Claire plopped down at the bar, letting out a silent sigh as she did so. She felt a wave of shame for choosing the option of drinking away her sadness, but she shoved the feeling out of her head. She didn't want to stay home alone all night, and going to the mountains by herself this evening sounded even more depressing. It wasn't as if there was much else to do for entertainment in this small town, and it was a vast improvement from sitting in filthy clothes bawling her heart out. She was sick of crying – it had left her with red splotches of broken capillaries dotting around her eyes and she covered them with makeup for the evening, eager to put on a normal face. If she was out in public, she'd force herself to behave, after all, and that meant no crying. She wanted an evening without tears.

"You alright, Claire?" Doug frowned as he noticed the patron take a seat. He knew it was a dangerous question the moment the words left his lips, but Claire wasn't the type to drink by herself. He couldn't help but become concerned. Of course she wasn't alright – one of her best friends was planning to move away and her other best friend slapped him across the face. "Ann went with Popuri to watch the moon tonight over by the spring. I'm sure they'd be happy for more company. I'll make a thermos of hot cocoa and you can take it up to them."

This was someone's daughter, after all, and he was a firm believer in the notion that everyone in Mineral Town looked out for each other.

The blonde let out a soft scoff and Doug's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm surprised you're turning away a willing customer. I'll have a… uh…" She looked at the menu, realizing with embarrassment how rude she sounded and how clueless she was about ordering alcohol.

He knew she had a point, but he couldn't stop himself from worrying about her uncharacteristic behavior. "How about a hot spiced apple cider? We got some fresh in from-" The frustrated look he got in reply caused his voice to drift off.

"Don't treat her like a child. Let her order something hard. She's a customer." A deep voice startled the both of them as a man with a dark pompadour took a seat on the stool beside her, giving her a casual nod.

"Marlin."

Claire wasn't sure if Doug had said his name by way of greeting or in surprise at his boldness. She assumed the former as the man beside her gave the bartender a slight nod.

Claire studied her companion. The last time she had seen him, his face wasn't covered in stubble, and he wasn't sporting dark rings under his eyes. It was a similar look that Cliff had donned the other day, and the quiet agony on his face was all too familiar. A lump formed in her throat as she unsuccessfully attempted to avert her eyes.

Don't think about him… Not right now…

She began to wonder if she looked just as haggard as Marlin did; he had the look of someone who had something weighing heavily on his heart. She was distracted studying the worry lines on his forehead as he ordered his drink and was surprised when he turned toward her. "Is it alright if I order two? Griffin always says people shouldn't drink alone, especially if they're depressed."

She gave him a dumbfounded nod, unsure of how to respond otherwise. Marlin didn't strike her as the type to be observant, especially of her.

"Make that two Rieslings, then."

Relief was visible on Doug's face as he realized Claire wouldn't be left to her own devices. He carefully poured the drinks. While she had never been irresponsible around him, Ann and Karen had informed him of her recent lack of motivation to take care of herself. The bags under her eyes and pale face were both evidence of that.

"Thank you, Marlin."

He shrugged in response. "I'll let you pick up the next round. Not good to drink on an empty stomach, though."

"Hm." She wasn't really in the mood for eating. Claire moved her eyes to her feet, her blonde hair falling into her face. She wasn't really sure what she had been expecting when she came to Doug's tonight, but a drinking companion wasn't what she had in mind.

Marlin watched her closely, not noticing as Doug placed their drinks in front of them. Her shoulders were sloped and it almost looked as if she had a rain cloud over her head. He wondered if he looked as pathetic as she did. Running his fingers along his bristly jaw line, he figured he probably looked worse. Doug softly cleared his throat as Marlin snapped back to reality and pulled out his wallet. "Got any specials tonight?"

"We've got some moon dumplings that Ann made earlier."

"Hey, how do those sound?"

She was too busy wallowing over the fact that she had pored over a recipe for the sweets not long ago to make for her time with Cliff. She had imagined them sitting on a picnic blanket together on the peak of the mountain, laughing and sharing the snacks together. She'd get to see that wide, deep blue gaze that made her feel a little dizzy. Her heart broke once again at the realization that they never would have that outing now. He'd probably never look at her like that again; he had better things to do with his limited time.

She looked up and saw Marlin's jade eyes on her, cocking his head toward a patiently waiting Doug. She made a small sound indicating the negative that caught in her throat. She suddenly wished that she had declined Marlin's offer to buy her a drink – she wanted to go home and cry.

"Well, our other special is an assorted cheese plate with some homemade crackers."

Claire gave a small nod. It was a bit heartier would probably help her feel a little less shaky. She hadn't eaten much that day other than a croissant Ann had brought the evening before, gently reminding her to take care of herself. It was eaten with some honey and a glass of milk for breakfast, helping start off a new day of recovering from all of the shock and self-neglect.

"There's a bar in Forget-Me-Not Valley run by a friend of mine." Marlin was sipped at the crisp white wine in his glass. "It's been run by his family for generations… I wonder if he feels trapped where he is in life now… I mean, it's all he's ever known…" He set down his drink as Doug returned with the tray of food and he quickly loaded a cracker with a piece of cheddar. He stared ahead, pensive for a moment as he crunched on the snack. He swallowed, shaking his head with a slight smile. "He's got Muffy, though… I can imagine he's happy as can be over that."

Claire's ears perked up at the familiar name. "I met her the other day. She's really nice." She remembered the couple standing at the edge of the waves together.

He gave a slight nod. "After everything she's been through, it's amazing she is still so friendly and cheerful. When life deals you a sucky hand, it's easy to lose heart…"

Claire gave him a sad smile. She had her own problems she was going to have to face at the beginning of winter. Cliff leaving was definitely going to hurt more than the lack of work and income she'd have… She shook the thoughts from her head.

"If there's a bar in Forget-Me-Not Valley, why are you all the way here in Mineral Town?"

A wry smile played at Marlin's lips. "Huh… I guess that was going to be asked before the night was over." He let out a sigh. "I was planning to go to this stupid Moon Viewing thing. I was getting ready to ask someone and I waited too long… She was so excited about going out with a group of her girlfriends… So it's my own fault things didn't work out." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not like she would've gone with me anyway."

Claire frowned. "Celia seemed to enjoy your company the other day. I don't know why that would've changed so much…"

Marlin choked on his wine and turned a bright shade of red. "I-I never said anything about Celia!"

She let out a tiny gasp in surprise. "Ah, I'm sorry! I-I just assumed…" This was an evening for unwinding and not causing any more problems. Claire silently cursed herself.

His voice was low. "I'm that obvious, huh?" The glow on Marlin's face was hard to miss. "Yeah… it was Celia I wanted to take to the festival… But it seems like she doesn't see me as much more than a coworker…" He took a drink of wine, but a light had returned to his face. He stole a tiny glance at Claire, not-so-subtly hoping she would say something else about the object of his admiration.

She had seen the same look many times on Karen's face when she claimed that she didn't want to talk about Rick, but her eyes were begging for the subject to come up. She gave him a slight smile, recalling the gentle way Celia's arm had brushed past him; their affection for each other had even been obvious to a stranger like herself. "I don't think that's true, and I don't think you really feel that way either. You wouldn't have asked her if you didn't think you had a chance at all."

Marlin went from red to burgundy. Seeing someone with such a typical stoic expression blushing so fiercely was a rare treat. Claire gave him a grin; Marlin was actually quite attractive when he had a big, goofy smile on his face.

He wiped it from his mouth, taking a deep drink of wine. "And what are you grinning about?"

Claire couldn't help but giggle; tensions had been so high in her own life that a smiling face was a sight for sore eyes. She wasn't sure why she felt like crying a little.

He gave her a soft nudge with his shoulder. She was so beautiful in her mirth. "What about you? A cute girl like you probably isn't single. What happened to your date for the festival?" If they shared sob stories, they could both make light of it, after all…

Marlin immediately regretted his question as he saw her face fall.

She gulped. "H-he's moving away." Her voice was barely audible. "He told me the news when I tried to ask him to the festival."

Marlin finished off his glass. "Damn… I'm sorry."

"We always used to be so open with each other… Now he's just shutting me out." Claire took a sip of her Riesling, the pear and sweet apple notes dancing on her tongue. It had a fruity punch and she closed her eyes, savoring it for a moment. Her ideas for the night changed. This wasn't about numbing her emotions with alcohol anymore; she was going to enjoy this moment and savor the drink and snacks before her. This was going to be a reprieve, a treat. This didn't have to be about Cliff at all…

"That's lousy. I can't talk to my sister about everything because she's never understood what it feels like to be weak. She's worked hard her whole life, yeah, but she hasn't had the same health problems that I did. It can be hard to relate, y'know? She's got this push-through-it mentality."

Claire nodded. "I got really sick at the beginning of summer. I overworked myself. It was stupid, really. But I felt so helpless when my friends took care of me."

Marlin ordered a bottle of mead from Doug and nodded emphatically. "That is my life every damn day."

Claire reached for her wallet, but Marlin shook his head. "I got this; don't worry. I'll share it with you. Ever have mead? It's got a smoother finish."

"Thank you." She was stunned by his generosity. "I've never tried it before. I'll have a taste when I'm finished with this." She bit into a sesame seed cracker, enjoying the hearty crunch and nutty flavor.

A break. A time for healing and talking. Sweet wine and unexpectedly kind company.

She smiled at the slice of Swiss cheese in her hand. She carefully nibbled at it, creating the shape of a rabbit; the ears naturally formed by a hole in the cheese.

No worries. Just focus on cute, happy things…

"Did you just make a little sculpture out of cheese?" Marlin's heavy eyebrows rose with amusement.

Claire felt her face flood with color as she realized he was looking over her shoulder; her behavior had been childish and she wasn't expecting him to be paying attention. "I made a rabbit," she laughed lamely, holding it out in her hand to show him.

To her surprise, his face lit up and he let out a hearty laugh that reminded him much of Vesta. "That's really dumb but cute!"

She felt the tension leave her body as she smiled down at the cheese. There were a couple of uneven holes where she imagined the eyes would be and the whole thing looked comical.

Marlin swirled the mead in his glass, taking a leisurely sip and speaking in rhythm.

"The rabbit went up to the moon/
With his mortar to pound/
But came back very soon/
For cheese was all that he found."

He gave her a sly look. "There's a little Moon Viewing poetry recitation for ya!" A smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

Claire let out a soft chuckle at the silly rhyme and popped the cheese into her mouth, giving him a light round of applause. "That's pretty good, but what's the cheese keeping the rabbit from doing? Cheese stuffed rice cakes are good!"

He laughed. "Celia used to repeat that rhyme when we were working under a harvest moon…" Marlin's smile faded as he sighed.

"You all must put in a lot of hours at that farm."

Marlin rolled his eyes. "You know what it's like. It's not as if there are set hours each day. Celia's a hard worker, all things considered… and, I uh… I do try my best."

"Cliff works so hard… I worry about him," Claire admitted, grabbing some more cheese. "He wants to support himself – I understand that, but sometimes you need a little help." She finished off her wine and grinned when Marlin poured a bit of mead into her glass. "I mean, he's the one who told me that in the first place. Helping each other is always best." She smiled as he finished pouring. "See? Just like that!" She took a piece of cheese, topped a cracker and presented it to Marlin who took it with a grin.

He washed his food down with a heavy gulp of mead and loaded another cracker. "Open up."

"Teamwork!" Claire laughed, complying as she took the food from him. The pungent cheese, nutty crackers, and sweet mead made a lovely combination. Everything tasted delicious, and she didn't want the evening to end. Marlin's soft laughter was pleasant to listen to and lifted her spirits.

"Hey, things are gonna get better," Marlin insisted, taking another heavy swig. "Harvest season will be up before we know it and after that, we can rest for the winter. Imagine sleeping in…"

Claire let out a soft sigh, taking a sip of her sweet drink. "Flannel pajamas and fleece blankets…"

"Hot matcha by the fireplace…"

"Fuzzy socks…"

"Crispy toasted rice balls…" Marlin drooled, pouring himself a bit more mead.

They let out a heavy, delighted sigh in unison, and when their eyes met, they burst into laughter.

"Look at us! What're a couple of great catches like us doing without dates on a festival like this, anyway?" he asked with a laugh.

Claire giggled harder, a grin spreading across her face. It felt so good to allow herself to feel happy again.

Allow myself to be happy…

A cold dagger struck her heart.

Cliff always told me that…

A light poke on her arm snapped her out of her trance, and she was oblivious to the door creaking behind them. "You got an answer?" His face was mischievous.

She shook her head, a smile coming back onto her face. "I'd say we're both pretty awesome."

Marlin laughed. "We can be each other's date tonight, then. Have some more mead."

"Ah, thank you." She slid her glass over to him and watched the remnants of the bottle pour into her glass, the pretty golden liquid shining under the bar's lights. If she looked behind her, she would see Cliff nearly dropping the hunting bow on his back as his eyes flicked between the two, his eyes wide and his jaw slightly ajar.

Claire had about a glass and a half and was surprised to see there was no mead left. "You drank it all, silly!" she giggled, giving Marlin a gentle push on the arm in mock punishment.

He laughed in reply, holding up his glass for a toast with a smirk. "This is why I love small town bars. They're not dirty and full of strangers. So here's a toast: to us! Screw the freakin' Moon Viewing Festival!"

They clanked their glasses together amid laughter and smiles.

Cliff struggled to unglue his feet from the floor, and he tore his eyes away from them, gulping.

This… really is for the best… I… I have to stop being selfish.

He silently crept upstairs, unsure whether he was grateful or horribly depressed.

She was pleasantly surprised that Marlin wouldn't let her walk home alone that evening. He had decided to book a room at the inn for the evening as the mead hit him, and a coughing fit left Claire worried and nervous despite Marlin's protests that everything was fine; he always had coughing fits after he ate. They had reached Mystic Acres and she let out a tired yawn. While her heartbreak hadn't been healed, her mood had at least lifted a little bit for the moment. Perhaps she would have a better time sleeping tonight… Maybe some mindless television…

Marlin seemed to have other plans, however. He rested his fists and forearms on the barn wall behind Claire and leaned forward, hunching over a bit to accommodate for their difference in height. He smelled like sweet tobacco and fresh earth; it wasn't an unpleasant combination of scents. His cheeks flushed pink as he raised a gentle hand to stroke her cheek. She blinked at him, unsure of what to make of the whole thing. While she enjoyed Marlin's company, this particular interaction felt strange – hollow, somehow, and the suddenness of it all caught her by surprise.

He slowly leaned in. Maybe she should let him kiss her, Claire reasoned. She hadn't kissed anyone in quite a while, and the experience had usually been pretty pleasant. As he got closer, she waited for her heart to pound, but it never did. His bright jade eyes were tracing her lips as he slowly became more confident, his hand cupping her cheek and tilting her face upward. She should be feeling excited, enthralled… Why were they doing this? She didn't feel anything; this was all wrong. His fingers followed her jaw line and she slowly turned her face away.

He's probably pretending I'm Celia…

"Marlin, I don't think we should do this." Her voice was soft but firm.

While he could be an intimidating man at times, his hand immediately dropped from her and he took a small step backward, giving her some space. His body language almost indicated him coming out of a stupor, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Why not?" He cleared his throat and stared at the grass uncomfortably as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I just thought… maybe we could cheer each other up, y'know? I'm lonely… You're lonely… We could keep each other company."

"I'm not lonely," Claire insisted much more firmly than she had meant to. She had Karen and Ann to keep her company when she was feeling sad. Why would he even say that she was lonely? Did she give off that impression? "Besides, you are in love with someone else."

He gave her a sad smile. "And so are you, but I still thought that maybe two loners could make each other happy…"

Claire's heart jumped into her throat and for someone who wondered earlier that day if she still had the capacity for feelings, her heart overflowed. The reminder that she was in love with Cliff raised a lot of uncomfortable emotions; as much as she tried to push him from her thoughts, the image of Cliff remained. She wanted to yell at Marlin, but she held her tongue. After all, people sometimes acted irrationally when they were in love, she reminded herself. "Do… you feel anything with me?" Claire was surprised at her own bold question, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Marlin jammed his hands into his jean pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "I like you alright… You're not a bad girl and I like spending time with you. I had a lot of fun tonight."

"But you love spending time with Celia," she reminded him. After all, he had talked about her throughout the entire course of the evening.

"Well, Celia couldn't be bothered to notice I exist!" His voice broke as he kicked the dirt in agitation. "She's not interested. If she was, I'd be with her tonight."

Claire couldn't tell if she should feel frustrated at his words. It never felt good being told one was a second choice, but it wasn't as if she had been trying to attract Marlin in the first place. It wasn't as if their evening together had been romantic. Still, she wished she could be someone's first choice. She could almost feel Cliff's gentle touch…

"It's just like how you'd rather be in your man's arms tonight. We're not that different, really, you and me."

"So you're suggesting that we should make out?" Claire cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest; how could Marlin really think that was a reasonable solution?

He hacked violently for a few seconds before he regained his composure and shrugged once more. "Sure, why not? Hell, I'm kinda afraid I might not get another chance."

"Don't talk like that." Claire put her hands on her hips, oblivious to the hurt look on Marlin's face.

"Well, if you're not interested…" He flipped his lighter out of his pocket and produced a cigarette, promptly lighting it. The scent of vanilla tobacco immediately filled the air as he exhaled into the sky, looking back down at her. "You're not mad, are you?"

She looked at him curiously. She initially thought he was referring to his smoking on her property, but then she reflected on his words. She shook her head. "Why would I be? I just don't think you have to worry about not getting a chance, especially when it really seems like you both care about each other a lot."

"It's easy to say when you haven't had a doctor tell you there's a chance you might die before your hair even starts to gray."

She suddenly felt like she had swallowed a ball of lead. "Oh… Marlin, I-I'm so sorry."

He dismissed this with the wave of a hand. "I didn't ask for pity. That's the last thing I want." He took a long drag on his cigarette and exhaled. He looked down at it and back up at her. "Ah, I'm sorry. You want one?"

Claire shook her head; while the vanilla smelled nice, she didn't care much for the taste after trying some of her friend's flavored tobacco a couple years ago. "No thanks."

Marlin leaned against the wall of the barn. "I guess I exaggerated a bit. I mean, they told me I could die if I didn't take better care of myself. Then I moved out here. Hardy says I'll probably never be completely one hundred-percent again… People treat me differently when they hear I'm ill. I hate it."

"Your health problems don't make you who you are," she pointed out.

"Exactly." He let out a deep sigh.

"And I think it's good to have someone who can relate to you on that. You said Celia gets ill, too?"

He nodded. "She was sickly as a child and still has relapses sometimes." He frowned. "It kills me to see her like that when she gets an attack… I always feel so helpless." His shoulders slouched at the very thought of seeing her weakened.

"I'm sure she's just happy that you're by her side," Claire replied.

Marlin's blushing cheeks didn't make his scoff sound very convincing. "I wish…"

"Well, I know that's how I felt when I was sick. Knowing that someone cared about me made me more motivated to get better." She thought of the concerned Karen sitting at her side as she awoke.

"Guilt, eh?" Marlin cocked an eyebrow, but a smile played at his lips.

Claire couldn't help but giggle a bit. "Aren't you cynical?"

"And I'll bet that Cliff just laps that cheery attitude of yours right up," Marlin returned with a smirk.

She placed a careful hand over her broken heart, but she wasn't able to fight the slight smile playing at her lips and the color flooding her cheeks.

When he smiles… I do. I just hope I get the chance to see it again…

"There's still time," Marlin told her. "We both can't give up hope."

She gave him an enthusiastic nod, blinking back tears.

He stamped out his cigarette butt with his heel and picked it back up to throw away at the inn. "Hey… I'm glad we got to hang out tonight."

A smile returned to her face and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Me, too. And I'm sure things will work out with Celia."

He shook his head, but he was grinning. "I'll keep my fingers crossed. And your man must be an idiot if he can't see what he has. Chin up; tomorrow's a new day, after all." He pulled her into a soft hug.

"Yeah… Thanks, Marlin."

"I think we owe each other a thank you," he returned, giving her a small wave. He looked at the cigarette butt in his hand and showed it to her. "Oh, and I'd rather you not tell my sister about this. I only smoke on occasion, but she freaks out when I do."

"Ah, she's just trying to protect you," Claire replied with a smile.

He let out a snort. "That's one word for it, I suppose. 'Night, Claire; it's been fun."

"I had fun, too. Good night, and have a safe trip home."

Claire headed inside, her feelings a jumbled mess as she struggled to change into her pajamas. A strange hollowness that Cliff was leaving, worry over his health, a lightness in her heart after allowing herself to laugh and smile, a slight sting that Marlin was battling with losing his hope with Celia and she was losing her own with Cliff…

The tears threatened to come, but she blinked them away, wriggling out of her clothes and curling up under the covers.

Tomorrow's a new day…

"Hey…"

Cliff froze in the hallway as he heard a deep voice. He turned around to see Marlin jamming his hands in his pockets.

"Cliff, right?"

The young man gave a hesitant nod, his shoulders slouching as his eyes submissively moved to the floor. Marlin stepped over toward him and Cliff gulped, steeling his heart.

He's going to say they're together now…

"Look, I dunno what your deal is – your inner demons, tragic past, whatever." Marlin dismissed this all with the apathetic shrug of his shoulders. "I really don't care because it's none of my business…" He cleared his throat. "When I moved to the Valley from the city, I was angry, irritable, and grouchy. I was twenty-three and in failing health and essentially felt like was sent out here to die. I didn't make life easy for people. Hell, I still don't. My sister scolds me all the time and I screw up at work left and right. I still have trouble getting around sometimes and I'll never be completely healthy…" He paused, his tone softening. "But… there's someone here in this stupid place in the middle of nowhere that makes me feel like something. She smiles when I'm happy… we laugh together…"

Cliff could still see Claire's sweet rosy cheeks as she giggled at the bar with Marlin, their faces lit up, her pink lips curled up into a smile. Cliff struggled with the lump in his throat as he saw how Marlin's face glowed. The sound of love in his voice was unmistakable, and Cliff almost hated for a moment how sincere Marlin looked.

This truly is for the best…

"We help each other out when we are both sick…" Marlin's gaze moved from the ceiling and he gave a soft chuckle, blinking the mistiness from his eyes, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

Cliff blinked with a combination of surprise, relief, and shame.

Marlin stared at the surprisingly familiar wide eyes and soft jaw line and realized with amazement how much Cliff resembled Celia. "Ah, I guess I told you my own boring sob story in the process, huh? Either way, no one's been so blindly supportive of me before. When I'm with her, I am home, and I don't care about the stupid city anymore." He gave Cliff a hard look, straightening his posture. "Look, when someone makes you feel that way, you hang on tight. When they hold out their hand to you, you grasp it and you never let go, because Goddess knows if there's ever going to be another soul out there during your lifetime that'll treat you the way she does… Life's too short to wait around and hope for another chance."

Marlin wiped a tear from his eye, clearing his throat as he stepped over toward the guest room, unlocking the door. He gave Cliff one last look before disappearing into the room.

"Don't let her go. If she's worth anything to you, hang onto her tight…"

Author's Note: I enjoy writing about the different flavors and varieties of wine, as my husband and I used to run a bed and breakfast in an old Victorian house in northern Michigan. We'd host a wine and cheese service very evening to the guests and it was pretty fun.

From personal experience, never agree to be with someone just because both of you are lonely! I dated my first boyfriend who essentially had the same mentality as Marlin in that moment. He was pining over someone else, as was I, so we settled for each other. It didn't end well, and the relationship dragged on much longer than it should have.

Thank you all for the immense support! I was shocked at all the reviews! 0.0

I hope you're enjoying this dramatic bit of the story, and I hope you don't mind the frequent updates! I'm trying to meet my goal, so I'm really churning these chapters out! As always, I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks so much for reading along!