"It's too bad we've got to go back home already," Simone lamented, pulling her sister into a hug. "It was nice seeing you again. I enjoyed getting to bond with you a little."

Despite the short amount of time she had spent there, Claire knew that something had changed between her and her sister. It filled her with hope for the future. Claire adjusted her stance, the floorboards of the pier creaking beneath her weight. "You are always welcome to come back. It doesn't have to be just for work."

"Likewise," Jean reminded her. "You are always welcome to come and visit us if you need a little break from the farm work."

The farmer let out a short laugh. "I don't really get days off, but maybe someday someone will be able to watch the farm if I go out." She realized with a strange detached feeling that turning off of work sometimes might not be the worst idea.

As they hugged goodbye and she watched the boat take off from the dock, Claire felt an unexpected lump form in her throat. She blinked her misty eyes and waved, a cheesy grin covering her features. Determined to see them off with a smile, she battled with the bittersweet quality of the situation.

She would be missing her sister for the first real time in her life.

Claire had just stepped inside, finished from admiring her vast fields of sweet potatoes. It wouldn't be long now. Zack had been happy to take the first early sweet potatoes off of her hands, and she hoped he was as excited about the upcoming harvest as she was.

Winter would be coming along before she knew it; the very thought made Claire a little nervous. Gotz had suggested some quick temporary fixes to her chicken coop, and there were things that needed to be put away and prepared for the winter ahead.

Despite the looming work with the changing season, the thing that had Claire most concerned was income. She knew that three chickens would not produce enough eggs to even be worth selling, and based on what Rick had told her, the hens would naturally slow down egg production as the colder months came.

That left Claire staring at her sweet potato fields with a bit of anxiety. They would need to come out of the ground soon. No inclement weather had been predicted, but she was terrified that if something happened to her precious crop, she would be in a lot of trouble for the lean winter months. As it stood, she didn't have enough to cover her mortgage just yet. Her plans of raising a cow and a sheep took a lower priority at the moment. She was sure once money started rolling in from her crops, she would be in a more comfortable position for investing further into her property.

She was skimming a first aid book and was on a chapter detailing cold weather safety she had borrowed from the library when she heard a knock at the door. Claire answered it to reveal Mary and a fidgety Gray.

"Good afternoon."

"Ah, so she still is here," Gray commented to no one in particular.

"Hi, Claire. We were wondering if you'd like to join us. We're headed to the horse races. Gray seemed pretty concerned that you weren't going to go."

The young man tugged at the bill of his cap. "I just thought that it would be good for you to see what a properly trained horse is capable of. Not that you were really planning on turning Tucker into a racing horse or anything."

"I was planning on going." Claire pulled on her shoes.

She quickly learned that Gray was rather eager for the event. He didn't say much about the event itself, but his brisk walking pace told Claire plenty. The racetrack was on a patch of land between Forget-Me-Not Valley and Mineral Town, and Mary explained that Thomas had set aside some town funds for Zack to provide hayrides to the races via his shipping cart.

Claire took a seat on a bale of hay, immediately dreaming of hayrides in her earlier years. They were often accompanied with cider and doughnuts during her childhood visits to the orchard. Elli was sitting beside them with May and Stu, telling them that if they behaved themselves, they would be allowed pocket money to spend at the snack stalls.

Mary gave her friend a sympathetic look. It wasn't often that Elli was able to go out on social outings without being the designated babysitter. The young woman's spirits didn't seem too dampened, though. She turned toward Mary with a wink.

"How much are you betting?" She handed her friend a battered copy of the racing form.

Mary let out a soft laugh, but still took the paper from her, scanning the list of names. "Oh, I'm not sure if I'm going to bet this year."

Elli gave her friend a sly smile. "Then how am I going to know the winning horses this year?"

"Miss Mary always picks the winning horses!" Stu bounced up and down in his seat.

They were so busy chattering that they hadn't noticed that May had slowly shifted toward the front of the trailer, watching the driver with fond eyes.

"Hello, Mister Zack!" she called out. "Grandpa told me to tell you to drive safe!"

It was all he could do to keep from rolling his eyes. "Can do, Little Missy. Tell your grandpa I say hello."

She gave an emphatic nod and nestled between Elli and Mary. "Grandpa says when I'm older he'll teach me how to pick the winners." She gave Mary a grin. "But I think I'll just copy you instead."

"I don't know how you do it each year, Mary, but… I'm kind of impressed." A hint of a blush formed on Gray's cheeks.

They arrived at the racetrack and Claire's eyes widened at the sheer number of people. She watched a young woman with a blonde ponytail near them chatter along with her auburn-haired companion. The twang was unmistakable from her voice, even from a bit of a distance. They disappeared into a crowd of spectators and racers.

"Turnout seems bigger this year," Elli commented, firmly taking each child's hand in hers. "What are the rules, kids?"

"Stay with the group," Stu recited.

May chimed in. "Don't talk to strangers."

The boy's dark eyes glinted mischievously. "Stu and May get their own cotton candy."

"Oooh, I like that rule."

A smirk formed in the corner of Elli's mouth. "We'll see about that one."

The children let out groans in unison.

"Everyone knows that the best part of the horse races is all of the snacks to choose from!" Stu said with a slight sulk.

Elli could feel her willpower crumbling already. It was going to be a long day if she was already struggling. "Oh, alright, let's go get some cotton candy. That actually sounds really good right now."

Both kids cheered and Stu hugged her around the waist. "You're the best sister ever!"

Claire gave them a smile, wondering if her relationship with Simone was similar to theirs in more than a couple of ways when they were younger. Her smile drooped a little as she realized she kind of wished that Simone was still by her side.

As she followed Mary and Gray, she made a mental note to purchase more stationery at her next trip to the supermarket.

Cliff stared at the racing form in his hands and quickly folded it up, stashing it away in his pocket. He had accepted it out of politeness as he entered the gate to the racetrack.

While he didn't have spare money to bet with, he had been given a day off of work to enjoy the races. He had left Duke and Manna's company shortly after entering the gates, as each of them were eager to bet on the horses. He had quickly learned that the races were quite the social event, and he wondered if he should have asked some of his friends to join him.

He was pulled from his daydreams at Karen's fierce sales pitch at her parents' snack stall.

"Hey, Cliff! Come on and try one! Corn muffins! My mom's been makin' 'em forever! It's a Rigby family recipe!"

Rigby…

He blinked.

Now I know this can't be coincidence anymore…

Cliff eagerly fished a few coins out of his pocket and handed them to Karen with shaking fingers.

She gave him a corn muffin in return. "Ha, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist! They're just a little sweet because of the-"

"Maple syrup," he finished, staring at the muffin as if it were a treasure.

"I was just going to say 'the secret ingredient'!" Karen gave him a suspicious look. "You're right. Don't go blabbing it, though! Mom doesn't give that recipe out freely, you know…"

There were a few things about Karen that he had been pondering for the past few months, and he figured now was the time to stop beating around the bush.

"This is Grandma Eve's recipe, isn't it?" He bit into it, a little surprised at the emotional effect it had on him. He was at home with his family, curled up under a blanket in front of the fire with a bowl of stew. His mother was fussing with his ponytail that had come loose… He chewed and swallowed, blinking the mistiness from his eyes.

"You know it!" Her smile faded. "Is everything alright? There's nothing wrong with the food, is there?"

Cliff fought the lump in his throat, shaking his head. "Ma made the same ones every year for Winter Thanksgiving… Grandma's recipe…"

Karen's breath hitched. "Goddess, Cliff… are you saying…?"

He gave her a nod. "We have the same grandmother because our mothers were sisters… We're cousins."

"We're related?!" Karen threw her arms around him and wasn't quite sure why she felt like crying. "You've had family here in Mineral Town all along!" She gave him a rough squeeze. "Ah, I'm so glad we didn't let you leave without a fight…" She began bouncing around with excitement. "I'll have to introduce you to our other cousin, Celia sometime! She's over in Forget-Me-Not Valley. Hey, Mom!"

Sasha finished giving her customer a sack of muffins and gave her daughter a stern look. "Save your yelling for the actual race. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! I just found out that Cliff's grandma is Grandma Eve, too!"

Sasha stood silently for a moment, the shock written clearly on her face. Her eyebrows slightly furrowed as her lips turned into a frown, her overall expression almost concerned. "You must be… Katrina's child, then…"

"Yes. Katrina and Flint Yamamoto."

Worry lines appeared on her forehead and it seemed like an eternity before she spoke. "I'm glad to know this, I really am, Cliff… I just… You have to understand that my sister and I disagreed about a lot of things, especially after our brother, Jake, passed so suddenly."

He still remembered the sad way Katrina spoke of her departed brother. "Hunting accident at fourteen… I'm aware." Cliff's voice was soft.

Karen couldn't help but feel panic traveling through her veins. "You're not going to shut Cliff out because of something that happened long ago that doesn't even involve him, are you?" As far as she was concerned, Cliff struggled with fitting in enough as it was.

There was a hurt look on Sasha's face. "Of course not… I must ask you this, though – was… Katrina happy?"

Cliff's face fell and he gulped. "I… wasn't with her when she passed, but… in most of my childhood memories, Ma was smiling. She loved my father and Akiyama Village very much."

She gave him a pained look and closed her eyes, gulping as she struggled to maintain a straight face in public. "At least I know that her child didn't let himself remain trapped in a place like that…"

"What the hell, Mom?" Karen's voice cracked as she gave her a dirty look. "Why are you behaving like this? I thought this would make everyone happy."

Cliff spoke up. "I left Akiyama because I felt trapped. I think… that Ma…" He paused and frowned, a wave of depression creeping back up on him. "I don't think she ever recovered from losing my father."

Tears were now tumbling down Sasha's cheeks and she grabbed a napkin to stop them. "I knew she should have stayed in town…"

"Are you saying Cliff never should have been born?! How selfish can you be, Mom?" Karen protectively grabbed Cliff's arm as she stamped her foot. "And here I was, thinking that you were the adult here!"

Sasha just shook her head as more tears fell. She hurried back towards the gate with a napkin concealing her face.

"She's kidding, right?!" Karen reached into the till, returning Cliff's coins. "Well, I'm not about to charge family for refreshments…" She turned toward her father, who was busy helping customers. "Look… I'm really sorry about all of that. I'm happy that we're related."

Cliff let out a small sigh as he stared at the half-eaten muffin in his hand, nearly dropping the change she had given him.

I really do bring misery to those around me…

A voice shook him from his thoughts. "Three, please."

"Oh, you don't have to treat me, Gray," Claire insisted, shaking her head.

Cliff's ears perked up and he looked over to see Claire accompanying Gray and Mary.

"It's no big deal."

"Well, we appreciate it anyway." Mary smiled at him fondly.

Jeff accepted the money and turned to Karen. "Where did your mother go?"

She gritted her teeth. "Good question. I think she went home. Looks like I'm gonna be your assistant now." She gave her father a glum look as she put on some gloves to distribute the muffins. "Claire, take Cliff with you. He needs someone kind today."

He straightened his posture, trying his best to shake off the situation. "I'm alright."

There was a knowing look in her eyes, and he couldn't tell if he was comforted or distressed by this. "I'd still be happy to have your company." Her voice was sweet and soothing.

Karen handed them some extra napkins. "And I feel the same way, Cliff. Seriously."

The corners of his lips tilted upward ever so slightly. "Thank you." He was taken by surprise when Claire looped her arm around his as they walked along. It was such a familiar gesture between the two of them, but now that they had gone on a date together, he wondered if more was implied by it. Claire adjusted her hold on his arm. Perhaps she was being friendly because Karen had implied he was having a rough time…

He couldn't get Sasha's words out of his head:

"At least I know that her child didn't let himself remain trapped in a place like that…"

Perhaps she knew more about Akiyama's culture than she let on. Cliff wondered if he told her about everything he did, she'd understand, and even support his decisions...

Don't kid yourself. If anything, she'd hate your guts. It's plain to see she loved her sister.

"Honestly, I think if I actually placed a bet, I might just pick the horse with the most entertaining name," Claire was saying. "That's got to count for something, doesn't it?"

She almost jumped when Gray very emphatically told her that it most certainly did not count for anything and that there were several things to look for in picking a winning horse. Mary watched them with amusement; she had already placed money on a horse named Little Gray Cloud, much to Gray's chagrin.

Cliff was paying attention to none of this as he stared blankly forward, his surroundings becoming an irritating buzz.

"… li… liff… Cliff."

He blinked, snapping to attention as everything around him suddenly shot into focus. The chatter, cheering, and laughter of the crowd suddenly felt far too loud and he resisted the urge to cover his ears. He nearly dropped the crumbling corn muffin in his hand.

There was concern in Claire's eyes as she shifted her weight against him with her shoulder to support him. She didn't call attention to his lack of awareness. "There was something special I wanted to show you. We'll catch up with you two later." She gave friendly nods to Mary and Gray as they continued along.

She brought him to a secluded area beyond the trees lining the race track. Cliff gave her a confused frown as she sat under a tree and motioned for him to join her.

"What was it you wanted to show me?"

She gave him a knowing look, but her eyes remained friendly and caring. "I wanted to show you this place. It's kind of hectic out there."

He thought of the smiles Gray and Mary had earned from her as they bought their refreshments. "You mean it's hectic out there for someone like me."

He hadn't countered her attempts to cheer him up in such an outright manner since their friendship was still fairly new. Still, her voice remained steady and patient. "I was referring to myself, but I wondered if you were feeling the same way." She spread a napkin and set her snack upon it, inviting him to do the same.

He figured she had plenty of experience dealing with her younger brothers' tantrums and that was why she was remaining so amiable. It was a long time before Cliff spoke. Claire watched him as he leaned back, studying the clouds.

"I told Karen something I've had a hunch about for a while… We're related."

Claire's mind drifted to their similar brown and gold hair, the way their voices meshed together as they sang the same tune. Still, they seemed to be from opposite ends of the Earth…

"Really?"

He gave a single nod. "Our mothers were sisters. Sasha… took the news as best as she could, I suppose…"

She had a feeling that it was quite possible Karen's mother could have taken the news better, as she could still see the worried look on her friend's face.

"It's not a big deal, though… I just kind of wish I had kept my mouth shut." He rubbed his arm and looked away.

Claire frowned. "I don't understand why having family nearby is a bad thing."

"Her mother and mine had a bit of a falling out when they were in their late teens," he explained. "Grandma Eve grew up in a small town and ended up marrying a local farmer. Her grandfather was always trying to talk her into coming to live in the mountains with him, and she was constantly trying to ask him to move into town."

"Sounds like they both wanted to be together but they didn't want to give up what they had." Claire reached over and started on her muffin once more, waiting for him to continue.

"It can be hard to change your way of life just for someone else… even if it is someone you care about a lot." Cliff gave her a sad smile. "Uncle Jake, who was on my mother's side, became fascinated from hearing all the stories about Great Grandpa Terry. He went camping, determined to go on his first hunting trip by himself… He didn't make it back. He was only fourteen years old."

Claire blinked in surprise. She tried to remember her own life at the age of fourteen, studying for exams in high school and beginning to take on more duties to help around the house. "That must have come as a shock, especially with him being so young."

Cliff nodded. "My mother and Sasha had very different ways of dealing with it. Ma wanted to honor him by learning more about the outdoors and living a life more closely with nature. She heard about a small village in the mountains called Akiyama and decided to travel there. I can only assume that Sasha was against the idea, especially when she found out it was a rural hunting village and essentially all of the men there are raised to hunt." A small but pained smile appeared on his lips. "Ma visited and fell in love with the culture. They accepted her as one of them, and she used the singing and dancing she learned from her mother to help conduct festivals. Ah, that's one thing I forgot to mention. Grandma Eve worked at a bar, and she would sing and dance for the customers while her friend played along on the piano."

Claire thought of Karen's voice at the Music festival as it blended with the instruments. "It sounds nice."

"She… had the prettiest voice." Cliff's voice was husky. "I… I don't know if I can remember exactly how it sounded…"

His words made her heart break. His eyes were shrouded by his bangs, and she granted him privacy by averting her eyes. Claire covered his hand with hers. "I'm sorry."

They sat in silence, watching the fall breeze cause a few leaves to tumble from the branches above them. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, the pain fading from his facial expressions a bit. He couldn't keep falling into these gloomy states around her. Sooner or later, she would surely tire from it all and find more upbeat people to spend her time with. "I'm sorry for rambling like that. You asked a simple question and I wouldn't stop talking."

Besides, if she knows too much, she really won't like me…

She shook her head. This instance was the most he had actually volunteered to tell her about his family. "I'm happy to learn more about you and your loved ones."

"I'm not sure why." The words slipped out and he nearly slapped his hands over his mouth. Cliff grimaced at his choice of words, ducking his head in embarrassment. "D-didn't you want to bet on a horse today?" Couldn't she see how much time and effort she was wasting on him?

Claire shrugged her shoulders. "There's time. I was more interested in just looking at all the horses more than anything else. And Cliff…" She looked at him, her eyes widening as she squeezed his hand. "I… I like learning about you because I care about you." She lifted his hand to her lips and shyly looked around them before pressing a small kiss against his knuckles, closing her eyes as a blush crept across her cheeks.

His mouth fell open at the gesture and she gave him a sincere smile, squeezing his hand one last time.

"I mean it," she whispered.

Cliff's hand instinctively reached for his pocket and he felt frustration bubble within him as remembered it was stuffed with the racing form and not the stone pendant he had been meaning to give her. He had left it at the inn because that day was bound to be busy enough as it was.

He wished he deserved her kindness. Still, part of him felt irritated that her kind eyes were causing his mood to improve.

I'll never be able to stand on my own…

He looked at her bright blue eyes and his heart gave a loud thump.

Maybe I'm not meant to.

"When you're ready, we can go to the stalls and meet the horses. There was a really pretty Appaloosa I saw earlier. I wonder if the owners will let us pet them…"

He grinned. He thoroughly enjoyed watching Claire interact with animals. "Well, just be sure you have permission. It's not like they are here to just horse around."

Claire gave him a stern look, but the smile forming on her mouth was unmistakable. "I'm not even going to entertain that hoof-hearted attempt at a joke right there."

A laugh escaped his mouth as his worries crumbled apart. Cliff felt his hunger return to him and he turned to his half-finished muffin as they stood up.

The corn muffin still tasted like home…

He made sure to savor it.

Author's Note: Merry Christmas! I hope you're enjoying your day and hopefully spending it with loved ones!

I've been hinting at Cliff and Karen being cousins for a very long time now. How many of you pieced it together already? :)

I took a different approach to my regular festival chapters. I wanted to make interactions between the characters be more of the driving force instead of the event itself. I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Thank you so much for reading along. Your reviews, favorites, kudos, and follows really mean a lot to me.

Next chapter is the Big 100~!