Claire stared down at her rows of what looked like plain soil. It was a far cry from the fields of tomatoes she had sported up until recently, but it was time for a change. The tomato vines had grown frail and yellow, their leaves curling up. The farmer had cleared a section of the plants and started some new crops, but it was a little disappointing to see bare dirt once more.

"Ah, your dining buddy's gone now? I haven't seen him in a few days." Popuri was leaning against the fence, twirling a basket in her hands.

"Hunting season," Claire explained with a slightly regretful smile. "I'm glad we were able to help each other out while it lasted, though…"

"Yeah… I could tell you two had a lot of fun together…" Popuri's eyebrows furrowed as she bit her lip; Claire noticed she looked like something was on her mind. She opened her mouth to continue, but Rick's voice caught his sister by surprise.

"'Afternoon, Claire!" He gave her a casual wave as he hoisted a bag of feed onto his shoulder and headed out to the coops.

"Good afternoon!" She waved back, rolling up her sleeves and removing her work gloves.

Popuri lost her nerve and sighed, climbing over the fence. "Well, I suppose it's time we pick up May and meet the others."

Claire nodded and grabbed her rucksack from the shade, along with a basket. She wasn't sure how many flowers and leaves they were going to need for the Music Festival decorations, but she didn't want to come unprepared.

May was outside and looked grateful to see the two women. She was sitting in the dirt in front of her house, patting her grandfather's napping dog, Hannah. The raised voices of Barley and a gruff baritone could be heard from inside the house.

"So you think I'm just going to hand her over to you?!"

Claire's eyes widened; she wasn't aware Barley was capable of yelling at anyone, and the normally gentle old man sounded furious.

"I never said that! I-I just want to be a part of her life!"

Claire blinked; she knew that voice…

"Grandpa and Zack are inside discussing," May said importantly, but there was an uncomfortable look on her face. The old dog gave her a nuzzle at the sound of her quavering voice. "He came over and I was sent out here. They keep talking about a 'her'. I wonder if I did something wrong?" Her bottom lip shook as her brave front crumbled and a couple of tears slid down her cheeks. "Grandpa… told me to go outside and play…" Her voice cracked as she miserably wiped her eyes. "B-but… I really don't feel like playing…"

Determined to be a source of comfort for the young girl, Claire flew to her and held her arms out to her. Desperate for releasing her emotions, May began to cry harder as she vaulted herself into her arms and Claire found herself staggering backwards to maintain her balance. The girl wrapped her arms around Claire's neck and sobbed into her shoulder. Claire felt a warm but firm hand on her back.

"You got her okay, Claire?" Popuri gave her a concerned look.

She shifted her hold under May's legs so she wouldn't slip. "Uh-huh…" She rested her head against the five-year-old's.

"May, I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong," Popuri began with a gentle tone.

There was a brief moment where May hushed her crying, but she screwed her face up again and wept afresh. "B-But Grandpa looked s-so mad when I came in from feeding Hannah! And then he said, 'Go out and play, May. The adults are discussing'," she mimicked in a gruff voice.

The two women looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sure we don't have the whole story," Claire reasoned hesitantly. She frowned as she looked at the farmhouse and wondered what could possibly have them both so fired up. Her normal instincts would have chalked it up to something shipping related, but Zack's curious behavior recently had her confused. He had picked up Claire's shipments for the past couple of days with a distant, emotionless stare instead of his usual wave and a grin.

Popuri nodded. "I have a feeling it's none of our business, though. Still…" She cocked her head toward the crying child. "This isn't right." She squared her shoulders and confidently walked to the farmhouse door and gave it a smart rap.

The voices inside immediately died down. "Y-yes?" Barley's voice was strained. "I apologize, but this is not a good time…"

"Your granddaughter is out here in tears because she thinks you're mad at her!" The sharpness in Popuri's voice silenced May's crying and stiffened Claire's posture. "I'd think now is a wonderful time!"

"P-Popuri?" The old man opened the door with a frown on his face.

"We came to pick up May to take her to Mother's Hill and found her like this!" Popuri gestured toward the girl in Claire's arms with frustration. Her eyes flicked toward Zack, who was attempting to casually lean against the countertop, his eyes red and puffy.

"May, no one is angry at you." The aggressive wrinkles in Barley's forehead immediately disappeared as he approached her and Claire.

She gave him a brief peek before burying her face into Claire's hair. "I-I'm sorry. I made you and Zack unhappy…"

Claire's eyes traveled toward a pale Zack who stopped furrowing his brow and pathetically reached out a hand toward the girl, quickly stopping himself and staring down at the floor. The young woman wasn't sure what was going on between them, but the heartbreak on his face was hard to watch.

"Grandpa and Zack were angry because…" Barley hesitated and selected his words carefully before looking cautiously over at Zack. "Sometimes people have hard times agreeing on things and we let our emotions get out of control. Grown-ups sometimes have a hard time getting along, too."

May frowned. "Y-you're not mad at me?" She turned toward Zack. "And you're not mad at me?"

"N-no!"

"Of course not!" Barley adjusted his glasses. "May, we're really sorry that you felt that way, and that was not our intention at all. Zack and I need to talk things through, though." He shot the women a pleading look. "Please go with Popuri and Claire. I will talk more with you tonight. Grandpa's sorry he made you cry, May. Can I have a hug?" He reached his arms out to her.

May gave him a warm, nuzzling hug. "I love you, Grandpa…"

"I love you too, May…"

The little girl walked up to Zack and threw her arms around Zack's waist. He immediately turned a bright shade of pink and awkwardly patted the top of her head. "Sorry for making you cry, May…"

She sniffed and gave him a smile. "It's okay… I'm going to go and pick flowers with Popuri and Claire now, okay, Grandpa?" She was already bouncing with excitement for the next activity.

May gave her grandfather a kiss goodbye and gave them one last wave. Claire walked out of the room with May's small hand wrapped around hers, and Popuri turned toward the pair one last time.

Zack's eyes were wide and pleading. "Popuri… I'd really appreciate if you didn't bring this up to your moth-"

The sharp look she gave him caused his voice to die in his throat. "I might be young, but I'm not as dumb as everyone seems to think. Whatever you and Barley have to work out is between the two of you, but for Goddess' sake, at least keep May out of it!" She gave them both a reproachful look before refocusing her gaze on Zack. She said nothing more, but rolled her eyes at him as she closed the door behind her abruptly.

Claire didn't say a word about what had happened back at Barley's, but the words continued to ring through her head as the group hiked in the mountains together. She couldn't help but notice that the smile Popuri was giving May was a very clumsy mask as she carried her on her back and chattered with Carter. Claire found she was beginning to dread the Music Festival.

"I think some of those blue Himalayan poppies would be perfect for the altar, don't you think?

Claire gave Mary a silent nod as she helped pick some of the blooms and added them to her basket.

Barley usually had such a reedy voice, high and thin, and Zack's was deeper, but they always had friendly tones to them. To hear the volume of both of them elevated to a yell… Claire shuddered. What could have possibly happened to make them so upset?

The young woman could see the stress etched on her friend's face. Mary bit her lip, unsure of what to say, and her eyes moved to Gray. She was surprised that he had so willingly volunteered to join them in the search today. No, she inwardly shook her head. She shouldn't be shocked; he was trying to grow. He gave her a warm smile in response. Mary watched curiously as Gray gave Claire a soft tap on the arm to get her attention.

She was rather jumpy and apologized as she dropped a couple of flowers at his touch. Mary watched them closely, silencing the nagging voice in the back of her mind; the flush on Claire's cheeks was surely out of embarrassment and surprise, as Mary could see the way the young woman's eyebrows were furrowed with worry. It was a far cry from the dreamy gazes she gave him in the past. Mary's heart settled a bit as she silently chided herself for her previous inner doubts, no matter how small.

He gave Claire a nervous smile before he pointed up to the sky. "Hey, check out that bird. That's a falcon."

She couldn't see the speckled belly from where she was at, but she recognized the distinctive shape of the wings. "Cain…" The bird's name was hardly a whisper as it escaped from her lips. "Cliff…" It seemed her dear friend was busy working. She could see him in her mind's eye, carefully watching his hunting partner's movements.

Cliff was doing something he loved and he was doing it with someone he had a special bond with. She could still see his eyes sparkling like a couple of stars as she recalled his excitement for hunting season…

Mary saw the stress leave Claire's face and she gave Gray a kind smile, but he was busy watching the sky with interest. Shaking her head with a silent chuckle, she clipped and added some more wildflowers to the basket.

Claire walked along the cobblestones, playing a few bars on her ocarina as the breeze caught at the skirt of her dress. She found a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her stomach, despite the simplicity of the music. She shook her head; it wasn't the music she was nervous about.

May had stayed at the church while the others went home to prepare for the night's events. Claire couldn't help but feel concerned over the young girl's situation. She entered the church and made her way to the altar where the performers were tuning their instruments and chatting. Before Claire could refocus her thoughts on her worries about May, Karen called her name and gave her a shy wave. Startled by the unusual greeting, Claire made her way over.

"I'm actually a little nervous," Karen admitted, averting her eyes and twisting the heel of her shoe on the carpet. It was strange behavior for her and Claire thought it looked like something that Mary or herself would do.

Out of curiosity, Claire looked over to see how Mary was doing, but she saw the bench at the organ was empty. Her eyes traveled to the pew, where she saw the young woman hugging her sheet music to her chest and chatting happily with her father, who was staring intently at the urns of wildflowers on the altar. A stone-faced and pale Gray was tightly wedged between Mary's parents, and he kept soundlessly opening his mouth, trying to get a word in on the conversation.

Anna wasn't paying much attention to that exchange, as she was busy gabbing with Manna, who had taken a seat beside her. Her husband, Duke, was standing in a cluster with Doug and Harris, laughing loudly. Ann had worry lines on her forehead despite her smile and she suddenly turned on her heel, flouncing up to the altar to chat with Elli, her fingers pressing the buttons on her flute in an agitated manner. Elli's focus was torn from Trent, who was talking to Carter in a surprisingly animated manner and holding a tambourine, of all things.

May was sitting with her grandfather and Claire was surprised to see Zack seated on the other side of Barley. There was a stiff awkwardness between the two adults, but the young girl didn't seem to mind as she happily slapped her hands on her knees in excitement. Seeing May smile once more brought great relief to Claire and she found her own anxiety fade significantly as the girl gave her a little wave, which she returned with a grin.

Claire refocused on Karen. She didn't know that the outgoing young woman was even capable of feeling nervous. Her mind went back to the first day she had spoken to her. Karen had always stood strong and tall, her green eyes glittering with confidence. Claire could remember in that moment seeing Karen as everything she wished she could be for herself someday. Karen wouldn't have had any trouble telling her parents she was going to start a new life on a farm regardless of their support… Claire shook the thoughts from her head.

"I think things will go well – we've all been practicing, and you have such a lovely voice," she replied.

Karen snapped back to attention, a little surprised her friend had responded at all. Claire had seemed very pensive and preoccupied this evening.

"You've got this!" she added sincerely. "Everyone's going to have a fun time tonight."

Karen put an arm around her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "You're sweet. You're right, though – I'm sure everything will be fine. I usually feel good once I get started." A smile played at her glossed lips. She knew that once the music began, she could close her eyes and let the familiar rhythms take her back to her mother telling stories about her grandmother, who loved music and dance as much as making her famous home brew. Karen never thought of her grandmother as an old woman, as she had passed away well before her time.

"She was actually a lot like you," Sasha had joked, showing her teenage daughter an old hand-painted portrait of a young blonde woman with stern eyebrows and a smirk playing at her cherry red lips. "Mama could be a bit sassy, too, you know."

"Hey!"

Sasha laughed. "Well, that's where I get it from, too!" Her expressions softened as she gazed fondly at the photograph, her fingers tracing the golden tresses. "She definitely was a free spirit. Mama always did feel conflicted being cooped up in that old farmhouse."

Just like Mom and the supermarket…

"I bet she would have told you to keep dancing," Karen said, a little surprised her voice cracked.

Sasha gave her daughter a sad smile. "Those days are far behind me. They were fun while they lasted, though." There was a wistful look in her eyes as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Guilt overwhelmed her as Karen felt tears splash down onto her balled up fists. "It's my fault! If I hadn't-!"

"Karen Eve Blanchette, don't you dare apologize!" Sasha's firm voice stunned Karen into silence. "Never!"

It was the last time she had seen her mother cry…

The young woman looked down at her red cocktail dress, a precious heirloom of days and dreams gone by. Tonight, she could reignite her grandmother's legacy dreams, if only for a little while…

After all, when she sang and lost herself in the music, she felt free. Perhaps it was her own dreams as well…

"Karen, are you alright?" Claire had her hands on her friend's shoulders and Karen snapped back to reality, surprised by the concern and tight grip she had on her.

The brunette let out a soft chuckle. "I'm fine. Just got lost in memories is all. Remind me to tell you about my grandma someday, okay? I'm… I'm gonna go talk to my mom for a bit." Karen's face flushed as she gave Claire a quick hug and walked to where Sasha was seated beside Jeff.

Claire was quickly realizing how family-oriented the event was and tried to fight the lump forming in her throat. How nice would it be to look out at the pews and see someone that had specially shown up for her?

"Hey, Claire!"

The folksy tenor shot a shiver down her spine and her sadness immediately melted. She was never truly alone, after all.

"I'm pretty sure we saw Cain when we went to gather some wildflowers this morning." Claire gave Cliff a smile and waved as he approached her. Upon closer inspection, she could see that he had dark circles under his eyes, and she quickly realized that he was likely hunting the night before. The ends of his hair still looked slightly damp and he smelled of soap; it was likely he took a break from hunting to freshen up and come here.

"Ah, he was pretty excited today. I think he's eager to have a good season," Cliff replied. "We didn't have the best luck today finding anything, but I have a feeling we're on the right track. The next few days are going to be busy if all goes according to plan." He let out a soft chuckle as he recalled his partner's antics that morning. "Cain was very chatty at breakfast and he was practically singing when I took him outside." Cliff had that kind look in his eyes the way he always did when he spoke of the falcon.

Claire clutched her ocarina to her heart, a grin creeping across her face as her eyes lit up. "That's so adorable!"

The young man's cheeks became rosy at her expression, and hers immediately followed. They could both think of something right in front of them that could match that description.

The sound of Carter clearing his throat caused the church to go silent.

Carter walked to the altar with his conductor's baton, and everyone's eyes followed him as the musicians arranged themselves. Claire's stomach lurched when Ann appeared on the other side of Cliff and gave his arm a squeeze, burying her face in his shoulder for a minute. He leaned over to whisper something to her and she shook her head.

"Is everyone ready?"

Karen took her place up front, flashing her friends a confident smile that looked much more genuine than earlier.

"Every year we share in music to celebrate the harvest season. It is important that we take this time to reflect and give gratitude for the bounties of nature the gods have blessed us with. Without further ado, we present to you the Music Festival!"

Claire's nervousness quickly wore off by the middle of the first song, and her years of playing in her music club at school kicked in. She was able to enjoy listening to the different parts playing – the flourishes from Elli's and Ann's flutes, the vibrations of Mary's organ, the twang of Cliff's sanshin, the rattle of Trent's tambourine. Karen's strong speaking voice translated well into song, and Claire enjoyed listening to her friend sing.

"When the autumn leaves
Fall down
Fall down
I know that I will see you again
Because for all this time I have been waiting
Waiting
For the autumn to return me to my friend."

It was an upbeat song, and people in the audience clapped to the music. Claire smiled as she played. Karen would define the style of this song as "backwater", but she sang with comfort and joy at the melody. They played a few more songs, all upbeat and rather folksy sounding. Claire smiled to herself as she played. She knew some people in the audience probably thought it was kind of funny that someone raised in the city was playing folk tunes, but she was happy that everyone could enjoy and share in the music together.

Besides, she realized, she was feeling less and less like city folk every day.

There were stars in Karen's eyes as she draped an arm over each of her parents' shoulders.

"Let's all go home! I'll cook us some chocolate curry dip!" A grin broke across her face and she was oblivious to the way her father's face turned pale.

"And I can put on some old records! We can dance!" Sasha giggled.

The color immediately came back to Jeff's face and the pure love shining in his eyes as he looked adoringly at his wife took Claire by surprise. "I… I love you Sasha..."

Karen's cheeks turned burgundy as they gazed at each other, but the happiness on her face was unmistakable. "Okay, okay! You guys can be all lovey-dovey after your child has gone to bed!" she teased as they exited the church.

Claire watched May take Barley's hand and follow suit, giving a wave goodbye to Zack. The large man's cheeks flushed as he gave her a shy wave, his eyes returning to the ground as he hurried home. Claire was grateful that the arguing between them seemed to have ceased.

"S-so… I guess that leaves us…" Cliff was nervously rubbing the crook of his neck, avoiding eye contact.

Claire nodded. "It was really fun playing in a group," she replied as she accepted his silent offer to walk her home, looping her arm around his as they walked.

He gave her a happy nod. "Nostalgic… but in a good way."

She had a feeling that this was the overall mood of the evening. "I'm glad. You deserve to enjoy yourself," she murmured, hugging his arm. Cliff had been relaxed in a crowd of people that he longed to call his neighbors. She knew how much it meant to him to feel like he was a part of the group. Claire found herself smiling as a warm glow filled her heart. "I'm glad you had a good time, too… I love seeing you get so happy over music. It's really… nice," she stammered awkwardly, frustrated she couldn't find a better way to express her feelings aloud.

She was sweet; far sweeter than someone like him deserved. Despite the conflict in his heart over this, he gave her a shy smile as they walked through the square.

Her mind ran over the events of the day and she found herself frowning as she recalled the stress on Ann's face earlier.

"So, what was wrong with Ann?" Claire found herself asking. She bit her tongue, immediately scolding herself for being so nosy. Still, she couldn't manage to shake the uneasy feeling the whole interaction between Ann and Cliff gave her before the music started. Perhaps she was becoming far too intrusive…

"Ah, she was just… having a rough evening," he replied vaguely, giving her a sad smile. "I think she just needed to vent is all. I think the music helped, too," he added.

Claire took this as a cue to not press any further, and she felt a little ashamed at the mild sting she had felt up at the altar; it reminded her far too much of her old interactions with Mary when Gray was around. "I can tell the music was really relaxing to a lot of people. I feel a lot better than I did this morning," she confessed as they entered Mystic Acres. They stopped in front of her house. "Do you want to come in for a while?"

He couldn't help but wonder if he was imagining the subtle unique warmth in her smile lately. Regardless of this, he was determined to work hard so that they could remain in each other's lives. "I'm sorry. I'd really love to, but I found some really promising markings in the woods this morning. I'm going to get my things together and pull an all-nighter."

Claire frowned; it was likely he had started working very early this morning, and she had her hunches that he had stayed up the night before. "But…" This was their new reality, Claire reminded herself. It was hunting season, and she needed let him do what he needed to get done. Part of her wondered when the next time she would actually see him would be, but she refrained from saying so aloud. She had been far too spoiled with the late days of summer, seeing her friend every single day. "Take care of yourself." Still, she had a hard time letting him go. "What time do you think you'll be done?"

He wasn't sure what she was getting at. "Probably nine or ten tomorrow morning?" It was more of a question than a statement.

She squeezed his hand between hers. "Come over for breakfast. I'll cook us something tasty!"

He hoped she would never let go, but his eyes reflected regret as he looked at the sunset. "Thank you… I-I've got to get going, but have a good night."

"Thanks, you, too." She went to remove her hand, but he was still holding it fast. Her cheeks blazed and her breath hitched as he slowly moved her hand to his lips for a kiss. Claire could hardly think straight with all the noise in her head – music from the festival, echoes of his soft voice, the chorus of crickets in the background…

"I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her hand a soft pat. "And if I'm lucky, I'll have something to contribute."

Her heart was dancing while her head spun. "Ah, that's not necessary." She wished he would kiss her again; her very being was humming with excitement and ecstasy that he had repeated this simple gesture from the Fireworks Festival. "Have a great night."

"I know I will. I have the best motivation in the world," he confessed with a shy chuckle, his entire face blushing.

Before she could ask what that was, the young man was hurrying off, waving over his shoulder and stammering his goodbyes.

She looked out at her fields, clenching her fist with determination as a grin spread across her lips.

"So do I…"

Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you have any suggestions or comments, don't be shy; I'd love to hear from you!

I took a few creative liberties with the Music Festival and added a few more participants. I felt like Cliff would participate because he and Carter are close and this Cliff has a bit of a musical past. Also, I wanted to add Trent because I feel like Carter mentions in-game about the two of them hanging out some evenings at the church, shooting the breeze and sharing a bottle of wine. I gave Trent a tambourine because I imagined him losing a bet during one of those evening get-togethers and he's not very musically inclined, but still has a playful side hardly anyone ever sees.

I hope you enjoyed! :D