Chapter 13: Cheers!

The two figures walked into the room. Unable to breathe, I just waited until they stepped into the light. As the door closed behind them, the reflecting light from the fireplace lit up two smiling faces.

"Hey Jen! I have GREAT news!" Karen said excitedly as she walked in the door pulling Rick behind her. "Oh! Hello Cliff, I didn't know you would be here too," She added, turning to me, giving me a look. I glared her down to make sure she didn't say anything else. She smiled.

"Mmmm... something smells good, what are you two cooking?" Rick asked, pulling forward from behind Karen.

"Carp, three feet of Carp!" Cliff exclaimed, still proud of his capture of the gigantic fish. "Care to join us? There's quite enough for everyone." I smiled at him and nodded to Karen.

"Well don't mind if I do!" Karen said. We all sat down around my small table. I put out plates, and served everyone a glass of wine. Cliff served everyone a huge chunk of Carp, and then seated himself at the table.

"I'm starving," Rick said as he drooled over the delicious looking carp.

"Well go ahead, dig in," I laughed. "So what is this 'GREAT' news that you have for us Karen?" I asked my friend.

"Well... have a look for yourself," she said pulling something from behind her back.

"Oh my goddess! Is that what I think it is?" I exclaimed jumping up from the table, almost knocking everything over. In Karen's hands there was a feather, and not only a feather, but a blue feather. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It shimmered in the light, almost as if it had specks of crystal attached to it.

"Yup! Rick proposed to me last night when we had dinner on the beach!" She giggled. I could tell she was so happy because her eyes were gleaming.

"Oh Karen, I am so happy for you!" I said, and we danced around in the middle of my small house. We heard some snickering from the table and we both looked over. There, Cliff and Rick sat looking at us as if we were crazy.

"Hey! What are you laughing at Rick? When I said yes, you almost fainted you were so happy!" Karen said to her soon to be husband.

"Nice going," Cliff laughed nudging Rick in the side. Rick smiled, his cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Karen and I reseated ourselves at the table.

"Well Karen, you are now officially the first girl to receive a blue feather," I said to her taking a sip of wine.

"Oh my goddess... you're right, I never even thought about that!" She said laughing.

"So when is the wedding?" Cliff asked, starting to pick at his carp.

"The 12th of Fall, the day before the Moon-Viewing Festival," Rick said happily.

"Oh! You will have a beautiful honeymoon," I exclaimed, and both Karen and I cracked up laughing. Everybody was so happy. This had turned out to be a wonderful day.

"Oh, that reminds me Jen. I wanted to ask you something," Karen said turning toward me.

"Uh-huh?" I mumbled, trying to swallow a piece of fish.

"I want you to be my Maid of Honor," Karen said. I was stunned. I had never been in a wedding, let alone been the Maid of Honor.

"Of course I will!" I replied, and Karen and I giggled again. This was wonderful! My best friend was getting married, and I was going to be the Maid of Honor! I couldn't wait for the wedding!

"So where are you going to live after you get married?" I asked her.

"Well, definitely not at my house! Lilia invited us to live in the guest bedroom until our new house is built," she replied.

"You're getting a new house!" I exclaimed, dieing to hear of their future plans. How had they gotten this all planned in just one day!

"Yeah. Gotz said he could build it just across from the poultry farm in the open lot. We already gave him the plans for the house and it should be done by winter," Rick said.

"Well congratulations you two. How you ever got this all done in one day I will never know, but I'm glad you two are happy," Cliff said smiling. I was surprised at the fact he was thinking the same thing as I. It must have been coincidence.

"Speaking of being happy Jen, how was your date..." realizing that she was going to bring up my date with Kai, I quickly motioned her to shut up. It had been such a wonderful day with Cliff; I didn't want to ruin it all. "I mean... um... Dream! Yeah that's it!" She chimed in suddenly. "Nice save" I thought.

"Haha... um... dream? Hm... Well actually I did have quite a weird dream last night!" I replied. Thank goddess Karen said something useful for once. "I swear it was something that happened in the past. There was a young boy, and I gave him a music box, and he gave me a necklace, like the one I'm wearing now. I told him that I would come back... it was quite weird. For some reason, it seems so familiar though."

"Hm... I think you need to lay off the wine Jen," Karen laughed. I looked over at Cliff. He was staring at the table, not talking at all.

"What's wrong Cliff?" I asked him. He looked up at me, he seemed puzzled.

"Oh, nothing," he chimed in and smiled at me. I smiled back.

"So Rick, have you picked out your Best man yet?" Karen asked Rick. "He has been thinking all day and he still hasn't found one."

"Well actually, I was hoping you would be my Best Man... Cliff," He replied, looking over at Cliff.

"Me?" He asked stunned, "Well, I always knew we were friends, but never good enough for this. Sure I'll do it if you really want me too," he smiled back.

"Of course I do! You have been the nicest to me out of all the guys in this place. Everyone else thinks I'm a nerd, but you looked past that... Thanks!" Rick smiled. Cliff smiled back and rose his glass.

"A toast to the engagement of Karen and Rick, to a good harvest, and to a wonderful year!" He said. We all raised our glasses to the middle, the light shining through the crystal glasses, turning the room crimson from the reflection of the red wine. I looked over to my best friend, then to Rick, and finally to Cliff. I smiled as I looked into his green eyes.

"CHEERS!"