Despite the comfortable ease that had settled in Claire's heart, she found that she was still rather giddy as she attempted to focus on her chores. Claire had heard that when people were in love, the sky was bluer and the water tasted sweeter. She wasn't sure if the liquid in her canteen tasted any different, but there was definitely a sense of appreciation for the world around her. She felt immensely proud of her tidy rows of sprouts and even found herself softly singing as she weeded them. A heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders and it felt lovely.

Cliff wasn't leaving town.

He was staying right here – right by her side.

Warmth rushed to her cheeks as she replayed the events from the evening before and earlier that morning in her head for the millionth time. Cliff had been so gentle, so sweet with her. If she closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough, she could still feel the vibrations in his chest as he chuckled while holding her, his calloused hands stroking hers, his lips gently pressing against her own...

She quickly learned that she needed to do a little more focusing on her work and a little less daydreaming.

The farmer frowned at the flowering sprout in her gloved hand, realizing it matched the row of young pepper plants growing nearby. She let out a sigh and gingerly replanted the pepper seedlings she had mistaken for weeds. It wasn't a large hit to her total crops, but she was frustrated she had made the mistake in the first place.

Reckless, careless, too caught up in daydreams… Surely that was the way her parents would describe her behavior.

She could still remember the bitter chill as she had sat on the bench at the bus stop, the metal seat cutting though her thin clothes. She was holding back tears and anger and her heart felt like it was going to burst.

Get it together, idiot.

Did you really think they were going to be happy about you moving out to the middle of nowhere doing something you have absolutely no experience in? Don't be a moron!

All you have to do is keep a semi-normal face until you get home, crybaby. Don't you dare make a scene on the bus!

She had muttered these unkind words to herself in a failing attempt to cheer herself up and felt a little surprised that she felt like crying by the time the bus pulled up. The driver opened the doors and she apologized profusely as she scrambled to find her bus fare despite having plenty of time to find it while waiting. She shivered as a cold breeze blew through the open door and chilled her to the bone; her winter gear was still on the coat rack at her parents' apartment.

Claire looked at the plot of crops in front of her now – all cold-hardy vegetables. Now that the weather was getting cooler once more, did her parents notice her coat hanging there and ever think of how their daughter left in such an unhappy manner? That she had been writing them letters fairly regularly? Or had they completely forgotten about the owner of the woolen coat that hung by the door they left through every single day?

Perhaps they're doing it by choice… Maybe they're trying to teach me a lesson… or maybe they just laugh every time they open a letter of mine.

She shook her head. But they're my parents!

Her confidence deflated as she halfheartedly piled dirt around the uprooted pepper plants. Even if they survived, they would be weak for a few days at least, and they wouldn't produce as much fruit as one that hadn't been unsettled… She looked down on the young plants that were depending on her for survival, and she had let them down.

"I know I messed up, but I'm doing the best I can!" she cried aloud. As a lump formed in her throat, she realized that it wasn't her minor mishap with the peppers she was talking about. Her eyes darted to the farms nearby and she was grateful to see that she was the only one outside at the moment.

Her cheeks flushed as she realized how melodramatic she was being; of course her parents still loved her. The only letter she had sent them that wasn't strictly a progress report was the one she sent several weeks ago.

Surely they've gotten the letter by now…

As to what she was expecting from them, she wasn't quite sure. Proof that they had gotten her letters and still wanted her to be part of their lives would be nice… Claire took her work gloves off of her trembling hands and threw them on the ground. Why couldn't she celebrate the successes that were going on around her now? Cliff was staying in Mineral Town and he even had expressed that she was very special to him. So special, in fact, that they had not only kissed the night before, but this morning as well.

She felt her knees go weak at the memory of his soft breath on her lips…

Claire folded her arms across her chest with a pout. Those kinds of thoughts were the ones that had caused her to rip up more than just her weeds in the first place.

Now I'm just looking for problems, Claire realized, picking up her gloves and tucking them into her back pocket. Mistakes happen; I never claimed to be perfect. It's alright to enjoy the here and now without worrying about my parents. And it's okay to allow myself to be happy…

Claire's eyes looked beyond Saibara's forge and she let out a small sigh at the sight of the lush, green vineyard. Somewhere among the leaves and trellises was a young man that made her heart beat faster. Claire couldn't help but smirk as she caught herself leaning on the northern fence of her property; it seemed she was forever destined to gaze longingly in that direction from her farm.

Claire rolled up the cuffs of her clean sweatshirt and looked down at her sneakers, stepping to the beat of the clanking hammers from the forge. Her freshly brushed low pigtails bounced on her shoulders as she walked, the loose wisps of hair by her face dancing in the fall breeze.

She took the scenic route to the grocery store, stopping as she came closer to the familiar trellises of grape vines at Aja Winery. It was a bit shorter of a trip to go this way, but she wasn't in a hurry. Despite their hard work harvesting grapes, many vines were still laden with fruit, and a couple of sections that were still unripe were left untouched. She caught the top of Duke's silvery streaked head as he moved along the rows, his voice hardly audible as she could only assume he was talking to his new employee.

While Claire held a hand over her heart, she refrained from calling and waving to Cliff. She was a grown adult, she reminded herself, and she had no intentions of embarrassing the two of them in public.

"Well, you sure look cheery today, Claire. Do you have a question for Duke? I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you just went in the vineyard to ask him." Harris's sudden voice caused her to jump.

While she recalled Ann saying that her breakup with him was mutual, Claire couldn't help but feel a little stiff around him. "I-I was just on my way to the grocery store." She wasn't sure why she felt she had to explain herself to him. The badge and officer's uniform surely had something to do with it…

"I spent a lot of my childhood here on this vineyard." Harris straightened his cap and looked out at the grape plants with a soft sigh. "Sometimes it feels like everything changes when you grow up. I didn't expect to be a constable when I was a kid or teenager. I wanted to work at the winery, or live off of the land, like Gotz. My childhood friend Joanna isn't around town anymore, and neither is…" His voice cracked and he swallowed. "Anyway, things change. Seasons pass. Vines wither and die, and new ones are planted with the same caring hands… but… the vineyard still has the same spirit in the grand scheme of things, you know? I mean, sure, it's changed, but not really." His eyes were beseeching as they turned to Claire.

"I-I'm not sure what you're getting at," she admitted with a quiet shrug, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she looked down at the cobblestones. "Would you say that my farm has the same spirit it did a year ago? It used to be a field of weeds and debris." The words slipped out before she could stop them; surely she had come off as rude and unsympathetic.

He gave her a sad smile. "I suppose I'm rambling. Forgive me." He tucked his hands in his pockets. "You know… I really do wish Ann the best," he said quietly. "She reminded me of a part of myself I thought I had lost forever."

The sudden change of subject caught her by surprise, but part of her wondered if in some strange convoluted way he had connected what he said. Still, she couldn't help but feel a bit defensive for her jilted friend. Then why did you break her heart? Claire wanted to ask. She bit her tongue.

Harris gave her a sad smile. "She's lucky to have good friends like you and Karen. I can tell that you both mean a great deal to her. As for why I needed to let her go, I can't ask you to understand the same way I can't ask Ann to. After all, I'm not sure if I quite understand it myself."

She thought of the teary-eyed Ann looking up at the moon. "You both seemed like you could've been so happy…" Once more she found that she was having a hard time keeping her thoughts to herself.

"Sometimes… happiness isn't enough." Harris tugged on the bill of his cap with a sense of finality.

Claire had a hard time wrapping her head around his mantra. Allowing herself to feel unapologetically happy had been a turning point in her life. What did he mean, it wasn't enough?

"From what I've heard, Cliff got hired here yesterday." He gave her one last smile. "Congratulations to you both." He figured it was best not to mention the rumors he had heard that Cliff was planning to leave Mineral Town due to lack of employment. "I hope everything works out alright for you two," he added, giving her a nod in farewell as he continued on his way.

Claire found that she was a little grateful he was gone; she was furrowing her eyebrows as she stared out at the vineyard.

Were her goals to be simply happy too juvenile and naïve?

Rice, milk, peanut butter, bread…

She put back a small block of cheese and some plums with a frown. Her budget was tight, so she was going to need to cut back on things that weren't essential and get creative with her blemished produce.

"We heard someone got a new job yesterday!" Sasha cheered.

A muffled voice could be heard from the storage room. "No thanks to you guys!" Karen's tone was bitter. She stepped out of the storage room with a crate of snack cakes. Setting it down, she removed a package and placed it in Claire's basket, knowing the vanilla treats were one of her guilty pleasure purchases. "I think a little celebratory snack is the least we owe her." Karen gave her parents a sharp look.

"I-it's alright," Claire replied with a weak chuckle, placing the box of snack cakes back on the shelf. The last thing she wanted to do was cause tension among the Blanchette family.

Karen slapped the box back into her basket, causing it to lightly dent the loaf of bread Claire was intending on purchasing. "We insist. On the house."

"That's fine, Karen," Sasha replied with a nod. "Please, take one, Claire." The cost of a box of sweets was definitely a lot cheaper than a new employee that they couldn't afford.

Claire looked over and noticed that Jeff was nervously pacing behind the register. She felt a wave of guilt for what had happened. "Th-thank you. I'm really happy that Cliff has a job now. He's a great friend and I'm relieved he has a steady income."

Friend…? Is that word still appropriate after what we've shared?

She brought her things to the cash register to pay.

Jeff relaxed a little, but he didn't refrain from ringing up her order with shaking hands, giving her a paper sack with an uneasy smile. "It's good that Duke's doing well enough to be able to pay a full-time employee…"

"… Which means he should have no problem paying back his tab," Sasha finished with a tone of finality.

Claire blinked.

He ran up another bill?

Jeff's shoulders drooped once more and Claire couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. "I don't understand why you can't just mention it to Manna when you're out with your lady friends…"

"I'm not about to embarrass the both of us in front of Anna!" Sasha gave him a glare. "Besides, I wasn't the one minding the store when Duke bought all of that stuff on credit! It is neither mine nor Manna's problem, and Duke is never going to respect you if you don't learn to stand up for yourself!"

Jeff frowned, playing with the cuff of his sleeve. The nagging and prodding – he had had enough. "W-well, then why is it not a problem when you give out free things to Karen's friends?"

Claire felt a wave of guilt and went pale.

Sasha's face turned pink and she folded her arms across her chest. "There's a big difference between one free thing here or there and giving away an entire cart of merchandise! And have you forgotten how much money Claire brings in for us with her seed purchases?!"

Karen stomped loudly on the floor and put her hands on her hips. "Goddess, have either of you heard of the word tact?! Come on, Claire. We have better things to do than listen to a couple of grown adults bicker like schoolchildren!" She tugged her friend by the arm and led the way to their living quarters, closing the door loudly behind her.

They both heard the arguing grow in volume and Claire stood uncomfortably in the entryway to their room as her eyes moved to the floor.

Karen snatched her grocery sack and stashed it in the refrigerator. "Don't give them another thought, Claire. They get like that from time to time. Mom's just mad because Dad doesn't stand up for himself."

Claire removed her shoes and quietly took a seat beside Karen at the table.

"So," her friend began, resting her chin on her folded arms, "spill."

The blonde blinked in surprise, running a few fingers through a pigtail. "Spill?"

She was met with a soft chuckle. "Oh, come on! I could see the eyes you and Cliff were making at each other all last night. Only an idiot couldn't see it! And holding hands like a pair of lovers; you two are way too cute for your own good! Did something end up happening last night?" Karen gave her a playful wink.

"Ah, I-I'm never sure what the protocol is in these kinds of situations, really," Claire admitted, blushing deeply as she played with a strand of her hair. The word lovers had her heart pounding and a silly smile played at her lips. "Stuff happened last night… a-and this morning…"

Karen's eyes widened, and her annoyance at Cliff's past behaviors for the past week or so faded a bit at the joy on her friend's face. "Did you stay the night?" she whispered, her grin growing.

She got a shy nod in response. "But n-nothing unseemly happened! I promise!"

Karen laughed. "We're all grown adults here. I'm not going to tattle on you to anyone."

Claire shook her head, averting her gaze. "He's… really sweet."

Her friend's smirk turned into a more genuine smile. "You look like you're dying to talk about it. Go on; you never let yourself gush, and I'd love to hear you do it." Her eyes traced the glow in her friend's eyes.

A soft giggle escaped Claire's lips as she eagerly accepted the invitation. "He was telling me he'd never leave… H-he said he realized then that I was too important to him for that to be an option." She idly stirred at her mug of tea.

"Of course you are," Karen agreed, patiently waiting for more. Part of her wondered if Cliff knew that all along, but he had been fighting with himself over it.

"He said when he thinks of being happy… h-he thinks of me." She shyly ducked her head. "And I told him he makes me happy, too." Something about repeating the actual phrasing felt a little too intimate, but the words echoed in her head, causing a fresh wave of butterflies in her stomach.

"You're my happiness."

"We spent the evening just enjoying each other's company…" Claire continued, and her grin grew as she replayed the events in her mind.

Karen's smile turned serene; it was truly satisfying to see her friend elated like this…

"We were talking and fell asleep. I ended up sleeping in Kai's bed. Oh, and we kissed," Claire added casually at the end. Despite her flippant words, her mind was reliving the details as she bit back a happy sigh. "A couple of times, actually… I dunno if that really makes us a couple… I g-guess I should ask him how he feels… Ah, I'd love for him to be mine…"

Karen reached over and rubbed Claire's shoulder. "That's adorable. I can see how happy you two make each other. I really don't think he'd be opposed to the idea. I've been seeing him make eyes at you since the two of you met."

A smirk played at the corner of Claire's mouth. "You don't have to try to flatter me to make me feel better…"

Karen let out an exasperated sigh that turned into a laugh. "I love you, Claire, but you're incredibly dense sometimes. The kid even has a special goofy look on his face whenever your name is mentioned." She wasn't about to mention the fond tone Claire's words had gained around Cliff since the middle of summer and the gentle voice he had always used solely for Claire.

The young woman's cheeks felt hot at this claim and she recalled Ann saying something similar. Did she really garner special behavior from him? Her heart pounded as she recalled Cliff's warm deep blue gaze accompanied by a soft touch on her arm. "Ah, I just prefer to think of myself as… cautiously optimistic."

"Alright, Miss Cautious, just make sure that you don't spend so much time worrying about the what-ifs that you keep yourself from truly being happy."

"I think… I'm actually really happy," Claire replied with a dreamy sigh, resting her chin on her hand.

The memory of Harris's words broke her spell.

"Sometimes… happiness isn't enough."

She sat up straight, trying to fight back her frown. If it wasn't enough, then what was? Harris was an older, more experienced man; surely he knew what he was talking about. Was she doomed to fail with her budding relationship with Cliff?

"So, is he a good kisser or what?" Karen gave her a flirty wink.

The nagging worries left Claire's mind as she laughed, shoving her friend playfully. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She was back to carefully weeding her fields, giving Koro the occasional scratch on the head as she continued her work. The young dog left her side with a playful bark as she stood up and surveyed her fields, wiping the sweat from her brow and leaving a line of dirt across her forehead.

It was a lot more modest than the operation she had handled last season, but this was much easier for one person to manage. Her eyes scanned the tidy lines of sweet potatoes and she smiled – maybe she really was starting to get the hang of growing crops.

Koro's playful barking caught Claire's attention and she whirled around to see Cliff patting the dog's head as he approached her. Seeing that she had noticed him, he immediately turned pink, stepping towards her as he nervously rubbed the crook of his neck.

"J-just came by to see you… And say hello!" he added quickly, hoping he didn't sound like a creep that just wanted to look at her bending over in her fields.

Claire's heart pounded in her throat at the sight of him. "H-hi… How was your first day of work?"

He gave her a shy smile as he kept his eyes focused on the satchel on his shoulder. "Ah, i-it was…" Claire reached for his hands and he took hers, adjusting his breath with an anxious laugh as he struggled to calm down. "It was better than I could've hoped for."

"Were you still harvesting grapes?" She was afraid to mention she had passed by for fear of coming off as a stalker.

He nodded. "Yeah, and I'm going to be trained on how to make the wine, too." He paused, smiling. "Duke and Manna are really nice… Ah, I had a couple of things I wanted to give you." He shuffled in his bag, producing a long, thin paper sack with the Aja Winery emblem stamped on it – an embellished letter a. It was shaped for holding a bottle of wine, but as he handed it over to Claire and she peeked inside curiously, she saw it was holding something else. "The grapes for winemaking aren't really all that good for eating, but they have some vines of table grapes. They're really crunchy and juicy. I had some with my lunch… I-I thought maybe you'd like some, too…" He shyly looked away. "I know it's not much, but…"

Claire had already popped one into her mouth with a smile. "They're really good! Thank you very much! I was just finishing up for the day… W-want to… come inside and eat with me?" She scolded herself for her awkwardness.

His face lit up but his smile immediately turned apologetic. "I'd love to, but… Doug and Ann already planned a special dinner tonight to celebrate my new job… They're expecting me soon… A-and I have plans with Saibara tonight…"

Her face fell a bit. It wasn't as if he didn't have any other people who cared about him. He likely hadn't seen the old blacksmith since he got his new job. "Ah, I see. Well, have a good time. I'm sure they made something tasty, and I know Saibara will be happy to see you."

"Thanks." He gave her free hand a squeeze and stood for a moment as he observed her ruddy cheeks and dirt streaked on her forehead. Her hair was disheveled, and her work clothes were dirty. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon, and he loved seeing her full of spirit after a day of work. The young man felt a well of pride that he was able to do so as well, and he had no doubt that he was just as sweaty and grubby. "I have something else to give you, too…"

"Y-yeah?" She blushed as he stepped closer to her.

He cupped her cheek with one hand and Claire looked up at him with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted as her breath escaped her. He gave her a fond smile as his thumb grazed her cheek. "Claire…" Every fiber in his body was screaming for him to press his lips against hers, but his body refused to cooperate as he saw the openness around them and heard the hens clucking next door. The rooster let out a loud crow, causing them both to jump. He let out a nervous laugh to regulate his breathing and she let out a giggle. He knew at that moment that it wasn't going to happen, and he immediately hated himself for taking too long and letting the moment pass by. "I'll, uh, see you soon, okay?" He refused to leave her without making some sort of impression – he leaned in and softly kissed her cheek. He was instantly grateful for his choice of action; her quiet yet satisfied gasp was almost too much. Her skin was soft and she smelled faintly of sweat and fresh earth. She was too precious, and the kiss felt too good. His lips lingered for a moment before he tore himself away, his heart breaking a bit as he did so. The last thing he wanted to do was come off too strong and embarrass her…

Her eyes fluttered open as he pulled away, her beautiful dream pulled from her. A stunned Claire touched her hand to her cheek and a huge smile crept across her face as she reflected on the way his lips felt on her skin. Simple kisses on the cheek could be rather nice… The young man gave her another smile paired with a soft hug and turned to leave.

"Hey, Cliff…" Claire gulped as he stopped in his tracks. At his gaze, she played with her fingers. "H-how about tomorrow? We could spend the evening t-together? You could come over after work and I can make us dinner…"

He was nodding emphatically before she finished speaking. "You sure you don't mind? That sounds wonderful."

She eagerly bounced on the balls of her feet, a lovely flutter rising in her stomach. "Of course I don't mind! It's a date!"

He gave her a grin as he headed out and as her words hit him, his knees buckled and he struggled to walk back into town, his breath becoming uneven.

A date. I have a date with Claire tomorrow…

Claire watched him leave, her cheeks burning as she reflected on what she had just said.

I asked him on a date! And he agreed!

Her heart was singing and she did a happy twirl as she retrieved her mail from her postbox. Flipping through junk mail, bills, and an official invoice from Gotz, Claire gasped as she pulled out a plain white envelope with familiar script. It was a letter addressed to her. The sender?

Mr. Armand and Mrs. Yvette Dumont…

She was so numb that she didn't feel her shoulder collide with the side of her house as she stumbled in shock.

Author's Note: Thank you SOOOO MUCH for the outpouring of support for me as a writer and a person. I was a little nervous putting my heart out there like that. Seriously, y'all are amazing, and I'm truly humbled by your kindness! I'm really happy that I am able to share a bit of myself with y'all with this story.

I really struggled with choosing a tone for Claire and Cliff's relationship in this section. I didn't want them to be claiming they were each other's soul mates after just a couple of kisses, but I didn't want them to be too casual, either. I ended up going with a flustered, giddy happiness – almost as if this is all a dream they're afraid to wake up from. This chapter is almost completely original and I started writing it after posting the last chapter. The only part that was repurposed was bits from the kiss on the cheek. Fun fact: that kiss was scheduled to happen in the middle of WINTER and was a milestone in their relationship. Ah, the plot of this certainly has changed since the initial drafts… For the better, though, I think.

In other news, I've been on such a grape kick lately that I had to include some juicy, crunchy ones in my story. Ah, now I'm drooling.

Karen's smirking at the "special voices" Cliff and Claire use for each other is based on my sister. She says I use a "special voice" for my husband (which I don't really hear at all), and although I turn red and get flustered when she teases me about it, I kinda like it. ;)

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!