Monday, 15th of Fall

"Thank you so much, Dr. Katherine. Talk to you next week." Alma hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She was learning this dichotomy of feelings that followed therapy, where she felt the wounds were simultaneously relieved and re-opened. She pinched her eyelids and ran her hand over her face, letting out a heavy sigh.

She stood up to get a drink of water from the sink before heading out to work, and as she was drinking, she was surprised to hear a knock at the door. She wondered who it could be as she put the glass on the counter. When she opened the door, she was a bit surprised to see it was Jodi. She was out of breath, but she smiled at Alma. "Hi Alma," she panted.

"Morning, Jodi! You okay?"

"Whew … that was quite a workout, walking all the way up here! I need to do more cardio in Caroline's classes!" she laughed. "Anyway … I came by to ask if you wanted to have dinner with us tonight!"

Alma put a hand to her chest, touched by the invitation. "Really? That's so sweet of you!"

"You don't have to; I know you're busy here," she conceded, "but if you decide to come, could you please bring a largemouth bass with you?"

"A largemouth one, you said?"

"That's right," Jodi answered with a nod. "One of those big, slimy fish from the lake. I need one for the casserole I'm making."

"Sure, I think I can do that!" Alma said, looking behind her at her chest of fish, trying to think through her inventory.

"Okay, well," she said, releasing another big exhale, "it'll be at our house at around seven PM tonight."

"All right, I'll do my best to be there by then. Thank you again so much for the invitation!"

"Of course," Jodi said with a smile. She started to turn on the stairs then looked back at Alma and said, "Don't forget the largemouth bass!"

"I won't! See you tonight!"

"Bye." And then Jodi went down the stairs and back toward town.

Alma stepped down the stairs too and went to her mailbox. She had a few letters to look over, the first of which was from Caroline:

"Dear Alma,

Thanks for stopping by my sunroom yesterday. I usually drink tea alone, but it was fun to share with you!

I've enclosed instructions on how to prepare and grow your own tea. No pressure, but if you do end up growing some, make sure to bring me a cup!

- Caroline"

Enclosed were instructions on how to prepare a tea sapling from wood, fiber, and wild seeds. Alma couldn't remember if she had multiple wild seeds in her chest just then, but if she did, she told herself, she would definitely make that sapling as soon as she could to make some of her own fresh tea!

The next letter was from Demetrius, tied to a package:

"Dear Alma,

I was conducting a field study the other day, and I found this specimen. I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

- Demetrius"

Alma opened the package and found an amethyst inside. Convenient, she thought, since she had just given her amethyst to Abigail two days ago. The last letter was from Mayor Lewis, reminding her about the fair tomorrow. She hadn't forgotten it, but she also hadn't given much thought to it. She folded the letters up, put the amethyst in her chest with the other minerals and gemstones, and told herself to think about what to include in her grange display as she went through her work today.

More wheat and amaranth were ready to harvest, so she cut those down with her scythe. As she watered, she thought for sure she should include a fruit and a vegetable. What would be the most impressive ones? A pumpkin and a melon maybe? Or maybe something more exotic, like the ancient fruit or starfruit. But neither of those were high quality. She had lots of high quality selections of the fruits and vegetables she had grown in bulk, so she thought she should probably choose one of those.

Alma continued to take care of the animals, and she thought she should include some mayonnaise and a fresh egg. She had some eggs that were really excellent-looking. And some milk and cheese would be good too - maybe some good cow milk and goat cheese? That sounded good to her, she thought as she then emptied the cheese presses. As she went up to the mushroom cave, too, she thought she should include a nice mushroom - a high quality morel or chanterelle, maybe; those were so pretty. As she thought through her options, she was beginning to think her grange would actually look quite good. She smiled as she stood in front of the cabin and overlooked everything, thinking about how far she'd come even in this amount of time. Then she turned on her heel and made her way to town to see Pierre.

Alma sold her produce from today to Pierre, and she bought more wheat and amaranth seeds. She made sure to keep an eye on the clock; she didn't want time to sneak up on her. She needed to give herself a good hour to walk to Jodi's house, so she needed to be wrapping things up at six. It was now about one. She should have time to drop by to see Harvey, take care of these seeds, grab a bass, and go. "Thanks, Pierre!" she called on her way out. By this time, she thought Harvey would be down by the river, so she made her way south. "Hi!" she called as she came closer.

Harvey turned and smiled. "Hey, you," he said as he wrapped her up in an embrace and kissed her.

She kept an arm around him as they both turned to face the river. "What are you up to?"

"Just taking a little break," he answered. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? I wish I had less work to do."

"Are you swamped?"

"Not necessarily, but there are hot air balloons out over the ocean today," he said, pointing out to the horizon. Alma could see three or four colorful balloons out over the water. "They won't be around much longer this year because the air will start to get too cold and the weather gets unpredictable. So I wish I could just watch them hover by - especially now that I know a bit of what they're, uh … going through."

"Do you think any pilots are actually flying them?" she scoffed.

He shook his head and buzzed his lips. "I wrote a bad review online for Marcello, you know. Very unprofessional - and dangerous. But still … thrilling for me. I still can't believe I did that - we did that."

"Believe it!" she said, giving him another quick kiss on the cheek.

He smiled and squeezed her a little tighter. "What about you? What's on your plate?"

"Actually, it's funny you should word it that way; I've been invited to dinner at Jodi's tonight!" Her expression dropped a moment. "And, you know, it occurs to me, I didn't ask if I could bring a plus one, I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine! Go and enjoy getting to know them! They're a lovely family. You don't need me there to m-make things more awkward. Plus, I'll be doing work into the evening, I think. Don't worry about it."

"All right, if you say so." Alma checked the time. "Well, I should probably go. I have a few more things to do on the farm before I head over there at dinner time."

"Yes, I don't want to keep you." They hugged, and he said, "Have a wonderful time."

"You too?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll try." He gave her another quick kiss, and she went off back to the farm.

There, Alma first planted the seeds from Pierre then followed them up with water. She cleaned herself up a bit in the kitchen sink, then grabbed the largemouth bass and started for town. She checked her watch; it was right at six o'clock. Perfect.

Alma knocked on the door a few minutes past seven. When no one answered, she poked her head inside. "Hello?"

Jodi rushed from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Oh hi, Alma! Come in!" She lifted her nose in the air and smiled. "Do I smell fresh fish?"

"You do!" Alma answered as she followed Jodi into the house. "Where would you like me to put it?"

"I've actually got a mat set out right here on the floor you can put it on. Just set it right there." Alma rummaged through her bag, and Jodi called, "Sam! Could you come in here and help with dinner?"

Alma heard Sam's obligatory answer muffled from his bedroom: "Yes, ma'am."

Right as Alma was putting the fish on the mat, Sam came in. "Hi, Sam!" Alma greeted, standing from the mat.

"Hey, farm girl," he answered, his eyes looking down at the fish.

"Wow, this looks like quality bass, Alma. Thank you so much for bringing this."

"It was nothing, really."

"Sam, would you filet this for me?"

"Yes ma'am," Sam answered again. He picked up the mat and carried it to the kitchen.

"Can I help you with anything, Jodi?"

"No, but you can come sit and visit!" She led Alma into the kitchen and invited her to sit at the table. "Let me get you something to drink. Iced tea, perhaps?"

"Sure, that'd be fine." Alma sat down and looked over to see Sam start to cut at the bass. He cut behind its head and then down the spine, pulling one half of the fish open. Jodi placed a cup of tea in front of Alma. "Thank you," she said, taking a sip.

"You're very welcome. I do enjoy a nice glass of iced tea. I'm sure it tastes good after a hard day of farming."

"It does. Is this Caroline's tea?"

"No, this is just bagged tea from Joja. But I do have some of her mix that I save to drink hot on cold days." Jodi opened the oven and took a peek at her casserole. "Okay, that is almost done. Should be timed perfectly."

"So the fish is going in the casserole?"

"Not exactly," Jodi answered. "I'm going to fry it, put it on top, and let it bake for a bit longer. It's kind of my own spin on the recipe. The boys like the crunch of the breading, and you can't get that if it's mixed into the casserole. But you can still bake the fried fish on top to get some of the good juices down into it."

"It's out of this world," Sam said, flopping one filet on a plate. Jodi took the filet and put it in the egg mixture, then the dry coating, then into the hot oil. The sound filled the kitchen, and it made Alma's mouth water.

"So where's Vincent?" she asked, taking another sip of tea.

"He's in his room playing. He should probably get here, actually. Vincent!" she called. "Come to the table, honey!" Sam put the other filet on the plate, and Jodi repeated the dredge before tossing it into the oil.

"You want me to do anything with the head and bones?" Sam asked.

"Oh, yes, put them in a bag and freeze them for me," Jodi answered, tending to the filets. She turned and said to Alma, "They make a great fish stock!"

"Hi, Miss Alma," Vincent said as he walked in. Sam packed up the fish and put it in the freezer.

"Hey, Vincent!"

"Need anything else, Mom?" Sam asked.

"Plates and silverware, maybe?" She pulled the casserole out of the oven and scooped the fried fish on top before putting it back in again.

Sam got plates out of the cabinets, and Vincent propped his head up in his hands, watching his brother set them out. "What's the matter, Vincent?" Alma asked. "You look a little sad."

"Dad's not around much," he mumbled. "I miss playing with him." Both Sam and Jodi slowed a moment.

Jodi answered over her shoulder, "My husband Kent is a soldier, working overseas - "

"Fighting against the Gotoro Empire," Sam interrupted, putting a plate in front of Alma.

Jodi pressed her lips tight and looked at him. She went back to pouring drinks. "That's why he's not here right now. I know he'll come back safe once his tour is over!"

"Yeah, he'll come back someday. Won't he, bud?" Sam said, patting Vincent on the back before going to the silverware drawer.

"I just wish it was sooner."

Alma looked at the three of them, sensing the tension. "I'm sure he'll be here before you know it, Vincent."

Sam started to put forks and knives around the table. "I've heard some terrible things about the Gotoro Empire …."

"But we're not going to talk about them right now," Jodi said sternly to Sam. Vincent looked up at both of them. Jodi straightened her posture and said kindly again, "We're here to enjoy Alma's company and get to know her better."

"Right." He put down the last of the silverware then got the drinks from his mother.

"So, Alma," Jodi said, putting a bowl of salad in the middle of the table, "tell us a bit about your life before you moved here."

Alma froze a minute. "Oh. Well, I, uh …." She tried to think of the normal small-talky things. No need to bring up the hard stuff here. "I told you before that I worked at Joja Corp as a Data Analyst and IT Specialist - "

"Oh, yeah, that's right!" Sam said, taking a seat at the table. "Mom told me you said they treated you bad or something. Cuz Morris at JojaMart treats me like garbage. What did they do to you?"

Alma hesitated again, trying to think of the best way to answer. "Well, I started off in the call center, and you can imagine how terrible that was. I did have the ability to work up to Data Analyst, which was marginally better. But as I worked, it became clear they wanted me to gather private information about customers to better cater sales. They also wanted me to buff numbers and hide some expenses. And when an audit showed I wasn't following protocol because I wasn't willing to do any of that, I was demoted back to the call center and IT."

"Sounds about right," Sam said, looking to his mom. "I can't wait for the band to take off so I can quit Joja." Jodi put down potholders on the table and brought serving utensils.

"What about your family?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "Where do they live?"

"Well, they're all outside of the Ferngill Republic - not Gotoro, though," she was quick to add. "On the north side."

Jodi opened up the oven and pulled out the casserole, placing it directly on the potholder in the middle of the table. Both boys looked at it with anxious eyes. Jodi put her oven mitts on the counter, wiped her hands on her apron, and sat in her seat with a long sigh. "Vincent, how about you thank Yoba for us?"

"Yes, Mom," he answered, looking a little nervous. He closed his eyes and lifted his head, folding his hands in front of his chest. Alma looked at Sam and Jodi for guidance, who also lifted their faces up and closed their eyes. She did the same. "We thank you, Yoba, for the food, for by its nourishment we are renewed, to share it daily through … uh …?"

"Servitude," Sam whispered.

"Servitude! So thank you, Yoba, for this food," he finished quickly.

They all looked down again, and Sam and Vincent both clanged their silverware as they put their napkins on their laps and into their collars and prepared to dig into the casserole. "Thank you, Vincent, that was lovely." Jodi stood up a bit from her chair and used the tools to serve the casserole, first to Alma, then to Vincent, then to Sam, then to herself. Alma could hear the crunch when Jodi cut into the crispy bass, but then the knife slid down easily into the casserole. "Sam, would you pass around the salad while I serve the casserole?" she asked as she put the steaming food on their plates.

"Yes ma'am," he said, lifting the salad bowl and giving it to Alma.

"Well, boys," Alma said as she put some of the salad on her plate and passed it back to Sam, "I have to say, I am very impressed with your manners! Your mom has done a good job raising you both to be very respectable young men."

"Thanks, Alma," Sam answered. "Mom is a good mom."

"Yeah," Vincent agreed.

This made Jodi smile as she sat back in her seat. "I'm a firm believer that changing the world starts with families, and good men are half of what make families strong. I will not have my boys grow up to be disrespectful or lazy." Alma watched how the boys didn't start eating until Jodi took her first bite, but then they both ate voraciously. Jodi watched them too, then gave a smirk to Alma and wagged her head. "But … they're still boys, aren't they?" she giggled.

"I have a lot of boys in my family. I get it." Alma took a bite of the casserole, and Jodi watched her to see her response. "Mmm … It's delicious, Jodi! Thank you!"

"You're very welcome. It's thanks to that fish of yours! Fresh fish makes a big difference. Need anything else?"

"No, this is all fine."

Jodi smiled and had another bite of food. "So a lot of boys in your family?"

Alma nodded, her mouth still full. She swallowed and said, "Two brothers, three uncles, and eight cousins." She wondered if she should say anything about her mom. "My, uh, mom passed away when I was in college, too, so it's just been my dad for about ten years now. But I do have a sister-in-law and a niece now, so there are getting to be more and more girls," she said, trying to add a positive note.

"So why did you inherit your grandpa's farm," Sam asked, "and not one of your brothers or something?"

"That's a good question!" Alma laughed. "I don't know exactly because I didn't know I had gotten it until after he had passed away, so I couldn't ask him. But I think my grandpa did have a special bond with me, and he wanted to give me something special. I also think he saw a lot of myself in him and thought … maybe I would care for the land more than anyone else in the family would."

"That's really special," Jodi answered.

"What about you all? How did your family come to Pelican Town?"

"Well," Jodi started, "we used to live in Zuzu City. That was when Sam was just a boy. Kent - my husband - was already enrolled in the military, but he was enlisted to join the war effort when I was pregnant with Vincent, about eight years ago. I wanted to move closer to the coast just to know we were that much closer to him. I looked for a few other towns on the southern border of Stardew Valley, but Pelican Town was the place that felt the most like home."

"Can I have some more, Momma?" Vincent asked, holding up his empty plate.

"I got you, bud," Sam said, scooping out another piece of casserole. He got some for himself too.

"You know, I have to say," Jodi said as she cut her food, "I think you and the doctor make a really cute couple."

"Aw, thank you."

"Wait - you and Dr. Harvey?!" Sam spat. "No way!"

"Sam is a little oblivious to these kinds of things," Jodi snickered. "They've been together since, what, the end of the summer, right?"

"That's right."

Sam tried to hold in his laughter. "I'm sorry, it's just - I can't imagine Dr. Harvey - "

"Sam!"

"It's all right, Jodi, it's okay." She smiled at Sam and said, "It's hard for me to imagine him as boyfriend material too! And I certainly never thought I'd be in a position to date again. But here we are!"

"Are you gonna marry him, Miss Alma?" Vincent asked with a mouthful of casserole.

"Vincent, honey, that's not something you ask people. And don't talk with your mouth full, please."

"But is he your true love?"

"Vince, it's more complicated than that, bud."

Alma looked across the table at Vincent and answered, "We're still figuring things out right now. We'll just have to wait and see how things go."

"How long does that take?"

"Vince, dude, just drop it!" Sam laughed. "Sorry, he asks a lot of questions."

"It's okay, it's okay," she said. "I don't know how long it's going to take. It might be a while. But I'll let you know as soon as we decide, okay?"

"That's okay," he said matter-of-factly. "Marrying and boyfriend-girlfriend stuff is gross anyway." Sam rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Well, I know you two must be happy together," Jodi said. "New love is something special."

"Do you mind if I ask how you and your husband met?" Alma asked.

Jodi shrugged with a little smile. "It's a simple story, really. We were in high school together. I knew of him, but I actually met him at a football game. I was getting a snack with some friends, and he and some other boys were behind us in line. I could hear them kind of snickering and teasing and stuff, and then one of the boys caught my attention and said Kent liked my braid. They pushed him forward to try to get him to talk to me, and he accidentally bumped into me and spilled my drink on my shirt."

"I didn't know that!" Vincent laughed.

Jodi smiled and nodded. "He was so embarrassed and apologetic, and he actually took off his own shirt to give to me. And it wasn't like an excuse to get his shirt off; it was just his first instinct, to give up something of his to give to help me."

"But getting his shirt off helped, I bet," Sam chuckled, stuffing his last bite of casserole in his mouth.

"Well, he still had his letterman jacket, so he just put that on and zipped it up," Jodi explained. "He told me to keep his shirt, and then I asked how I would get it back to him, and he gave me his number."

"Smooth," Sam said with a smirk.

"After that, we started dating, and he enlisted in the military when he was eighteen and asked me to marry him before he went off to basic camp."

"See!" Vincent said, wagging his fork in the air. "Mom and Dad were in true love, and they got married!"

Alma chuckled and said, "So you must have been really young when Sam was born."

Jodi nodded. "I was only eighteen when I got married and pregnant."

"Wow," Sam said, the wheels turning, "so you were younger than I am now when you had your first baby."

"I was," she sighed. "Puts things into perspective, doesn't it?"

Sam looked off, a bit dazed. "I couldn't imagine having a kid right now."

"It was hard, but I wouldn't trade it for the world," she said, reaching across the table to pat his hand.

Alma looked at the three of them and smiled. She remembered what Harvey had said, about them being a lovely family. He was right, and she felt a sense of family that she hadn't felt in a long time. "This was really nice. I almost feel like part of the family now." She did some math in her head and realized Jodi must have only been a little older than her. "You're like the big sister I never had," she said.

This brought a smile to Jodi's face. "I'm the oldest in my family, so I'll add you to the bunch!" she chuckled.

"Auntie Alma!" Vincent cheered. Sam laughed and scrubbed his little brother's head.

Alma put down her fork and wiped her face with her napkin. "Did you get enough?" Jodi asked.

"Oh, yes, I did, that crispy bass was delicious! The breading was out of this world."

"Mom makes the best fish casserole," Sam said, throwing his napkin on his plate.

"Well, we're not done yet," she said, standing from her seat. She went to the fridge and pulled out a chocolate cake. Vincent gasped and started bouncing in his seat. "Who wants dessert?"