Mickey wore an eager smile on his face as he headed to work. It had been about a month now, and it had been going very well. The work had come quite easily to him, and while it was time-consuming, he enjoyed it enough to look forward to it every day. Of course, that wasn't the only reason he had to look forward to it…
Mickey's smile widened at the thought of Minnie. Whenever she came out to the garden, after she finished tending her own bed, she would come over to him and they talked while he worked. That was the one thing he looked forward to most about his day. It turned out that him and Minnie, despite their different social classes, had a lot in common. Both had a positive outlook on life and tended to see the best in people. They had also both experienced the pain of losing family and found in each other someone who truly understood them.
Both had also shared stories of their different lives; Minnie had told Mickey about her upper class upbringing, and he had told her about his years on the street. It surprised Mickey how quickly they had gotten to know each other, and he was happy to call her a friend. Lately, though, he had noticed something changing. It wasn't anything bad, and relations between them had remained the same. But lately, he had noticed an unusual fluttering in his stomach when he saw her. He seemed to be thinking about her all the time, and his friends were commenting that he seemed even more cheerful than usual. And indeed, he was feeling much more cheerful. He also found himself wondering what she thought of him, and if she felt the same way thinking about him.
Mickey's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden cough. He cleared his throat; he'd been noticing this happening more and wondered if he might be coming down with something. He hoped not… if he was unable to come to work, Marcus might not be willing to keep him around. He didn't think he wouldn't, but he could hardly be sure. Oswald was certainly suspicious, he knew. The rabbit had always had a pessimistic view of the upper class. It was understandable, of course, considering his situation.
These thoughts moved to the back of Mickey's mind as he approached the front gate of the mansion. He entered and moved directly toward the garden; despite the short time he had worked there, he had earned considerable trust from his employers. When he reached the garden, he smiled to see Minnie already out. She looked up and smiled, rising to her feet.
"Hello, Mickey!"
Trying to ignore that strange fluttering, Mickey smiled back.
"Hi, Minnie. Ya doin' okay?"
"Oh, yes," Minnie said. "How about you?"
"Just fine!"
But just then, another cough burst out. Minnie's brow immediately furrowed with concern.
"Are you sure?"
"Oh, yeah…" Mickey said. "It's just a little cough."
Minnie still looked uneasy but seemed to accept it.
"How is Ortensia?"
"Better," Mickey replied. "They think if there's no complications, her and the baby should be okay."
A relieved smile crossed Minnie's face.
"Thank goodness. How much longer now?"
Mickey smiled in return.
"About three weeks. Say, what about that friend of yours? Her wedding's tomorrow, isn't It?"
"Yes," Minnie said, her smile widening. "She's absolutely over the moon… a little frazzled too."
Mickey chuckled.
"Oswald said Ortensia was th' same way when they got married. 'Course, he was too."
Minnie's giggle in response to that brought that strange fluttering feeling back. Boy, he loved the sound of her laugh.
"You got a nice laugh, y' know," he blurted, then felt his face immediately heat.
What's wrong with you?! Ya don't just say that!
He immediately opened his mouth to apologize, but the look on Minnie's face brought him up short. She looked surprised, a faint blush tinting her cheeks, but that beautiful smile was back, leaving him completely tongue tied.
"Thank you," Minnie said softly. Finally, Mickey got his voice back.
"N-no problem. Well, uh, better get to work."
Minnie nodded and went back to her own work. Mickey moved toward the garden shed to get the tools for his own tasks.
You got a nice laugh… real smooth.
After he'd been working for a while, he heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Minnie heading toward him.
"You know," she said. "Father's been very impressed with your work. He wanted me to ask if you would be interested in a permanent job here."
Mickey blinked, startled.
"Really?" he stammered. "Gosh, well, I… I sure do like th' job. It would be great to work here."
And see you all the time.
He barely managed to keep himself from saying that last part out loud. Minnie gave him another smile.
"No need to answer right away… take time to think about it if you need."
"Y-yeah," Mickey managed to say. "Thanks a lot!"
"Of course," Minnie said. "It would be wonderful to have you."
Mickey couldn't stop himself from blushing at those words and quickly looked down to hide it. From there the conversation turned to their normal discussions, much to Mickey's relief. However, the occasional coughing just wouldn't stop. By the time they had reached the end of their talk, he could tell that Minnie was getting concerned.
"You know," she said. "Maybe you should see a doctor about that. It's autumn now, so you won't have to work as much."
Mickey gave her another smile.
"Well, if ya really think it's a good idea, I'll find some time for that."
"I do," Minnie said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure thing," Mickey replied. She headed back to the house, giving him a wave. Mickey waved back, then returned to his work while suppressing another cough.
Maybe it would be a good idea t' see someone. Sure hope it's nothing that'll affect my job.
…
Minnie couldn't stop smiling as Daisy continued to fuss with her veil and dress.
"Oh, I hope it looks nice. It looks nice, doesn't it?"
"Of course you look nice," Minnie said with an encouraging smile. "Donald will be blown away."
Daisy turned, still looking anxious.
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course!" Minnie laughed. "Now, are you ready?"
Daisy took one last look in the mirror, then turned with an eager smile.
"Yes."
Minnie stepped forward and gave her a gentle hug.
"I'm so happy for you."
Daisy returned it, her voice trembling with emotion as she replied.
"Thank you so much, for everything."
"Of course," Minnie said.
Several minutes later, she was standing in her place as maid of honor, watching with a happy smile as Daisy and Donald exchanged their vows. She found herself wondering if her wedding day would be as joyful, and then another thought came to her.
I wonder if Mickey's will be.
Startled by the thought, Minnie felt a faint blush heat her face.
What on earth brought that on?
She shook it off and watched as the ceremony ended. The absolute joy in the couple's faces as they exchanged a kiss made her own heart swell with happiness, yet she still couldn't suppress a slight feeling of envy. Daisy was so lucky, and she found herself wondering if she would ever be that lucky.
Much to her relief, Mortimer hadn't been invited to either the ceremony or the reception. She was asked to dance several times but found herself thinking that this would be much more enjoyable if Mickey was there to talk with. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers over her mother's necklace. It didn't exactly match her gown, but she didn't care, and Daisy never pointed it out either. She might be a bit of a fusspot, but she was still a wonderful friend.
"That's a beautiful necklace."
Startled, Minnie looked up to see a familiar young cat sitting at the table with her. After a moment, she remembered that she had recently been hired by her father. She must be working here for extra money. Minnie dropped her hand and smiled.
"Thank you. It was my mother's."
A sympathetic look crossed the maid's face.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Minnie nodded, her smile growing slightly sad.
"That's all right… it was a long time ago." She changed the subject. "I'm sorry, but you just started working for my father, didn't you?"
The maid nodded.
"Yes, and you're his daughter Minerva, aren't you?"
Minnie held out a hand.
"Yes, I don't believe we've ever met. What's your name?"
"Grace," the maid replied, shaking her hand. "Grace Lovehart."
Minnie's smile widened.
"That's a lovely name."
The maid chuckled.
"I hear that all the time. Yours is too."
"Thank you," Minnie replied. "So, are you working here too?"
"Yes… I'm trying to earn some extra money for a friend."
Sympathy filled Minnie.
"I have a friend doing the same thing. He's working for us now, actually."
Grace's eyes widened slightly in recognition.
"Oh, yes… the new gardener, isn't he?"
Minnie nodded, another smile coming to her face.
"That's right. Do you know him?"
"In passing," Grace replied. "Just saying hello in the morning, really. He seems nice."
"He is," Minnie replied automatically. "Very nice."
Grace looked thoughtful.
"Do you know if he… has anyone?"
Minnie's heart gave a little skip at those words, and her words came out a little short.
"I don't think so… he seems to be focused mainly on work."
A look of disappointment came over Grace's face.
"That's a shame. I certainly wouldn't mind getting to know him better."
I would.
Minnie almost said the words out loud but caught herself and merely nodded. Grace sighed and stood.
"Oh well. It was lovely talking to you."
"Yes, you too," Minnie said with a smile. After the maid left, she leaned back in her chair, still fingering her necklace. She couldn't understand why, but she felt a sense of irritation at Grace. There was no reason to… she had been very pleasant and friendly. Yet she found herself wondering, would Mickey be interested in her?
Would he be interested in me?
The thought made her face heat and a smile tug at her face. But her musing was interrupted by another gentleman requesting a dance, and Minnie quickly stood to accept. Yet still the thought stayed with her, and she wondered if he ever had similar thoughts about her.
She found herself hoping so.
