"Did you get the last check I sent you?" Barley's eyes focused on the worn dial of the phone, imagining her sitting there instead of hearing her slightly crackly voice on the other end of the line.

"I'm going to deposit it tomorrow," she replied. Her voice was flatter than usual.

"Is something wrong, Joanna?"

He heard a deep sigh on the other end. "I'm just so tired of messing everything up."

"I'm not sure what you're referring to," he replied.

"Dad… be honest… I'm nothing but trouble to you."

He thought of the monthly checks he had sent her way to help pay for her medical bills. Her frustrated cries when she would leave yet another job out of aggravation, the stress becoming too much for her. She had been a nervous child and he had thought she had outgrown it by the time she grew up. He could still remember the brief shining moment in her young adulthood where she had felt confident in herself and had conquered her anxiety.

He couldn't count the number of times he wished he could relive it.

It had been shattered in one evening, and years later, she was still struggling to pick up the pieces. It was a never ending cycle.

The raised eyebrows they had received when he recounted the events of what had transpired… There were times he wanted to leave Mineral Town, too. It wasn't exactly simple to leave a livestock farm and begin life anew at the age of seventy-eight. There were sheep to look after and bills to pay.

"And I'm trouble for May, too. I honestly don't know why she wants anything to do with me. I've done nothing but fail her."

"She loves you, Joanna, and so do I."

He could hear the tears in her voice. "Why, though? You're her legal guardian, not me! I can't even take care of myself, let alone a child!" Her voice rose into a shriek.

"Do you love her?"

"What?" Joanna choked on a sob.

"Do you love May?"

"Of course I do," she sniffed.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Then that is enough for right now." Whether others would view his actions as indulgent, he didn't care. He wanted to see that sparkle in her eye again, hear that song in her voice. "I had some news I wanted to share with you… There may be someone in the future who can watch over the farm so we can visit…"

He heard nothing in reply, only sniffing. His throat tightened. "Take care of yourself, Joanna."

"Yeah. You, too."

He let out a soft sigh as he hung up the phone. The bar was empty and it had been the prime opportunity to share with her that Zack knew he was May's father. He shook his head; he had known the moment he heard her voice today that he wasn't going to tell her. He looked at his granddaughter who was sitting at a table with Ann, giggling. Ann was adding whipped cream to the top of May's waffle with a flourish and the young girl's eyes were wide with delight.

That girl really deserves more than we are giving her…

Barley stood up, grunting as his joints creaked. He made his way over to them with a smile on his face.

"Two eyes and a nose!" May dropped a couple of chocolate chips and a cherry on the pile of whipped cream. "Beautiful!"

"Beautiful!" Ann repeated with a laugh. "I'm glad you like my attempts at making a sheep." It was more of a shapeless mound than anything else.

"Look, Grandpa! It's Marshmallow!"

"Ah, more sugar," he laughed, sitting down in his chair.

May stuck out her tongue. "It's special! Today's a special day, after all!"

"Oh, and why is that?" he teased.

"It's the Sheep Festival, silly!"

There was a knock on Claire's door that morning as she was preparing to visit the festival. Cliff stood in the doorway, his cheeks glowing and his eyes wide. She could see the affection in his gaze, and it was a treat to behold. She vaguely wondered how long it had been there and if she had been too preoccupied to notice.

"Good morning, Claire."

He was delighted when she gave him a soft hug in greeting. Her lips curled up into a smile as she leaned against him. "Good morning." She soaked in the feeling of his arms around her and the contrast of the brisk autumn air around her. It was familiar, but there was something new about it this morning. Whatever it was, it promised new beginnings, adventures, and sweet company. Her heart swelled as she took in his scent of patchouli and leather, listening to the birds in her apple tree nearby.

This is nice.

She felt a light kiss on her brow and looked up with a light gasp and parted lips. Cliff was blushing down to his neck, but his eyes were doting as they remained glued on her, his arms wrapped around her tightly. He searched for a smile on her face and gave her one in response. "I uh… I came by because today is the Sheep Festival. I've got some things to finish up at the winery this afternoon, but maybe I'll see you in the square later?" He stated it as a question, a little afraid of pressuring her into going if she didn't have plans to.

She gave a nod and he let go. Her heart warmed at the thought of seeing him that afternoon. She was already looking forward to the festival, and now she had something else to enjoy. "Sounds fun. I'd love to see you there."

His eyes lit up as a goofy grin spread across his mouth. His decision to spend time with her quickly overwrote his original plans to get some fishing in on his afternoon off, and he was delighted she wanted to be by his side as well. "I'm looking forward to spending some time with you."

A smile formed on her lips. "Me, too."

"Well… I was just stopping by to ask… I've got to go into work now…" Despite his words, she could see that he was lingering. The subtle way his shoulder leaned against her door frame, his unhurried posture – it almost looked like he was asking her to tell him to stay.

His company was nice, but she knew he had things to get done and he'd regret it if he made himself late. "This afternoon will be nice," she said, her eyes meeting his.

He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Yeah." Tearing his gaze from her, he let out a soft chuckle. "Back to it then, I suppose."

As Claire waved goodbye to him and watched his retreating form disappear through the gates to Mineral Town, she looked out at her field, turning her focus to work. She had toyed with the idea of asking some of the participating farmers if they'd be interested in purchasing some sweet potato foliage and greens for sheep feed. Gazing at her rows of sweet potatoes now, she was disappointed to find that the plants she had finished with were already withered for the season.

She pushed down her worries about her crop for the moment.

There's nothing wrong with attending the festival and using it as a learning experience.

She gulped, grappling with this new idea. Between her chickens, Koro and Tucker, along with herself, perhaps the concept of another mouth to feed was out of the equation for now. She could gather information today and make a decision based on what she had learned. Perhaps this was only a minor delay, she told herself. Maybe she was closer to a sheep than she originally thought.

The young woman looked out at her abandoned barn, feeling a small well of hope rise within her chest. There was no need to rule out anything just yet.

Claire took a deep breath and approached the familiar blonde man leaning against the brick partition in the square that afternoon. He was giving Popuri a casual wave goodbye before returning his arms to their designated space folded across his chest. His sheep looked up at her and gave a cheery bleat.

"H-hello." She focused her attention on the animal to soothe her nerves.

He looked down at her, a hint of a smirk decorating his face. "Ah, Rio's twin. Welcome."

She kept her focus on the curly fleece of the sheep – it was much easier than gazing directly into his startling scarlet eyes.

She gathered her courage. She was here to learn, and she was determined for the festival to be at least somewhat productive for her. "So… Mr. Neil… You've been raising and dealing with livestock for a while now..."

He gave a grunt of affirmation.

"Do you… do you have any tips for someone who is looking to get started? I have a few chickens, and I've considered getting a sheep or cow this winter…" Her voice trailed off as she rubbed the wool.

She was surprised when he spoke up right away. "Well, I'll tell you one thing. If you're just beginning, you don't want to expand in the winter. You want to make the transition for the animal as smooth as possible. There's nothing to graze in the winter. You want to offer your best to a newcomer."

She thought of her dilapidated old barn and her overgrown weeds. "Offer your best…" she repeated under her breath. When would she get at that point when she'd be able to?

Neil adjusted his posture. "Yeah, I mean, unless you're sitting on a pile of high quality feed, you probably don't want to make that first addition in the winter. Sunlight and fresh air make happier animals, and you can't provide that to them as much when the weather's bad. You want them to already be comfortable with you by that point."

"I suppose that makes sense," she reasoned, removing her eyes from the sheep.

"There's no need to rush these kinds of things," he told her with a nod. "Whether you're farming for business or pleasure, a happier animal is going to be what you're aiming for. There's no need for unnecessary stress, for you or for the animal." He saw the genuine interest in her eyes and continued. "If you live right here in Mineral Town, you should ask Mr. Kuga for some pointers. He might be able to give you some experience with the animals you are interested in."

Claire gave a nod. "I'm going to be working with Barley shearing his flock. He needed a little extra help as the seasons change and he was willing to make me under his wing."

Neil's eyes softened. "That's good. I've always kind of looked up to him as a sort of mentor." His gaze flicked to Mayor Thomas, who was approaching him with Barley, both carrying clipboards in their hands. "Ah, speak of the devil… Looks like it's show time, Buttercup." He looked down at his sheep.

Claire took this as her cue to leave. "Thank you for the advice."

"No problem, Rio- lookalike."

She blinked. "It's Claire."

His cheeks slightly flushed as he realized his rudeness. "Claire." He repeated her name, confirming it to memory. "Take your time to learn today."

She gave him an emphatic nod. "Thank you."

As she headed back out to the crowd in the square, she slowly realized there was going to be much more to learn than any of the books in the library could teach her. She looked back once more to see Neil uncharacteristically smiling as he spoke to Barley. It didn't need to be a frightening ordeal. It was the same as she had been doing ever since she moved to Mineral Town – learning something new and implementing it into her farm.

It wasn't long until her eyes were on another sheep. One of the farmers from the Cow Festival waved at her, his cheeks pink, excitement highlighted on his face.

"Claire! So good to see you!" Ash was oblivious to his little sister stamping her feet and gritting her teeth.

She gave the pair a quick wave. "Hello!"

"Come on over, the sheep don't bite!" he encouraged her.

The animal was just as sweet as Neil's, looking up at Claire with wide eyes. She found herself drawn to the creature, her hands immediately attracted to the fluffy wool.

"She's beautiful," Claire cooed, stroking the soft fleece of the ewe before her.

The farmer let out a good-natured chuckle. "I hope that's what the judges say."

Claire was happy to see someone she recognized. "I saw you at the cow festival. Do you raise other animals, too?"

"We raise quite a few things, actually." Ash straightened his cap and slid his thumbs behind his suspenders, a smile playing at his lips. "We have a fair share of alpacas, too. If you're ever in Bluebell, I'd be happy to show you around." He ignored the sour look his little sister was giving him.

"It'll probably be a while before I can tear myself away from my farm," Claire confessed. She looked out at the square, which was populated with sheep, farmers, and spectators.

"That's for the best. Lazy farmers have rough winters." The little girl folded her arms across her chest, her eyes piercing into Claire's.

The young woman felt uneasy, remembering why spending time with Ash before made her uncomfortable. She let out a nervous laugh. "I suppose that could make things hard." Perhaps it was time to move on…

Ash was giving her an apologetic look when a familiar arm meaningfully brushed against hers. Upon Cliff's arrival, Ash immediately took a small step back and straightened his posture, looking at the cobblestones as if they were fascinating.

"Hello." Cliff's ears immediately turned pink as he realized with a bit of disbelief that he had the courage to purposefully interrupt them. After seeing Claire's unease he found impossible not to. His eyes traced from Ash to Claire and his cheeks flushed. "I-I'm sorry… I was just passing through and…" His voice trailed off. What if he was wrong? What if he had misread her facial expressions? He had seen the way Ash leaned in when he spoke to her and he was ashamed at the jolt of jealousy he had felt. Was he already becoming a possessive lover?

Cheryl of all people broke the awkward silence.

"Hiya!" Her tone was surprisingly friendly as she held out a tiny hand to shake. "I'm Cheryl and this is my big brother, Ash. We're going to win the Sheep Festival," she said very matter-of-factly.

Cliff forced a small smile on his face. "Is that so? Looks like you'll have to try pretty hard. There's a lot of competition."

Claire was startled by his frankness with the little girl, but Cheryl took it in stride.

"We have it in the bag."

"I see."

"You haven't introduced yourself," she pointed out.

His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Ah, yes. S-sorry. I'm Cliff."

Claire watched the color rise in his face with an interested look. Her arm weaved its way around his; she wondered if he was slightly intimidated by the young girl as well.

Unsure of what to do, he awkwardly held out his hand for the little girl to shake. Flattered by the respectful gesture, she shook his hand with much gusto, a grin spreading across her face. Cheryl's eyes approvingly traveled over the couple. "You check out alright, Cliff. Enjoy the festival with your lady friend."

Ash's face blanched as he gave them a halfhearted wave as they left.

Cliff said nothing as they walked along. His mouth was a thin line as he led her by the hand to an empty clearing just outside the square. His face was a bit pale as he began to wring his hands.

"I-it's really nice to see you." He was nearly breathless and his voice was low as his eyes avoided hers.

She gave him a small frown. "I'm glad to see you, too. Is everything alright?"

He let out a tiny sigh as he ran a hand through his bangs, disheveling them a bit. He hung his head, ashamed. "I-I'm really sorry, Claire. You wanted me to step in for you, right? … Y-you looked uncomfortable, but I just wanted to make sure I didn't overstep my boundaries..."

She looked up at him, bewildered. "That little girl was pretty hostile… I don't think she meant any harm. I remember her being like that last time I saw her."

"I was referring to the man flirting with you." He turned his head away, embarrassed he needed to spell it out for her.

She blinked in surprise as she recalled her interactions with Ash earlier. "I didn't realize…" He had seemed friendly enough, but she thought he was just trying to be overly polite to counteract his sister's rude behavior.

"I just want you to be comfortable."

Claire looked at the unease on his face and took his hands in hers, giving them a squeeze. "I am when you're around."

His eyes hesitantly met hers. "R-really?"

A smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Yeah."

His facial features relaxed, but the worry lines on his forehead remained. "I'm sorry… I promise I'll get better at this whole… couple thing." Cliff gulped as he said the word aloud; it still felt like a dream to him.

"I think you're doing just fine," she replied softly, giving him a warm smile.

He offered her his arm and they made their way back into the crowd. She froze as she immediately felt a pair of eyes on her. A familiar woman with dark blue hair was watching them closely, her hand missing the sheep she was attempting to pet. Claire's eyes caught the woman's warm brown ones and she blinked in surprise. The woman gave her a gentle smile and wave, and Claire found herself returning the gesture.

Cliff was watching their interaction carefully. "Is that someone you know?"

She shook her head, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I think she caught me staring and was trying to be polite…" Still, she had felt those eyes were almost trying to tell her something…

They continued to walk once more and Claire struggled to snap back into reality, accidentally jostling people as they walked along.

Do I know her from somewhere? Why was she watching us so intently?

The walkways were narrow and Claire's thoughts were torn from her as she bumped into a familiar face.

"Claire! Good to see you!" Pete gave her a hearty thump on the shoulder. "I'll have you know that my sheep was much easier to bring to Mineral Town than my cow was!" He let out a good-natured laugh. Upon seeing her companion, a grin spread across his face and he stared at him with wide, excited eyes. "Cliff! Cliff the hunter! How have you been? It feels like it's been forever!"

Claire's eyes curiously traveled between the two. Cliff had mentioned living in Forget-Me-Not Valley for a time, but she never would have assumed the two young men knew each other.

"I'm doing pretty well." A smile curled on Cliff's lips.

"Yeah? I remember you were telling me that you were traveling out east. I didn't think I'd ever see you again. Did you ever find a place to settle down?"

Cliff's eyes warmly flicked toward Claire before he spoke. "Yeah. I ended up here in Mineral Town. I've got a room booked at the inn, and Claire helped me get a steady job at the winery."

The smiles on both of their faces were unmistakable. Pete realized why the knotted packages in Claire's basket looked so familiar – he had purchased parcels of meat with the same distinctive knotting from the hunter.

"I'm… glad you two are so happy." He gave them a genuine smile, adding a pat on Cliff's shoulder for good measure. "I was on my way to get a good spot to watch the results. Want to join me?"

They both nodded in response, and as they walked along, Claire gathered the courage to ask him a few questions about the feed he used for his sheep. He was more than happy to supply answers to her, and she was grateful for the little notepad she had decided to carry in her pocket that day. When she added his advice along with Neil's, she looked down at the paper in satisfaction as she realized the new knowledge and insider tricks she had acquired. Cliff even managed to ask a few questions about the care of sheep, although Claire found that she had already read most of the answers to his inquiries in books she had read at the library. She still listened carefully to Pete's answers, jotting down little details she hadn't heard before.

She was hardly surprised when the announcer named Pete the winner of the sheep festival. As she gave him a quick hug before he went up to the podium, a small part of her wondered if she was ever going to get to his level. Such thoughts caused her heart to drop a bit.

"Do you know how long he has been farming?" Cliff asked her.

"I want to say it's been seven years," she remembered. As she said the words, she felt a little bit of relief about her own skills. She still didn't have an entire year in, but there were things she had accomplished. Perhaps with time, she would be standing on that podium someday. She looked up at Pete with a smile and cheered along with the crowd for him.

Claire waved goodbye to Cliff as she fondly watched him leave through the gate. It had been an eventful afternoon, and she was grateful that she could spend it at his side. She was about to turn back into her house when a woman with dark blue hair walked through her gate, approaching Claire.

"Excuse me, Miss Dumont." Her voice was sweet and smooth as she gave her a bow in greeting. It was the same woman she had seen at the festival. If memory served right, she was the daughter of one of the mayors in the area and seemed to be friends with Thomas's family.

She stepped over to Claire. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I've wanted to contact you for some time. My name is Maria Linden-Yamamoto. I run a library over in Flower Bud Village."

Her eyebrows rose at the last name. "H-hello…"

"I'd really like to get the chance to talk to you," Maria said cordially, lacing her fingers together. "I don't mean to be forward, but may I come inside?"

Claire felt jittery. "O-of course." She unlocked the door and ushered her inside of the farmhouse.

Maria carefully removed her shoes at the door and Claire offered her a seat at the table.

"W-would you care for some tea?"

Claire realized the nervousness must have been obvious on her face, as Maria shook her head with a slight smile and chuckle. "That's not necessary. A very kind offer, though." She sat down at the table and folded her hands in her lap politely. "I'll get right to the point. That boy accompanying you today… I really don't mean to intrude, but that must have been Cliff, am I correct? Cliff Yamamoto?"

Claire wasn't sure why she was terrified to answer. "… Yes."

Maria sensed the unease lingering within Claire, and her own expressions relaxed. "Ah, what a relief! He's an absolute dead ringer for his uncle, who is my husband. Ray had told me that Cliff was traveling out west." A smile formed upon her lips. "I wanted to make certain it was him before I tried to contact him."

Claire felt unsure of whether or not to tell Maria he had a room at the inn.

The woman let out a soft sigh. "I noticed him at the Fireworks Festival and I just got the feeling that it had to be him. I haven't told Ray anything about my hunches that Cliff was living out here. I didn't want to get his hopes up… Ray… was really devastated when Cliff ran away." She lowered her eyes, frowning a bit.

Claire blinked. Cliff had always seemed uncomfortable when his home was mentioned, and he had wanted to leave… She felt a little embarrassed that she had never put the obvious pieces together. "Ran away? So people are looking for him…" Her voice was low.

Maria's eyes grew large. "I'm sorry. I assumed he had told you everything." She placed a finger on her lips, deep in thought. "It would probably be best to hear it from him. Ray always did mention that Cliff internalizes his problems." She turned toward Claire, giving an apologetic bow. "Ah, I didn't mean to speak disrespectfully of your beau."

Claire fought a losing battle against the blush on her cheeks. "I understand. I know he's not perfect."

Resting her folded hands on the table, Maria continued in a businesslike tone. "I wanted to make contact with him in the form of this letter." She slid a white envelope across the table to Claire. "I'm so afraid of scaring him away. That's why… I thought it would be good for someone he knows and trusts to deliver him this letter."

Claire held the envelope in her hands, looking to Maria for instruction.

"Please, go ahead and read it."

Heart throbbing in her ears, Claire's clammy hands carefully unfastened the envelope and she unfolded a crisp white paper covered in careful handwriting.

Dear Cliff,

Perhaps I should start by introducing myself. My name is Maria. You don't know this, but I am your Aunt. Ray was traveling through Flowerbud Village, my hometown, and decided to stay and start a life together with me here.

Ray is well. He continues his fisherman's work and provides a lot of food for the village. He speaks of the old days with a warm nostalgia. He talks a lot about you and your sister. As I understand, throughout the years, your family has been scattered across the land. Ray's dream has been to see his loved ones once more. I know that it would make him really happy again, and I think it would bring you joy as well.

This is by no means a demand for you to travel to and settle down in Flower Bud Village, but the invitation is open if you haven't found a permanent home yet. My wish is for you two to be in contact once more. My first reason for this is because I know it would ease my husband's heart to know that you are safe and well.

As for the second reason…

Well, Ivy has been looking for you.

She's been traveling for the past year or so, really. Searching, traveling, searching, traveling – she sends us regular correspondence when she moves around. Her letters bring us ease of mind.

We promise we won't inform Ivy of your location unless you are comfortable with sharing that, but if I recall correctly, you were traveling to find her as well. With your permission, I'd love to do everything in my power to bring my husband's family – no, my family – back together again.

Enclosed is our address and phone number. We miss you.

Love,

Maria

Claire finished reading the letter, a lump forming in her throat. She idly stared at the second piece of paper providing contact information.

What if Cliff chooses Flowerbud Village over Mineral town?

Her cheeks flushed as she hung her head, ashamed.

That's not what this is about! It's about what is in Cliff's best interest! He needs to be free to make his own choices! Besides… he… he said he wasn't going anywhere. I have to trust him on that…

But maybe this would be better for him…

Her eyes welled up with tears. She didn't look up as she set the letter down on the table's surface.

"I can see he's very precious to you," Maria murmured.

Claire gave a slight nod, too embarrassed to look up at her.

The woman frowned, her eyes traveling to her own tidy penmanship. "This letter will likely make him upset," she supplied.

Another slight nod was automatically given as Claire grew numb.

"I realize it's a lot to ask of you. Perhaps it would ease your mind a bit for me to request that you don't give him the letter unless he specifically mentions wanting to get into contact with his family again. There's no need rushing into this and adding unnecessary stress."

A slight weight lifted from Claire's heart. She looked up at Maria, gulping.

She had watched over the pair since the fireworks festival. His doting eyes and gentle laughter had told her more than enough about the way he felt about his new life here. "I see the way he looks at you, Claire. Whatever decision he makes, I'm certain he will keep your best interests at heart as well."

Her fingers traveled to the pendant around her neck. His feelings for her were obvious to a bystander? She fought back her blush. "He's… a really good person."

Maria gave her a warm smile. "I'm certain it runs in the family." She stood up and walked across the table, placing a soft hand upon Claire's. "Would you be willing to pass that message along for me when the time is right?"

He's going to leave. He's going to choose his family over me. Why wouldn't he? I'm just some person he met when he moved here; he's known them his entire life…

But he did run away… Maybe he doesn't want anything to do with them.

How could he not? Maria has been nothing but kind and friendly.

He doesn't know Maria.

He doesn't ever have to know Maria if I don't send the letter.

Yeah, if I'm a complete monster... I can't believe I even thought that!

I didn't mean it…

At least I don't think I did…

A soft patting on her hand jolted Claire back to reality. The young woman gave a small jump as her inner thoughts buzzed through her mind like radio static. She blinked for a moment, allowing the noise to settle a bit. Realizing that Maria was waiting for a response to her request, her posture stiffened.

"I'll do my best." The words came out automatically.

She got a polite bow in response as Maria's hands traveled over her heart. "I'm really grateful. It seems you're a really good person, too, Claire."

No, I'm not…

Claire felt a pang of guilt for her mental dialogue.

"You're far too kind. I try," she replied honestly.

Maria gave her a kind smile. "I really appreciate this. I pray that good will come of it."

After bidding her goodbye, Claire sat back down, staring at the letter given to her. She waited for her mind to go into a flurry again with fears and worries, but instead she just got garbled discomfort. Her mind traveled to the other day as she saw Barley sitting at his own table, brushing the tears from his face.

"Even people that mean well sometimes cause more harm than good by trying to rush things… Family matters… They're often complicated and need to be handled with care. One wrong move, and it can undo everything."

Standing up, she folded the letter up and carefully placed it back in the envelope, tucking it into her nightstand drawer.

When the time is right…

Author's Note: It feels like it's been forever since I updated this. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that I got a new job! A medical biller position just kind of fell into my lap and I went for it despite my uncertainties. So far, it's been really nice and the environment is much better than my previous job.

The second reason is that I wrote a big chunk of this chapter and accidentally deleted it. I was pretty upset about it for a while, and everything I wrote to replace the missing content didn't feel right. It feels good to get this chapter out now. That being said, I really hope you enjoyed it. We'll be getting into the winter chapters before we know it. As always, I really appreciate your favorites, reviews, kudos, and follows. Have a great day!