Claire was watering her tomato plants when she stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat off of her brow with her canvas work gloves. She was about to dump the remaining liquid in her watering can over her head when a sharp, feminine voice startled her.
"Don't you dare!" Popuri jogged over to the fence and leaned over it to hiss at Claire, nearly tripping over her long skirts in her hurry.
The farmer dropped her watering can in surprise, the contents spilling over her boots and the thirsty ground. "Wh-what did I do?" she asked in surprise.
"You're not going to pour water on your head and then head straight into town, are you?" Popuri shook her bouncy pink curls at the very thought. "Really, you're as bad as a man!" She beckoned the confused Claire over to her and gave her a giggle. "Get over here, you silly!"
She walked over to the fence and looked at her neighbor curiously. "Why would I be going into town today?"
"Are you serious?" A pair of wide garnet eyes stared at Claire with a combination of exasperation and surprise. "It's the Cow Festival today! It's bad enough that you already missed the Chicken Festival this summer!"
Claire felt her stomach drop as her blood ran cold. She had forgotten completely about the event because she didn't have any hens of her own to compete, not to mention she felt like she was just getting back to work after recovering from heat exhaustion. "Well… I don't have a cow…" She looked back at her dry fields and bit back a sigh. She had more than enough chores to fill the day as it was; she hadn't intended on leaving her farm at all today because she needed to catch up on her work. The tomatoes were impossible to keep up with. At this rate, she was going to have an obscene amount of overripe fruit to offer to Won because it had been left on the vine for too long.
She was met with a snort in reply. "Does it look like we have a cow?" Popuri smirked, placing her hands on her hips. Her voice softened as she gave her a consoling look. "Well, it… would look nice if you came."
Claire couldn't help but wonder if Popuri had been parroting something her mother had said to her. However, she never really gave much thought to the idea that Mystic Acres' presence in the community actually meant something to people. She felt a rush of pride and guilt at this notion. "You mean… people care if I show up?" she accidentally whispered aloud in surprise.
"Well, of course! We're a farming community, after all." Popuri gave her a laugh as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "Go freshen up and meet me at the entrance of my place in ten minutes. We'll all go together!"
0o0o0o0
Claire ran a brush through her hair and washed the sweat off of her face. She hadn't considered how she was supposed to represent her farm at these kinds of events. She wondered if she should have asked Popuri for suggestions on what to wear, but she quickly shook her head. Chances were that Popuri was going to wear what she had on, and her long skirt wasn't the most practical clothing for farming.
She could remember a time not too long ago where she wouldn't have to worry about what to wear at all; she only had one set of worn-out clothes. Obviously this was no longer the case, as she had a few different selections, varying from overalls and jeans to shorts and cutesy tops, along with a cotton dress.
How did she want to present herself as the owner of Mystic Acres? Her eyes immediately moved to the dress. When she lived in the city, she had grown accustomed to business wear, including skirts, dresses, and blazers. Looking at her options now, she realized such clothing would look a little silly to represent a farm. Her eyes moved to the dress on her bed. While it was pretty and she was looking for an opportunity to finally wear it, the garment didn't feel like the right thing to wear to such an event.
Perhaps the unofficial uniform for the work she did would be the best way to represent her farm. She eagerly grabbed a new set of overalls, grinning at the notion that she was going to a work-related event in such clothing. If she would have told herself a year ago that she would be doing this, she would have laughed in disbelief. She buttoned up her fresh denim and carefully rolled up the cuffs of her flannel sleeves, a rush of pride swelling up in her for the first time in seeing her reflection wearing these clothes. Freshly brushed hair, no makeup, and clean overalls – she was a farmer.
0o0o0o0
"We do get quite a few competitors from out of town," Rick explained as he led the way, "but it's nothing as elaborate as the Chicken Festival."
Popuri let out a snort. "Well, maybe the Chicken Festival seems like a bigger deal to us because chickens are our thing."
Claire looked over at the young man and his eyebrows rose in surprise as his cheeks slightly turned pink. He muttered an inaudible reply as he fidgeted with his sleeves. He bit his lip as they walked in silence for a few moments, trying to collect his thoughts. "Well, we don't have much other choice. You'll see when the Harvest Festival comes around for you, Claire. People will be excited to have a hometown farmer this year for sure, and they'll all be expecting the very best of you."
Claire's stomach did a somersault. A whole town depending on her for the outcome of a festival? And a town that had the Harvest Goddess as their deity, no less? If she screwed up during the Harvest Festival, people would be sure to remember. Maybe the villagers would ask for Pete to step in the next year – she couldn't think of a bigger sign of failure… "I-I hadn't really thought of that," she murmured, struggling to control her breathing.
Rick shot her an apologetic look; he hadn't meant to frighten her. "Don't be nervous. Just think of it as a way to show everyone what you can do."
"Yeah," Popuri chimed in. "You'll do great! I've seen all of those tomatoes you've got growing over there!"
"And all that corn," Rick muttered, thoughtfully stroking his chin with a smirk as his glasses gleamed in the sunlight. Claire almost laughed aloud – he resembled a scheming anime character. Upon closer inspection, she realized with shock that her initial guess didn't look too far off, as he was murmuring under his breath and counting on his fingers. She had recalled him seeming particularly interested in her corn earlier this season.
"But think of all the ketchup you could make with those tomatoes," Popuri giggled. "You might be set for, like, a whole month, Rick!"
"Har, har, very funny," her brother rolled his eyes.
They entered Rose Plaza and Claire realized that the festival wasn't as populated with Mineral Town villagers as she was expecting; most of the people were strangers. The scent of alfalfa and cow manure greeted her as they walked across the cobblestones. A surprisingly large number of unfamiliar people populated the square, and Claire wondered if they were all farmers as well. She spotted Mary and her parents on one end of the plaza with Carter. Elli was making her way over to her friend, both May and Stu in tow. Mayor Thomas and Barley were conversing on the other end while Gray was following the old rancher, pulling along a harnessed cow with each arm.
Claire stumbled over her own boots as she quickly moved her eyes to the ground. Why did he have to be everywhere? It was as if she couldn't get a break from him to try to heal. It was bad enough that she couldn't even go into town without having to walk near his place of employment. She bit back a whimper as she trailed behind the two siblings, not really registering a word either of them was saying.
"Well, it's true," Popuri giggled. "You drown your eggs in ketchup like you're still a little kid or something."
"Don't talk to me like you've got excellent taste, Miss I-Slather-Everything-in-Cheese!"
He must have been here to help Barley with the cows, but why couldn't he have just asked Rick for help instead? Why did Gray have to always be looming near her? It was as if she couldn't escape. It hadn't been too long ago that she would have died with happiness for seeing him this often… What if he tried to apologize to her again today? Her heart began to pound with dread. She wasn't ready…
"Are you trying to tell me that you don't like cheese? Because I know that's a lie. Claire, this guy once ate half a block of cheddar all by himself!"
She gave Popuri a distracted nod at the sound of her name, her eyes narrowing as she watched Gray laugh with Barley and Thomas. Well, at least he is having a good time. She shook her head. No, why did he get to be having fun while she had to be miserable? Part of her wondered if he enjoyed it… Maybe he liked showing her that he was much happier now that she couldn't have him. Claire felt a small rush of anger flow through her as her cheeks heated up.
"I never said cheese isn't good," Rick laughed. "But you take it to new extremes. You like cheese on your cheese."
Claire bit her lip. She wished Popuri and Rick would shut up already. Their pointless banter was like a twittering bird in her ear trying to distract her from the focus of her concentration. She let out a sharp exhale through her nostrils in frustration as she stared at Gray from across the square.
"Claire?" Popuri's voice snapped her back to her senses.
"What?" She didn't mean for her voice to come out as strained as it did. The siblings exchanged slightly uncomfortable looks and she immediately wished that she could disappear. Her throat tightened. Why did she have to be outside this morning when Popuri just happened to be there to remind her that the Cow Festival was today? She shouldn't even be here; she ought to be at her farm, alone…
Popuri let out a nervous giggle. "I was asking if you liked cheese," she repeated the question timidly, almost sounding apologetic.
Claire was immediately reminded of her outburst the day before and quickly moved her gaze to the cobblestones. She imagined her anger as a dark cloud and she choked and swallowed it down, holding her throat closed for a moment to keep it from rising back up. She blinked a few times and willed her expressions to relax. No more temper tantrums, she scolded herself. Her heart gave a pitiful cry in protest, but she swallowed the lump in her throat. Now that she was doing this, she offhandedly realized she had seen Cliff skillfully do this on several occasions when they had first met, only he had been choking down pain instead. A wave of concern welled up for him, but she ignored it. Now wasn't the time to think about this. She wondered how long it had taken her to wrangle her own emotions and she panicked, realizing Rick and Popuri were probably wondering what was taking her so long to answer a simple question.
Cheese, cheese… Popuri had asked her something about cheese.
"The sharper, the better, right?" Claire gave a cheerful laugh that came out surprisingly naturally. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned at this fact.
The young woman's eyebrows relaxed. "Spoken like a true lover of cheese."
Claire noticed that Barley was walking around the square with Mayor Thomas, each of them carrying a clipboard. It was a welcome distraction. They must be going around judging the cows, she realized. Seeing all of the people milling around made her nervous, but excited. "Hey, do you want to go around and look at the cows?" She turned around and the two siblings were bickering over which cheese was better, Swiss or Gouda. Claire shrugged and decided to do a bit of exploring herself. It would be good for her to meet some of the farmers, she realized with an excited jolt. The notion scared her a bit, but she imagined Karen pushing her out into the square. She would be brave and go out there.
It wasn't long until she came across a beautiful cow with long eyelashes looking at her with large eyes. The farmer made her way closer and smiled when she was greeted with a friendly moo.
"Hello, Miss Pretty," Claire giggled as she patted the Holstein's marbled nose. She was given an affectionate nuzzle in return. "Aw, aren't you a sweetheart?"
She jumped when she heard a man clear his throat. He had been so still and silent that she hadn't noticed him. "You know," he tilted back his black Stetson and gave her piercing violet gaze, "You should really ask an owner's permission before you go pettin' their animals." His deep voice was smooth and silky, but there was a tone of annoyance that didn't go unnoticed.
"I'm so-sorry!" Claire apologized earnestly, bowing profusely. "Please forgive me, Mister…?"
"Just call me Vaughn," there was a hint of exasperation in his eyes as he tipped his hat at her, revealing a silver head of hair. He didn't bother asking her for her name. "No harm done. Other ranchers might not be as friendly, though." He cocked his head in the direction of a person clad in a colorful poncho who was arguing with a young woman sporting brown pigtails. "I'd avoid 'em if I were you."
"Huh…" She felt like she needed to say something else to make a good impression, but she knew this was impossible, regardless. "Th-There are people from all around, eh?" she laughed nervously.
He gave a small grunt in response – she wasn't sure if it was in agreement or not – and tipped his cap once more. Claire took this as her cue to leave him alone.
"G-Good luck!" She turned toward the cow and went touch her but she froze, remembering his comment from earlier. She looked at the rancher hesitantly.
"Go ahead."
Claire patted the cow on the head, avoiding the man's gaze. "Good girl," she murmured. She scurried away, well aware of his rolling eyes behind her. Her very presence seemed to be irritating to him, and she felt a wave of indignation for his attitude. Why would someone come to a group competition and be so unfriendly to everyone there? What was the point of showing up at all? Why didn't Vaughn crawl back under the rock he came from? She clenched her jaw; the fact that she had been nothing but nice to him and received rudeness in exchange left her feeling agitated.
Claire recalled her frustration when she was focusing on Gray while Rick and Popuri were having a cheerful conversation. She had wanted nothing more than silence, and their company was an annoyance to her. Her teeth stopped grinding and she felt a wave of shame wash over her. She turned around and gave one last look at Vaughn. He was seated on a bale of straw, his arms folded and his hat tipped over his eyes. She didn't have to see his face to know that he didn't have an inviting expression. Claire resolved right then and there that she would not behave like him. Moreover, she would not expect kindness from others and not give it in return.
There were so many people in the square and she felt a jitter of excitement. Introducing herself to someone else felt a little intimidating, but she was determined to do so. Unsure of her destination, she picked up her walking pace, drinking in the atmosphere of the festival. Barley and Thomas were making their rounds with the clipboards. She saw a woman with very short auburn hair and a bright red bandana around her neck eagerly talking to the judges, gesturing at her cow's udders. People were milling around the square and talking to fellow competitors. Claire spotted a man in an ornate blue feathered cap and red tunic speaking with a fellow rancher. His companion was dressed very differently from him in baggy cargo jeans and a lightweight red jacket with a blue collar. He had a very casual air about him, a couple strands of his brown hair defiantly sticking up straight into the air. A smile spread across Claire's face; it seemed that these kinds of events brought people together from all over, and for the most part, it looked like most of them got along well.
She was so busy taking in her surroundings that she bumped into a young man who was carrying a bale of hay. His plaid cap fell onto the ground from the impact and Claire quickly crouched down to pick it up in her embarrassment, muttering apologies as she did so. Thinking she had dropped down to the ground in pain, he set down his bale.
A high-pitched voice sharply reprimanded her. "Hey! Watch where you're going!"
"I'm so sorry!" Claire apologized again, bracing herself for another uncomfortable social interaction.
"Hey, it's alright," the young man gave her a warm smile. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Claire handed him the headgear after dusting off a few pieces of straw that clung to it. "I like your hat."
"Thanks." He ignored the young girl who was fuming behind him as he returned it to his head. "It's a little old, but it gets the job done. My mom often says the same thing about herself, but I have to scold her for it." He shook his head and let out a small laugh. His eyes traveled over her and he bit back the goofy grin that was quickly spreading on his face; she gave off a very different aura than the other women in his town and she had a very natural beauty about her. "I'm Ash, by the way. I help out at my mother's farm over in Bluebell. Where are you from?"
She almost named the city she had last lived at, but she stopped herself. "Oh, I'm from here." Her blue eyes darted around the square. She had been so determined a minute ago, but she was suddenly aware that she wasn't used to seeing so many people at once and she felt her breathing begin to speed up again. Claire began to wish she had stayed near Popuri and Rick.
"You mean Mineral Town? I don't recognize you." The look on his face suggested that he would have remembered her if he had seen her before.
She let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah. I'm new. Uh, I mean, I moved here in the spring. It doesn't feel that new anymore." Why was she talking so much, and why did everything she say come out awkwardly?
"Well, that's great," he gave her a kind nod and began to stand up. "So, what's your name?" He took a small step forward and stumbled on the bale of hay, bumping foreheads with Claire with a loud conk. His eyes widened as one hand flew to her forehead and the other covered his own mouth. "Goddess, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" He gently brushed Claire's bangs away from her forehead and inspected it, oblivious to his sister's small Mary Jane shoes stamping angrily on the cobblestones behind him. Ash's face turned red in embarrassment. "I can't believe I'm so clumsy!"
"It must be contagious," Claire let out a shy laugh. "I'm fine, though. Thanks for your concern." She accepted his offered hand to stand back up. "I'm Claire, by the way."
"Claire…" He repeated the name, a genuine smile forming on his lips as he studied her face. "It was really nice to bump into you. W-Well, not really… Ah, you know what I mean!" Ash laughed a little too loudly and his cheeks glowed pink.
"Good luck in the Festival." It was relieving to meet someone a little friendlier than the last rancher she had spoken with. Claire vaguely remembered that she had never actually introduced herself to that surly man…
"My big brother doesn't need luck," the young girl beside him gave Claire a piercing gaze. "He is the best rancher in the whole world. And he's the nicest and sweetest, too!" She sounded as if she had been holding her breath for the past couple of minutes and she couldn't wait to get the words out.
He let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Ah, this is Cheryl, my younger sister. Say hello, Sis."
Claire gave her a little wave. The girl shook her head so violently that her immaculate blonde pigtails became disheveled and she clung to her brother's waist, burying her face into his side. He shrugged his shoulders, giving her a rueful smile. "Ah, I'm sorry. She must be shy."
She had a feeling this wasn't really the case. "It's alright. I should be going. See you."
"Okay. Bye, Claire." The farmer was unaware of the young man's eyes following her curiously as she left. She had, however, heard a bitter whisper from Cheryl.
"That's right… Keep walking, sister…"
Claire wondered if she had sounded that rude to Rick and Popuri earlier. She hated that Gray awoke such immature emotions and instincts. She whirled around to see the young girl giving her a cold glare as Ash gave her one last shy wave. Claire returned it with a weak smile; Ash was friendly enough, but that little girl made her think twice about going back over there. She thought about apologizing to her friends for her behavior earlier; she could remember the startled look in Popuri's eyes when she had been curt with her. Claire bit her lip. Maybe they didn't even want to talk to her any more today…
Claire spotted a beautiful jersey cow on one of the posts, chewing on some dried grass. She let her thoughts of the siblings fade away for the moment as she observed the creature. Eager to spend a little time alone with some of the animals, Claire looked around before seeing if a grouchy owner was nearby before deciding to pet the cow.
She looked at the nameplate on the cow's post. Moolah of Swag Farm, Forget-Me-Not Valley. She let out a sigh of relief. This was Pete's cow; he wouldn't mind if she gave her a few pets. It was nice to see a name she actually had recognized. Her eyes darted around the square to see if he was around, but she saw him talking to that person Vaughn had warned her about. She turned back toward the cow and gently stroked the bovine's back.
Maybe as early as the end of fall she could have a cow of her own, Claire thought excitedly. She had hoped to ask some of the ranchers a bit more about cow care, but she found it intimidating. Perhaps she should just stick to the library. She thought of the recent hug she had received from Mary. Maybe it was time to visit the library again and spend some time with her. She turned around to where Mary was standing earlier, and sure enough, Gray was at her side, laughing at a joke Basil was telling. She bit her lip and pushed down the emotions churning inside.
Focus on the sweet, cute cows. Before you know it, you'll have one of your own. Mary can't say that, now can she? Claire shook her head. Why was she being so mean? She hated that her mind was immediately going into that mode. Think of the fresh milk and the pride you'll feel raising more animals all by yourself. Think of cute baby calves… A dreamy smile spread across her lips as she stroked the cow's back, slowly forgetting about the librarian.
She leaned forward to get a better look at the cow when a hand grasped her shoulder and pulled her back sharply. She let out a surprised squeak as she whirled around, her hair whipping the man in the face.
He cursed under his breath, raking his free hand through his golden hair. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"
Her jaw dropped in surprise. She had never seen a man with such terrifying eyes in her life, and his hard scarlet gaze made her blood run cold. His grip on her shoulder was strong, but it didn't hurt; however, she found herself unable to catch her breath as the middle aged man gave her a slightly rough shake. Was he mad at her for petting the cow? Sure, she wasn't a rancher herself, but wasn't the event open to the public? She wished once more that she had just stayed at home and worked on watering her tomato plants. Claire stared at his features, wondering if he was someone from the city she had forgotten. His eyes glowed at her like a couple of hot coals and she found herself looking away from them. He was on the tall, slender side. Her eyes fell to his black combat boots; she was afraid to speak. She didn't recognize this man, but he was looking at her as if he was expecting her to say something.
"Well, are you going to answer me or not? Quit being such a stubborn ass, Rio!"
A woman with pale red hair quietly appeared behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Neil… glasses…"
He let out an exasperated sigh. "I keep telling you that I don't need them. Besides, I didn't even bring them today." He gave her a triumphant smirk.
She reached into her purse and flipped out a case, giving him a smug look of her own. Grumbling under his breath and rolling his eyes, he snatched them from her and put on the wire-framed glasses. "Seriously, Rio, you-" his voice trailed off as he blinked a few times. "Um… My apologies, young lady." He immediately took a step back.
"She… does look an awful lot like Rio did about twenty years ago," the woman agreed quietly and nodded, giving Claire a rueful look as she adjusted her own black frames. "Please forgive my husband." She bowed her head as if to add, he's an idiot, but he means well.
"Oh, it's, uh, okay." Claire wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she nodded politely.
"Rick, Popuri!" She didn't think Neil's face was capable of lighting up, but she was proven wrong when he saw the poultry farmer and his sister on the other side of the square. The siblings gave him excited waves and walked over, Popuri bounding ahead, her curls and skirts catching in the slight breeze.
"Hiya, Uncle Neil, Aunt Yuri!" her smiling garnet eyes danced as she gave the redheaded woman a hug.
"Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not your uncle?" Neil groaned but affectionately ruffled her pink hair as she moved in for another embrace.
"I've heard you refer to them as your… niece and nephew a few times," Yuri let out a soft chuckle. "He's growing soft in his old age…"
Her husband jammed his hands into the pocket of his camouflage pants and gave her the best sneer he could muster, but it was impossible with the children around.
Claire watched Rick uncharacteristically bounce on the balls of his feet. His posture was erect, and she never realized how tall he was; he was a few inches taller than Neil. "So, any news?" he asked excitedly. "Hear any news from Dad? Maybe a return date?"
A small frown crossed Yuri's lips and her husband shook his head. "Afraid not," he kicked at the ground with his boots. "Rod sent us a short letter back in spring, but it wasn't very detailed."
Popuri let out an ecstatic gasp. "D-Do you have it with you so we can read it?"
Neil scoffed. "I don't carry that kind of stuff around. How was I supposed to know you'd be here?"
The siblings' faces fell and Claire intertwined her arm with Popuri's. A couple of tears dropped from her eyes. Claire reached for her handkerchief, but Yuri had already produced a lovely silk one with delicate flowers stitched on it. The woman looked over at Neil and gave him a reproachful look.
"Let's go; they're going to announce the winners." When he didn't get a response right away, he realized the young woman hadn't finished talking about his old friend. "I'll… call you guys and read Rod's letter to you sometime, okay?" he muttered apologetically.
"Oh, yay!" Popuri gave her brother a hug in excitement. Claire couldn't help but notice that Rick was trembling a little, struggling to keep a smile on his face. There was a deep pain in his eyes despite the fact that someone had heard from his father. "Why don't you paraphrase it for me now? Oh, maybe that will ruin any surprises. You don't happen to have it memorized, do you?" Popuri giggled, pulling along Neil with one arm and Yuri with the other as they headed to the winner's podium. "Why are you two are always so quiet?"
Neil gave her a sigh as if to suggest that he and his wife preferred it that way.
Claire slowed down her walking pace to match Rick. His shoulders had slumped again to their usual posture, the invisible weight of carrying his family pushing back down on him. She looked up at him silently and he let out a tired sigh, the remains of his happiness exhaled along with his breath. The young woman's blue eyes were gentle, but beseeching. He found himself shaking his head as he ran his hand through his bangs.
"Y'know… I'm surprised that I'm surprised," he let out a soft but bitter chuckle as they continued along. "Letters are nice, but everyone seems to forget that he's sending them because he's… not here right now," his voice trailed off. Something about Claire's silent presence comforted him. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Karen spoke so highly of her friend. As his girlfriend had reminded him in the past, it was his responsibility to be a good son and dutifully serve his family; he didn't need to complain to Claire, too…
"Where is he?" she inquired quietly. "If you don't mind my asking, of course," she added politely as she quickly averted her eyes to the cobblestones.
He wished she would look back up at him. There was something soothing about her presence that he couldn't quite place his finger on. "That's the thing. He's always traveling. You know how Mom's sick, right?"
Claire nodded sympathetically. She had no idea how Lillia remained so strong raising two children on her own while feeling the constant fatigue and chronic pains from her mysterious ailment. The fact that she manned the storefront made Claire embarrassed that she had called in sick a few times back when she worked in the city because she had something as simple as a cold. The aches and pains, lack of appetite and weakness – Lillia didn't look it, but she was resilient.
"Dad's traveling the world looking for the cure. Basil told him that there's a flower that blooms only once every ten years. Apparently, it has exactly what she needs to get better." His eyes got shiny and he quickly blinked, letting out a dry laugh. "Sounds like something out of a storybook, huh?"
Claire couldn't help but agree. Growing up in a culture where pills and medicines cured everything, moving to Mineral Town was like entering a different world. The fact that the resident doctor based all of his medicines off of plants and natural ingredients was hard for her to believe.
"The whole thing's… st-stupid," he nervously wiped his glasses off on his apron. They weren't dirty, but he felt the need to keep his hands busy. "What's the point of searching years for a cure when you're spending that time away from your family? I… I wish Dad could understand that she needs him now."
She had grown so accustomed to speaking frankly with Cliff that the words rolled right off of her tongue. "And you need him, too." She wondered if she was being too candid, and she held her breath for his response, wringing her hands in embarrassment.
He looked up from his glasses in shock and carefully placed them back on his nose. He had always seen Rod's leaving as his initiation to adulthood. Needing him meant that he was still a child, and Rick had developed beyond that – or at least he thought that he did. His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth screwed up into an ugly combination of smile and frown as a lump formed in his throat. He didn't know Claire that well, but she had managed to cut right through the armor he wore over his innermost thoughts, and he never felt so exposed. "I… I do…" he murmured his confession, blinking rapidly as he looked down at the ground miserably. He slouched further, his walking pace slowing to a crawl. He hadn't even told Karen that, and he was afraid to. Would she see him as weak? He was startled when he felt a light touch on his shoulder.
"I… hope that I hear from my parents soon, too…" Claire gave him a sad smile. There was a melancholy quality to her expression that he had never seen before. "And I hope we can both make our parents proud."
His throat loosened up a bit at her words. She appeared to have her own set of problems. "Yeah… you're right." He looked around at the group of ranchers assembled at the podium and realized they had stopped walking. While his father wasn't there beside him, he had a feeling that Rod would be happy to know he was still attending the festival without him. "Thanks, Claire… I see why Karen likes you so much."
She shook her head; she wasn't sure what he was thanking her for, but he seemed to have cheered up a bit. "You're very kind," she stammered, blushing.
"Dad used to bring us all here. He really loves animals. Back when he lived Echo Village, he used to actually sell people pets. He had a friend there that got him interested in chickens. She was a farmer, you see…" They pushed their way through the crowd and Rick raised his voice. "He wanted to learn about all kinds of animals, and she showed him the chickens he kept. He was so fascinated by them that when he moved here and married Mom, they bought a pair of chickens on their honeymoon. One chick quickly became ten, and now here we are," he concluded, a smile spreading across his face.
They made their way to the crowd and Claire squeezed between Vaughn and Neil, recognizing a backwards blue cap in front of them. She tapped Pete on the shoulder and he whirled around sporting rosy cheeks and a huge grin.
"Hey, guys! Wish me luck, 'kay?"
"Of course!" Claire cheered him on.
He gave them a thumbs-up and nodded, turning back around. The crowd fell silent as Mayor Thomas made his way to the podium.
"I'd first like to thank everyone for coming to this event. It looks like we have a great turnout this year. We know that some of you have traveled quite far to get here, and as the mayor of Mineral Town, I thank you for that. We must always remember that while we come from different places, we all work for a common purpose – to provide food for people all over the world. That is no easy task! I'd like to give a special thanks to someone who lives right here in Mineral Town. I feel like I can rely on this person and I know that things will only continue to get better as we all continue to do our best. I'd like to ask you to please come up to the podium…"
Claire felt her heart in her throat; she hadn't expected this at all. What if she tripped on the way up? What was she supposed to say to this group of people? She knew next to nothing about livestock! She felt her face becoming damp with perspiration as she struggled to steady her breath…
"Mr. Barley Kuga!"
Claire's lungs deflated as she was deafened by the clapping around her. She numbly slapped her palms together, her knees feeling a little wobbly. As she watched the old man step onto the elevated platform, her cheeks were uncomfortably warm. Who did she think she was, anyway? Why would she have been called up there? Barley was the one who specialized in cows. Did she think that just because she was new and decided to show up for a festival that people would demand she give a speech? She studied the stitching on Pete's cap, feeling a wave of embarrassment for her illusions of grandeur.
"Thank you all for coming!" Barley's high and scratchy voice rose over the crowd. "Thank you for the kind introduction. We have a lot of great cows here today, folks! As judges, Mayor Schulte and myself had a lot of debate over which cow truly deserved the blue ribbon. As you know, the cows were judged in several different categories including milk quality, udders, teat size and placement…"
Claire's eyes drifted out to the crowd. She had felt so sure about herself as one of them this morning, but the more she was in this setting, the more clueless she felt. Her eyes drifted to Rick, who was listening intently. She turned to her other side and the slight bobbing of Vaughn's Stetson signified that he was mentally following along with Barley's criteria.
"… Hooves and pasterns, topline…"
He may as well have been speaking another language to Claire. Her gaze moved to a young woman around her age standing near Popuri and Yuri. She had short brown hair and wide chocolate eyes. While she looked young, she carried an aura of experience; she was absorbed in what the old rancher was saying. Claire felt a small wave of hope. While ranching and farming were quite different, perhaps she could learn, too. It wasn't as if she was going to purchase a cow tomorrow. Maybe a little bit of research and some hands-on experience with Barley would help prepare her for the next big step in expanding her farm.
"… And that being said, I would like to announce the winners." Claire could feel the tension in the group as her stomach gave a flutter, enthralled with the excitement. She hoped that someone she knew would win.
"Third place goes to Renee of Horn Ranch in Castanet!" A round of applause broke out, and Claire was pleased to see that the young woman she was observing walked up to the podium, a surprised smile on her face. Although Claire had never met her before, she felt a surge of pride and happiness for her. Renee shook Barley's hand and stood on the third place podium, smoothing out her soft mauve frock with nervous excitement.
"Second place is Pete of Swag Farm in Forget-Me-Not-Valley!"
"Aw, yeah, I'll take that!" Pete pumped his fist into the air as he let out a thrilled laugh among the cheering. Rick gave him a hearty slap on the back as he pushed his way through the crowd, giving Barley a rough hug that made Claire fear for the old man's safety. Barley let out a good-natured chuckle as Pete took his spot on the second place platform. Claire and Rick let out hearty cheers for him and he locked eyes with the young woman, giving her a playful grin and wink.
The crowd grew quiet, eagerly awaiting the final results. Claire looked around the group of people, wondering how it would feel to someday be awaiting her judgment for a festival such as this. Would she ever place? Would she make new friends who also had livestock? Her heart pounded with anticipation at the notion.
"And this year's winner of the Cow Festival is Jamie of… Jamie Ranch in Flowerbud Village!"
The applause was the loudest for first place; Claire watched the curious person in the colorful poncho calmly walk up to the stage and curtly shake Barley's hand. They had very little outward emotion as Pete offered a hand to help Jamie up to the top podium. The winner scoffed at this gesture, choosing to use an awkward jump onto the highest platform, stumbling a bit. A smirk spread across Jamie's face as a set of cold blue eyes looked over the crowd, quickly onto the young woman sporting brown pigtails and a pink vest.
Mayor Thomas distributed the ribbons to the sound of applause. "How about a word from our winner? Perhaps you have some tips or wisdom to share with the rest of us?"
Jamie scoffed, ignoring the mayor's words. A hard gaze was focused on the rival farmer. "Did you really think anyone else had a chance? I came this way to show you how a real farm raises a cow!"
Thomas let out an uneasy laugh. "Well, we all hope to see you next year!"
Jamie didn't move from the podium as Renee and Pete stepped off of their platforms, giving each other handshakes in congratulations. "This contest was over before it began, Tina!" Jamie's eyes narrowed at the girl in pigtails. "You didn't even place!" The crowd began to break up as the girl in the vest shrank down and whirled around, her pigtails slapping herself around the ears. She rolled her eyes, but her face burned in embarrassment as she tried to creep away. Claire had the feeling that Tina was embarrassed for Jamie.
As Rick pushed through the dispersing group to find his sister, Claire's eyes remained on Jamie. How could someone be so mean-spirited? Once again, she found herself ashamed of her earlier behavior.
"Wow, what a jerk," Vaughn's deep voice startled her.
"Ugh, I know, right?" Neil shook his head. "The idiot doesn't know how to win gracefully."
"A disgrace to the trade," the rancher pulled his hat over his face with a scoff. His mannerisms vaguely reminded Claire of someone else she knew.
"Hey, kid, you wanna get a cold one at Doug's?" Neil cocked an eyebrow at Vaughn.
He let out a snort. "Sure, if you don't call me 'kid' and you're buying. I hear they have good local wines here. So which cow was yours?"
The pair walked off together toward the inn and began talking about the competition. Claire watched them curiously. It seemed even two people who seemed rather cold could find something in common. She saw Pete bounding towards her and gave him a friendly wave, eager to spend some time around someone more positive.
"Hey, I saw you cheering me on from up there!" Pete laughed heartily, his face glowing. "It's good to have fans!"
Claire's stomach stopped twisting itself in knots, relishing in the farmer's happy-go-lucky attitude. She found it amazing that while they had hardly spoken to each other, he treated her like an old friend. "You did great. You'll have to give me some pointers."
"Sure thing! We farmers have to stick together!" He clapped her on the shoulder.
They walked across the square together, Claire giggling while Pete proceeded to tell her the story of how he dragged his cow all the way to Mineral Town. She was so absorbed in his story that she didn't notice a shy wave from a young man clad in khaki coveralls and a blue baseball cap.
0o0o0o0
Author's Note: This chapter took a while to write, but as you can see from the length of it, I've been pretty busy! I couldn't help myself with the chapter name. Pretty sweet, huh? *Ducks and covers*
I was originally planning on bringing up the Cow Festival offhandedly, like mentioning it as something Claire had attended in the background, but I found this was a good opportunity to see herself and her presence in the community and how she relates to others. I didn't imagine it would become my longest chapter so far!
As you can see, it kind of turned into a cameo parade. Let's see if you can spot everyone! I had a lot of fun relating the characters' personalities to the ways Claire was feeling about her actions, and I was eager to give Rick and Popuri's family a little more back story. For those of you unfamiliar with "Harvest Moon: A New Beginning", there is a bachelor named Rod who works with animals, and I felt he would make a nice link to Mineral Town, especially considering the fact that Rick and Popuri's father shares the same name.
A couple more notes –
Barley's last name is Kuga – Japanese; the kanji for ku meaning "long time" and ga meaning "self". I wanted to convey a sense of loneliness with his name. I felt it worked well for him, May, and Joanna.
Thomas's last name is Schulte – this is German for "mayor, judge". Haha, not the most creative, but I've always seen him as German for some reason.
Once again, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my work. The fact that I still have so much interest in my story makes my heart really happy! I'm always so tickled to read your feedback and analysis on my writing. Thanks again for reading, and I'll see y'all at the next chapter! :)