Chapter 8: Summer in the Valley
The rest of the summer passed me by, and I mostly kept to myself of the farm. I didn't want to risk running into Sebastian, or anyone else who might either resent me for the divorce or want to know the dirty details. I had missed the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies and had intended to skip the Stardew Valley Fair, but when I went to buy fall seeds from Pierre, he gushed about the challenge of besting my grange display so zealously that I couldn't let him down. I took an assortment of quality goods from my various chests and headed to the fair around nine in the morning.
No one asked me about what was going on in my personal life, a fact that I was grateful for. I quietly set up my goods in the empty display case, then looked around. I knew Sebastian would probably be hanging out around the river somewhere, if he even showed up, so I wandered through the game booths until I remembered that there was a fortune teller's tent I could hide in until judging time. I had to meander through crowds of out-of-towners, but it helped me dodge the sightlines of Abigail, Robin, and Demetrius. Surprisingly, there was nobody waiting to have their fortune told, so I let myself in.
"Ah," called a familiar crone's voice. "I'm detecting…a young lady, I presume? Come forward."
I did as she instructed, presenting 100 gold as payment for the transaction.
"Very good." She accepted the money and counted it. "Now, close your eyes and focus with me…"
I closed my eyes and saw a road between two fields of tall, golden grasses. A motorcycle zoomed down the road, carrying two people: Sebastian and myself. My heart began racing, thinking it was a hopeful premonition, but I soon recognized it as a memory from the summer when we had first become an item. Why am I seeing this?
The scene skipped ahead to show the two of us lying in the field, my head resting against his shoulder. "Sebastian, I love you," I whispered. It was the first time I had told him that.
"I love you, too." He rose slightly to face me, smiling, then leaned over to whisper something in my ear. My cheeks grew flushed.
"Right here? In front of Yoba and everybody?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Our lips met as our hands intertwined. He repositioned his body over mine and closed the space between our heartbeats. A pain shot through my heart as I realized that I would never know Sebastian's touch again. Even worse, that my own affections would be forgotten in favor of Abigail's.
Another scene from another day…I burst through the front door of his home after having run through the rain from the beach. Robin was at her station to welcome me, Maru was heading toward her room, and Demetrius was taking inventory of something in the kitchen. As I wiped my feet on the welcome mat, Sebastian came up from the basement, presumably to enjoy the rain out on the boardwalk.
He greeted me with a warm smile. "If you're lucky, you might see a frog in this weather."
Grinning excitedly, I presented him with the Mermaid's Pendant. His eyes lit up in ecstatic amazement, instantly knowing the symbolism and intention behind my gift, and he stood speechless for a moment. In the background, I could see Robin leaning forward and Demetrius craning his neck from the kitchen. Even Maru turned around to view the commotion. "I accept!" he exclaimed, squeezing me tightly.
I could feel warm tears flowing from my eyes. Please…stop…
But the memories continued. Sebastian learning how much to water the crops. Me teaching Sebastian how to brush the barn animals. Sebastian telling me how much I made him feel appreciated as I fell asleep in his arms…why did I not remember these things before it was too late? The images faded away until I was alone with Welwick the Fortune Teller once again. "Why did you show me these things from my past?" I demanded.
She folded her hands together. "These memories are what your heart treasures most, yes? Well, you will have these moments again."
My heart jumped. "How?"
"I suggest talking to another young woman who is in tune with such matters." Welwick separated her hands from one another, placing them on either side of her crystal ball. "Remember…these premonitions are not set in stone. The future is like the weather…there are no guarantees."
I quietly left her tent after drying my eyes, and the Wizard approached me. "Welwick and I have known each other for a long time," he informed me. "She is a remarkable diviner, and a good friend."
I forced a smile, hoping that his confidence in her was not misplaced.
