Hey~ I didnt know whether to make htis a really long chapter or shorten it, so I kinda decided to make it an in between. Ehehehe~

Disclaimer~ I do not own Harvest Moon

Chapter 3: Encounter with a Brother

"Um…Lillian?" Nori asked me.

"Yeah? What?" I replied.

"Well, everyone here seems to know you, and I was wondering if you would explain to me what's going on…?"

"Well," I started, "How do I put this…I used to live in Bluebell. I moved out about ten years ago."

"Oh, really?" Nori exclaimed, "That's really exciting! So I'm guessing that means you never needed me to give you a tour of this town, right?"

"Yeah, but Bluebell is more fun when there's someone with you." I replied, "This town hasn't changed one bit."

"Oh, Lillian, does that mean that you've met my fiancé before? He told me he used to live here too."

"Your fiancé?" I questioned, "Phillip? Oh, right, I should probably tell you something…"

"What is it?"

"Well, Phillip is my older brother. So looks like I'm going to be your sister soon."

Nori's mouth hung agape, "ARE YOU SERIOUS? Phillip told me he had a sister but he never told me much about her! I can't believe that I met you!"

"There's the fact that I haven't seen Phillip in 10 years, so I don't think he really knows that much about me…" I stretched, feigning disinterest.

Nori smiled, "Then how about I just go in, greet Phillip and let you two catch up with each other?"

My eyes brightened, mouth forming and O, "Can I really? Thank you, Nori!"

Nori slipped into the small ranch quickly and came out. She smiled warmly, "Don't worry, there's nothing to be afraid of, he's probably just as you remembered him." And with that, she turned and left. Butterflies began to gather in my stomach and worries flooded through me.

What if he doesn't like me?

What should I say?

How should I act?

What should I do with my feelings? What if there still there?

I sighed, realizing that nothing good will come out of worrying. I'll just wing it. Taking steady breaths, I walked up and gently knocked on the door.

"Eh? Nori, did you forget something?" an unfamiliar voice called from the other side of the door. The door swung open, and I stood there, shocked. He looked just like he used to, just older. Same auburn hair, same blue eyes. I smiled slightly, "Phillip…" I whispered.

Phillip's eyes widened, shock, surprise, and happiness coursing through his face. He grabbed my arm and pulled me in, hugging me. "Lillian," he sobbed, "Lillian…"

*(~)*

Phillip pulled me inside his house and made me sit in his kitchen while he went to prepare something for us to eat. I took in the houses' interior. It looked like mine, give or take some space.

When he came out, he carried two bowls of porridge and set them down on the table in front of me and him. "Eat," he commanded. While I was gobbling spoon after spoon of the porridge into my mouth, Phillip just stared at me through a curtain of steam. "Wahrt? Arencha gonna tshoo eatch?" I asked him.

Phillip chuckled lightly, "Not yet. I have some…things to ask you. Dad told me about your, well, 'problem'."

I choked on the porridge. Of course he knew. Dad had probably blabbed it to him one night when he was drunk or high. Phillip would always call, but Dad never let me talk to him. I set the porridge bowl down. "Alright. I'll tell you about it. As long as you tell me about everything that's happened to you in the past 10 years. Dad was…different after we moved."

Phillip sighed, "Yeah, I could tell. It was his fault, wasn't it?"

"Not completely. It was my fault too."

Phillip raised an eyebrow. I looked down, "Can you go first?"

He smiled sympathetically. I didn't want sympathy, though. I'd had enough of it for life. "Yeah, sure."

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