"So, tell me about yourself."

Cliff blinked. Throughout the years, he had grown rather skilled at carefully choosing his words so that he never really had to say anything about his background or interests. His instinct was to recoil at the question, but at seeing Simone's questioning sapphire eyes that looked so much like Claire's, he found that he wanted to answer.

He felt the need to impress her. After all, if he wanted to be part of Claire's life, he'd need to get along with her family…

Especially if I want to be a member someday.

He felt his blush creep all the way down his neck at the very thought. He struggled to find words. "I moved to Mineral Town just a c-couple of months before Claire did… I, uh… S-she recently helped me find a job at the winery in town…"

He was aware she could see him floundering. He was surprised when she gave him a small smile. "We walked past it on the way here. It looks very nice. I'm thinking of stopping by tomorrow to their gift shop."

"Oh, that's g-great! We have a lot of different varieties and the owners are trying to come up with something new." He gave an awkward chuckle; it was likely he sounded like a walking advertisement for his place of employment.

"Your vineyard is a cute place. My husband and I have gone on a couple of winery tours back at home. He's working with the doctor here in town on a project," Simone explained.

"Oh! Are you a doctor, too, then?"

She shook her head. "No, I manage a boutique in the city."

His eyes traced her tailored pants and stylish navy blue jacket. Her hair was pristinely trimmed and she carried herself with an air of confidence. She was very pretty, and Cliff supposed that she looked so put together because of her job. He resisted running his fingers through his ponytail; he had been trimming some of the grape vines today and it was possible he had remnants of plants in his hair. He was not in any hurry to show off how sloppy he was, especially in front of someone so tidy and elegant.

"I thought it would be nice to pay my little sister a visit since my husband had to come to Mineral Town anyway. She's showing me around her place. Isn't her farm adorable?"

Cliff's face lit up, his messy hair forgotten. "It's pretty amazing!"

Claire felt a glow in her cheeks. "Well, maybe someday it will be."

She was startled when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. "It is now, Claire." Simone gave her a knowing look.

The farmer felt a lump begin to form in her throat as she thought of the letter from her parents. She grappled with the urge to deflect their compliments.

The struggle was evident on her face. "She's right, you know." The light behind Cliff's eyes caused her breath to hitch. "Look at all those sweet potatoes you have growing now. Back in the city would you have thought you were capable of accomplishing this? You have a right to be proud. Think of all the people you're going to feed."

Claire felt a rush at his words. She led the way to her patches of crops, unaware of the bounce that had appeared in her step. "I hope people around here are hungry for sweet potatoes. That's mostly what I grew." She pointed to the rows of vines growing along the ground. "There's a buyer that comes and gives me payment based on the market. He takes them away in his truck and sells them to supermarkets in the area," she explained to her sister. "I just finished harvesting some spinach. I'll probably have some more ready by the end of the season. I did a lot of tomatoes and corn in the summer." She pointed to a section of withered cornstalks. "I have some corn I'm drying out to use as feed. My hens are going to be so happy this winter!"

Simone smiled at the delight on Cliff's face at seeing Claire so excited. Her eyes moved back toward the pen of chickens. "They sure are cute. Why don't you show them to me tomorrow? I'll find a time when Jean's available, too." As Claire nodded in agreement, Simone checked her watch as it chimed at her. "I've got to go back to the clinic for dinner."

"I'll walk you back!" Claire and Cliff volunteered in unison.

A smile was given to each of them. "Sounds good. How about you both meet us in my room at the inn later tonight? I'll order us some room service and we can just hang out. Why don't you bring Karen, too?"

Claire couldn't help but feel a bit star struck. Simone had always been so much older and so much more mature than her. She was tickled that her older sister wasn't treating her like a child, but a small part of her remained cautious. After all, she had seen Claire's regular meltdowns as a child. She didn't throw tantrums like her younger brothers, but she had unofficially been dubbed the crybaby of the family. Why was Simone being so accommodating?

As she led the way with Cliff back to the clinic, Claire couldn't help but wonder if some sort of test awaited her.

Gray looked up from his book as the door to his room opened and closed that evening.

He gave his roommate a nod as he returned to his war drama novel. He found it hard to focus, however, as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye; Cliff was pacing and nervously digging though his clothing, running fingers along the stitching on his tunic and fingering his leather bracers with a concerned look.

"Date tonight?"

Cliff tried and failed to mask his facial expressions, realizing it must have been easy to tell he was stressed. "Claire's sister is in town. She's staying in the room next door and they invited me and Claire over to spend some time together and order room service."

"Heh, well I think they're going to see Doug's Inn doesn't exactly have ritzy, big-city amenities."

"I'm pretty sure she's enjoying the change of pace," Cliff replied, staring at his clothing options. He finally frowned, taking off the shirt he was wearing. He never cared much about what he looked like, but he couldn't help but feel like he needed to impress Claire's family. He let out a small sigh as he looked at the worn clothes on his bed.

I'll never impress them with these…

He almost thought about asking Gray if he had any formal clothing he could borrow, but he had a feeling that would just make things more awkward, showing up dressed as someone else. That, and he had a good feeling that any of Gray's nicer clothes had likely been balled up and stored under his bed; they hadn't been seen since the dance last summer.

"So, spending the evening with Claire's family… Things must be official, then."

Cliff turned a bright shade of pink. "Karen will be there, too. Besides, I… I haven't asked her yet." He walked over to his nightstand and picked up the stone pendant, running his thumb along the etchings. "I guess part of me is still kind of scared."

Gray put down his book. "Scared of what?"

To his surprise, Cliff rolled his eyes. "You expect me to believe you weren't nervous before asking Mary to be yours?"

"I was terrified," Gray admitted honestly. "I was afraid I had messed things up with her beyond repair. Then I had the nerve to ask her to be my girlfriend despite everything… I'm still kinda surprised she accepted." He let out a small sigh, his eyes traveling over the spines of the books Mary had hand-selected for him. "I really don't deserve her."

He looked up and Cliff was gazing at the pendant with a sad smile. "I know how you feel." His voice was barely above a whisper. "I really don't deserve Claire, either. I can't help but wonder if my coming into her life will only cause misery…"

"Hey…" Gray tugged on the bill of his cap. "If we had never met… Well, let's just say I'd be even more of a mess than I am right now." He watched as Cliff distractedly untied his hair and brushed it out. "You have plenty to offer her. I mean, I've seen her laugh at those stupid jokes of yours."

A smile cracked across Cliff's face as he untangled his hair with the brush. "At least she appreciates them." His smile faded. Surely there was something other than the occasional laugh he could give her. He closed his eyes and thought of her dancing blue eyes, her flushed pink cheeks, her rosy lips…

Her mouth was moving slowly in prayer. Even in her hushed tones, her strong city accent was apparent. She had been a source of strength for him in those times.

She had sat beside him on the dock and watched the sunset with him on Ivy's last birthday.

His stomach turned.

Something else – anything else…

Another memory – Claire's hand was rubbing soft circles along his back as he stared blankly into his bowl of cream stew. They were at Ruby's Inn and he was numb with fear and anxiety. His wounded arms had throbbed in pain. She had pushed her cotton mattress against his that evening, listening to his worries and fears without complaint, accepting the role of his rock without a moment's hesitation.

He tied back his hair solemnly. "She's done so much for me…"

Too much.

Far more than I deserve.

"Hey."

Gray's voice pulled Cliff from his thoughts.

"Y'know… when Claire first moved here, she was really unhappy. You could just see it on her face. And she lost weight really fast. She was pretty small to begin with. I don't really think she was eating… If you never taught her about foraging…" Gray said slowly, "she might have given up and gone back to the city to be with her parents or something." He folded his arms across his chest thoughtfully. "You might not realize it, but you taught her a lot about independence. Not to get mushy or anything, but I could see her transform when she'd come up to our room to talk to us. She'd just light up to see you and she was excited to talk about her farm again. You changed her for the better, man. It's okay to acknowledge that."

Cliff knew Gray was just trying to be kind. Claire had been busy trying to get his roommate's attention during her first months in Mineral Town.

Surely, her interest in me is only very recent…

Despite this, Cliff felt a warm glow in his heart as he selected and pulled on his nicest tunic. The fabric grazed his skin and he inspected his healed injuries from earlier that season. The wounds on his arms had closed and pink scars had formed, but they blended in alright with the other bumps and scrapes he had acquired throughout the years. He no longer had to cover them up. Perhaps time had healed more than just his arms…

"Is that all your clothes? You need to buy some more…"

His thoughts drifted back to the lovely young woman who was kind, strong, determined, clever, and adorable. Cliff's heart pounded with determination.

There's something far more important that I need to save my money for.

"I'm pretty excited to meet your sister. I wonder how alike you two are."

Karen got a weak smile in response. "We're really different. She's confident and beautiful…"

The brunette gave Claire a frown as she watched the way she was wringing her hands. "You really think you can get away with saying something like that around me?"

Claire gave her an apologetic smile and looked back down at her hands. She stared down at the cobblestone path they were walking on.

"Hey… you look nervous." Her posture stiffened as her eyes narrowed. "Did she say something to you?"

"No, no… Everything's fine," Claire admitted. She let out a tiny sigh. "Almost… too fine. She's been so supportive and kind to me. It's not like she terrorized me as a kid or anything, but… we were never close… I just don't know why she is being so nice."

Karen looked at the burning streetlights as they moved past them and buried her hands into her pockets. "Maybe because you're the best friend ever and deserve to have happy and good things happen to you?"

Claire bit her lip as she followed her along, unsure of how to respond.

"Are you worried she's going to play twenty questions with Cliff?"

Claire kept her voice low as they made their way to the inn, looking around them before speaking. "She didn't mention much about it while she was visiting earlier, but I can't help but wonder if this is some kind of set up."

Karen pushed the door to the inn open with her shoulder, a concerned expression on her features. "Has she done things like this before with you?"

Claire shook her head. "Well, no…" Her eyes reflected sorrow. "Mum and Dad… they aren't crazy about the way I'm living right now. Simone's actually really supportive. She told me a lot of things about her own issues with Mum and Dad…"

"Sounds like she's on your side, then." Karen led the way up the stairs.

"I'm just not sure why," Claire confessed, unable to shake her unease. She thought of her overgrown tomatoes, her shabby house, her months wasted fawning over a man who never thought of her as more than an acquaintance…

I have screwed up a lot since coming here… If this is some kind of intervention, maybe I deserve it.

She gave the door a hesitant knock, embarrassed at how her fist was shaking.

"Hey, don't give it any more thought. I'll be right beside you," Karen reminded her. "Besides, Cliff's going to be here, too. We've always got your back."

Karen fell silent as the door swung open. Her eyes widened as they traveled between the two siblings, marveling in how similar they looked.

"You must be Karen." Simone ushered them inside and gestured toward a tall man sitting at the table, helping himself to some sparkling juice. "This is my husband, Jean. And as you probably know, I'm Simone, Claire's older sister."

Karen sat down right beside Jean. "Pleased to meet you. I heard you are working with Doctor Trent?"

Jean gave a hearty nod. "Yes, we're studying infections. We're working with bergamot and enhancing some compounds with it."

Simone flashed her husband a grateful smile. It wasn't often he kept his talks about work in simple terms.

"Did you guys know that the farm Claire has been abandoned for almost twenty-five years before she took it over? She had to do a complete overhaul on the whole thing."

Claire's cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"She had the largest tomato harvest in the region, too. She provided a lot of food for our local Harvest Festival recently."

Claire sunk into her seat. Surely her relatives thought that she had pressured Karen into bragging about her…

"My parents run the local supermarket and we sell a lot of her produce. She buys the seeds from us. Then she grows them again and we buy them back. It's kind of like a big circle."

"Crop circles," Claire instinctively murmured under her breath.

Karen laughed at the pun and Claire couldn't help but wonder if it was louder than usual. Her worries eased a bit and a smile played at Claire's lips as she saw Jean choke on his drink a bit, snorting with laughter.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Simone opened the door to a nervous Cliff, who introduced himself with a stammer and was grateful to take the seat beside Claire.

"I ordered us some snacks, and I was told they'd be up before too long," Jean stated. "I don't think I've ever ordered food straight from the cook like that. It was kind of nice."

"It's a charming town, huh, hon?" Simone gave him a cheerful nod.

"Yeah. It's small but seems really friendly. Claire, how are you liking it here?" he asked.

She thought of the quaint cobblestone streets, the small shops that greeted her by name, the wilderness surrounding them. "It's a lot different from the city, but the longer I stay here, the more I realize it's exactly what I need." She saw her friends in her peripheral vision and the corners of her lips upturned.

"Well, I'm happy that you're happy." Jean gave her a kind smile, relaxing in his chair. "I've been corresponding with Doctor Trent for a while and I had no idea of how beautiful it was out here. He was really talking up the natural hot springs around here. Simone and I will need to check those out before we leave."

"They're the best!" Karen chimed in.

Cliff gave an approving nod. "Go at night so you can watch the stars."

Simone raised her eyebrows. "That does sound pretty romantic." Her eyes flicked toward her sister with curiosity, her eyebrows slightly raised and a slight smirk on her mouth. It was almost as if she was silently asking Claire if the reason for Cliff's recommendation was because it was something they had done together.

Relaxing in the hot springs did sound rather nice, but everyone in town knew it was used as an outdoor bath more than anything else…

Claire suddenly felt as if the thermostat was turned up a little too high. She tugged at the sleeves of her turtleneck sweater.

"The spring nearby is one of my favorite places. There's also the beach. I could stare at the waves for days." Karen let out a dreamy sigh, a longing wistfulness in her expression.

"And where is your favorite place, Claire?" her brother-in-law asked.

She hadn't really given much thought to the how many scenic places existed in such a small vicinity since she read the advertisement in the newspaper for Mineral Town. There was a clearing in the mountains that was beautiful and could be chosen as a favorite spot. She recalled a warm day in late spring: kneeling in the tall grass collecting herbs and watching a shy Cliff pass her a sprig of rosemary for her to smell. She hadn't realized until that moment that she thought of it as theirs.

There was an unassuming corner at the inn on the right side of the bar. It was secluded enough to allow her to eat in peace if need be, but it was close enough to allow her to speak to Ann while she put away clean glasses under the bar.

There was a cozy bench located just outside of the supermarket. Claire had seen Karen and Rick spend countless mornings talking to each other before work, and she had spent many an afternoon with her best friend, sharing a quick snack and a word before she brought her groceries back home.

Despite all of those special locations, there was one that was more precious.

"There are a lot of nice places to go around here," Claire confessed. "Would it be cheesy if I said my farm was my favorite?"

"Home is where the heart is, after all."

Karen was giving her a bright smile and Claire felt her own fade a bit. She nervously looked over at her sister's reaction. Simone didn't have much of an expression on her face at all.

"I like hanging out at your place, too." Karen gave her a wink. "What about you, Cliff?"

He gave a small nod, his cheeks flushing a bit as he shyly ducked his head.

"We come over a lot," Karen bragged.

Claire was surprised when she heard a snicker from her sister's direction.

"Gee, Claire," Simone laughed, "between Cliff and Karen, it's a wonder you get any work done."

The room fell silent and the smile immediately wiped off of her face as she realized what she had said.

Claire could see Karen's posture become rigid while Cliff hung his head as if deeply reprimanded. Jean's gaze turned to the tabletop while Simone slouched back in her seat, a little embarrassed the words had passed her lips.

Claire gulped. "They help and support me." She thought of her friends working out in her fields while she was recovering from heat exhaustion. She remembered Karen's caring shoulder to cry on, Cliff's hands squeezing hers… They were more than just her good friends. "I… I wouldn't have it any other way! I work very hard so that I have time to spend with both of them."

Simone gave her sister an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way. It's important for you to live the life you want and be happy doing it…" She looked back at Jean who gave her a small nod of encouragement. "Look. I need to be honest with you. I did come here because I was kind of worried about you after Mum and Dad said you had moved out to the boonies to run a farm of all things. They told me about the last time they saw you."

Claire's heart stopped. She braced herself for blunt language.

"I get it," Simone continued. "I know what it's like for them not to understand. They have their way of 'meaning well'." She gave her sister a knowing look. "But I guess despite that, deep down I was kind of worried. My baby sister out here, all alone in a strange town…"

Her words struck a nerve. She folded her arms across her chest indignantly. "I'm not a baby! And why do you care now? We were never close, admit it." Claire hated the bitter tone in her own words, but it didn't stop them from coming out.

"We weren't." There was a sad smile on Simone's face. "And I'm sorry that never bothered me until now. You've… always seemed like such a lonely girl, Claire." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm really glad that you have good friends that you can depend on here." She blinked away a dusting of tears. "I guess I just feel kind of feel bad that I never did that for you when we were young. I was more of a lazy babysitter than an actual sister, so focused in my own little bubble that I couldn't take the time to learn more about you. I didn't fully realize that until this afternoon."

Claire's anger faded. "We have that time now. To be sisters, I mean."

She was surprised when Simone stood up and walked over to her. "I'd really like that." She held out her arms to her and Claire stood up, reacquainting herself with her sister's embrace.

They finally parted and Simone let out a little chuckle, brushing away the last of the mistiness in her eyes. She turned toward Karen and Cliff. "Sorry to put you two in the middle of family drama."

Karen dismissed this with the wave of a hand. "We're practically family anyway."

There was a soft knock at the door and Jean answered it, bringing in a plate of cookies, cheeses, sausage, and crackers. "Ann, was it? Her cookies smell amazing."

"Make sure you try a sugar cookie." Karen pulled her attention from the sisters for a moment.

Simone gave Claire's hair a playful ruffle as she accepted a cookie from Jean. She gave her little sister one last squeeze, looking curiously at the chairs.

"Please," Cliff volunteered, standing up to offer his seat.

"Thank you." Simone almost said she could see why Claire saw him as such a sweetheart, but she decided against it. Surely she had embarrassed her enough already today. As the group gathered their snacks, she sat down in the chair beside Claire. Karen said something to her, and Simone smiled as she watched the tension leave her sister's face. Claire laughed, and Simone couldn't remember such mirth from her, even as children. It was open, free, and unapologetic – overall refreshing.

Cliff returned to Claire with a plate of snacks for her. The corners of her mouth curled up and Simone watched a hint of a blush form on her cheeks as she thanked him. He took his seat on the other side of the room, but Simone noted that his eyes still fondly trailed to her from time to time.

Simone decided that Mineral Town was cute and pleasant, and so were the residents. It had been uncharacteristic for Claire to disagree with their parents, but Simone could see that a there was a reason why she favored her property in her new life.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Wow, I really struggled with this one. There were so many days I would only add a single sentence or paragraph to this, just staring at it. I was trying to create some awkwardness between the characters, trying to make small talk. I always feel like I struggle writing larger groups of people because I feel like everyone's obligated to say a line. I did make some characters talk more than others, because I feel like that's just the way group conversations go sometimes.

The big 100 is coming up. I do have a lot of chapter 100 drafted, but I haven't even started on 99 yet. Yikes!

As always, I greatly appreciate you reading along, favoriting, reviewing, and following. Have a great day! :D