Letting Loose

It was her birthday today, but Jodi did not feel like celebrating. Sam woke up unusually early to make her breakfast. The eggs were a little overdone and the bread was not fully toasted, but she appreciated the gesture all the same. Vincent made her a sweet card with a drawing of the family all together - but the woman did not know for sure whether her husband would ever return to them. Jodi did her best to hold in her tears and thanked her youngest boy for his thoughtful gift.

Sam spent the first few hours of the day entertaining Vincent so their mother could enjoy some "me time." Jodi tried to get all of her tears out while taking a bubble bath and playing soothing music so the boys would not hear through the door. She wanted to be able to blame the soap for her red, puffy eyes. The woman did so much to try and shield her sons from the truth. Jodi only hoped it would be enough and that Kent might find his way back to his family. Then it would all be worth it, right?

When it came time for her oldest to leave for his annual wellness check at the clinic, the light-haired brunette emerged from her bedroom looking as put together as she could muster. But when Sam opened the door to leave the house, a pair of neighbors stood in the entryway. Caroline smiled softly and waved as she entered the house with her daughter, Abigail close behind.

"I'm here to take you away for a while, Jodi," Caroline explained, tugging on the war-weary wife. "You should have some time off on your birthday!"

Jodi hesitated. "But… Vincent," she began her protest, digging in her heels so that her best friend could not abduct her so easily.

Abigail stepped forward, her thumbs pointed inwardly. "That's where I come in," the young woman clarified. "I'm here to watch Vincent while you and mom go out until Sam gets back."

Jodi quickly discerned that Caroline likely set all this up so that she would have no excuse for not going out on her birthday. Her grey eyes glanced toward her youngest. "Vincent, will you be okay with Abigail for a while?"

Her strawberry blond son beamed up at her. "Sure, Mom!" Vincent assured Jodi. His enormous eyes sparkled with excitement. "Abigail said we could stay up late and eat junk f-" A hand quickly slapped over the boy's mouth, cutting him off mid-sentence, and Abigail squeezed the child in a side-hug.

"I'll take good care of Vincent!" Sam's girlfriend promised, removing her hand and messing with his hair. Jodi was alarmed by Vincent's assumption that she would be out all day and into the night, but before she could protest, Caroline dragged her out of the house with her eldest son's assistance.

"Don't worry about it, Mom," Sam insisted, gently urging her along in the direction Caroline led them. "Vincent is in good hands and I'll come straight home after my annual exam to help Abigail out." He winked at her. "Easy peasy."

Jodi was still unconvinced about an entire day out, but it appeared that her children were in on the plan. She felt the firm grip of Caroline's hand and her gaze fixed on the back of the emerald-haired woman in front of her. What would I do without you? Jodi wondered.

Caroline was her oldest and dearest friend here in Pelican Town. The grocer's wife knew all of her secrets, her hopes and fears. Her best friend was ever-present, offering a shoulder to cry on or an attentive ear whenever she wanted, even when Jodi herself could not bring herself to ask for the help she needed. Caroline had been there for her in her darkest hour, when… Well, that was all behind her now. Jodi herself had requested Caroline never discuss that day ever again, so neither should she.

Sam broke off from the small kidnapping party in the main square and headed toward the clinic. "Enjoy the rest of your birthday, Mom!" the tall blond shouted before disappearing inside. Jodi frowned, still unsure of whether or not she should allow herself to be whisked away for so long.

"The boys will be fine," Caroline comforted her, as if she read Jodi's mind. "Sam is grown and Abigail will entertain Vincent any way she can." They stopped in front of The Stardrop Saloon, on which a sign reading "CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT" was plastered to the entrance.

Jodi eyed Caroline suspiciously. "What is this?" she asked tentatively. Had all the adults planned a surprise party? As a community, the villagers of Pelican Town only typically celebrated the birthday of the littlest residents. There had been a combined party for George and Evelyn, who each turned eighty last year. But this was not an important milestone birthday for Jodi and she did not particularly desire a large gathering in her honor right now. The mother of two did not know how long she could keep herself composed in the public eye.

But Caroline somehow knew all that. When the emerald-haired woman opened the heavy door of the local tavern, there was no large crowd or signs of festivity. Instead, both Gus and Emily stood behind the counter, smiling and eager to see their only guests for the day.

"Happy birthday, Jodi!" Emily shouted in a festive, sing-song voice. The barmaid escorted the duo to a table to have them seated and handed the women each a menu. "Welcome to your private Ladies' Day here at The Stardrop Saloon!" The blue-haired girl clapped her hands together enthusiastically. "What can I get you to start the day?" Emily solicited. "Appetizers? Cocktails?"

Jodi shot Caroline a look. "This is all so much…" she stated uncomfortably.

Caroline closed her menu and stared at her friend. "Vincent will be fine if his mother needs one day out of the year for some self-care and Sam is old enough to fend for himself," she reasoned. Her green eyes scanned the bar. "Gus was happy to let us use the space on a weekday, so no sense in feeling guilty about having a good time. We all know how much you deserve a break."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to at least have lunch together..." Jodi finally conceded.

Caroline flashed a wide grin. "Excellent!" The emerald-haired woman turned to Emily. "I'll have a Midori Sour." She slipped the waitress a bottle of melon liqueur. "You'll need some of this to make it."

"What a vibrant color!" Emily's eyes lit up with interest as she accepted the bottle. "I'll get that mixed for you shortly. The younger woman focused on Jodi. "How about our birthday celebrant?"

One drink won't hurt anything…

As the shadows in her cottage retreated, indicating the sun's height in the sky above, Leah stowed away her sculpting supplies and threw on a green sweater to head outside for her afternoon walk into town. After locking the door behind her, the red head rounded the corner of her home and spied Haley lingering along the fence-line of Marnie's Ranch, snapping photographs here and there.

"Taking lots of photos today?" Leah probed curiously.

"Oh!" Haley jumped, clearly startled by another person's presence. The blonde's eyes were wide as saucers, but once she noticed the red head with braided hair, she relaxed. "Leah. It's good to see you out here." The photographer smiled at the artist and answered the original subject. "The lighting is so nice right now… I had to come out and take some nature shots."

Leah nodded in agreement. "You have a good eye for these sorts of things. I'm sure the pictures from earlier this week turned out great!"

"I'm not that great," the shutterbug deflected the compliment, her face flushing slightly. "I've just…" Haley's voice trailed off as she grasped for the right words to describe her actions. "I've been trying to connect with the outdoors a little more…"

"Oh, yeah?" Leah leaned against the fence post behind her, tilting her head toward the blonde. "What sparked the interest?" the red head was intrigued by Haley's motivations.

"I wanna know what it's like, since you forage and go hiking all the time," Haley confessed bashfully. Leah questioned why it was so embarrassing for the shorter woman to admit. "It's a way of life I've never really thought about." The photographer ran her dainty hand through her curly hair anxiously, the golden locks coiling around her index finger. "Well, until now…"

What changed? Leah wanted to ask, but Haley turned away from her and fixed her attention toward the pen attached to Marnie's Ranch. She exhaled in a light puff of air, indicating her amusement. "These cows are so cute…"

Inspiration struck the blonde as she whipped her head back toward Leah. "Hey, I have an idea!" Haley rummaged through her camera bag and produced a set of poles. She quickly extended them, forming what Leah now recognized as a tripod, and set her camera atop of the structure. "Let's take some pictures with these cows!" Haley proposed,

"You can show me how to approach one," Haley instructed enthusiastically. "And I'll just set it to shoot on a timer," she enlightened her companion.

Leah immediately doubted this plan. "Just because I'm outdoorsy doesn't mean I know farm animals," the ginger replied frantically.

But Haley was not deterred. The aspiring lenswoman pressed a few buttons on the camera and before Leah could make any further objections, the blonde was hopping the fence with an athleticism Leah did not expect. That was until Leah recalled Haley helping her to the fruit she wanted to pick from the tall tree last season. "C'mon, Leah! Where's your sense of adventure?" the photographer teased.

As Leah climbed the wooden fence, she felt her heart begin to flutter at the sight of Haley venturing out into the center of the pen. Was she nervous for Haley's safety? No, cows aren't that dangerous...

Haley rushed forward and grabbed Leah by the hand to stand among the dairy cows. As the blonde wrapped an arm around Leah's far shoulder and lay her head on the one closest for a quick photo pose, the ginger realized the problem. There was a gorgeous woman hanging out with her. I got over this crush ages ago! Leah screamed internally. Haley's straight and only wanted to kiss you at the Flower Dance to 'try it out' and make Alex jealous before you stopped her. We're friends.

The younger woman immediately strutted toward the nearest cow and petted its muzzle gently while Leah hung back to observe. "Her nose is so soft!" Haley gasped, shocked that such a large animal could have such delicate features. Her curls tumbled over her shoulder as she turned to face her companion. "I'm gonna ride her!"

Leah panicked, no longer due to her big, fat lesbian crush on Haley, but for the potential consequences of the blonde's rash decision. "I don't think cows are supposed to be ridden!" the artist cautioned, reaching out to pull her back. But Haley already retreated some distance and used the running start to jump up to the cow's back and twist her body to a seated position like a gymnast on a pommel horse.

While Leah had always considered the friendship between Alex and Haley as one of beauty and brawn, the artist began to consider that perhaps she had assigned the wrong labels to the duo - or, better yet, the description matched them both. Leah had berated Haley for judging her with her mean comments on several occasions, but the sculptor realized that she had done much of the same by underestimating her unlikely friend. Not to mention Leah was so into this display of athleticism. Well, here we go again… the artist lamented silently. Attracted to a hot blonde cheerleader I don't have a chance with.

Mooing to express her displeasure, the cow that Haley had unceremoniously mounted stomped her hooves on the packed earth. The blonde shifted her weight to keep balance, but the domesticated animal reared up on her hind legs, successfully tossing Haley to the ground.

Leah scrambled to catch the airborne human, but she could not close the gap in time and Haley landed in a mud puddle of dubious origins.

"...Geh…" Haley's disheveled hair was splattered with mud and her normally spotless attire was now coated with grime. To Leah's surprise, however, the blonde giggled. "That was fun!" She ran to the camera to collect her photos and fanned them out for better viewing. "And these photos are hilarious!"

Leah followed Haley, wondering which moments of the recent chaos were documented by the camera. The first photo was simple enough. It was the two of them standing among the cows in the holding pen, Haley flashing a peace sign and winking at the camera. The artist was thankful that her blush was not horrendously obvious or she might have died on the spot.

The second photo was an image of Haley petting the muzzle of one of the dairy cows while Leah herself observed from a few feet away. This was before the ex-cheerleader's decision to treat a dairy cow as a mount.

Unfortunately, the third image did not catch Haley's astounding acrobatics. Just a still of the blonde riding the cow against Leah's advice and the bovine herself appearing dubious of the situation.

Finally, an action shot. A picture of Leah trying desperately to catch Haley as she was thrown from the cow's back. The impulsive young woman's expression was a blend of terror, disbelief, and glee. Leah was oddly intrigued by the pictures that proved Haley was not always the prissy prep that she had assumed of the blonde. "Can I keep some of these?" the ginger requested shyly.

Haley beamed. "Fine, but I get to keep these two!" She claimed the pair of pictures that showed her with the cow and not flying through the air. "Emily won't believe me if I don't have photo evidence that I pet a cow today." She handed the others to Leah. "Now don't go showing that last one to the whole town. It's our little secret, okay?" the photographer winked at the forager conspiratorially.

Her large blue eyes regarded her soiled clothing. "I'm gonna go home and take a shower now…" Haley stated, excusing herself to go clean up. Squeezing Leah's hand, the curly-haired woman disclosed her feelings. "I had a lot of fun with you today. I hope we have a lot more adventures in the future!"

"Y-Yeah…" Leah acquiesced, completely and utterly smitten in the moment, despite the mud on Haley's heartbreakingly gorgeous features. As her neighbor disappeared down the eastward path toward home, the woman with braided hair glanced down at the pictures in her hand. While the one with Haley mid-air was funny, Leah knew she would hang up the picture with Haley's arm draped around her somewhere noticeable. She had not had such a close female friend in a long time. I don't want to ruin this… Leah berated herself. I can be happy as long as we get to hang out, she vowed.

For now, the grey-eyed woman tucked the photos into the pocket of her worn leather messenger bag. Maybe some time sketching near the river in town would help clear her head.

Sam hopped up onto the examination counter, eager to get out of the clinic quickly. When he originally scheduled this appointment last year, he had not expected his best friend's little sister to be the medical professional performing the wellness check. It was awkward. "So, uh..." the blonde started, but the nurse cut him off.

"There's no need to feel awkward about anything we discuss during your visit today, Sam," Maru swore adamantly. "This is strictly confidential and I won't shy away from any topics, so please don't hold back if you have any questions or concerns."

She was so adamant in her assurances that Sam did not have the heart to tell Maru that he only wanted to say he had no medical complaints in the last year. "None from me, thanks."

Maru placed the stethoscope on his back and instructed him to breathe slowly through his nose and out through his mouth. "Your lungs sound great!" the younger woman praised. She moved the cold metal device over his heart and listened for a while as she held Sam's wrist. "Heartbeat sounds healthy, too," Maru reported, removing the ear pieces and allowing the stethoscope to rest around her neck.

"They better be with all the exercise I've been getting," Sam joked, trying to get Maru to stop looking so serious. It unnerved him just a little when she eyed him the same way as his medical chart.

"Oh, have you started a new workout routine?" the nurse asked with interest, inserting her pen into the clip of her note board.

Sam wavered. He had been referring to all his sexy times with Abigail, but that would be weird to explain the joke now. "Something like that, yeah…"

"I imagine you are being vague because you find it embarrassing…" the nurse stated flatly. "There's really no need, Sam. Physical fitness is important, even when we are young and healthy." She tapped the end of her pen to her clipboard, releasing the writing tip to jot down a few notes. "Lots of people work out to impress their partner." Maru flashed a friendly smile. "If you let me know what kind you've been trying, I can make sure it's not something that will cause more harm than good in the long-term. Besides, the statistics for bedroom injuries are surprisingly high. "

Sam was aghast. "W-What?" While she was not entirely accurate, how did Maru of all people know about the extent of his relationship with Abigail?

Maru tilted her head curiously. "Oh, are you not sexually active after all?" she pondered aloud. She frowned, "Sebastian told me you and Abigail are the only ones who could have stolen his stash of condoms that Harvey gave him during his last appointment. I suppose that was presumptuous…"

She adjusted her glasses as she scratched out a few lines on the sheet attached to her clipboard. "My apologies, Sam. Hearsay should not be part of your medical record."

The blond chuckled nervously. "Actually, I am 'active' with one partner. You've got that part right at least. The workouts I was kidding about were the actual deed, I guess."

"Oh!" The medical professional re-wrote the notes she had stricken from the record. "I'll have to fill out this sheet again so it's legible," Maru muttered to herself under her breath. The researcher clicked her pen, trying to refocus on the task at hand. "Just so you know, sexual activities don't burn as many calories as you would think, so don't rely on it as your sole form of exercise." Sam went red, but she did not notice. "Now, I have a few follow-up questions."

Maru flipped through to find a specific page and read the words verbatim. "Have you noticed any rashes, boils, unpleasant odors…"

Sam stopped her there, mortified by the queries made by Sebastian's baby sister. "No, no, nothing like that!"

"When was the last time you were tested for STIs or STDs?"

The young man balked, he could feel the sweat forming on the side of his face. "Uh..."

The medical professional did not miss a beat. "You should do that periodically, just in case. But I suppose if you both are each other's first partners, there is less risk involved," she acknowledged. "You mentioned only one partner…" Maru stated, checking a box on her paperwork. "Do you use any contraceptives?" she inquired, clearly unbothered about discussing these things with someone her age.

"Abigail hasn't mentioned any birth control pills or anything like that, but we use condoms," Sam replied, slowly regaining his composure." Maru nodded and checked another box. The blond cleared his throat. "I was actually hoping to get more of those today, doc."

Maru waved her hand, "Oh, I'm not a doctor," she corrected her brother's best friend. "But I'll be happy to get you more of those." She rummaged through the cabinet above the sink in search of the requested items.

Sam desperately wished to fill the awkward silence. "So… Sebastian mentioned you and Alex are getting closer lately." The blond wanted to talk about anything other than his sexual health with Maru. "You two have lunch together most days?"

"Alex is under the impression that I would forget to eat if not for the social interaction," Maru informed the blond, removing a locked box for the cabinet, and using a tiny key to open it. "I suppose there is some evidence behind that. Supposedly I appear to have lost weight and he expressed mild apprehension until I approved the arrangement." She pulled out a few options for Sam to choose from and held them out for his inspection.

"And I suppose we are getting closer as friends," Maru conceded. She added more detail freely to give Sam the opportunity to consider his choice. "I enjoy Alex's company. He's an avid learner and it's refreshing to see someone so eager to listen to my ramblings regarding my personal interests."

Sam gave her an incredulous look. "Are you sure Alex isn't hoping you two could be more than friends?"

The corners of Maru's lips dropped. "You've been talking to Sebastian too much," she sighed, leaning against the sink behind her. "Alex is very straight-forward. If those were his intentions, he would say so."

The guitarist shrugged. "I mean, it's not like there's anything wrong with being friends, but most people don't hang out with their best friends every day." His moss green eyes focused on his best friend's sister. "I knew I liked Abigail early on, but I didn't want to jump the gun until she was ready. It took years before we got together."

This caught Maru's interest. "What qualities in Abigail's personality made you want to pursue a different kind of relationship?"

Sam rubbed the back of his neck, massaging the flesh where it met his shoulder. He had not ever put his gut feelings about his girlfriend into words before. "Well, she's not afraid to speak her mind, even if it means she disagrees with someone," he articulated slowly. "I'm not the kind of guy to make waves, I just go with the flow most of the time." Sam shrugged. "I guess I found her willingness to stand up for something she's passionate about really attractive, for one thing."

The blond leaned back on the exam table, lying on it like a sofa in a psychologist's office. "In a lot of ways, Abigail's kinda my opposite, and I think that's a good thing." Sam grinned up at the ceiling. "And Abigail's got the most beautiful smile," he declared. "Being around her makes me forget about all the worrying about my dad for a while. She's supportive and even if she pretends she's embarrassed by me, my goofiness makes her laugh."

"So you want to be with her because of the way she takes care of you and thinks your jokes are funny?"

Sam shook his head. "Nah, I wouldn't word it like that," he answered. "I'm not looking for a mom, I've already got an awesome one of those." He twiddled his thumbs together on his abdomen. He tilted his head toward Maru. "I think when you see all the good in another person you're attracted to anyway, you start to wonder if they could be your endgame without even realizing, don't you?" Before Maru could respond, Sam smirked. "It doesn't hurt that we're both smoking hot, too."

The young man could not help but add that last bit to lessen the severity of his sincerity. He and Abigail had not even said "I love you" yet. Sam did not want to stack on that extra pressure and they were already having a lot of fun. He knew where his feelings lay, but Abigail was more cautious about the "L word." The skater speculated whether or not his girlfriend worried it would change too much between them. Like she would lose her individuality in deference to their relationship if she allowed herself to be vulnerable with him. It hurt a little, but Sam had been patient before and he could do it again. He was in no rush.

"What if you've never even thought about anyone that way?" Maru inquired aloud, holding herself and fixing her attention on the lilac tiles on the floor. "Does that mean I'm weird?"

Sam kicked his foot upward, using the momentum to sit up on the exam table. "Nah, you're probably just a late bloomer. Besides, you keep yourself hella busy, Maru. I'd be shocked if you found much time for dating, especially with how protective your dad is of you."

Maru pursed her lips contemplatively. "He did try to scare off Alex a while back," the nurse admitted.

The blond cackled, "Alex, and literally everyone else in town. Poor Penny had a rough time at first, but she really wanted to be your friend."

Her eyes darted toward her brother's best friend. "What?"

Continuing his laughter, Sam wiped his eyes. "Oh, yeah. Your dad has warned everyone in town to stay away from you, even if we had zero interest to begin with. " He grimaced, backpedaling on his previous statement. "It's not that I find you unattractive, it's just you're Sebby's little sister and that would be weird."

"You don't need to justify not wanting to date me, Sam," Maru promised, cracking a smile herself. "You've provided me with a lot of qualitative information to analyze," Maru regarded her patient appreciatively. "Thank you."

"Hey, even I can be introspective every once and a while." The blond handed back all but two of the discretely sized packs. "Gotta replace the one I stole from Sebby," he reminded Maru, squirreling them away in his back pocket. Not that it really mattered whether or not they were all for his own personal use or not. "I think he'd probably prefer I deliver them," Sam chuckled.

Maru covered her mouth with her open hand. "I think you're right. He might not ever recover if they came from me." Her sienna eyes returned to Sam's medical chart as she attempted to get back on track with his appointment. "Now, before you leave today, would you like to get your flu shot?"

"So you're telling me you've never played a video game before?" Abigail repeated with disbelief. They had spent the last hour playing outside and the young woman was exhausted. She needed another way to occupy Vincent for a while that did not involve chasing after the kid. The amethyst-haired woman leaned up against the outer wall of her father's shop, panting.

Vincent dipped his thoughtfully. "Mom says they melt your brain!" he informed his babysitter. He glanced around, as if suspicious Jodi would pop out of nowhere before leaning forward to whisper, "But Sam says that's not true."

Abigail smirked and bent down to his level, wrapping her arm around his tiny shoulders. "It doesn't melt your brain, but you gotta keep this our little secret, okay?"

The strawberry blond's eyes grew large with excitement that his child-sized body could not contain. "Okay!"

Swinging open the door to Pierre's General Store, Abigail led Vincent through toward the house. "Abigail, could you stock -"

But the young woman cut her father off. "Sorry, dad. I'm in charge of a minor right now and you can't make him work for free 'cause he's not family," Abigail shot back as fast as a gunslinger, taking Vincent's arm and hurrying through the hallway before her father could object to her reasoning. She shut the door to her bedroom behind her.

Vincent, who had never been in Abigail's room, scanned the room in awe. "You have a hamster?!" the boy exclaimed, charging the cage on the dresser.

"He's a gerbil," Abigail corrected, approaching the cage and opening the top to retrieve the small creature. "David, this is Vincent," she introduced her pet to her charge. "Vincent, meet David." She held the rodent in her open palms at the boy's eye level. "Don't make any sudden movements, but if you slowly put your hand close, you can go ahead and pet his back."

Vincent's gaze set on David's twitchy pink nose as he slowly slid his hand across the gerbil's fur. The rodent turned his head to bump Vincent's hand, chirping and encouraging the boy to continue. "He tickles!" the boy giggled, as David's whiskers brushed against his arm.

Abigail grinned. "He likes you!" The woman bobbed her head toward the cushions she had on the floor by her TV. "I'll let you hold him if you sit down."

Her boyfriend's little brother cheered, skipping over to the teal squares and sitting on the nearest one. Abigail slowly lowered the gerbil to Vincent's outstretched hands. She was shocked David was so chill with kids. The boy in the striped shirt lay on his back and let the rodent climb all over him. Vincent stifled his laughter so not to scare David, but he could not help himself. When the rodent buried himself in the boy's hair, Vincent slowly sat up and David stayed put, perched among the boy's spiky hair. "I have a gerbil on my head!" the kid announced happily.

"Huh, David never sits on my head," Abigail commented aloud, her tone betraying only slight jealousy that her pet was favoring Vincent. "But he seems happy there." She handed the boy a small handful of food to give David. "You can try feeding him, if you want."

"Yes, me, me, me!" Vincent answered, hardly containing his delight. He offered David one of the pellets and the rodent took the piece in his paws, nibbling the food with little squeals of joy. This was going better than Abigail had imagined, but then Vincent saw the gaming system. "Is this the game you said I could play with you?" he asked eagerly.

Abigail nodded to confirm. "Yeah, if you still think you can play one-handed," she indicated, eyeing his handful of gerbil food.

Vincent beamed and dumped all the food in the small front pocket of his banded shirt. "There!" he proclaimed. "Now I'm ready!"

Shrugging, Abigail chose not to argue with the boy's ingenuity. She gave Vincent the second controller, taking the first for herself. "Now I've never gotten very far in this game," she warned the kid. "It's kinda hard, so don't get too discouraged if we keep losing, okay?"

"Okay!" David thumped his hind paw gently onto Vincent's head and the boy took the hint that the gerbil wanted another piece of food. He quickly fished one out of his pocket and surrendered it to the demanding little rodent.

Abigail could not help but laugh at the sight, but she started up "Journey of the Prairie King." She demonstrated all the different kinds of movements and what buttons to press. "You ready?"