Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day
Yesterday's rain continued into the morning and while Lewis would normally head to The Stardrop Saloon on miserable days like this, he had a mission. It was Marnie's birthday today and he intended to win back the affections of his little milkmaid or his name was not Mayor Lewis. He would have to do something extravagant - this much Lewis knew. For this special occasion, the bureaucrat wore the fine purple suit that he chose at Emily's clothing therapy event. The attire was made of a fine purple silk - pants, suit jacket, and matching hat. He wore a stylish green shirt with buttons polished to a gold shine and similarly colored tie to complete the ensemble.
Mayor Lewis had even added volume to his already magnificent mustache with a bit of product he had shipped in from overseas. With gloved hands, the determined man snatched up his umbrella, which he would use in place of the dapper purple cane due to the weather. Tossing the suit jacket over one shoulder like a jaunty cape, Lewis admired himself in the mirror and agreed with his reflection that any woman in her right mind would inevitably fall into the arms of such a debonair gentleman.
Lewis peered out the window of his mayoral manor to make sure that Shane was not loitering outside to ambush him the instant he stepped outside. His mustache twitched like the whiskers of a rodent wary of a hawk flying overhead as his gaze swept across the yard and toward the swelling flow of brown water along the muddy riverbank.
The pattering of the water onto the ground made it difficult to hear anything else outside, so Lewis was forced to rely on his keen eyesight alone. From what he gathered, there was not a soul out and about in this abysmal weather. Now was his chance to prove to Marnie that her little jokes about his performance meant nothing to a romantic such as himself and that she was a fool to refuse to see him on his prior visits.
Due to that fraudulent election that took place on the 9th, the secretive couple missed their usual amorous rendezvous, but Lewis had still gone to the clinic to pick up his usual prescription just in case. Surely now Marnie would see the error of her ways once he strolled into the ranch with his dashing attire and a single rose between his teeth. Lewis was nothing short of a romantic - he just needed to remind his lady. With one last cursor glance over the view outside his windows, the man threw open the front door and briskly man his way westward toward Marnie's ranch.
As soon as the former mayor locked the house behind him, he could have sworn he saw movement within. Lewis shuddered slightly, but dismissed the tiny hairs in his skin standing on edge as a sign of the cold autumn rain.
It was darker than normal for this time of morning because of the downpour, so the windows of his neighbors practically glowed against the gloom as Lewis passed. That young hooligan Samson was playing his guitar, the noise pouring out into the street through the slightly open window. Though Lewis was not a fan of the noise he and his band created, the purple-clad man had to admit that there was some skill involved.
In the next window, he noticed Jodi sitting with young Vincent. Lewis observed that the woman appeared pleased lately, the usual worry she tried so hard to mask absent from her expression. He wondered if she heard some good news lately. Perhaps Kent would arrive home from Gotoro and the war would end sooner than expected. Perhaps another strong man in town will help bring the villagers back to their senses, Lewis supposed.
The heels of the grey-haired man's dark boots clicked against the cobblestones, but it slowly yielded to the squelching of mud once the proper path ended past 1 Willow Lane. Lewis did his best to avoid the most egregious puddles. Although his boots could handle the water, he did not want the material to get soiled. After all, he was on his way to woo a lady and mud was not appropriate attire for knocking boots.
Lewis sensed that something was off the moment the red roof of Marnie's ranch came into view. There was a male figure visible from the window that was unfamiliar - so thankfully it was not Shane. However, the presence of a man in his lover's home gave the gentleman pause. He sat on the bale of hay just below the window and stole a look inside Marnie's house.
Marlon! He recognized that old lunatic anywhere. The man's wild, unkempt hair, the obviously fake eyepatch, the stupid beard - Lewis loathed them all. The bureaucrat was happy to collect taxes on any business, but how could a grown man call himself a "monster slayer" and run an "Adventurer's Guild" with a straight face?
In his annoyance, Lewis realized that the intruder also wore a dark green dress shirt with gold buttons, only he wore a brown leather cloak on his right shoulder. While Marlon did not have Lewis' fine silk suit, the man did have a sort of ruggedness that some women might find alluring. And yet there Marnie was, smiling and giggling at something the self-proclaimed "guild master" uttered as he presented her with a fairy rose.
"That is quite enough!" Lewis growled through his clenched jaw. He pulled himself back up to his feet, but his blood ran cold when he felt a weight clamp down on his shoulder from behind.
"You're coming with me," the gruff voice ordered, barbarically grabbing Lewis by the collar of his shirt and dragging him into the barn. "I'm done playing nice, old man."
Shane cursed when he woke up to the sound of rain. The sailor promised the new mayor it would rain again this season, but the chicken farmer had not expected it to be the very next day. Was this seriously his last shot to get Emily a mermaid pendant until Spring? The weather report called for a slight chance for more rain next Tuesday, but it was low enough that Shane could not count on it.
The new mayor of Pelican Town knew Lewis was purposefully avoiding him, but now the stakes were too high to allow these ridiculous games to endure. Emily had waited for him long enough for him to get his shit together and although Shane knew he still had a long way to go, the man now understood what it meant to feel like he had a life worth living again. No way in hell was he going to accept any more delays lying down and wallowing in his own self-pity.
Shane could not believe his luck when he headed toward town and found the object of his search peeking into his Aunt Marnie's house through the front window. Seeing Lewis acting so slimy made the mayor's blood boil. As Marnie's nephew, Shane decided to use the opportunity to strike a little fear into the old man.
"There's a sleazy rat spying on my Aunt Marnie…" Shane growled through his teeth, gripping the peeping Tom by the shoulder. "You're coming with me." Without further warning, the younger man hauled the former mayor into the barn for a serious talk.
Lewis, who seemed stunned by Shane's rough treatment, stuttered to respond. "Ah - Unhand me, you r-ru-ruffian!" The oddly dressed man flailed his arms wildly in a desperate attempt to escape.
Shane tossed Lewis onto a pile of loose hay. "I'm done playing nice, old man," he hissed angrily. "Aunt Marnie's made it clear she isn't interested anymore, so leave her the fuck alone!"
"I-I will have you know that I came to win her back!" Lewis' mustache twitched as he shouted.
Shane widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. While he was not particularly tall, Emily made it very clear that she appreciated the strength in his muscles. Lifting heavy boxes full of canned goods did that to a guy. And although his Joja days were over, Shane was eating better and exercising more. The bulk on his upper body now showed muscle underneath when he flexed just right. The pose made him appear more intimidating and he was going to use it to his full advantage. "So why did I catch you peeking into the window?" Shane demanded flatly.
Lewis scrambled for an answer. "I - I had planned on sweeping Marnie off her feet, but then I saw that scoundrel Marlon inside," Shane noticed the older man glare in the general direction of the house. "I had to collect my thoughts on how to win back -"
Shane's dark eyes leered at the former mayor, and Lewis' speech cut off mid-sentence as he began to visibly perspire. "I don't give a rat's ass, you were still being a creep," the sturdy man snapped irritably. "And you still haven't given me access to all the town records I need to do my job!"
Lewis laughed nervously. "Come now, Shane! You don't really intend to carry on with this charade for much longer, do you?" the grey-haired man attempted to reason with his replacement. "You had a very successful Stardew Valley Fair, so why not just call it a-"
Pulling Lewis out of the hay by his cloak, Shane raised the older man to his face. "Look, do we have to do this the hard way?" He did not actually intend to beat the older man, even if Lewis' face was practically begging to be punched in that purple pimp outfit. Still, the guy was not exactly brave, so Shane was confident once he implied that something unpleasant might happen, Lewis would fold like a tent.
"What records?" Lewis tried to play dumb, which was not about to fly.
Shane dropped Lewis back into the pile of straw, lifting a finger each time he listed a new item. "Deeds to the empty plots of land, tax histories for all the villagers and local businesses, and the town budget for the last decade or so, to name a few…" He squatted down to Lewis' level. "Now hand all the paperwork over. You're not mayor anymore."
From the increasing redness on Lewis' face, Shane was slightly concerned about the old man's blood pressure. "Why does it even matter to you? Can't you just let me handle these things?!"
Shane frowned. "The town voted you out because you couldn't refute the accusation you were stealing from the whole town, remember?"
Lewis shifted uncomfortably, his eyes avoiding Shane. "I don't even have most of the official documents…" he confessed quietly. "I lost the key to that old safe years ago."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Lewis rose to his feet, brushing off the stray bits of hay from his clothing here and there. "I have unofficial records, but all the important documents are locked in that old safe in the abandoned Community Center."
"So you're telling me that no one wanted to buy any land in town since you lost the key?" Shane asked skeptically.
"I simply…" Lewis cleared his throat, "upped the asking price to discourage any potential buyers."
The new mayor was baffled. "Why didn't you just call a locksmith?" Shane countered angrily.
Lewis' attention was drawn to a small patch of dirt on his clothing. "Because then the whole town would know I lost the key." He brushed his hands on the spot until it disappeared.
Unconsciously, Shane's hand slapped his own face in disbelief. "Yeah, okay," the younger man grumbled. "I see the problem now…"
"I'm glad you underst-"
Shane did not wait for his fallen political rival to finish. "You're the most useless person I've ever met." He turned, leaving Lewis in the wake of his angry aura. He could not believe that this entire time the problem could have been solved with a simple phone call to a third party with zero stakes in the situation. And now his plans to propose to Emily by the end of the year were in jeopardy, which pissed him off even more.
Shane sighed heavily as he entered his aunt's house. "Now I've gotta hire a locksmith," he complained.
Sebastian groaned as he tapped his phone to silence his final "get out of bed now or you're gonna be late" alarm that morning. Rain always made it more difficult to start the day and he and his girlfriend had a late night the previous evening. Since Violet did not have internet on anything but her phone and Sebastian had two computers - even if they were ancient - she came over last night to help him research potential apartments in ZuZu City.
Sebastian preferred to live relatively close to campus, since that was a major factor as to why he was moving in the first place, but that also narrowed the search. There were a few buildings on the higher end of his ideal budget that specifically catered to "young professionals," but Sebastian was reluctant to live among a bunch of stuck-up participants in the corporate rat race he spent so many years trying to avoid. He could up his rental budget, but that would mean eating into more of the cut he got from Krobus' payment for the magic-laced food and drink, and he wanted those funds to last as long as possible.
They made a surprisingly great team. Sebastian found a bunch of locations and Violet did a deeper dive on social media, review sites, and a bit of unconventional ingenuity to see pictures of the state of the apartments when they were not staged for viewing and what the tenants thought of the living conditions, management, and overall maintenance.
On the one hand, they got through a long list of apartments, but they also stayed up well into the early morning. In doing so, however, Violet helped Sebastian eliminate most of the locations due to tenant complaints about management's inability to make repairs within a reasonable timeframe; thin walls; bedbug, roach, and/or rodent infestations; and proximity to lively bars open well into the night. After their enormous progress, the pair fell into bed from exhaustion.
Sebastian could have sworn they had only been asleep for a few minutes when the first of his alarms jarred him awake. But as much as he enjoyed having Violet curled up in bed with him on a rainy morning, Sebastian had an obligation to himself and his future. He needed to finish this degree and in the moment that meant getting his ass out of bed. Sebastian grinned at the sight of Violet cuddled up to him, only just barely awake as he prodded her gently. "Five more minutes," she groaned, pulling herself closer to him.
"That's what you said ten minutes ago," the black-haired man chuckled as he attempted to wiggle out of Violet's grasp unsuccessfully. His girlfriend was stronger than she seemed.
Violet smirked sleepily and nuzzled her face into his soft sweatshirt. "So?" the pastel-haired woman countered with a sleepy smile.
"You know I have to get to class!" Sebastian insisted, finally utilizing gravity to aid him as he rolled off the bed and braced himself with his outstretched arms. Violet could not fight the earth's pull and fell out of bed with Sebastian in a heap upon the floor.
"Ow…"
"You know I want to stay, but class is important…"
Violet pouted slightly as she tried to free herself from the tangle of sheets. When that failed, the pastel-haired woman cocooned herself sullenly. "I know…" she moaned. Her face still concealed by the fabric, she waved him away with a hand. "Get going, you'll be late!"
Sebastian quickly rose to his feet. He knew if he stuck around any longer, it would be harder to leave at all. But seeing Violet pouting in a pile of blankets on the floor made him lose his resolve ever so slightly. After some quick internal compromise, Sebastian scooped his girlfriend up and plopped her back on the bed, which was an impressive feat of strength for the programmer since she went limp in silent protest of his manhandling her.
"I promise I'll swing by your place when I get back in town, okay?" Violet did not stir, but he leaned down and kissed what he could only guess was her cheek through the dark sheets. "See you then."
In his hurry, Sebastian did not wait for Violet to object and dashed up to the main floor of the house. Recognizing that he did not have time to make his morning coffee, Sebastian scowled, but entered the kitchen in hopes of finding something he could take to-go as a quick breakfast.
As he turned the corner, Sebastian found Demetrius sitting at the table, sipping his morning coffee and reading the newspaper. "I got you a thermos," the student's step-father informed him without pulling his focus from the words on the cheap newsprint paper. He pointed his mug toward the counter. "And that paper bag has a breakfast sandwich. It's high in protein and good brain fuel."
Sebastian was caught off-guard by Demetrius' casual generosity. "Uh… thanks," the young man verbalized, taking the food his step-father offered. Pouring extra coffee from the carafe was not a huge deal, even though it was appreciated. However, making a sandwich was more effort. "Did you make this just for me?"
Demetrius bobbed his head in confirmation, his concentration still on the pages before him. "Bulk preparation reduces the amount of time consumed on any given task," he articulated without any discernably negative intonation. "Your mother needed packed meals today and I suspected you might skip eating again." The older man drank a bit of his caffeinated beverage before elaborating on his motives. "Proper meals give the mind its best start in the morning."
Sebastian stood dumbfounded, his obsidian eyes watching for some sign of sarcasm or criticism in his step-father's face. After a long stillness, Demetrius' gaze rested on his step-son briefly. "Why are you standing there? Aren't you in a hurry?"
Fumbling for words, Sebastian nodded, "Yeah, I gotta go," he agreed, hastily turning to exit the kitchen. Turning back toward Demetrius momentarily, he muttered, "Thanks again."
Even after the sound of Sebastian's footsteps climbing the stairs were long gone, Violet kept her face concealed by the pillow. Why did I do that? she scolded herself, embarrassed that her childish behavior resulted in Sebastian acting so gentlemanly as to physically tuck her back into bed and give her a kiss goodbye.
From underneath the ebony blanket of the bed, Violet could see the raindrops slowly dripping down the window outside. As she stared at the water slowly flowing down the glass panes, Violet considered her mixed feelings about Sebastian moving to ZuZu City. It was a lot of fun to hunt for apartments together, but the reality was that her boyfriend was not going to live within walking distance anymore. Hell, she did not even have a car, so she would have to rely on public transport.
At least the bus was running again, but Violet could not help but worry that their relationship may not last. The city had a lot more people, while here in Pelican Town, Violet was just one of six young women in town who were not related to Sebastian. He was bound to meet a lot more people their age - some of whom might express interest in him.
At least Sebastian would be upfront with me if he met someone else…Violet contended angrily with a burst of determination to free herself from Sebastian's bed sheets as a flash of her ex-boyfriend face filled her mind. Once she was untangled, Violet sighed heavily, resting back onto the bed and taking a slow, deep breath. "Why am I always so insecure?" she whispered sadly, cuddling the pillow to her chest.
Why do this to yourself?! Violet gripped the fluffy quadrilateral unnecessarily hard. You used to live in the largest city in Ferngill Republic and didn't find a guy like Sebastian, so maybe meeting other people will just make him appreciate you more.
Still, changing negative thought patterns was easier said than done. Smothering herself in Sebastian's pillow, Violet let out a roar of frustration before finally sitting up to seize the day. The young woman had a lot of things to do since Robin was scheduled to finish the coop this evening and lying here feeling sorry for herself was not going to get her chores done.
But the temptation of venturing further in the mines when she was already on the mountain was strong. "I'll only go down another five levels, just like I promised," Violet reasoned to herself. She had all the essentials she would need in her backpack, she was already most of the way there, and it was a rainy day anyway, so why not?
All that was left was to leave Sebastian's bedroom without any embarrassing encounters. It was not as if the young woman was ashamed of her relationship with Sebastian, but she wanted to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings between family members again. It was mid-week, so Maru was likely living in Harvey's apartment over the clinic and Violet would not have to worry about waking her by being up and about. In addition, once Robin woke up for the day, she would be on Fairy Rose Farm working on the coop the farmer ordered. That just left Demetrius, with whom Violet spent the least amount of time interacting.
Since Demetrius had previously accused Sebastian of indecency, as his girlfriend, Violet considered it her responsibility to make sure the father-son relationship did not sour any further on her account. Violet decided that exiting out of Sebastian's bedroom window would indicate that she was sneaking around, so despite the risk she opted to leave out the front door.
Violet crept up the stairs as quietly as she could, but the old planks were squeaky. She had learned of a few especially egregious stairs over the course of the year and skipped over a few, though the agrarian had to wonder if it made much difference.
When Violet reached the main floor of the house, she slowly opened the door out into the hallway connecting the shop to Demetrius' lab. "Hello, farmer Violet," Demetrius' voice greeted her.
The young woman did her best not to fall down the stairs as she jumped in surprise, grabbing the doorknob to steady herself. "Good morning, sir!" Violet replied quickly, hoping that her extra layer of politeness would help smooth things over.
"Sebastian already left for class," the scientist notified his houseguest. Violet had trouble reading his facial expression. Demetrius was not actively frowning, but the corners of his lips tilted downward and Violet observed that his brows were ever so slightly angled downward toward the center. Maybe he just has a resting bitch face? the pastel-haired woman reasoned. She knew plenty of women who had one - Violet swore Bex's could kill - so why not a man?
"I assume you haven't eaten yet." Demetrius motioned for her to join him in the kitchen. "I made extra..." he informed Violet. Hesitantly, the woman followed and took the chair he indicated on the nearest corner to him.
"It all smells great!" Violet proclaimed, taking a bite of the egg, cheese, and bacon sandwich. Even if it was true, she wanted to butter Demetrius up a bit. Violet was self-conscious that her boyfriend's step-father wanted to chat. Maybe it's nothing… the former city girl dared to hope. Or maybe he's about to give me a shovel talk? Violet was less anxious about an overprotective parent trying to ensure their child - no matter how grown up - was surrounded by good people than one who inherently objected to the relationship altogether.
Demetrius watched Violet in awkward silence for a moment before he opened his mouth to speak. "I understand you stayed the night," he stated, sounding as neutral as possible.
The young woman averted her gaze, choosing to stare down at the plate before her. "I helped Sebastian find potential apartments in the city last night until pretty late," Violet told him. "And then we just sort of fell asleep."
A singular eyebrow rose on Demetrius' face. "Sebastian plans on moving out?"
Oh, did Sebastian not tell his family yet? Suddenly Violet worried she had spilled the beans. "He's considering it to be closer to school - so he doesn't have to commute anymore."
"It seems both my children plan on leaving…" he muttered. Demetrius rested his elbows on the wooden table and propped up his head on his interwoven fingers. "Sebastian isn't moving out because of me, is he?" Violet recognized that her boyfriend's step-father's eyes were glued to the woodgrain of the table before him.
Is he worried about Sebastian? Violet considered the question for a moment. "I think your rocky relationship is a factor, but not the main reason," she finally answered honestly. "Sebastian wants to prove to you he's got what it takes to get a degree, so you'll stop treating him differently."
Demetrius' gaze fell onto her curiously. "Differently?"
Violet grimaced. "From my personal experience, you do tend to assume the worst when it comes to Sebastian," she reported honestly. "And he really wants you to at least accept him, even if you don't get along."
The man closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "We are very different," Demetrius frowned. "But I still think of Sebastian as my son. After all, I helped Robin raise him since he was a boy." His mouth twitched as he pondered his next words. "Though, I admit I'm tough on him, like my father was to me. Discipline - mental, physical, or otherwise - molds an immature boy into a man."
The scientist lowered his hands and leaned back into his chair. "However, I acknowledge that using the same child-rearing methods that I grew up with and expecting identical results was a bit…" he hesitated, "stupid of me."
Violet did not know how to respond and took a bite of her sandwich as a delay tactic. In the uneasy silence, Demetrius took the opportunity to resume. "You've been a really good influence on Sebastian, farmer Violet," the man expressed with a slight smile. "I want to thank you."
The praise made the pastel-haired woman uncomfortable, and she made that known. "I think it's less that I've been a 'good influence' and more that Sebastian just needed someone on his team." Violet shrugged, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. "I think we all need that one way or another. It's tough to do things when you feel like you're alone." Her deep blue eyes stared up into Demetrius' warm brown ones. "If that makes sense?"
The scientist scratched the back of his head. "It seems I have a lot more to learn about father-son social dynamics than I initially imagined."
He's trying… Violet beamed at Demetrius to assure him. "You'll both probably do a lot of things wrong at first, and that's okay." She racked her brain for any scientific knowledge she could use as a metaphor, but failed to bring to mind anything useful. Violet took a shot at it anyway. "Just remember human behavior can't be explained simply. We're more complicated than soil samples, even if we do tend to be creatures of habit."
Demetrius regarded the advice warmly. "I'll keep that in mind."
Marnie woke early to milk the cattle and goats, and listened to the sounds of the rain outside as she completed her chores. As she tended to dairy animals, she realized the date: it was her birthday. Like many people, the older Marnie got the less she celebrated the occasion. It was not an important birthday to anyone else but her.
Another year without James. It depressed the brunette that this year marked more time spent as a widow than married to her dear husband. Marnie dreaded the idea of being alone for the rest of her life. Luckily, with Jas being so young, there was a guarantee that her cousin's daughter would keep her company for another decade or so.
But what about when Jas grew up? Shane had already moved out of the house. Marnie was so proud of her nephew for all the progress he made lately, but she could not help but notice his absence every night. There was something comforting about having a man around the house, even someone as rough around the edges as Shane.
Was she only ever meant a real romance once in her lifetime? Would it be too much for Marnie to hope that one day, someone's gaze would linger upon her affectionately? She had several albums of pictures and they often triggered memories of little, precious moments that Marnie thought she had forgotten. Closing her eyes, the woman recalled James' charming laugh and beautiful hazel eyes, but the images were a bit hazier each year that passed. It frightened her that despite all those wonderful years together, their time would slowly evaporate from her mind.
Marnie loved James, but she wanted someone else to need her, too. Lewis had been a temporary distraction - and an underwhelming one, at that. Despite the fact that Lewis no longer had the position of mayor, he neither acknowledged Shane's victory, nor had the stubborn old goat made any gestures to indicate that he wished to make amends and make their relationship public. It was disheartening.
The woman then felt the velvety softness of a snout brush against her hand. It was one of her older cows, Beulah. The rancher's lips pulled back toward her ears and she wrapped her arms around the bovine's neck. "You always know when I'm feeling down, don't you, old girl?"
Beulah was the last dairy cow left from when she and James were married. They received her as a wedding gift to help them get the ranch started. She no longer produced any milk, but she had been an excellent companion. Unfortunately, Marnie could see the signs that the cow was near the end of her life and the dairy farmer knew that when her companion's time finally came, she would be a mess for weeks. Marnie held on to the brown cow tightly for another moment before she pulled away and patted the large mammal's side. "You're a good girl, Beulah."
A knock came from the open door of the red barn and Marnie turned to find a grey-haired man with an eye-patch standing completely drenched from the storm outside. "Marlon, is that you?" Marnie called toward the visitor. It was still well before time to open her shop for the day, and the rancher was not aware that the so-called adventurer had any livestock for which he would need supplies.
The man cleared his throat. "Uh, yes, madame…" He stepped into the light of the barn, but kept his distance. "I don't want to trouble you too much, but - "
Marnie immediately cut him off. "Oh, dear. You're soaked to the bone!" Without warning, she scooped up her milk pails and ushered him inside the house through the side door. "Do you prefer coffee or tea?"
Marlon's basil-green eyes blinked in surprise as Marnie handed him a towel to dry himself as she stood in the mud room of the house just off the kitchen. "I won't stay long, madame," the gentleman swore, trying to keep his dripping clothes over the welcome mat. "I merely came to offer you a gift," the man explained, producing a periwinkle fairy rose from beneath the shelter of his deep green cloak. "I understand today is your birthday."
"Oh!" Marnie paused and accepted the flower tentatively. Gently running her fingers along the delicate stem before bringing it up to her nose to take in the scent, the brunette basked in its intoxicating scent. "It's lovely, Marlon," she declared, taking his hand and squeezing it gratefully. "And please, call me 'Marnie," the rancher instructed her guest. "'Madame' is too formal!"
The man looked suddenly rather bashful, "It's not quite as lovely as you, Marnie," he claimed quietly, wringing water out of his cloak into an empty bucket by the door. "And you're quite skilled, I noticed. Only such deft and delicate fingers such as yours could -" He stopped abruptly. "I apologize, that started to sound inappropriate," he asserted, clarifying he meant no ill intent. "What I meant was that you have excellent form - I mean fingers! Wait, no, that's not right, either!"
Marlon flushed, and cut himself off again. "No, I - I…" the man clad in green fumbled desperately for words. "You are a kind and gentle lady who treats your animals well!" he practically shouted, as if the volume would oust his embarrassment.
Marnie could not help but laugh, which only mortified Marlon more. "If you will permit me..." The man bowed slightly and turned to leave. "I should take my leave," he excused himself.
But the woman reached out a hand to her guest and rested it on his cloaked shoulder. "Please, Marlon. Won't you stay a while? I'm about to make a big breakfast to celebrate the day and I would love it if you joined us."
"U-us?" Marlon echoed quizzically.
Marnie beamed. "Oh, Jas of course will join us when she wakes up. And I expect Shane and Emily will be here soon."
Stroking his beard pensively, Marlon agreed. "I will take you up on your generous offer, but I cannot allow a lady to make a meal in her own honor." He removed his cloak and hung it up to dry near the door and rolled up his sleeves before he pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. "Please allow me, madame - I mean, Marnie."
Marnie giggled giddily at the gentlemanly declaration. It had been so long since anyone had offered to cook her a meal. "Alright, if you insist," she yielded to the man as she passed him to open the refrigerator. "But let me show you where I keep everything first…"
Author Note: Life is more like a trash can fire now, so things are a lot more manageable. I'm still trying to get my writing schedule back on track, so thanks for understanding.