Chapter 15

A Bag Full of Seashells

When I walk past you I can smell the scent of coffee

And it inspires a song

But it's not meant for you,

No, don't get me wrong

The colors of your eyes

Appear in my paintings

Just a memory fragment

Pulled from my head and then wasting,

Into a shape,

Not a definition

Your effect is no sickness,

I have no affliction

Not even this poem is for you,

Because you don't exist

And your words, your actions, your scent

Have never been missed

"It's nice, just us three having lunch, isn't it?" Angela said, taking a cookie from the tray on the table and finishing it in just a few bites. "These cookies are fantastic, by the way."

"Thanks, I'm just glad I had something in my house for you both since…well since I haven't been here in a while," Molly said, also taking a cookie. Molly and Angela both looked anxiously at their mother, eating in silence.

"H-how do you like the cookies, mom?" Molly asked, attempting to make conversation. Her mother finished chewing and then looked up at her daughter.

"You're asking me about the cookies?" she asked in disbelief. Angela and Molly tensed, preparing themselves for the explosion and weren't disappointed when their mom stood up and started pacing around the room yelling things like "Didn't get a phone call in days, I had no idea what was going on!" and "I don't know why you didn't think to contact us as soon as you were able to, but noooo you get that from your father, I suppose!" or "I thought you were smarter than that, what was all of that college education for?"

Molly cringed every time her mother looked at her and bore with it until the very end when her mother, out-of-breath, sat down on her bed and started crying. Angela got up from the table and brought a tissue to her mother, patting her on the back.

"Come on Mom, don't cry. No point in crying, Molly's alright now. That's what matters most, right?"

"I know that. I'm only crying because I'm upset, you know that's how I get," said their mom, patting her eyes dry and taking a deep breath. "So, Molly. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Molly sighed and apologized, explaining everything that had happened for her to get into that state in the first place though not spending too much time on the pills she was taking or why she had sunk so fast, blaming it mostly on the state of her body.

"So there you have it," Molly concluded, her throat dry from so much talking. Her mother and Angela were still sitting on the bed, her mother much more composed now.

"Molly, if you had that much stuff going on, why not give me a call and tell me?" Angela said, frowning a little.

"Well, it really wasn't something I could fix just by talking about it, you know? I was just tired from all of the work. It's not like you could've come over and helped me out or anything," she said, a bit defensively. She couldn't just simply ask people for help on her farm when she was having a rough time of it. The farm is her responsibility and she should be able to handle it. Finn was already helping her out enough as it was.

"No, I know that but you could at least complain a little. I don't mind you complaining to me, I'm your sister, after all."

Molly bit her lip. She noticed that Angela did look a bit disappointed and she felt guilty about it but at the same time she didn't want to just complain every time she called, wouldn't that be annoying?

As if Angela could hear her thoughts she said that of course if Molly did nothing but complain she might get annoyed but having Molly vent more often wouldn't be a problem and could really help her. Molly smiled, appreciative of the offer and accepted, going over to hug her sister and then to hug her mother as well.

"Now that we've all reconciled, I think it's time that you showed us around town. Don't you think so too, Mom?" Angela said, standing up and putting her shoes back on. "You need to introduce us to your friends and all of the cute boys that have crushes on you too."

"What boys?" Molly's mother asked, instantly curious and looking from one daughter to the next.

Molly blushed crimson. "There aren't any boys, Angela is just being obnoxious." Angela laughed in response and replied that it wasn't any fun if there wasn't any boy drama happening. Molly rolled her eyes and just told them to get ready because it was going to be a long tour.

Going around the island and introducing them to everyone did end up taking almost the entire day and Angela was closely observing Molly and her interactions with each and every one of the residents. By the end, Angela mostly had good things to say about everyone, the exception being Craig ("Does he always act that gloomy or is his face permanently stuck in a frown?"), Irene ("How can someone be that strict?), Taylor ("That kid needs discipline.") and, of course, Chase ("He wasn't very friendly, was he? He didn't even look us in the eyes when he introduced himself!").

Molly, though secretly agreeing with most of her observations, told her that everyone was generally kind and helpful and while they had their quirks, there were great things about them as well. It just…took some time to find them out.

"And that Gill kid, he was polite and all but he seemed pretty uptight too, like he always has a stick up his -,"

"Angela!" her mother said, reprovingly.

"Butt! I was going to say butt! Geez, Mom," Angela said, shaking her head. She turned toward Molly and mouthed, "I really wasn't."

Molly burst out laughing, getting a questionable look from her mother and an appreciative one from Angela.

"I really missed you, Ang," Molly said, lightly bumping her shoulder against her older sister's in affection.

"Missed you too, Mols," Angela replied, bumping her in return. Molly asked them how long they planned on staying and, since Angela owned a farm and her mother had to return to work soon, they could only stay for about four days.

"Well, it's not too long but that's fine. Honestly, there isn't too much to do around here, at least not that much to keep us occupied for that long but...," Molly trailed off, trying to think of activities that they could do.

"We don't have to do something every day. Plus, we don't mind helping you out on the farm. Your fields look like they could use some weeding," her mom said.

"I don't want to make you guys work while you're here, it should be like a vacation."

"Don't worry about it, you just recovered from a near-death experience, the least we can do as family is weed your field," Angela said, slapping her on the back. "Remember, I'm a farmer too, with the three of us, it'll be done in no time." Their mother agreed, nodding her head.

"It'd be a good learning experience; I've never milked a cow before."

Molly chuckled and gave in. "I guess I'll just have to accept your offer, won't I? But I did just think of a fun thing that we can do. Since the boats are running again, why don't we go to Toucan Island? I haven't been there yet but the villagers say it's a really nice tropical place with a great Inn and restaurant."

Molly had actually been planning to go there soon since she needed the hibiscus flower for the Wizard's potion to return the Witch back to her human form. Then, after that, she could head over to Ruth and Craig's to purchase some of their corn and go mill it at the watermill into cornmeal.

"Oh what a great idea, I do need to get more sun and I've been craving pineapple juice lately," said her mom, clapping her hands together.

"Great! Then it's a plan. How about we go Tuesday?" Molly asked and after getting a yes from Angela and her mom, called the fishery to reserve their tickets.

Their trip to Toucan Island turned out to be quite the adventure which included a private "dance" from Selena, the daughter of the couple who ran the island's inn. Apparently her dream was to become a dancer but her parents didn't want her to leave the island and so, in rebellion, she sneaked onto the boat with them as they left the island. Once ashore, Molly's mom, who didn't approve of the situation at all but couldn't convince Selena to go back, asked Molly if she knew where she could stay the night (Molly's house being at its max capacity at the moment) so she took her to the bar for Kathy to take care of.

When they walked into the bar they saw Owen and Ramsey having a drink together up at the bar. Owen looked at Molly and company and then motioned them over. After quickly introducing Selena to Hayden and Kathy she went over to Owen, her sister and mother in tow.

"Hey Mols, how's it going? Who's the new girl?" he asked, taking a chug of his beer.

"Oh, well I'm not really sure. I just met her actually. I think she's going to be working here as a…dancer from now on," she replied, shrugging.

"A dancer?" asked Ramsey from the other side. Molly just shrugged again. She didn't really think the bar needed a dancer but maybe it would be good business because of the tourists. Bars with live performances tended to get more business, so maybe it was a good idea.

Ramsey and her mother and sister started talking about dancers and child rebellion while Owen ushered for Molly to lean in closer.

She complied and Owen whispered into her ear, "Have you talked to Kathy about me yet?"

Molly rolled her eyes and leaned back. "Not really. Hey, don't give me that look," she said as he pursed his lips up at her. "Boys don't come up in our conversations that much. Besides, every time I mention you…well we don't stay on the subject for that long."

Molly noticed that Kathy was a bit uncomfortable talking about Owen. Not mad uncomfortable, but the sort when you don't want to talk about the boy you like because it's a bit embarrassing and you don't know how to go about it. She wasn't about to explain that to Owen though. It was tough being between them. She wanted to tell each one that they were equally interested in each other but she had to be loyal to Kathy and make sure she doesn't say anything that might make her upset. Relationships were too much trouble.

"Aww come on, Molly, help me out here," he whined.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll try harder, okay?" Molly said, not really sure if she could actually do anything to help.

Owen sighed and turned back to his beer, finishing it all in one big gulp. Even though Molly didn't necessarily think Owen was cute (bulky men just were not her thing) when he was troubled over Kathy she did find it a little endearing.

Soon after, they all left the bar slowly walking back to her house. It was already 10 pm and they were pretty beat from being in the hot sun all day. However, just as they were passing the tailor's shop Molly heard her name being called from behind them. Turning around she saw Toby waving her down by the docks.

"Does he want you to go over there?" Angela asked, squinting in his direction. "His name is…Toby, right?"

"Yeah, it's Toby and I'm not sure. I guess so. Could you wait up for a few?" she asked.

"Of course honey, go and talk to him," her mother said smiling while Angela wiggled her eyebrows from behind her. Molly rolled her eyes and jogged down to meet up with him.

As she stopped in front of him he smiled and asked how she was doing.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said, meaning it. Having her family there really cheered her up and kept her distracted. It didn't even seem like she almost drowned a week ago.

"Are you sure? You just got discharged a couple of days ago…is the work on your farm too much?" Toby asked, genuinely concerned. He didn't know too much about farm work but from what he did it sounded really difficult.

"Well, Jin shouldn't have kept me there that long, I was fine to go home earlier but…and no, it's the end of the season so I don't have much to do. Plus, my mom and sister have been helping me out a lot. Thanks for asking though," she said.

Toby smiled, relieved but a bit disappointed. He wouldn't have minded a bit of farm work if he could see Molly more often.

As Toby moved his hands, Molly noticed that he was holding a small bag behind his back. She asked what he was holding and Toby blushed, smiling a bit at the ground.

"Well, remember how you were looking for those sea shells? I thought I'd collect a few and give them to you as a congrats-on-being-discharged present," he said, handing her the bag.

Molly peeked inside and saw dozens of sakura sea shells, reflecting the moon and shining pink. She couldn't believe it, how long did it take him to collect all of these she wondered. She was so filled with gratitude that she didn't know what to say.

"Uhm, so…how do you like it?" Toby asked, worried by her pause.

Molly opened her mouth, closed it and then smiled really wide. "I love it, Toby, thank you so much…this…is great. I've just been thinking how much I wanted to paint something. Thank you, it's a great present…I really appreciate it."

"Really? That's great!" Toby said, giving her another glimpse of his sea-green eyes and smiling so wide his cheeks started to hurt.

Molly laughed, "It looks like you're happier than I am."

Toby blushed some more and shrugged.

She smiled. Toby was so nice and always such a gentleman. Plus, he wasn't just being nice because he wanted to impress people or make friends. It was simply his personality, there weren't any hidden motives. That's what Molly liked best about him. But, it was dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Well, my mom and sis are waiting so I'm going to get going now," she said, jerking her head in their direction by the bridge.

"Oh, right, okay. I'll see you soon then?" Toby asked. Molly nodded and started to walk away before Toby called out to her again.

"Oh, Molly? One more thing, actually…"

"Yes?"

Toby looked down at his feet, his face completely cast in shadow. Molly leaned closer so that she could hear him properly.

"You know, the Firefly Festival is this Saturday, has anyone told you about it?"

"Oh, the one where you send candles down the river in respect of your ancestors, right? Jin and Irene mentioned it," she said. It sounded really interesting and she was thinking about going.

"Right, so you've heard about it. Well actually, I was wondering if…maybe you wanted to go…with me?" Toby said, trailing off a bit at the end.

"Sure! Paolo and Ozzie coming too?" Molly asked, assuming it was another group offer.

"Oh," Toby said, his face dropping a little, thrown off-guard, "No, well, they usually stay at home for this festival and do their own thing. I was thinking we could go, just the two of us…i-if that's okay."

"Oh, I-I see," Molly stuttered, blushing crimson. She felt so embarrassed, but she wasn't exactly sure why. It was Toby, even if it was just the two of them it wouldn't be weird, right? So, why was she blushing so much? She couldn't meet his eyes when she replied that of course it was okay for them to go together. What reason was there not to go? She didn't have plans with anyone else and she and Toby were friends…not to mention it'd be really rude to turn down his request after having just received a present from him.

"Really, it's okay? You haven't already made plans with someone else?" Toby asked, looking up.

"Nope, I'm free," she said. Who else would she go with anyways? Well, she supposed Luke might've asked her like last time but…it was fine, right? It's not like they had to go to this festival as well. Plus, Luke didn't seem like the kind of person that enjoyed quiet festivals. Then why was she feeling a bit guilty? Molly put that thought aside for now.

"Well, I'm going to go now, I'll talk to you later about Saturday, alright?" Molly said, taking a few steps backwards. Toby said bye and waved as she walked back to her family and watched them as they crossed the bridge and moved out of sight.

He smiled and walked back into his house, a spring in his step. Ozzie, noticing how happy his nephew was, asked him about it but just got a smile in return. Toby went into his room and Paolo and Ozzie exchanged looks.

"Must be Molly," they both said at the same time, chuckling. A lot of people thought Toby was hard to read and never really knew what he was thinking but to the people closest to him, Toby was like an open book. He was a bad liar and could never hide how he was feeling.

Lately, Ozzie and Paolo had noticed that Toby was smiling a lot more, staring off into space by himself and could only contribute it to one thing, or rather - one girl.

Back in his room Toby laid down on his bed, smiling up at the ceiling. He was going to the Firefly Festival. With Molly. And it was just the two of them. He was insanely happy but so nervous at the same time. He knew she liked him as a friend but how did he move beyond that? What does she think about him? Should he bring anything? Should they do something before or after? Usually he didn't worry about what others thought about him that much but he couldn't help but think like this when Molly was involved.

He sighed and closed his eyes. Rolling on his side he fell asleep and for once he wasn't thinking about where to fish the next day…

Soon after they got back to Molly's house, Angela and her mother got ready for bed and laid down on their air mattress, ready for sleep after such an eventful day. They all said goodnight and soon Angela and her mother were fast asleep, their deep breaths very comforting in the silence of her house. Molly didn't voice it out loud but, even though Finn was there with her most of the time, she often felt lonely in her house. She wasn't used to living alone and found it difficult to keep her mind on positive things.

Tonight was turning into one of those nights as she stared up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. So, she got out of bed, tiptoed to the door and went out to sit on her fence and contemplate things.

She reflected on her and Toby's conversation earlier, wondering how she should take it. If she over-analyzed it too much she would probably end up taking it the wrong way and worrying about it unnecessarily. That was what always happened and she found that she ended up being really conscious of the other party and accidentally hurting their feelings. So, she decided that she would try her hardest to not put much thought behind the offer this time.

But that still didn't stop her from feeling guilty about accepting the offer, even if she really shouldn't. She just couldn't help but feel that way when Luke's smiling face kept popping up in her head. The fact that she was feeling this way just meant that her feelings were getting complicated when it came to Luke, and she didn't want that. She could no longer see Luke without having some sort of expectation, and she didn't like that either. She felt conceited for assuming that he would give her special attention, and she felt guilty when she knew she couldn't say she had any special feelings for him.

Or did she? Was the fact that she was thinking about him so much proof of her feelings? Her sister did say once that if you kept thinking about one person, and that person made your heart hurt, you must like them. But she didn't keep thinking about him because she wants to be with him, he just…kept popping up. And her heart did hurt but…not in the way Angela was talking about, it was more of a sadness or apprehension of the heart.

Molly buried her face in her hands, she didn't want to think about this anymore. She didn't like it when guys gave her so many problems. She should be worried about her bank account or her farm instead.

"Molly?"

Molly turned around and saw her sister quietly walking up behind her.

"Oh, hey Ang. I thought you were asleep?"

"I thought you were too, but then I woke up and you were gone. What're you doing out here?" she asked, taking a seat next to Molly.

"Well, I couldn't sleep, so…"

Angela frowned a little, looking Molly's face over. "I'm a bit insulted, you know. I'm your sister, I can tell when you're upset so it's no use trying to hide it."

Molly sighed. "I wasn't really trying to hide it. I was just thinking about some people. Things around here have become a bit complicated lately."

"By people you mean boys, don't you?" Angela asked, smirking.

Molly smiled a little. "Maybe."

"Finally, I get to hear some gossip. So, what's the deal?"

Molly shrugged. "I just…well, you know Luke? He…well he's pretty much said that he likes me and I know he's trying to get me to like him but I'm really not sure if I like him like that and he's my friend and super nice and I don't want to hurt him but I don't want to mistake what my feelings are for him and end up hurting him even more. And then there's Toby, where I was sure we were just friends until tonight, but just because he asked me to a festival doesn't mean he is interested in me like that, right? I feel like I'm so full of myself for thinking that…And this isn't really anything big, I'm just making a big deal out of it but Chase and Gill, they visited me at the very beginning when I was in the clinic but after that I haven't heard anything from either of them and I'm not interested but it does worry me that I did something to offend them and now they dislike me and aren't talking to me. But…the things that they said in the clinic made me think…well they made me have expectations and now I dislike myself for having those expectations just because they were being nice to me. I just can't…deal with guy matters."

Molly took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was good to just ramble everything that she'd been thinking. She hadn't even talked to Kathy about this because she didn't want her to think badly of her.

Angela didn't say anything for a long time and just looked at the ocean. Molly followed suit and closed her eyes, listening instead to the slow push and pull she could hear even from her house. She still found it amazing that something she was so afraid of could calm her at the same time.

"You know what I think?" Angela asked, leaning forward a little and turning her head towards her sister. "I think you're thinking too much, and I don't mean over-analyzing. Go ahead, analyze all you want, it's impossible not to when someone gives you something to analyze. But, I think you're thinking too much about what to do about it. There isn't anything you can do about it, just go with it. If they like you, they like you. Their feelings are not your responsibility. They chose to like you and they choose what to do with that realization. The only thing you can do about it is let them like you. The only advice I have is to try and not lead them on. I know you don't mean to," Angela said quickly as Molly opened her mouth to protest, "but you're so friendly to everyone, guys tend to gravitate towards that and then mistake it as interest. At the same time though, don't push your feelings away because you're afraid of leading them on or hurting them. Explore them, listen to your heart, as cheesy as that sounds. But don't let them pass you by, because I know you're afraid of getting hurt and causing pain but that's what liking someone is. Love comprises of the trials you go through and trust me, in the end, it is worth it. All of it."

Molly looked at her sister's profile and was suddenly reminded of the fact that Angela was two years older and had been married. Her sister acted like an idiot most of the time, but she really was very wise and great at giving advice. Molly felt better and thanked her sister, telling her that she was right.

"Now, should we go in and sleep? It's almost 1 am" Angela said, taking her sister by the shoulders and steering her towards the house.

Molly agreed and together they went back into the house, falling asleep soon after.

She spent the next two days with her family, exploring more of the island and having dinner with some of the other families, including Cain's family and everyone at the Ocarina Inn. It was her first time spending so much time with them and she was glad that she had the chance to enjoy their company. Angela, Renee and her ended up getting close, bonding over brushing the sheep. Molly hadn't spent much time with Renee, but now she thought about making it a point to get over there more often.

She also really enjoyed spending time with Colleen and Yolanda. She still wasn't so sure about Maya though. Even though Maya was only two years younger than her, she acted like she was a twelve-year-old and Molly thought that her extremely care-free life was to blame for it. However, she didn't dislike the girl. Colleen and her mother ended up getting along really well and were exchanging recipes by the end of dinner. Yolanda had asked her how she was handling her own meals, living alone and all. She even offered to give her a few lessons when she was less busy. Molly really appreciated it and accepted the offer, wanting to explore different methods of fixing her vegetables because sautéing them or steaming them every time just wasn't doing it for her anymore.

The morning that her sister and mother had to leave, she helped carry their belongings to the docks and waited for Pascal to finish his preparations.

Her mother had a bit of a hard time hiding her tears but they successfully hugged and said their goodbyes without too many sniffles. Angela was the opposite, smiling and tightly hugging Molly, insisting that she come to her farm the next time.

Soon it was time for them to leave and she watched, somewhat sadly, as her mom boarded the boat waving back at her. Before Angela boarded, she grabbed hold of Molly's shoulder and reminded her again to just trust herself and don't take on so much responsibility. Molly nodded and waved as Angela got on the boat and it slowly moved out, disappearing into the morning sun. She stood there for a few minutes staring at the horizon before turning around and heading to the Goddess Pond to tell Finn that he could come home now.

After a quick word with the Goddess and the sprites there, Molly turned around with Finn at his rightful place on her shoulder. As she walked out of the forest path she was surprised to see Luke, leaning against the side of his house. He smiled when he saw her and waved her over. Molly complied and adopted the same posture.

"Hey, long time no see it feels like. Your Mum and sister just leave?"

"Yup. It's back to normal life now."

"Normal life, huh? Yeah, I guess so…but that's a good thing," Luke said, nodding to himself. Molly just shrugged and said she guessed so. She did have to admit, it would be lonely without anyone at her house again, if you didn't include Finn, that is.

"Too bad they had to leave today though, if they would've stayed 'til Saturday they could have gone to the Firefly Festival."

"Yeah, but they have their own lives and I don't think this festival is supposed to be a very 'fun' one per se," she replied.

"I guess not but every festival can be fun if you make it. But you're right, this one isn't supposed to be like that. It's all calm and serene and super serious. Everyone always has such solemn faces on."

"So basically the opposite of you," Molly said, chuckling a little. Luke smiled back, admittedly.

"Yeah, normally it's not my kind of festival but…I was thinking this year I might go. And I was actually kind of hoping…that you'd go with me?" Luke asked, raising his eyebrows in a question.

Molly swallowed and looked at the ground, her ears getting red. How did she know this was going to happen? She just took a deep breath and remembered what Angela had told her.

"I'm sorry Luke, but…I already have plans with someone else."

"You do? With who?" Luke asked, his face dropping a bit. "Kathy?"

Molly shook her head and forced herself to make eye contact. "I'm going with Toby."

Even Molly flinched a bit when she said that. It seemed so…definitive.

"Toby? Oh, I didn't know you guys hung out that much," Luke said, crossing his arms.

"I go fishing with him and his family a lot," she said simply. She could feel Luke's mood worsen and the air tense around them. She really didn't like this feeling. She also felt troubled that she had to explain herself, like she's doing something wrong or unusual.

Luke made a noise and stood up straight. He looked troubled for a second before breaking into a smile. "I guess I should've asked sooner, huh? But Toby, eh? He actually asked you? I didn't think he was the type to ask a girl to a festival."

"What is that even?" Molly asked laughing a little. "Toby's quiet and a bit shy but I think he's perfectly able to ask people to events. It's not that big of a deal though, it's just a festival."

"I don't think you understand Molly, the Firefly Festival…it's a solemn one but it's also at night, by the river with tons of floating candles around."

"And? It's a festival to honor the dead. I think your imagination is just running a little wild right now. Toby and I are…friends. We're going as friends and I don't think I need to explain this. If we would've went together, it would've been the same thing," Molly said, getting agitated. It felt as though Luke was accusing her, or being condescending, thinking she was naïve.

"Yeah, and that's exactly what I'm worried about. Guys don't ask girls to festivals just for the heck of it, Molly," Luke said, cracking his knuckles restlessly.

"Not all guys are like that. Why can't Toby and I just go as friends? That's what it is, nothing more. You're just…making things up."

"Whatever, Molly, you'll see," Luke said shrugging and walking to his door.

"See what? You're making a big deal out of nothing," Molly said, raising her voice as Luke just shook his head and closed the door behind him.

Molly crossed her arms, angry. What was that all about? Why did she have to be interrogated? Why didn't Luke believe her, and why was he so angry anyways? They weren't dating! She huffed and turned around quickly, Finn flying off of her shoulder.

"Er, Molly?" Finn asked, hesitantly. That was the first time he saw her get that worked up, besides when Chase and her got into small arguments at the bar.

Molly just shook her head, imploring him not to say anything. He understood and closed his mouth. Boy-girl relationships were just too complicated for him.

Molly stalked off towards the bridge but as she passed the corner of the cliff that led down to the waterfall she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned around, surprised. There was Toby, standing right up against the cliff wall behind the corner, looking as if he didn't want to be seen and hugging his fishing pole against his side.

Noticing that she saw him, Toby blushed crimson and looked at the ground. Molly's mouth was open, aware that Toby must've heard every word that she and Luke had said.

"Uh…sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Molly closed her mouth and blushed just as red as Toby, not sure of what to say.

"T-that's okay. I'm, um…sorry you had to hear that, it must've been…awkward. But…please don't think about what Luke said, he was just being…stupid. He didn't really…well I think he was just in a bad mood."

Toby shook his head. "It's okay, I understand. Sorry asking you caused so much trouble. I didn't know that you and Luke were…"

"No! No, no, no. We're just friends, really. There isn't anything going on. Please believe me," she pleaded, waving her hands around. Toby looked up, his eyes opening just a tad bit as he searched her face. After a second he smiled a little, relieved.

"Oh, sorry. Right, well…still, I seemed to have caused some trouble. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. Really. I'm not even mad at Luke, not really. We're fine," said Molly.

Toby nodded and then said that he should be getting back. He waved a bit awkwardly and then headed off to take the mine cart.

Molly sighed as soon as he was out of hearing distance and leaned over, putting her hands on her knees. "Why was that so nerve-racking? Honestly, why do these things always happen?"

Finn patted her back sympathetically and they walked back to the farm, ready to plant some new crops.

Staring out the window, Luke watched them leave from his bedroom and then plopped down on his bed, covering his eyes.

"Great, now what am I supposed to do?" he directed to the ceiling. It was hard enough getting Molly's attention, the right sort of attention, without other guys hanging around her. Plus he felt like he just blew it all by getting jealous over nothing. But it made him angry that Molly didn't know why Toby had asked her to the festival. Couldn't she tell when guys had an interest in her? It was so frustrating. It didn't make it any better that he knew Toby was a sincerely nice guy and it wasn't his fault. Luke was surprised that none of the other guys have tried anything since she came to the island. The meeting just now proved that that wasn't the case, however, and from now on he was going to have to be a bit more careful…and aggressive. How he could do both of these at the same time he didn't know but he wasn't about to give up without a fight.

Luke sat up, re-energized. "I guess it's time to get serious," he said, pumping his fist into the air.

As Molly walked down to her farm, a warm breeze gusted and almost knocked her into the wall. She held tight onto Finn until it passed, pressing forward.

"That sure was a warm wind, makes it really seem like summer is finally here, doesn't it?" Finn said, able to fly freely again.

"Yeah, it has gotten pretty warm lately, hasn't it?" Molly agreed, wiping a bit of sweat off of her forehead at the same time. But, Molly was excited. Summer had always been her favorite season and this summer seemed like it was going to be an exciting one. How exciting, Molly didn't know, just as she didn't know that there were others on the island wondering the exact same thing.

What exactly did this summer have in store for them?