"Well, the weather is supposed to be nice. Tomorrow will be the day," Claire declared to Koro the next afternoon.

Her dog looked up at her and tilted his head curiously, his ears flopping a bit.

"Sweet potatoes!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'm going to dig these all up and ship them off! How would you feel about some boiled sweet potatoes?"

Koro gave her a blank stare.

Claire let out a laugh. "I guess I won't save you any if you don't seem too excited. I'll just sell them all to Zack." Her smile brightened as she thought about what she could do with the surplus money. "How would you like a new friend? A little sheep, or how about a cow?"

Koro barked excitedly, as if in agreement.

"That's the spirit! Gray said my pitchfork should be properly sharpened by tomorrow, so it will be a busy day!"

She knew that he didn't understand a word he said, but she could tell he was picking up on her enthusiasm. It had felt like ages since she let herself get excited about her farming work, and it was a refreshing change. Rolling up her sleeves, Claire dumped the remainder of her watering can on a patch of spinach and looked up at the fast-moving clouds in the sky. It was a fairly breezy day; she watched a leaf fall from her tree and land in the stream lining her farm. It landed delicately on top of the deep blue water and glided out of sight. She focused on the color of the stream, a smile playing at her lips.

Such a pretty blue… I want to see Cliff's eyes…

A blush rose to her cheeks. It was a selfish request, but it didn't stop her from wanting it. She found that she had missed him working side by side with her on the farm. As she glanced at the fields of sweet potatoes, she found herself half-wishing they were tomatoes instead…

Perhaps a walk through town would clear her mind. There was nothing more she could do to prepare for the sweet potato harvest tomorrow, as she was still waiting on her pitch fork to be honed. She looked at the field with a nod. Tomorrow, she would be a harvesting machine. Today, she would rest up and take it easy in preparation.

Claire was hardly surprised when she found herself turning the corner on the cobblestone streets to stare at the local vineyard. Cracked green and white paint along with a few spots of moss adorned the worn sign to Aja Winery. It was a charming place now that it had a bit of significance to her, and a little part of her felt a little embarrassed at not appreciating it before.

Her eyes traveled to the trellises of grapes and her heart gave a leap as she saw a chocolate brown head of hair bouncing between the rows of produce. It seemed that there would only be one more real harvest of grapes left before winter hit. She heard the hint of a song and realized with delight that Cliff was humming as he worked. She recognized the melody instantly - it was the same song he had played for her a lifetime ago on his pan flute by the Goddess Spring. She leaned on the fence a bit and listened to the upbeat melody. Cliff had seemed to be in much better spirits after their discussion at the horse races the day before. It was almost as if he had accepted something and was more at peace.

Cliff's song was cut short as he hoisted the heavy basket and stabilized his breathing. Claire flashed him a smile and tucked her hands into her pockets, continuing on her way. There was no need to bother him while he was obviously working hard. It had been nice to watch him enjoying his job. Perhaps she could stop by later while the winery was closing and she could walk him home… Maybe offer him some dinner, not that she really had any meals planned…

That wouldn't be too forward, would it? I mean, we used to share meals all the time.

It just feels… different now.

She was startled from her thoughts as Duke's voice bellowed across the vineyard.

"Cliff!"

Claire stopped in her tracks; she was startled at the volume of the man's voice. Had Cliff done something to upset his boss?

The young man whirled around, setting down the basket with a huff. "Wh-what's wrong?"

There was a look of concern on Duke's features. He looked down at the heaping basket, shaking his head. "I could've sworn I told you that you could take a break! What are you still doing out here?"

"I didn't need to rest," he replied, shrugging. "I'm fine."

Duke folded his arms across his chest and his frown grew. "Manna… she mentioned she was worried about you, too."

Cliff's eyes widened. "Worried?"

He was given a nod in reply. "You need to pace yourself. I know you're young, but it's not good for you to be working nonstop like this. You worked right through lunch again, didn't you?"

The young man couldn't hide the incredulous look on his face. "I thought harvesting was a priority right now. I thought if anything, you'd be glad I got so much done," he murmured.

Claire was surprised at his candidness with his employer. She held her breath as she watched Duke's posture relax. "I am glad that you're willing to put in a hard day's work, but we don't want you keeling over on the job."

His words seemed to have struck a nerve. Claire watched his eyebrows furrow for a moment as his mouth became but a tight line.

Cliff's facial expressions didn't go unnoticed. "Look, I know you told me you've got a lot of foraging experience, but as your boss…" He cleared his throat. "No, as one person to another, I want you to take care of yourself. No one will think less of you, I promise."

Cliff bowed his head. "Duke…"

"You know… you remind me a bit of Aja: hardworking and dedicated, but stubborn as they come." He gave Cliff a wink. "Although, just between the two of us, I think my daughter inherited that from her old lady…"

A smile played at Cliff's mouth.

"How about you take a breather right now? These grapes aren't going anywhere."

Worry lines appeared on Cliff's forehead. "B-but my job is not-"

"Claire wouldn't mind spending some time with you, I'm sure."

Cliff turned to look at her, surprised she had been standing on the other side of the fence. The young woman's jaw dropped as she froze in place, her pulse pounding in her ears as she realized at once how rude she had been. "I, uh… I d-didn't mean to eavesdrop! I-I was just going for a walk-"

A warm smile spread across Duke's face, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Then I'm sure you'd be happy to accompany him on his break."

Cliff had turned a violent shade of pink. "B-but…"

"You can finish that basket in a little bit." Duke looked over at Claire. "Why don't you two go to Mother's Hill? I can take it from here. It's a great time of year in the mountains, and I'm sure you'll have a beautiful view." The smirk on his face was unmistakable.

Cliff had more than just a slight suspicion that the view his boss was referring to was standing right on the other side of the fence. He turned redder and stared at the ground, staring back at his full basket of grapes. Spending some time with Claire was certainly inviting, but… "Still, I-I can't let you take over… It's my job…"

Claire couldn't help but feel her heart drop a bit at his comment.

"You know, it might be a nice gesture to thank her for finding you this job."

The young woman felt a wave of embarrassment. She shook her head. "H-he's been very grateful to me-"

"You're right, Duke. I'll take her." Cliff's hand moved to his pocket and a solemn look could be seen on his face. His heart thumped in his throat.

"Good, then, it's settled! Off you go!" Duke laughed, clapping him on the back and shoving him a little towards the exit of the vineyard.

As Cliff stepped out from behind the fence, Claire wrung her hands, looking nervously at the ground. She felt the need to explain her reasoning for being there. The words bounced around in her head like a tangled jumble; nothing sounded right and she was absolutely mortified that she had been caught watching him. Did he think that she was stalking him?

Her thoughts fell silent as she looked up at him and realized he was shyly offering her his arm. She accepted it with a gulp and walked with him along the cobblestone streets. Their feet fell in step together as she relaxed and they walked along, quietly taking in the late autumn scenery. The hue of the grass was just beginning to mute a little, and there were still quite a few colorful leaves left on the trees. The changes from summer were much more noticeable as they began their trek up the mountain trail. Claire noticed the briskness in the air, and between the scent of wild things growing and a whiff of ozone, it smelled of autumn.

They had gone up to the mountain countless times together, but it had always been related to foraging or fishing – almost always work. The journey used to leave her out of breath and panting. They were walking at a leisurely pace, but the stamina she had gained was noticeable.

I walked up this mountain with Cliff, Gray, and Saibara…

She watched the young man beside her. He was looking ahead, focused on the trail. He was much thinner than that day in summer, but there was still a healthy glow on his face. It was such a stark difference from the worried Cliff she knew back in summer with worry lines almost constantly decorating his forehead. He looked more vibrant, younger even. With a bit of time and some nourishing food, his weight would likely go back up to a healthier amount. The difference was not only physical – Cliff seemed like a different person than he was that day.

Claire shook her head as she recalled him standing his ground and twisting out of Gray's grip, determined not to strike back. Not different – more open, perhaps – more like himself.

She hoped that she was, too.

"I'm sorry about Duke…" Cliff's voice was soft. "I wasn't expecting him to rope you into all of this." Despite his words, a hint of a smile played at his mouth.

"I don't mind," she replied.

Claire looked out over the peak. Duke was right; the view was beautiful. A gorgeous palette of fall trees was spread before them. To one side, she could see the vast eggplant fields of Vesta's farm accompanied with the wind turbines that dotted her property. On the other side of her vision was Mineral Town – cute houses in tidy rows and the various shades of green dotting the vineyard in the center of town. She could just barely see the top of Duke's silver head among the vines. The wind played with her hair and she watched a few leaves dance through the breeze.

Claire looked over to see Cliff gazing at her with a warm glow in his eyes. "I'm glad, because… I'm finding that I don't mind too much, either." He paused and they shared a smile. He took her hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "Duke's right, though… I need to show my gratitude to you more."

She shook her head, flustered as her face felt warm. "It's fine, really…"

A kiss on her knuckles silenced her. "Even if that's how you feel, I really am grateful for what you have done for me, Claire," he said softly. "I don't even know if I could ever thank you enough… It's about more than just a job. I was… honestly, I was so afraid I was going to lose everything I had finally allowed myself to care about again…"

"Cliff…" She held his hands fast as she recalled that awful afternoon in his room when he confessed he didn't feel he deserved a home. It almost felt like a lifetime ago. "I don't ever want you to have to feel that way again, like you don't deserve to be here or that you need to leave." She kept her misty eyes lowered to their feet; Claire knew that if she looked at him she would start to cry.

His thumbs stroked the backs of her hands. "I'm not going anywhere now. I'm here to stay, remember?"

Claire looked at him; he was smiling at her warmly. He wrapped his arms around her and she could feel a lump form in her throat.

"I'm glad," she murmured, burying her face into his shoulder.

"So… today I was carrying a bushel of grapes for Duke and he said, 'Good work. I'll meet you down in the cellar in a few minutes, son.' I wasn't really sure how to feel about him calling me that. I figured he was probably just using that term casually, but he must have seen the look on my face… He apologized to me later this morning and asked if he had made me uncomfortable. But… when I really think about it…" Cliff shook his head. "Something about it… felt really nice." Nice barely began to cover it. It had caused a warm glow that he thought had been stamped out forever from his life. "I know I haven't worked for them that long, but having him talk to me like we were so familiar with each other… It's just been so long since I've been in a place where I feel comfortable with others like that."

Claire gave him a smile. The sheer joy in his eyes made her happy as well.

"I mean, it's not like I think of him like my father, and I don't think he really sees me as a son, but…" He nervously rubbed the crook of his neck and put his hand back in hers. "If, someday… he and I got closer… w-well… I'd really like that." He looked at the ground, a little embarrassed. "I'm not sure how pathetic that is, but-"

"I think it's lovely," she interrupted.

He fell silent, his eyes asking her if she was telling the truth. She gave him a sincere nod and his inhibitions fell away.

"I-isn't it, though? Isn't it lovely?" He let out a delighted chuckle. "I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I'm finally starting to see myself as having a future in this town. Are you happy with your life at the farm?"

Simone had asked her that not too long ago. Claire realized with surprise how little that question was asked of her since she had taken on such a different lifestyle. "Yes, I love it very much. It's very rewarding," she replied. "I never thought I would be able to wake up and spend the day growing food that people I care about will enjoy."

It was dirty work, and she had been at the mercy of the weather at times. She had made foolish mistakes, and she was still learning as she went. However, she still found that this new life was more rewarding than she ever could have imagined. She could still remember the time Ann showed off her plate of French fries during the cooking festival using her potatoes. It was the first time that she truly realized her crops were a staple for the town, and people were using them every day.

"I love it," she whispered.

Cliff held her out at arm's length and beamed at her. "I think… I love my job, too. The grapes that I harvest become wine, and someday people will enjoy it together…" His eyes were positively sparkling as he squeezed her hands. "I'm finally contributing to Mineral Town… I can finally be a part of it." Claire could see mistiness forming in the corners of his eyes. "That's all I've wanted for so long…"

"I'm really happy for you," she murmured, giving him a hug.

"I don't know if I ever told you this, but… Ever since I was traveling and saw Mother's Hill, I knew that this area needed to be home. I was terrified of ruining it or having things go wrong. That's all my life's ever felt like – one mistake after another. The thought of screwing up again and having to leave here was so intimidating that I almost didn't book that room at Doug's… I'm glad I took that chance."

"I'm glad, too."

"Claire… I think…" He took a deep breath and she could feel his hands shaking. "I need to take another chance. I-I need… t-to ask you something."

His eyes locked onto hers and her breath hitched at the expression on his face. He looked terrified and worried, but also very serious.

"This… you and me…"

Her heart jumped into her throat.

"I… I…" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the ground. "I can't explain how much it means to me, but…"

Claire struggled for air.

But what?

He frowned at the worried look on her face, oblivious to his own. "I'm serious about you, Claire. I… I really like you." His face turned a bright shade of scarlet as he struggled to remember the words he had planned on saying. "I haven't been able to get you out of my head ever since I met you." He silently cursed himself for being so candid. "Th-that's not saying I'm a creep or something… I just want to be more with you."

Am I making things worse?

He forced himself to meet her eyes, gulping. "I mean, I want to be more than a friend you go on dates with. I've never really done this before, so I'm sorry I don't quite know how to word it…"

Claire's heart swelled. "Something more committed?" The hopefulness in her gaze made him a little dizzy.

His eyes widened in his eagerness. "Y-yeah! If you'll have me, of course. I know I d-don't have the most to offer you and there are a lot of things I need to improve on…"

Claire silenced him with the squeeze of his hands. "You have so much more to offer than you think, and everyone has things they want to get better at." Her heart was fluttering as she rested her hands on his shoulders. "I-I wanna be yours, Cliff."

His hand cupped her cheek and when she looked up at him, the affection in his eyes paralyzing her. "Then be mine. And I'll be yours."

His lips ghosted over hers and his warm breath on her mouth caused a wave of goose bumps across her skin. Unable to stand it anymore, he leaned in, kissing her. The wind played with the falling leaves and caused their hair to tangle together, but they didn't care. They were lost in their own beautiful dream together among kisses, hitched breaths, and intertwined fingers. They came up for air and Claire pressed her lips against his again, pulling him back into their world.

Cliff couldn't remember the last time he had felt this comfortable with anyone before. He relaxed in her embrace and allowed himself to just be. His heart was hammering in his ribcage so loudly he wondered if she could hear it.

He drunkenly realized he didn't care.

She was his, and he was hers. They were lovers now, he realized hazily. He could still remember sitting on the windowsill and watching curiously across the room as a beautiful stranger struggled to speak to Gray. He recalled the kindness in her words, her clumsy hand gestures, the gleam in her sapphire eyes. Despite Cliff's fear of talking to anyone but Carter at the time, he had found that he wanted to learn more about her.

He caught her in glimpses – swinging her hoe in the fields, her loose blonde locks flying about her. Giggling with her young colt as she rubbed his nose. Her eyes smiling as Karen chuckled at her side. Her cheeks flooding with color as she stuttered in front of Gray.

There was something about her that Cliff instinctively wanted in his life – warmth.

A hint of a smile, a fond gaze. Fingers twisted around blonde strands of hair, lip slightly bitten.

Such foreign feelings and curious emotions watching her had induced. He found himself thinking about her before falling asleep, wondering how his name would sound on her lips and what a smile directed at him would feel like.

And now he knew how wonderful those experiences had been as her soft lips were joined with his, the faint scent of her lavender oil mixing with the musky fall leaves around them.

Claire leaned into him comfortably and her eyes popped open for a moment in surprise as her partner deepened the kiss. Cliff was timid but gentle, just as he had been through many experiences they had together. Claire could recall a time when getting him to say more than a simple hello had been a struggle for him. She had never thought of him as very talkative, but speaking to him had become much easier with time, and the subjects they were comfortable with were constantly expanding. He no longer stuttered in front of her, and their conversations weren't all punctuated with awkward silences. They joked now, and they cried together. She never thought she had needed that so much. An awkward brush across the arm paired with deep blushing had evolved to casual contact and contentedly linked arms and now loving embraces, she realized with satisfaction.

This was all rather new to her as well – caring so deeply for someone and having those feelings returned.

He broke off the kiss and blushed as he watched the strand of saliva between them break, quickly wiping the excess dampness from his lips. "Ah, I-I'm sorry… I've n-never…" He trailed off, chuckling to both deflect his embarrassment and partly because he was in awe that he had the bravery to venture beyond their standard dry kisses. "Uh… I mean…"

She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You were wonderful." A little clumsy, perhaps, but who wasn't when they were learning something new? He was sincere, and that was all that mattered to her.

"I think you are, too…" She could feel his posture stiffen suddenly. "Claire, there's something I want you to have." He quickly fished through his pockets, his blush fading a bit as his brows turned to a more serious expression. "It's… actually something I've wanted to give you for a while… I-I made it myself," he stammered, pulling the pendant from his pocket.

He held out a necklace. It was simple, but gorgeous – a smooth grayish blue stone on a leather cord. She blinked at the distinctive size and color of the rock. "This looks so familiar."

He gave her a shy smile. "Remember when we were skipping rocks on the beach last summer? It was one of our finds."

She ran her fingertip along the smooth surface, admiring the careful design. Calling it pretty was an understatement. "Such pretty engravings..." She studied the etchings in a careful pattern. "Ah, the whole thing is a rosette… So cute…"

She was now aware that his hand was trembling. "Thank you, I uh… I carved the whole design. I actually started working on it the night we found that stone." He quickly cleared his throat. "Gray showed me how. I tried my best. I know it's not perfect or anything… I mean, I cut a little too deeply-"

"It's perfect." Her hand rested on top of his, sandwiching the pendant. Cliff had wanted to make this for her since the middle of summer? Her head felt like it was spinning. "I love it." Their eyes met and he fell silent. She could feel her entire body humming as she removed her hand from his, fighting the blush on her cheeks. "I want you to put it on me," she requested softly, gathering her hair in her hand and resting it on one shoulder.

His fingers were shaking as they grazed her collarbone. She felt him hold his breath for a moment as he gently put it over her head. Cliff laughed nervously, allowing himself to breathe again. "Almost… There you go."

Claire pulled her hair through the necklace and didn't notice the way the he was admiring how it shone in the afternoon sunlight. Claire looked down at the stone and stroked it. "It really is pretty…"

"I'm glad you like it." He smiled at her. "Please keep it as a thank you for helping me get my life back together." He lifted her hand to his lips. "A-and… I hope you think of me when you wear it."

Claire's heart gave a jump. "I'll always cherish it…"

She felt like her heart was floating as they walked down the mountain together. She hazily realized that they had been holding hands when they entered her property.

"This is your home now, Cliff," she murmured. "I want you to enjoy it."

He immediately flushed pink in response.

Her eyes widened as she realized it sounded like she was referring to Mystic Acres. "M-Mineral Town, I mean!" Flustered, Claire laughed a little too loudly as she anxiously twisted a blonde lock around her fingers. "I'm glad you chose Mineral Town."

A leaf fluttered down on top of her head and he carefully removed it from her hair, giving her an affectionate smile. "Me, too. I think… as long as I'm here and have you, I'll be more than content."

Her heart swelled as she shyly drew her lips up to his. "I'm glad we both feel the same way."

Author's Note: Woo, finally got another heart event in! While I think it's absolutely precious that in MFoMT Cliff gives the main character a handmade flower necklace, I think a lot of people interpreted it to be a daisy chain. In the description, it simply says mountain flower necklace, and for some reason, I always kinda imagined it made out of stone, fashioned to look like the flowers in the mountains. I wanted him to give her something that would last, too, so I took some creative liberties, haha. I designed the pendant off of a handmade one I've been gawking at for over a year online. This Christmas, my husband gifted me the very pendant. It was such a sweet gesture. I've been wearing it every single day. :)

I never would have imagined I would reach 100 chapters in this story, let alone have so much more of the tale to tell! If you've been reading for this long, I want to let you know how genuinely touched I am. It means a lot that you have made it this far into this massive story that started out as a desperate attempt to find joy in my life once again. We've experienced so much together – styles and changes in my writing, along with watching Claire grow from, well, a shy newcomer into someone who is a little more confident of herself.

I've gone through a lot of changes in my life as well. I know my writing is not perfect, but every day I try to improve a little, and I've allowed myself to entertain my childhood dreams of becoming a published writer once more. Writing has continually brought me joy, even though sometimes I feel I push myself a little too hard and make it into a chore. I battle with insecurities over my writing on a near-daily basis, but overall, I continue to try to be a better person and writer.

It seems like I just hit a milestone not too long ago with the ten-year anniversary of this story. I am still shocked that ten years later this story is what it is now, and now it's 100 chapters. I've considered breaking this up into different pieces, as I think of this work as an anthology of sorts. I've always kept it under one title for fear of readers losing track. Therefore, the title is still what it is, despite Claire being a little less shy and more seasoned, haha.

I have been slowly letting the story become less driven by the in-game calendar and events and have been doing more mental role play and allowing the characters to do what they please. I have been trying to add more structure to the plot as well. I hope you enjoy the subtle changes I've been making.

Thank you so much for reading along. I'm honored to share this with you. ;)