Chapter 2: Home Again

Sasha opened her eyes and walked out of the small train station. The moment she took that first deep breath of the crisp autumn mountain air she knew she was home again. A cool wind was blowing off of the lake and rivers that flowed through the town. Sasha could tell that winter was soon to be arriving. The wind was brisk and the few residents that were walking around all had light coats on. Looking around, the first thing that Sasha noticed was that a number of new houses had been built over the past 15 years. Her own childhood home was a short walk away and she couldn't wait to see the old place. Sasha had penned a letter a couple of months back to see if anyone had moved in to the house and was relieved to hear that no one had lived in it since she had been forced to move all those years ago. Her thoughts drifted to her old childhood best friend Sable and Sasha couldn't help but wonder what the girl was up to these days. Did she still live in the same house? Were her parents still around? What was she doing with her life? Sasha decided those were questions that could be left until the next day. The sun quickly starting to set and she needed to pay a visit to old Tom Nook to see about getting into her old house. Bracing herself against the cool evening air she headed off, walking at a brisk pace, to the market district of the town that she had missed so much.

Market street had changed a lot. New stores had been constructed all up and down the cobblestone street. Sasha saw a large two story stone museum next to Nook's Homes and made a mental note to go check it out as soon as possible. The Able Sisters clothing store looked largely the same with the exception of a small add on shop that was connected. There were no lights coming through the large windows so Sasha assumed that they had closed up for the evening already. A giant shopping mall style building towered over everything else on the street. Things had certainly changed.

Sasha made her way down the street slowly, trying to take everything in. She didn't remember much of the street from her childhood, but knew that it used to be a lot smaller. Light spilled out of the small window on the door of Nook's Homes and a small bell jingled as Sasha opened it and walked in.

A small voice carried through the shop from a room in the back. "I'll be with you in just a moment," it said and Sasha knew already that it was Tom Nook. "Just have a seat anywhere."

Sasha took a seat in a hard wooden chair in from of a desk that had a fancy name plate on it that read T. Nook. Miniature modes of home designs lined various tables, everything from one story single person homes to what looked to be models of large elegant mansions. A thin layer of dust coated all of the models. Sasha saw the model that her old childhood home was built after and it made her long to step through the doors.

A few minutes passed and finally Tom Nook emerged from the back room. He looked quickly around the shop before his eyes fell upon Sasha. "Welcome to Nook's Homes! How can I help you this eve..." Nook's face lit up as he saw who was sitting in the chair. "Miss Sasha!" Tom Nook gushed as the raccoon rushed over to give Sasha a quick hug. "I could hardly believe it when I received your letter. Why I remember you were just a wee little thing when your family moved away. I am so happy to see you back here in Airithan!"

"It's great to finally be back Mr. Nook," Sasha smiled and looked around again.

"Oh, just Tom I think," Nook said walking over to the door. He held it open for Sasha. "I know you must be tired after the train ride, so shall I show you to the house?"

Sasha nodded and walked out. The sun had all but vanished over the horizon. It was looking to be a clear night and she could already see stars dotting the sky. The air was becoming even more chilly as the wind picked up. Only a few shoppers were still straggling in the market and they were all starting to zip up their jackets.

As they walked through the small village Sasha didn't see anyone walking around, but did notice that several of the houses had plumes of smoke rising from chimneys. Some of the animals must have lit their fireplaces already. She didn't want to think about how cold the old house would be when she stepped in it. The two of them walked at a leisurely pace along the river until they crossed a small stone bridge to the south side of town. Sasha could hear the sounds of waves crashing against the shore in the distance and her mind instinctively went to all the times that she and Sable would spend fishing and swimming in the ocean shallows. She made a mental note to purchase a fishing rod as soon as she could.

When they reached the old house Tom Nook produced a small metal key out of his pocket and tuned it in the lock effortlessly. The door opened with a loud creak and a flood of memories rushed into Sasha's head. Sleepovers and play dates. Birthday parties and building blanket forts. Drinking coco by the fire and reading books.

The house was colder than she thought it would be, but a large bed sat pushed against the corner of the room. "I took the liberty of having a bed delivered when you wrote to say that you were coming home," Nook said with a small smile.

"Thank you. I promise to get you the money as soon as possible," Sasha said, relieved that she would at least have some place to lay her head that night.

Tom Nook reached up and touched her shoulder gently. "Take you time my dear. There is no rush." He gave Sasha a slight bow and opened the door again. "I know you must be tired my dear, so I will let you get settled and will see you soon." He walked out and just before closing the door Tom gave her one more small smile. "It's good to see you again."

Sasha flipped the light switch on and the room was suddenly illuminated with a low warm light. A small pile of wood lay next to the fireplace and she could only assume that was also Tom Nooks doing. She grabbed a few pieces and gently placed them in the old brick fireplace. A moment later a large fire was spreading it's warmth through the small house. Sasha looked at the large suitcase that was leaning against the wall and determined that it could wait until the next day. A few small things had been left behind from her childhood. A small cabinet that she could use to store clothes and a few small kitchen items. All of them were covered in a thin layer of dust. She would have to give the place a good scrubbing. As tired as Sasha was and as inviting as the bed looked, she was not ready to sleep just yet. The house was not yet completely warm and she felt the need to take a walk through the town, so she stepped out of her house and back into the cold night air.

Sasha was so tempted to walk by Sable's old house just to see if the Able family still lived there, but decided to leave that for another day. It was starting to get late after all. Instead she made her way to one of her favourite childhood spots. The tall cliff that towered over the beach had always been a town favourite. The smell of the ocean water brought back so many memories. Despite how high it was the wind still carried a cool mist up to her face. Without even thinking, she sat down and let her legs hang over the edge and just stared out into the endless ocean, the wind stinging her face. Sasha had longed so much to get back here, but now that she had finally made it she suddenly felt anxious. She once again found herself wondering how much her childhood friends had changed or if some of them even still lived here. Surely a few had probably moved away. It didn't matter though, she had made it back. She had kept her promise from 15 years ago. Sasha lay back on the cool damp grass and just stared up at the sky for what seemed like hours. "I'm home," she called out to the night sky, perhaps a little more loudly than she meant to.