Timing is Everything

Sebastian silenced the high-pitched scream of his alarm and rolled over onto his side. It was still dark, since the sun did not rise as early in Winter, and that fact did not make it any easier to muster the willpower to get up out of bed. He reached out to turn on the lamp and his dark eyes fixed on the picture of Violet he put on his nightstand. It was the one that Maru had accidentally taken with her drone the week the farmer arrived in Pelican Town - the photo Sebastian had seen before he even met Violet for the first time. It was the only picture he had of his girlfriend - he was not the kind to take photos all the time, let alone get a physical copy - but now that Sebastian lived in ZuZu City he regretted it.

Here he was, living in the city like he always wanted, and yet it felt lonely. Sebastian could never have predicted his goals would shift in such a short span of time. The programmer wondered how long he would wake up wondering whether this was all a dream.

Still, Sebastian decided to try his best not to focus on how his heart sank after Violet left Sunday night. This was for the best, even if it sucked in the short-term. This was only the third day of him living in the city, if he counted his move-in day on Sunday. Sebastian could not give up that quickly. So, reluctantly, the programmer picked up his phone as he rose out of bed. The man smiled to himself when he saw a text from Violet.

*Good morning, 'Bastian!* She even added a little heart emoji.

Sebastian chuckled under his breath. He could practically hear her voice in his head as he read the words on the screen. *Eh, it's morning,* he countered, not willing to describe any time prior to drinking his morning coffee in a positive light. *How'd you sleep?*

*Not great, but I can go back to bed whenever I want.* That part was true. Violet did not have to go to class, unlike him. *How about you?*

Sebastian pondered a moment. *I'm not used to the city sounds yet,* he confessed. It was not particularly loud in the neighborhood, but the programmer had fallen asleep to the natural sounds of the mountainside and a bedroom below ground for almost as long as he could remember. Despite Sebastian's vow to be strong, he added. *I miss you, Violet.*

*I miss you, too.* Sebastian watched the little dots appear on the screen to indicate his girlfriend was typing more. *Good luck with your classes today!*

Sebastian was disappointed Violet did not seem to want to continue texting, but she probably had other things going on even in the off-season. Shane was going to be helping her start a coop of her own and the farmer had plans to have a barn built over the course of Winter as well. Sebastian recognized that there would probably be a lot more duties to divide Violet's attention when he returned to Pelican Town. He sighed. I guess I better keep myself busy, too. At least then he would not dwell on what his friends were up to without him.

Violet laid in bed, her bloodshot eyes staring down at her phone. She fought the urge to call Sebastian and tell him what happened the night he moved to ZuZu City, but in the end the farmer could not bring herself to contact her boyfriend. Sebastian had enough on his plate with school and adjusting to city life. Violet knew if she revealed what occurred, Sebastian would come rushing back to be with her. She supported his choice to move and she had decided to stay in Pelican Town. Violet would have to live with the challenges of a long-distance relationship, even if one of those meant dealing with Kyle.

After burying the skull lantern in a safe place where it would not burn anyone else, the pastel-haired woman had hid in her farmhouse all day Monday. Kyle had run off screaming into the night after the flames had erupted from the skull lantern. So Violet waited, watching the snowflakes falling down from the grey clouds above, expecting someone to come for her. But, the day eventually gave way to night and still no one arrived to drag her away for questioning. Not even Kyle himself. In fact, none of the villagers came by to ask about what happened, either.

Did Kyle just up and leave? Violet wondered, trying to stifle her optimism from daring to hope her ex-boyfriend would be gone for good. Surely he would have sought medical attention at the clinic when it opened.

Maybe he was more scared than hurt, like last time when I threw that stupid paper star at him? She had no evidence that he was injured. Violet could not see much for the moments immediately after the fireball burst out of the lantern and by then her ex-boyfriend had already turned his body to flee.

As much as she hated Kyle, she did not wish to do him any bodily injury. The best-case scenario for Violet would be that the fire was just enough to make him think twice about returning to Fairy Rose Farm uninvited. But if Kyle had been injured, Violet knew Zach would give her grief if another lawsuit sprouted out of their conflicts. Last time was difficult because Violet and Kyle were in a relationship. Though in that situation, Violet knew she would have a better case. Not only were they no longer dating, but Kyle showed up on her private property unannounced and did not leave when warned.

Violet exhaled audibly. Maybe I should just go out and enjoy a walk in this weather? The snow was beautiful and all the trees and landscape were coated in a layer of white that sparkled in the sunlight whenever it stole through the curtain of clouds.

Besides, she reminded herself. Sebastian isn't the only person I've met in Pelican Town. Violet specifically told her boyfriend she did not want to move in with him to focus on making her own friendships outside of the romantic one she shared with Sebastian.

As she geared up for the freezing temperatures outside, a thought occurred to Violet. Maybe I should go visit Maru? That way, she could ask if a "John Doe" had been admitted to the clinic recently. It had been a long time since the farmer spoke to Maru socially one-on-one. Even if she had an ulterior motive, that did not mean that Violet could not also tend to her social circle.

Violet patted Bruno's head as she headed toward the door and pulled on her insulated, waterproof boots. The large dog stayed close on her heels, making sure his human was protected from last night's intruder. "I think we'll be okay, boy," the farmer assured her canine companion, leaning her body into his as she laced her footwear. "But just in case, be a good guard dog for me while I'm out."

Bruno barked softly, as if in reply, and Violet grinned at her pet. "I knew I could count on you."

Alex pulled on a sweater to wear under his signature letter jacket. While he did not normally get cold when he was active, his Granny always lectured him for not wearing more layers in the Winter and he wanted to avoid her nagging him about it.

It was not like he minded talking to his grandmother. In fact, Alex was not ashamed to say that he loved her. But the problem was that Granny Evelyn knew that Alex was a bit down after his talk with Maru on Spirit's Eve and the athlete was doing his best to throw himself into his training rather than mope about it. Maru had not exactly said she would never date him, just that he should not think about girls until after he achieved his dream. That was his original plan, even Alex could admit that to himself. It just made things harder when there was someone as cool as Maru around that he wanted to date.

The spiky-haired brunet shook his head to clear it. You told yourself not to think about it! Alex growled silently. He decided he may as well head to the spa early to do his workout in the weight room before taking a nice dip in the hot spring that the spa was built on. He grabbed his phone to tuck it into his pocket and noticed that he had a text message and it was from an unfamiliar number.

*Hey, Alex. It's Zach, the city guy who can still run circles around you.* Alex had forgotten they exchanged numbers. The jock exhaled sharply, smirking at the bold statement, but continued to read. *Did you get the envelope I sent? The tracking info claims it was delivered yesterday, but I can't trust the mail service in your tiny hick town.*

Alex never got mail, so he never bothered to check it even when he brought it inside for his grandparents. The jock stepped out of his room to find his grandmother, who was sitting with his grandfather at the kitchen table, enjoying their breakfast. "Won't you join us, Alex?" Granny Evelyn asked with a smile that made her squinty eyes even more difficult to see.

Shaking his head, Alex declined. "I've got a protein bar for now and I'll eat a big lunch after I'm done with my workout." He looked around the room trying to find yesterday's mail on the counter. "Did you get a letter addressed to me yesterday?"

George pointed his spoon toward the living room. "It's on the low bookshelf next to the lamp," Alex's grandfather grumbled, shoveling his oatmeal into his mouth. "I almost threw it out, thinking it was junk mail, but then I saw that lawyer kid's name on it."

Alex left the room and found the envelope right where George left it. He slipped his finger under the glued flap and tore it open to find a pair of tickets to a NuNu Nighthawks game this weekend in ZuZu City, along with a note:

Hey Slow Poke,

Do you think you can stop weight-lifting long enough to hit up a gridball game with me?

If you're busy, I'll offer them up to someone else. Let me know either way.

- Zach

Alex had never been called a "slow poke" a day in his life, but then again, from the data Maru showed him yesterday, Zach's times were still better than his when it came to running. Alex also realized that he had also never been to a game where he was not a player. It was cool of Zach to offer in the first place, even if the guy was talking a lot of smack, so he figured he could take the farmer's brother up on the offer.

Alex just had to make sure Granny did not need him for anything. She always came first. "Hey, Granny, do you need me for anything on Saturday?"

George interrupted. "Why do you ask? You got any plans?"

Alex did not want to flaunt that he was going out without his grandparents, since the furthest they usually traveled was to Flower Dance in the Spring. He did not want to lie, though. "Uh, Zach invited me to the gridball game in ZuZu this weekend."

Evelyn looked delighted. "Go have fun!" She got up to collect the dirty dishes on the table, but Alex stepped in to help her.

"We're perfectly capable of doing our own dishes, son," George growled, shooing him out of the kitchen. "Now run along so you'll be back in time for lunch. You always take forever at the gym and I don't want to eat a late lunch."

Alex had a feeling his grandpa did not actually want to do the dishes, but he would not allow his grandson to do something for him if he could help it. "Alright, you win, Gramps," the jock gave in with a laugh. "I'll be back in a few hours."

He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and sent a reply, excited to see the pros play in-person. *Yeah, just now. Thanks for the invite!* Alex figured they should probably work out when and where to meet up. *Are you coming into town or staying in the city?*

Alex wished he had considered hanging out with other guys more often to distract himself earlier. He should start hanging out with Shane more often, too.

Gus leaned heavily onto the bar, shaking his head in disbelief. "You know, I watched the game last night and hoped that you had already proposed by the time Shane got smacked with that ball."

Emily pouted. "If I knew the teams gave out free prizes like that, I would have found an excuse to keep Shane away from the railing," she disclosed forlornly. Her chocolate eyes flickered toward Gus. "He has a black eye now, you know."

The chef let out a guffaw from under his mustache. "Yeah, I could see the shiner forming even on the TV."

Emily frowned, then sighed. "At least he wasn't hurt too badly," the woman stated optimistically. "But Shane was so happy about that gridball, despite how he…" Emily hesitated before deciding her next word with a grimace. "... Caught it."

Gus cackled, despite his heavy loss to Pierre in their betting pool. The cosmos was not quite aligned in his employee's favor the way Emily claimed yesterday. "Well, you still have two days of good fortune, right?"

Emily nodded, the hope in her expression returning. "You're right, Gus. I just need to try again."

A knock came at the front door of the saloon and Gus glanced at Emily, puzzled. "Are you expecting anyone?"

The woman in the red dress shook her head, so Gus presumed that whoever was at the door was here to speak to him. He shooed Emily to the kitchens in case it was something of a private matter. Pam had been having a rough time with Penny being out of the house lately and if it was her wanting in, Gus figured it would be best if no one else were present.

But when the saloon owner opened the door, he found Shane standing there. "Gus!" the mayor exclaimed, hurrying inside without waiting for the chef to invite him inside. The mustachioed man yielded regardless since the younger man's voice sounded so urgent.

Gus turned to face his guest. "What is it?"

Shane scanned the room to make sure they were alone, unaware that Emily was in the kitchens just beyond. "I know she had off yesterday for the game," the man acknowledged, "but could Emily have off again tonight?"

Gus fiddled with the end of his facial hair anxiously. He suspected he knew where this was going. "I suppose you have something big planned," the saloon owner uttered confidently.

"I want to propose to Emily tonight," the mayor informed Gus with a nervous grin. "I'm going to make something nice -" Shane cut himself off. "Well, I'm going to help Aunt Marnie make a nice dinner since I'm still shit at this cooking thing," the man confessed. "And I'm working on writing down what I want to say to Emily afterward."

Gus suppressed a smug smirk. He bet Pierre that Shane and Emily would be engaged within the next three days as of yesterday to match the auspicious horoscope mojo his employee believed in so much. While the highest payout would have been for the first day, ensuring that the couple had the opportunity within the date range was in his best interest. Shane and Emily's too, obviously. Gus wanted nothing but happiness for the couple. "Who knew you were such a romantic, Shane?" the mustached man chuckled. The chef's meaty hand slapped Shane's shoulder encouragingly. "You have my blessing!"

Shane was caught off-guard by Gus' enthusiastic gesture, but thanked him all the same and took his leave. When the barkeep returned to the bar, he spied Emily in the kitchen doorway, her fingertips resting on her lips. Her eyes were fixed on the window, where she likely saw Shane outside through the panes of fogged-up glass.

Gus nudged her with a gentle verbal cue. "Sounds like you both want to pop the question, eh, Emily?"

Emily's eyes shifted toward him. "Shane wants to propose, too?" she gasped. Gus knew she had heard the words, but perhaps she assumed she imagined the whole thing until her employer confirmed. The blue-haired woman appeared both surprised and moved by the knowledge, though Gus could not understand why she would be the former. Emily sure was not the kind of gal who cared for traditions like the gentleman asking the lady. And if she was ready to propose, why would it be so shocking to know her beau might want to do the same?

The chef's upper lip twitched with restraint. "So are you going to steal his thunder or let Shane take the reins tonight?" Gus asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Emily's expression was distant, as if her mind were thousands of miles away. Her brows creased her forehead, emphasizing her indecision. "I don't know yet."

Maru offered Evelyn a small step ladder to assist the elderly woman up onto the exam table. Evelyn usually accompanied George to his seasonal medical exams, but this time the grandmother was here for her own appointment. She beamed brightly at Maru, who returned the social gesture as she lifted the stethoscope to the old woman's frame and listened intently.

"Have you had any concerns about your health or any unusual symptoms since I saw you last season?" the nurse inquired, moving the medical instrument to Evelyn's back to assess her lungs.

Evelyn shook her head and smiled, stretching the wrinkles on her face toward the corners of her eyes. "Not at all, dear. I'm fit as a fiddle!" Maru could not help but agree, judging from the elderly woman's vitals. Granny Evelyn was a paragon of well-being for a woman her age.

"Well, I'm going to do the normal tests for continuity's sake," Maru apprised her patient. "But as usual, you seem to be taking excellent care of yourself." She loosened the stethoscope and dropped the stethoscope to rest around her neck. "How are things going at home?"

Maru was due to eat with the Mullners again this evening, as she had done every Tuesday since she became Alex's personal trainer. Although the scientist did not always attend the training sessions themselves - a competitive part of Shane had been rekindled and the mayor was determined to best Alex at something and the duo kept records of the practice as Maru instructed - she always came over for dinner.

Evelyn paused pensively, then responded to Maru's query. "Alex took the rejection a bit hard, I think," the old woman shared, lowering her head. "But he'll come around, dear. You're always welcome in our house regardless."

The nurse's face pinched inward, confused by Evelyn's assurances. "Rejection?" What does that mean?

Granny's eyes softened. "No lady is obligated to a man just because he takes an interest," Evelyn acknowledged emphatically. "And that goes for gentlemen as well," the elderly woman added, patting Maru's shoulder in a motherly manner as the nurse slid the needle into her arm to collect a sample for bloodwork.

"You're a fine young lady with your whole life ahead of you and no one can tell you how to live but you." Evelyn carefully slid down from the exam table once Maru bandaged up the tiny puncture wound the needle had produced. "I just hope you two remain close, dear. Alex needs someone to believe in his dream just as much as we do."

Maru was still puzzled by Evelyn's words. Alex articulated his agreement with her the night of the Spirit's Eve Festival that he should not date until he made it pro, but from what his grandmother just told her, the jock had been rejected by this potential partner. Maru was not sure if she should be relieved or upset for her friend.

The bespectacled nurse assured her patient. "Alex is a wonderful friend," she responded, placing the blood samples in a safe place to run the usual tests. "I won't abandon him because things didn't work out."

The elderly woman grinned and pulled Maru into an unexpected embrace. "Oh, thank you, dear. That means so much to this old lady."

Maru reciprocated the gesture and gave Evelyn a firm squeeze. "I'll see you tonight for dinner, right?" she asked to confirm their usual meal together.

"Oh yes!" Evelyn verified enthusiastically. "It's always nice to have another young person at the table."

Violet hesitated in front of the clinic door, taking a deep, calming breath to brace herself before stepping inside. The farmer was hopeful when she saw Maru at the front desk since she likely would not be standing idle up front if there was a patient in critical condition in the back hospital room.

"Hey, Maru!" the pastel-haired woman greeted the younger woman. "How are you today?"

"Oh, hello, Violet." Violet could not help but feel a little guilty when the researcher looked so surprised to see her. "I'm doing well today, I suppose. How about you?" Maru requested.

But Violet was determined to be a better friend this season and she was not about to let a verbal cue go without a follow-up. "You suppose?" she echoed Maru's words as she leaned onto the service counter. "Did something happen?"

Maru's mouth twisted as she considered the question. "I think something did, but I'm not exactly sure what." When Violet tilted her head to prompt the nurse to elaborate, Maru shrugged. "Evelyn said that Alex was rejected by someone recently and was taking it kind of hard," she explained. "But last time we talked, I suggested that he not ask anyone out until after he went pro to spare Haley's feelings." She tapped the eraser end of her pencil to her chin. "I must be missing something…"

Violet was at a loss on the situation. She did not really speak to Alex or Haley much. "Maybe he changed his mind about dating Haley and when he asked her out, she turned him down?"

The researcher's eyes flickered toward the farmer from behind the ruby red frames of her glasses. "I suppose if my main objection was to spare Haley's feelings, which would make my warning a moot point if it was she Alex wanted to ask out." Violet detected that the contemplative expression did not leave Maru's face, however.

"I'm sure he'll tell you what happened if you ask him," the farmer declared to the scientist with a friendly smile. "You two have gotten pretty close lately, right?"

Maru nodded in confirmation. "You're right," she agreed, setting down her pencil and relaxing her body language. "Alex is a straight-forward person. He'll tell me if there's anything bothering him." The researcher then glanced back at Violet. "So what brings you to the clinic today?"

The woman was not sure how to approach the subject subtly. "Uh… you haven't happened to admit any out-of-towners lately, have you?"

"Are you looking for someone?" Maru stared at her with large, inquisitive eyes and Violet spilled the beans instantly.

"Well, I mainly want to make sure he left town," Violet divulged guiltily. "But my ex showed up the other night and he…" How should she describe her gift from the zombie hands without knowing how it worked, exactly? "... bumped into the Halloween lantern I had on the porch." The woman fidgeted anxiously. "I figured he might come here if he got burned."

"No one has shown up lately but Shane and Evelyn," the nurse informed her visitor. She paused for a moment, "Is this the same ex you mentioned at Sam's party?"

Violet sighed heavily. "Yeah, Kyle showed up unannounced when I came home from Sebastian's place the other night." The farmer's eyes pleaded with her boyfriend's sister. "But please don't tell your brother, I don't want Sebastian to worry over something so stupid after he just moved out of town."

Maru's lips curved up toward the sides of her face. "My brother would probably insist on coming back," the younger sibling conceded with a good-natured snicker. "He's surprisingly protective of the people he cares about for someone so grumpy."

The farmer smirked. "I guess he was a good big brother that way, huh?" Violet enjoyed hearing stories about Sebastian and Maru's childhoods.

"You already heard about the time I broke both bones in my forearm when I jumped off a ledge that was higher than I anticipated," Maru reminded Violet. "Sebastian was at the bottom and tried to break my fall," the brunette elaborated, "but I ended up bracing myself against a rock with a sharp edge, so the physics weren't in my favor."

Maru's countenance softened as another memory came to mind. "Then there was the time that one of my dad's frog specimens must not have been exposed to the chloroform long enough, so when I took it out of the jar it started to hop around." She let out a hearty giggle, "I was so scared of it, but Sebastian caught it for me and set it free outside."

Violet chuckled along with the nurse, but realized that the mirth quickly faded from her companion's eyes. Maru frowned. "I wonder if that's when their relationship really started to go sour…?" the researcher mused aloud. "My dad was mad that he lost a specimen. But my brother loves frogs so much that when he found out what would have happened to it if he hadn't let it go, he started to cry."

"It's been that long?" Violet inquired sadly. She knew from Sebastian's point of view that his relationship with his step-father had not been a great one, but it saddened her to know that things had not gone well for almost as long as Maru could remember.

Maru bit her lower lip contemplatively. "They just…" she exhaled deeply, leaning on the white counter. "They never seemed to be able to understand one another and eventually they gave up." Her voice went quiet. "I wish it hadn't been that way."

Violet could sense the heavy atmosphere in the room. "It sounds like they just avoided each other after a while because it was easier." Violet grimaced apologetically. "I'm not saying it's right, but I think I kind of get it. It gets exhausting."

"It sounds like you know from experience."

The farmer shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess moving here allowed me to avoid some of my old problems," Violet recognized. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, "But a few followed me here anyway."

"Normally I don't mind - especially because of the unfavorable statistics regarding racial discrimination and -" The researcher caught herself going off-topic and redirected her focus. Clearing her throat, Maru finished the opinion she originally meant to verbalize. "Sometimes I wish we had a sheriff's office or a community health professional to respond to those sorts of situations."

"I don't want to bother anyone with this if Kyle's already gone," Violet countered wearily. She rubbed her eyes, trying to fight off the drowsiness from lack of rest. "But if he keeps popping up whenever he damn well pleases, I might bring it up to Mayor Shane."

Maru nodded sympathetically. "We're all here for you, regardless."

Violet flashed a wide grin and jokingly suggested an idea. "Do you think we could all run him out of town with torches and pitchforks? Being a part of a mob of angry villagers sounds like fun!"

The two women chortled at the image. "My mom has plenty of tools in stock, I'm sure we could make that happen," Maru assured the newest member of their community through her laughter.

It was then the two heard loud beeping, but the duo could tell that it was coming from outside, rather than from a medical instrument in the building. The ground began to rumble slightly beneath their feet. Maru rushed toward the back room that served as the town hospital and looked out the window over the nearest bed.

"I think it's a bulldozer!"

Dinner had gone perfectly. The food tasted the way it should, they both ate to their stomach's content, and they lost themselves in conversation about anything that came to mind. Everything came so naturally to them that Shane finally felt the moment had come to begin his speech and propose to Emily.

Her beautiful face regarded him from across the table and when Emily smiled at him, Shane felt his pulse quicken. You can do this… he coached himself silently. Just start talking!

Shane made sure the ring box was where it should be before he began his speech. "Emily…"

"Yes, Shane?" The man noticed how his girlfriend's eyes glimmered with anticipation in the dim candlelight. Marnie made the right call when she insisted that it would be romantic.

Shane reached for Emily's hand and held it gently with his own. "We've known each other a long time, and I never thought I would be so lucky to have someone like you in my life." He averted his gaze for a moment to compose himself. Emily's intense stare was too distracting - Shane was forgetting all the words he wanted to say.

"I love you, Emily and I -"

His good fortune ran out at the critical moment the chicken farmer had wanted it most. Shane heard shouting in the distance and both he and Emily turned their heads when they heard someone pounding on the door. "Shane, come quick!" It was Abigail.

Shane cursed under his breath at the missed opportunity to propose, rushed to the door, and flung it open. The purple-haired woman, wide-eyed and breathless, shared the news. "They're trying to tear down the Community Center!"