I think I'm just going to stop apologizing for how long updates are taking, as I will be starting college soon and I will be pretty busy! But I promise that I will do my best to update in my free time when I am not at work or in class. :)

Hope you enjoy!

Annie's eyes flew open as the sound of her telephone ringing resounded throughout her small home. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, a bit surprised. Nobody usually called her, except occasionally Agate; Maybe she wanted more help at the safari. She reached for the phone and grabbed it, nearly dropping it in her groggy state as she pulled it to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"Annie. How are you?" Came the sharp reply on the other end.

She jolted awake at the unexpected sound of the woman's voice on the line, sitting upright in her bed and gripping her pillow with her hand that wasn't holding the phone.

"Hi. I'm good, you?" She replied stiffly.

A snort was audible before the woman answered. "Can't complain, I suppose. It's been too long, dear. What do you say I come out there for lunch this afternoon?"

Annie stifled her impulsive answer of 'no' and swallowed nervously. "Yes, it has been. Sure. Sounds good." She glanced at the clock – which read 6:44 – and decided she'd have more than enough time to complete her chores in time.

"Don't sound so excited," the woman scoffed. "I'll see you at eleven."

Annie opened her mouth to say that 11:00 was too early, but before she could utter a syllable, she heard a click as her mother hung up the phone. She sighed, and followed suit, roughly hanging up the phone on the cradle by her bed.

Anxiety stabbed in her stomach as she realized her mother would be in her home in about four hours. The prickly businesswoman had yet to see her home in the country, and compared to where she had lived with her parents in the city, it was quaint. Annie had a feeling that she wouldn't be very impressed with her achievements, to say the least.

It had always been her father who was on her side, while her mother busied herself with her event planning business. Annie could never say that she wasn't hard working, but her skills as a mother definitely lacked warmth and usually, dedication. She was a daddy's girl, and even though she was an adult, that hadn't changed. She wished her father was coming as well, to ease the tension, but she knew that her parents didn't spend very much time together, and the chances were slim.

She sighed, and, realizing she didn't have long to prepare for her arrival, Annie pulled on a comfortable red-brown shirt and her usual faded jeans for farm work. She left the house quickly, determined to finish with her crops and animals swiftly.

Beginning with the tall tomato and corn plants she was growing on her plot, she hardly had time to admire the beautiful summer weather. It was only about a week into the season, but so far nobody was disappointed with the unfaltering sunshine – sure, it meant watering more frequently, but it made her work more enjoyable. Her crops had also grown tall very quickly, and she was optimistic that she would earn more profit this season than last.

She was diligently brushing Hanako when she heard a quiet knock at the wood of the open barn doors. Bold red caught her attention as she turned, and she was happy, if not a bit embarrassed, to see Raeger standing at the entrance, a red rose in his hand. She blushed as he approached her.

"Hey," he murmured, handing the rose to her. Annie took it, although the beautiful flower looked out of place against her filthy hand.

She smiled at him. "Thank you," she said, unsure of what else to say to his romantic gesture.

He simply smiled in return. "Are you busy today? I want to take you somewhere."

Annie subconsciously cursed her mother for having to call on today, of all days. It was Wednesday, Raeger's only day off from the restaurant.

"Yes, I'm busy," she answered regretfully.

His smile faltered a bit, but he covered it up as quickly as it fell. "Oh, what are you up to?"

She bit the inside of her cheek. "My mother's visiting."

The chef's eyes widened slightly. "Ah. And that's... not a good thing, I take it?"

Annie shook her head solemnly. "No, not really. We haven't spoken since I left home."

He nodded briefly in response. Annie noticed he looked a bit awkward standing there, so she bravely stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. He responded warmly, pulling her in and resting his lips on the side of her head. She felt his steady breath stirring strands of hair by her ear, and shivered a bit from the sensation.

He laughed softly. "You aren't cold, are you? It's boiling out."

She shook her head against his shoulder, not letting go of him. She savoured the comforting way he held her, knowing the rest of her morning would likely be exhausting. They stayed like that for a long moment before pulling away. As they unwrapped from each others' arms, Raeger grabbed her hands and held one in each of his. His eyes met hers a bit sheepishly.

"So when can I see you again?" He asked hopefully.

Annie's stomach flip-flopped at the idea of another date, and more kisses with him. Their passionate kiss from the week before flashed through her mind, and as their eyes met, she noticed he was blushing slightly. She wondered if he was remembering that night, as well.

"Soon, I hope," she answered shyly and quietly, not trusting her voice to stay steady as he gently squeezed her hands in his.

She would never grow tired of seeing his handsome smile, and this time was no exception as her heart fluttered. One rub of his thumb over her fingers was enough to send her heart racing and warm her cheeks. She noticed his gaze had lowered to her lips.

"Can I kiss you?" He murmured so gently that she felt desire spike through her.

"Yes," she replied breathily, her heart pounding staccato rhythms in her chest.

His lips met hers softly, brushing gently before pressing completely against hers. She felt him release her hands and place his on her waist, pulling her close against him. A soft moan escaped her lips as he pressed her gently against the wall, causing her to freeze up in embarrassment. Raeger laughed quietly before kissing her again, briefly.

"Don't worry, I like it," he said huskily against her lips. Annie laughed nervously in response, her body feeling hot in more ways than one. He quickly kissed her one last time before pulling away. She immediately wished he was closer again as he moved away, but knew this wasn't the time or place for their passion.

"I should leave you to your chores," Raeger said.

Annie knew he was right, since she didn't have much time before her mother would arrive. She certainly didn't want Raeger to experience the displeasure of meeting her right now.

"We'll have to continue this later," she said bravely, referring to their kiss.

Her statement was met with a laugh. "Definitely," came the reply.

The front door hadn't been shut for five minutes when three loud, confident knocks hit it. Annie bolted from the bathroom, then froze, her eyes on the door like a deer staring at oncoming headlights. She took two deep breaths, then realized it wasn't helping her speeding heart, and she walked forward to invite her guest in.

Joanne stood with perfect posture, a flowery form-fitting blouse and – always the businesswoman – black dress pants covering her figure. She had golden-blonde hair identical in colour to her daughter's, although she wore it a great deal shorter, the honey-coloured locks licking past her shoulders. Hazel eyes met hazel eyes, and although one set was twenty-five years older, both were nearly identical, beautiful mixtures of browns and greens.

"Hello, Annie," Joanne said.

"Hello, Mother," Annie mimicked her casual tone, although her stomach was flopping worse than it did in Raeger's presence.

Joanne didn't need an invitation to enter the house, and walked confidently into the room, although she was clearly opposed to sitting on one of her bare wood kitchen chairs. She sat anyway, her back straight and her hands clasped in front of her on the rough table, surveying the room with obvious distaste. Annie sat opposite her, feeling as though she was in a business meeting rather than a visit with her mother.

"You look... well," the older woman stated, though not convincingly. Annie winced as she realized she must look like a slob – she was still wearing her rough jeans and baggy t-shirt, a layer of dirt accompanying the stains that adorned the ensemble.

"You, too," she murmured. "I made cucumber sandwiches for lunch for us, Mum."

The first hint of a smile found the woman's face. "Just like we used to do on picnics."

Annie smiled back, then retreated to the kitchen briefly to grab the platter from the fridge. Cucumber and cream cheese on bagels was somewhat of a family tradition, especially on nice summer days such as the one they were currently having. She set them on the table along with plates, lemonade and glasses, noting how her mother did not offer to help. Not that Annie expected her to; She always expected the worst, and was not usually proven wrong.

"Do you have any napkins?" She asked, plucking a sandwich quarter from the pile.

Annie shook her head. She barely had anything in her kitchen, let alone napkins.

Joanne did her best not to wrinkle her nose as she ate without a napkin over her lap. Annie picked at hers like a bird, feeling too nervous to be hungry. They ate while chatting uncomfortably but casually. How was life in the country? Good. The weather sure was nice. Yes, it was. Any friends? A few.

"No boyfriend, I assume?"

Annie stopped chewing, feeling a tendril of anger coil in her stomach. No matter how well she thought she knew her mother, her blunt rudeness always upset her. But did she even have a boyfriend? She wondered if Raeger would consider her his girlfriend. She decided she would leave the interpretation up to her mother, and gestured to the red rose she had placed in a tall glass of water on the counter by the window with a shrug.

Glancing over to the flower, her mother raised an eyebrow. "Is he nice?"

"Yes." Annie smiled a bit.

"What does he do for a living?"

"He's a chef, like Dad."

Joanne froze at that, then abruptly changed the subject. "Mhmm. Well, how are you doing with the farming?"

Annie narrowed her eyes slightly. "Good. But how is Dad doing?"

"He's fine, I want to hear about you."

"How's the restaurant doing?"

Joanne rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it's just the same as always. I rarely even see your father, dear, but I'm sure he's fine."

Annie knew why she never saw him – it was because she was never home, always working. She made a mental note to pay her father a visit when she got some time, or at least call him. She missed him more than anyone else she'd left behind in the city.

"How's your money situation here?" Her mother asked.

"I'm doing good, Mom."

She scoffed at that. "I can see that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Annie snapped at her mother's rudeness.

Joanne gestured to her daughter. "Look at you, you're filthy. If you were doing well, you would be able to buy yourself some clothes that don't have holes in them, or some furniture."

"These are my work clothes, why don't you-" Annie stopped, refusing to have to validate herself and her life to her mother. "I mean it, I'm doing fine."

"Well I would like some grandchildren some day, and I can't imagine you'll be having any in these living situations."

Annie gaped at her before snapping "I'm not thinking about that right now, Mom. I'm just trying to start my life. Everyone has to start somewhere." She bit her lip on the inside to keep it from quivering, her eyes feeling hot with tears.

Her mother nodded briskly, the subject dropped. It always went the same way: casual chatting, one of them would slip up and offend the other, and then they would just forget it like nothing ever happened. It was better than the alternative, which was actually talking about their relationship and how to fix it.

They ended the visit shortly after, and as Annie shut the door behind Joanne, she began pacing her living room, feeling too anxious to settle down. Her mother always managed to find a way to ruffle her feathers, no matter how much she told herself that she could handle it. She always thought it couldn't be that bad, only to be reminded of how she treated her. She gulped back a sob, refusing to give into her, even if she was no longer there to witness it.

Tears threatening to fall, she left the house hurriedly, intending to see the one person who would – no doubt – treat her well.

The sun was still shining high over Oak Tree Town when Annie found Raeger at the trade depot, having just bought some spices from Sakura Country. He looked surprised but happy to see her, when he noticed she was biting her lip to keep from crying; She refused to cry in front of the other residents in town. His brow wrinkled in concern as he wrapped an arm around her, guiding her to the side of the plaza.

"Annie, what's wrong?" He asked sincerely, before realizing it was likely related to her mother's visit. "What did your mom do?"

Annie shook her head, her throat feeling so tight she couldn't speak. She found herself wrapped tightly in Raeger's arms, which she was beginning to realize was her favourite place to be. As she was struggling not to cry, she noticed a few people were beginning to glance in their direction, and suddenly a loud, ugly sob escaped her lips. She felt a warm hand rub circles gently on her back, and found she was calming down very quickly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Raeger asked as he rubbed her back.

Annie pulled away a bit, although his hands remained on her arms, grounding her. She sniveled slightly, wiping her eyes. She didn't want him to see her with puffy eyes.

"No," she replied. "But... Can we still go on that date?" She asked timidly.

Raeger placed a kiss on her forehead. "Of course. We might not be able to do what I had planned, since it's a bit late now, but I'm sure we can think of something."

Annie's heart skipped a beat as she wondered if he meant resuming their kiss from earlier, but she knew he was too much of a gentleman to count making out as a date. Maybe later though, she hoped.

She glanced at him and noticed he was lost in thought. Smiling at how cute he looked, Annie poked him gently on the shoulder.

He shook his head slightly. "Sorry. I don't think there's time to take you to where I was planning today, but I promise I will next week on my day off, alright?"

Annie nodded. "What do you want to do tonight?"

Raeger grinned, slipping his hand in hers and walking with her across the plaza.

"You'll see."