Spring, Day 15, Year 1

Theme Song: The Middle - Jimmy Eat World


Hello, dear…

I know you're just getting started as a gardener, so I wanted to give you a little tip.

Most crops only grow in one season. When summer arrives, your spring crops will all die out. So plan ahead!

Granny Evelyn


Linus took the salmonberry from her with a smile, "I see you've discovered the bushes are full of berries!"

"I did!" the farmer beamed, proud of herself. "And they're everywhere, too! Plus, the berries are actually really sweet. They'd make a great jam."

Linus nodded in agreement, "They certainly would, but for now, I'll appreciate this gift in its pure form. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I'm sure you're very busy…"

"Oh," the farmer frowned. "I don't know about that. I mean… I still have a lot of land to clear, but I was hoping to get better tools so I'm able to do it faster. Other than that, it's mostly just waiting for plants to grow so I can harvest them. I suppose I should go into town and buy more seeds… But I was just planning on spending my day delivering a few gifts."

"You're very generous," Linus clutched the berry to his heart. "But why so many gifts?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess… I just feel so bad about everyone helping me out so much and letting me stay on the farm… It's my way of saying thanks. Honestly, it's the least I could do-"

"No one in town feels like you owe them, though," the wild man patted her head gently. "I don't even know what you feel you owe me for. You helped me the other night, remember? So don't worry too much about that. Give gifts because you enjoy the reactions and care about the people. It'll mean more than feeling like you owe it to them."

"O-oh…" she blinked, surprised. "I never thought about it like that."

"That's because you're so caught up in your own anxieties about how people view you. Just be yourself. Isn't that what you encourage me to do?" he looked amused

"I suppose it is."

"Well then… off you go! Deliver joy all over town! I'm ready to enjoy this gift from you for breakfast."

The farmer bid Linus farewell, even more determined to find some nice gifts for as many people as she could… Only this time, she'd give them because she wanted to. Not because she felt obligated to.

She had already found a leek that morning for George, but she found another one and some dandelions at the bus stop as well. It was as she was on her way back into town that she realized she had missed Haley's birthday the day before. She had already found a daffodil but she had already planned to give it to Alex. She decided to follow through with that, and do her best to find Haley her own, designated flower.

"Good morning!" she called to Alex, who was tossing his ball outside his house.

"Morning!" Alex grinned, catching the ball. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," she reached into her bag, pulling out the flower. "Just have another one of these for you!"

Alex grinned and gently took the flower from her hand after tucking his ball under his arm, "I know just what to do with this! Thank you!"

"Oh?" she smiled. "Mind if I ask what?"

"Well…" he looked at the ground, as if he had suddenly developed the ability to be shy. "I… want to give it to my mother."

"Your mother?" The farmer questioned. "As in-" she trailed off as it dawned on her where he was going to place that particular flower.

"Bet you didn't see that coming…" Alex grinned, obviously enjoying her discomfort as she tried to figure out what to say.

"That's really sweet, Alex… You know what to do with your flower… And I know just what to do with this!" the farmer snatched the gridball from him and grinned, holding it above her head. "This will teach you to underestimate me for being female! Bet you didn't see that coming!"

Alex set the daffodil on the window ledge of the house, "You know what happens when you steal a ball from someone in gridball, right?"

"No, actually…" She admitted, looking up at the ball.

"No?"

She grinned sheepishly, "Missing memories?"

"Oh, well… Allow me to help…" he laughed. "When you steal the gridball… You get tackled!"

The farmer let out a shrill shriek and attempted to turn and run, but she was too slow. Alex grabbed her around the waist and swung her around while he jokingly yelled, "This will teach you to steal my ball, you thief!"

"Ah! Stop stop stop!" the farmer giggled, waving her arms in protest before tossing the ball on the ground. "I surrender! I surrender!"

"There is no surrender in gridball! Only fighting until you achieve victory!" the athlete attempted to throw the farmer over his shoulder, but just as he lifted her up, he let out a hiss of pain and dropped her on the ground, clutching his arm.

"I'm so sorry!" the farmer scrambled to her feet. "I shouldn't have been messing around-"

"I'm fine, don't worry," he attempted to wave her away.

"But, your arm…"

Alex sighed, slowly standing up straight, his arm at his side, "I see you've heard about the accident. I suppose it was only a matter of time."

"I'm sorry," she looked at the ground. "If it makes any difference, I don't think any less of your athletic ability…"

"Good," he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not made of glass, and I am going to fully recover and become the best gridball player there ever was!"

"I believe it," the farmer responded quietly.

"It's not your fault," Alex assured her. "You didn't make me tackle you…"

"But I did steal your ball…" she winced.

"Well… Then there's a way you can make it up to me," he smiled, picking the daffodil back up before holding a hand out to her. "Let's go on a short walk."

"R-really? Alright…"

Alex took her hand and pulled her down towards the beach. After he was reassured that she would follow on her own, he released his grip and led the way with the occasional nudge. He entertained her with stories about his games while he was in high school, many of which ended humorously. The farmer was just beginning to settle in and really enjoy herself when Alex came to a stop. As promised, they didn't go far. They ended up outside the cemetery, and he thanked the farmer for her time.

"Sorry if I talked too much," Alex rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted to ask you questions about yourself so many times, but…"

"I get it," the farmer smiled.

"I panicked and just kept talking about me."

"That's okay!" she assured him. "Like you realized, there's not really much for me to tell. I enjoy listening to others. Every now and then, someone says something and I'll remember a fact about myself, so I don't mind."

"Okay. Good. Then… Let's talk again soon."

"Sounds fun," she smiled. "Do you want to walk home?"

"Nah, I'm sure you're busy," he returned her expression. "And I have other stuff I've gotta do."

"Well… Thanks for the chat," she bid him farewell and headed for the Stardrop Saloon. She had been distracted a little bit by Alex and his antics, but she hadn't forgotten her goal. She still had some gifts to purchase and deliver before the day was over.

She purchased a Joja cola for Sam before heading to the counter and requesting a coffee for Harvey. She browsed the menu, searching for something that might please Haley or Elliott. She finally settled on a salad for Elliott, but ultimately couldn't find anything for Haley.

She exited the Saloon just in time to catch Sam heading towards Joja Mart. She called out to him and he stopped to let her catch up, his usual grin plastered across his face.

"Hey! Sorry I can't talk long, I was just heading to work and Morris will kill me if I'm late… again… Shane too, probably. Not that Morris will kill him. Shane will kill me. He has to sweep when I'm not there and I don't think he enjoys it very much…" Sam explained.

"That's okay! I just thought you might like a drink for your break!" she held up the cola. "I mean, I'm sure there are plenty of them in the store, but this one came from the saloon, so I'm sure somehow that makes it taste better…"

"Yeah!" Sam pumped his fist. "Of course it does! Thank you! You're the best! I'd better go so I can live to enjoy it!"

He quickly wrapped her in a hug, gave her a thumbs up, then took off down the path. The farmer found herself chuckling at the young man's energy. He reminded her of a certain puppy she knew…

Finding Dr. Harvey was fairly easy. He often went for a walk if he wasn't at work, and the farmer could see him walking around in the small park nearby before she reached the clinic doors.

"It's a nice day out," she stood on her tiptoes to peek over the fence, suppressing a giggle when the doctor jumped at her voice.

"Oh! Hey! You startled me!"

"Sorry," she reached her arm over the fence to hand him the coffee. "Just a friendly neighborhood coffee delivery."

It was slight, but the farmer noticed Dr. Harvey hesitate before he reached out to take the gift and give her a soft smile, "Well thank you!"

"No problem!" she chirped. "It's kind of becoming a tradition, I guess."

"Y-yeah…" the doctor looked down at the coffee. "It certainly is…"

Something was definitely bothering him. Everything in her brain was screaming at her to escape, so she started to excuse herself and walk away… But something stopped her.

No. No, we pinky swore there would be no more secrets. C'mon. Just ask him what's going on. Communicate.

She turned around suddenly, startling the doctor again, "Did I do something wrong?"

"What? No!" His eyes widened. "Why would you think that?"

"Ever since we returned from Zuzu City you've been treating me differently," she explained. "Not necessarily in a bad way, it's just… different. If I didn't do anything, then did something happen?" she stood on her tiptoes once more to peek over the fence at him.

"Nothing hap-"

"No secrets, remember?"

The doctor looked sheepish as his excuse died on his lips. It was clear that something had happened, but he clearly didn't want to tell her what it was.

"If it's personal you don't have to-"

"Cody told me he was worried that I wasn't being… careful enough when handling your… case. He made me promise that I'd keep a… professional distance between myself and you," the doctor's face turned redder the more he spoke.

Professional distance? What was that supposed to mean? Cody was worried about… What, exactly? Dr. Harvey making friends? That sounded so stupid when she thought about it that way.

"But that's ridiculous," the farmer snorted, causing the doctor to look at her in shock.

"He… Has reasons to be concerned. A doctor really should maintain a distance-"

"Dr. Connelly might have the luxury of separating his work life from his private life," she shook her head. "But aren't you the doctor for everyone in town? And by that logic, doesn't that mean you'd never be able to have friends… At all?"

"I-I…"

"Don't move," the farmer scurried around the fence and approached the doctor so there was no longer a boundary between them. "I understand wanting to keep a wall between yourself and everyone when you're at work. That makes sense… But like you said at the Egg Festival… Sometimes you need to take that doctor's hat off. You should be allowed to connect with people."

"You're right," the doctor relented. "But he was concerned for a reason. I… I have always had a harder time than my peers at… keeping my emotions in check when it comes to the people I care for."

"Is that really such a bad thing?" the farmer asked sincerely. "Is it such a bad thing that you care about your patients? I bet you actually listen to them when they explain their symptoms, too. Shame on you!"

Dr. Harvey let out a slightly strangled chuckle. He almost sounded like he was choking up as he explained, "Doctors have to be able to make calculating decisions. Decisions that are hard to make when you're invested…"

"Sure, but… You're a small town doctor. Whether you like it or not, everyone is invested in everyone else. I'm pretty sure there are people in town who find it personally offensive that the first thing I planted on that farm was parsnips… Because they're invested in it. I know for a fact that certain members of this town get very irate when Gus' menu changes as well. Invested."

"I promised though… Promised I wouldn't-"

"Get too personal? Fine. Then don't… When you're at work. Keep your patients at a distance… But don't be afraid to let us in as your friends when you've hung up your doctor hat for the day, right?" she tilted her head. "If you think it's that big of a deal, I can call Dr. Connelly and-"

"That won't be necessary!" Dr. Harvey sputtered. "You're right… Of course you're right."

"Of course I am. I'm the farmer. I know all things! Except the ones about myself…"

This caused the doctor to chuckle, but he stopped short, his expression becoming serious again as he looked at her and sighed.

"What?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No more secrets, right?"

"Right…"

"There's something else you should know… But… I'm worried it might freak you out."

When he said it, his words started to manifest and she did start freaking out, "What… What is it?"

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this…"

"But you've already mentioned it, and now if you don't tell me, I'm just going to freak out that you had a secret and didn't tell me!" she insisted.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated breath, "Fine. Just… Please don't… Please try not to… freak…. Out."

"Just tell me!"

"That wasn't… The only thing that Dr. Connelly wanted to talk with me about when he asked you to leave the room. There was something else… Something that he found in your tests, but he didn't want to ask you about them because he was worried that it was going to cause psychological trauma-"

"Harvey!"

The doctor looked at her, a little surprised and she realized that was probably the first time she had ever used his first name without saying doctor first.

"S-sorry. Dr. Harvey… Just… tell me. Rip it off… Like a band-aid."

"There are signs of physical trauma all over your body… On your bones…" he spoke carefully and she could see him checking her reaction as he spoke. "You might have been abused before you came here. Physically."

The farmer bit her lip as she contemplated what to say next. He had fulfilled his part of their no secrets pact… It was her turn to do the same… but it sounded even more ridiculous coming out of her mouth than it did thinking about it in her head when she finally spoke.

"I… already knew that was probably the case."

Harvey looked at her, shocked, "But… You said you didn't remember anything."

"And I didn't," she assured him. "I'm still not sure I do, but I started having these dreams. These nightmares… Sometimes I'm running through the woods and there's this man chasing me. Other times, I'm locked up in a room and he's… Beating me. Cutting my hair…" her hand moved up until her fingers brushed the tips of her hair. They both stood, silent, after that.

"Well," the doctor finally broke the silence. "That… That would certainly explain your wounds… And the amnesia caused by… psychological trauma."

"Yeah…" the farmer sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. I was just hoping that…"

"I'm still hoping it isn't true," Harvey finished her thought. "But if it is… Any idea… why?"

She shook her head. Never once had she seen anything that would give her a hint of what had happened… But even now, she was starting to feel much better knowing it wasn't a burden she had to carry alone anymore.

The clock up by the Community Center chimed, causing them both to jump. Harvey glanced at his watch, surprise on his face.

"Sorry. Your break is probably over. I'll let you get back to your patients, Dr. Harvey," the farmer gave a small wave before turning to walk away.

"Wait!"

She turned, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Just Harvey is fine… Hardly anyone else calls me doctor, even when I am at the clinic. So… If you want to just call me Harvey… That's okay," he raised the coffee cup up. "And… Uh… Thank you. I appreciate it. A lot."

"No problem…" the farmer smiled. "Doctor."

"Farmer."

As she turned to walk away, something yellow caught her eye. She turned and almost gave a cry of delight as her eyes landed on a bright daffodil. It would be perfect for Haley. By the time she had bent down to pick it, Harvey had returned to the clinic, and she was ready to continue her gift-giving crusade once she picked up more seeds for the farm.

It was as she was walking into Pierre's shop that she ran into Abigail, who was headed out. A thought came to her, and she quickly dug through her bag, pulling out a chunk of quartz. Sebastian had liked it, and Abby seemed to share a love of the mines with him… So…

"Hey! Abby!"

"Oh, hey," Abigail gave a small wave. "Taking a break from work?"

"Kind of," the farmer waved her hand from side to side. "I'm buying some seeds, but admittedly I haven't done much farming today."

"Understandable," Abby chuckled. "I'm sure it feels nice to change things up every now and then."

"Yeah…" the farmer nodded. "Anyway, I have a gift for you! I found it down in the mines…"

"Oh? What is it?"

The farmer handed over the quartz, but she was not at all expecting the reaction that she received as Abigail's eyes widened and she quickly snatched the mineral up.

"Hey, how'd you know I was hungry? This looks delicious!"

"W-what?"

"Oh! Lunch is gonna be good today! Thank you! See you later!" Abby sprinted off without further explanation, leaving the farmer stunned as she purchased seeds from Pierre and then headed for Cindersnap Forest, all the while puzzling over the interaction. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going until she heard a small, soft female voice come from somewhere ahead of her.

"Ew… it smells."

She heard a rattle as she walked closer to a ledge that overlooked the ocean. She noticed some stairs and started to walk down, Jas and Vincent coming into view. Vincent was trying to move a grate that appeared to lead into the sewer. The farmer could tell that's what it was from teh smell alone.

"Why is it locked? I wanna explore the sewers!" Vincent whined.

"I think Gunther has the key," Jas said helpfully.

Vincent paused, looking confused, "Professor Gunther? The man who runs the museum? Why do you think he has it?"

"I saw a big rusty old key fall out of his pocket one time. A creepy sewer door like this has just got to be a match for a big rusty old key," the small girl reasoned, and the farmer chuckled to herself, until a very sudden, strange noise sounded from the sewer. It caused her and the children to jump. Jas and Vincent rushed up the stairs, hiding behind the farmer.

"There's something moving around in there!" Jas squealed, hugging her leg.

"Hang on…" The farmer gently removed the child and gave her a comforting pat on the head. "I'll go check it out. I'm sure it's nothing…"

She slowly moved down the steps and stepped closer to the grate, holding her breath to avoid breathing in the fumes. She peered into the darkness, and for a second, she thought she was going to be able to give the all clear…

Then she saw the shadowy figure move only a few feet from the entrance.

She let out a shriek and raced up the stairs, grabbing both of the children by the hands, "Nope nope nope nope. Not today! Let's get away from the sewer. Let's not explore the sewer. Let's never speak of the sewer again!"

Once she had made sure both children were safely deposited at Marney's Ranch, she felt much more comfortable going back out to forage around, far enough away from the sewer that she felt safe. The bushes were full of berries, all of which she gathered. She also found some wild onions, but the most important thing she found was Robin's lost axe. That reminded her that it was getting late. If she was lucky, she would be able to drop a leek off for George and deliver the axe back to its owner before heading home.

She ran into Haley as she was exiting the forest and heading into town. It seemed her luck was really at its peak that day, save the scary sewer incident. She quickly approached the blonde, holding the flower out.

"Haley! I'm so sorry! I missed your birthday yesterday, but I spent all day looking for this flower for you…"

Haley turned, a frown on her face until her eyes landed on the flower and she let out a gasp, "Oh! It's so pretty!"

"Yeah… Again, I'm so sorry… I usually check the calendar every day, but it was raining and I was rushing around…"

"Hmm…" Haley looked thoughtful before finally smiling. "Alright. Fine. I guess I forgive you."

"Thank goodness…" The farmer breathed out, relieved.

"But you better not forget next year!"

"Yes ma'am!" the farmer saluted, causing Haley to give her a very confused look before sauntering away to finish her photoshoot.

With one wrong righted, the farmer headed towards George and Evelyn's. Alex wasn't outside this time as she approached the door and knocked.

"Oh! Go ahead and go in, dear!" Evelyn called from a flower bush she was tending. The farmer turned quickly to greet the woman. "I'll be just a minute."

"It's fine! I just came to drop off a leek for George, then I'll be on my way!"

The farmer pushed the door open and paused as she heard conversation coming from the living room. She could make out George's raspy voice, but the other one didn't belong to Alex. In fact, it sounded like…

"Harvey?" she questioned softly as she walked towards the entrance of the room.

"Okay, George. I want you to take a deep breath for me…. Mhmm… turn around please…" There was some shuffling and then, "George, I'll be honest with you. You need to make some changes in your lifestyle if you want to stay healthy. I'd like you to reduce your sodium intake, and try to get some moderate exercise with your arms."

"Hmmph… I know what's best for me. Who do you think you are, telling me how to live my life?" George's grumpy response made the farmer pause in the doorway as she realized this was not a social call.

"I'm your doctor, George. That's who I am… " Harvey lectured. "And I went to school for 8 years so I could learn how to help people stay healthy."

Shoot!

She turned to leave, but Dr. Harvey looked up at that moment. He looked just as shocked as she felt.

"Oh! I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be here…" Harvey bit his lip and explained, "These check-ups are supposed to be private."

"Yeah, sorry!" the farmer winced. "Evelyn told me to go on in. I didn't realize… Sorry!" she started to move back towards the front door, but George stopped her.

"Not so fast! I'd like to get a second opinion from this young lady."

Harvey looked at George thoughtfully, then he shrugged and looked at her, pleading in his eyes, "Very well. Farmer, what do you think George should do."

The farmer raised both her eyebrows in surprise, "Well… Dr. Harvey did save my life… So I guess I think that George should follow Dr. Harvey's advice. You can't go wrong there."

A smile crossed Harvey's face as George's expression soured further, "Thanks Farmer. You see, George. I'm just trying to help you."

"Fine," George pouted. "I'll do what you say, doctor."

Harvey nodded his approval and then packed up his bag, giving further instructions to George before heading towards the front door. As he passed the farmer, he gave her a polite nod, "Thanks for your help, Farmer. I appreciate it."

"Anytime, Doc. I'll sing your praises anyday… I meant what I said. I owe you my life."

"Nonsense. You've made it worth it, multiple times over now. Our community wouldn't be the same without you."

"Are you young people gonna sit there and continue flattering each other all evening? I'm trying to watch my program!" George complained loudly, though the farmer could see a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I'll be going then," Harvey winked at the farmer before taking off.

"Now George," the farmer chided as she approached the old man. "Is that any way to speak to someone who brought a present for you?"

That got his attention. He looked up sharply and the farmer handed over the leek, joy filling her heart as a smile filled his face.

"My apologies, Ms. Farmer. You're welcome to come and chat in my living room anytime, so long as you bring one of these with you," he held it to his chest. "But I am trying to watch, so now that the doctor is gone and I don't want to talk…"

"Yeah… I'll scram," she winked at the older man and waved goodbye. "Have a good evening, George."

The farmer also bid a farewell to Evelyn as she turned to head to the docks. She still had time to do some quick beach combing before heading up the mountain to return Robin's axe. She could drop anything she found off at the Community Center on the way. Her luck seemed to be holding up as well, because Elliott was standing on the bridge between town and the sandy coastline.

"Oh! Elliott!" She ran as quickly as she could to be sure she caught him before he left.

The writer turned on his heel, a small smile stretching across his face, "Evening."

"Hey I-" she froze. She hadn't really thought this far ahead. This gift was different from the others. It was an apology… And the last time she had talked with Elliott… Well… He'd done all the talking. And singing.

"You?" Elliott looked amused.

"I'm… Really sorry about the other night."

"It's alright. You had every reason to be upset. I shouldn't have pushed."

"No. It was… Unnecessary. Anyway, here…" she held out the packaged salad she had bought earlier to him.

Elliott looked a little shocked as he reached out to take the gift, "This is for me? Marvelous!"

"Uhm… Maybe… You can come over sometime and we can have an actual discussion about things? Not through the door?" she winced as she said it, but the look on Elliott's face lightened her heart.

"I'd like that."

"Awesome… Uhm… Just let me know," she smiled, suddenly feeling self conscious. "Uh… Anyway… I have to uh- return an axe to Robin. So… I'll see you around!"

"I'll be eagerly waiting until that day," Elliott gave a little bow.

She did find a mussel on the beach, an item she needed for one of the fishing bundles. She was able to drop it off, and as she approached Robin's house, she saw the carpenter and her husband standing outside along a ledge, looking over the town. She waved as she approached and pulled Robin's axe from her bag.

"Hey, you found my axe! What a relief…" Robin took the tool, hugging it close in a way that only a carpenter would understand. "I almost chopped my toe off with the other one I was using. Thank you!"

The farmer almost forgot the reward money, but Robin insisted she take it. Once that had been settled, she headed home, feeling rather fulfilled. She had delivered seven gifts, and she wasn't quite done working yet. By the time she had planted the parsnip seeds she had bought earlier, placed the bounteous forage that she had found in the shipping crate, and crawled into bed, the farmer was feeling more fulfilled than ever before.