I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the characters from Harvest Moon.

Once to Live

Chapter 3-

Muffy sifted through her closet. It was mostly filled with sweaters and blue jeans and a few black dress's that she wore during work. She reached into the back of the closet and pulled out an old red dress of hers. She had over worn it back when she was twenty, thinking it showed off her figure well.

She pulled it tight against her chest as she looked in the mirror. It had been years since she had seen or worn the dress, and she wasn't even sure if it would fit her anymore.

She had stopped wearing it when she hit thirty. On her thirtieth birthday she had spent the day in her room, crying her eye's out. She thought everything was over. Little did she know, six more years was when the real disaster would take place.

Muffy slipped off her robe, letting it fall to the ground softly. She lifted up her hands as she slid the dress over her head. It was much snugger than it had been all those years ago. She turned around to face herself in the mirror.

She wasn't sure how to react to what she saw. She was torn between hysteria and complete disgust. The tight dress left distinct rolls and lines of fat all over her body. She tore the dress off, not wanting to take a second glance at herself in the mirror. She hastily put it back on the hanger and shoved it quickly into the closet.

Apparently she really had changed, not only mentally but physically as well. But she had thought, that for how hard things had been on her, that she had overcome everything fairly well. Maybe overcome wasn't the right word, she hadn't overcome anything, she had only lived through it. But that was the best she could do, live each day as normally as she knew how to. Her only goal was to make it to the next.

A knock came from the door, Muffy jumped, spinning around to face the door. She reached down, grabbing the robe that lay on the floor. She pulled it on, tightening the lace around her waist.

"...Josh?" She asked.

"Yeah Muffy, it's me." He answered from inside the bar.

"Miss me already?" Muffy asked playfully, trying harder than usual to put on the best show she could. Acting. Something she thought she had pretty much mastered up until last night. She unlocked her door, letting him come into the room.

"Actually I have something I wanted to give you. It's not from me, it's from Griffin. He had told me to give it to you when I thought the time was right... I think the time is right."

Muffy stared, confused, when had he talked to Griffin? Griffin was dead. Her heart began to race. She couldn't put a name on the feeling she had. Was it worry, fear, confusion, happiness?

Josh realized she had misunderstood him, so he quickly rephrased. "Griffin gave me this before he died." He pulled out a long, thin box and a yellow envelope. "Here." He placed them in her hands, not waiting for a reply, he left and slowly and shut the door.

Muffy's heart still raced, she looked down at the box and letter in her hand. She sat herself down on the bed, slowly setting the box down beside her. She slid one finger between the flap of the envelope, and pulled out a piece of loose notebook paper. She unfolded the paper, Griffin's easily recognizable messy handwriting was scrawled across the paper. It read....

Dear Muffy,

If you are reading this I am most likely not there with you anymore, it seems cancer must have gotten the best of me. But that's okay. Because you are there. And I'll still be watching you like I always do, I'll just be watching from a birds eye view. So don't cry anymore. Don't worry anymore. Everyone's time comes to an end. Mine just happened to come a bit sooner than others. Just remember, you only have once to live. Make the best of it.

Love,

Griffin

P.S. I love you. I love you so much. You don't know how much I love.