like that. She's gonna have to get over the amount of volume I have," Poprui explained, "The bridesmaid dresses she envisioned make us look like drapes and her look like a crisp queen. She wants me to practice candid smiling so the wedding photographer catches a decent picture of me. It's so ridiculous." The knocking came louder this time, "Let her in, it's cold out there!" Popuri demanded, pointing to the door.

Immediately, Rick kicked into gear and let Karen into my house. Rick tried to hug her in greeting, but she rebuffed him and began flicking the snow from her hair, "There's a freaking blizzard happening outside and you kept me waiting for nearly three minutes!"

"I'm sorry, hon," Rick said, quite flustered. He collected her jacket and scarf, hanging them up with his and Popuri's, "Let's sit down and have an open conversation." We gathered at the table. I did so quite hesitantly. This didn't really concern me much I didn't think. I was considering myself out of the wedding party as a whole, so I felt uninvovled. My eyes darted between everyone's faces, trying to read the current state of their mind.

"Popuri, why don't you start?" Rick asked, gesturing towards her.

"What? No, I have nothing to say..." Popuri lowered her light eyes.

"Why don't you tell Karen what you just told me?"

Popuri looked at Rick, then slowly to Karen. Karen was sitting there patiently, her hands folded together as if this was business as usual. Popuri chewed on her lip and heaved a sigh that sagged her body. Forcefully, she said, "Karen, I don't want to wear my hair in a french bun," Her hands had come folded together as well, but she was wringing them wretchedly, as if the words pained her from the very inside.

"What would you rather have? It just can't be a braid," Karen said, sitting back in her chair.

"Can I just wear it like this with a matching headband?" Popuri's hair was let free and fell just below her shoulders, but poofed out with loose bouncy curls.

"It's just... too much hair," Karen sighed. Popuri chewed on her lip again and looked at the table.

"That's just the way I am, though..." Popuri replied, barely above a whisper, "I just have... big hair."

"Aw, Pop, no one's saying it's something you should be ashamed of," Rick jumped in, placing his hand on her's, "Maybe it would just be easier for you if we just clipped some of it together... consolidated it?"

"I knew this was going to happen," Popuri sat up straight and pulled her hands out from her brother's reach, "This confrontation is a gang-up. You're acting like her lawyer, Rick," Tears pricked the corner of her eyes.

"You know what, I don't want us to have any groomsmen or bridesmaids," Karen suddenly declared, "The wedding should be much simpler than that, shouldn't it?" Karen looked between me and Popuri, "No offense, but I think I can stand on my own up there. We can take pictures together after Rick and I have done our serious shots. You can wear and style yourself however you please."

Popuri's eyes were still misty, but on the bright side, she had stopped crying. Her voiced was still pinched as she spoke, "I think that sounds like a great idea, Karen."

"Oh thank the goddess," Rick sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Both Popuri and Karen shot him a look.

"No thanks to you," Popuri said.

"Yeah, what're you so relieved about?" Karen gave him the side-eye.

"I just want everyone I love to be there, that's all," Rick replied, adjusting his glasses, "Also, thanks to me for arranging this at Claire's house."

"You didn't even ask her," Popuri deadpanned.

"Wait, we aren't going to watch 27 Dresses?" Karen asked, pointing to the discarded movie case on the table, "I heard that movie was pretty funny. They might have some great last minute design ideas that I can steal."

"Yeah, let's watch it!" Popuri said. She raced off to close the curtains. It got dark here in here fast. I tossed everyone a pillow for their chair and pushed the DVD into the player. Karen moved her seat up by Rick's and laced her fingers through his, resting her head against his shoulder. Popuri and I sat beside each other. She was grinning as the opening scene reflected in her bright eyes.