If you're still here, well thaaaanks… I began writing this over a year ago, and I finally decided to actually start posting it (or I never will). It's nearly complete, and a sequel is in the works as well. All thoughts, feedback, grammatical corrections, etc. are welcome. Pls enjoy.


"I can't believe you guys really did this for me." In the back of her mind, Zoe thought maybe she should be embarrassed about her less than glamorous gawking face as she slowly turned in a circle. She tried to process what she was seeing but struggled to believe. They'd cleared even more of her property, so the available area for planting a garden had been doubled. Her plants were beautifully tended, weeded, and watered. They'd even built and erected a scarecrow to protect her crops. Her entire cabin was dusted and cleaned from top to bottom. Shane had stopped by daily to feed Pickles, who was looking fluffy and well-loved. Apparently, Shane had a soft spot for animals. Who knew?

"When we said we didn't want you to worry or overdo it, we meant it," Abigail said emphatically. "By the way, how's your head?"

Zoe touched her forehead reflexively. "The dizziness is mostly gone. If I stand up too quick, I still get a little woozy sometimes. And the headache has dulled to pretty much nothing at this point." She had been cleared for very light activity by the good doc earlier that day at her two-day follow up appointment. Harvey was impressed and more than satisfied with her improvement in the span of two days. He made an offhand comment about Sebastian's excellent nursing care. She'd giggled at the way Sebastian's entire face up to his face ears had gone beet red.

"Good," Abigail said with a nod of her head. "But you're still not allowed to do any hard work, at the moment."

Zoe sighed. "Guys… thank you… and I really mean it… but I can't keep expecting you to take care of everything for me."

"Then don't," Sam chimed in. He shrugged. "Don't expect anything. Don't ask for anything. We'll just do it."

"It'll be like a fun surprise," Abigail teased, grinning. "You can even pretend that you had no idea we were doing anything, if you want."

When Sebastian finally spoke up, his voice was calm and level but entirely purposeful. "You heard the doctor. No heavy activity. Take it slow. Really slow. And back off as soon as any of your symptoms start to come back."

Abigail turned her attention from Sebastian back to Zoe. "Sounds pretty clear-cut to me."

Zoe sighed in frustration, but she relented. "Okay. Fine. You're all a bunch of bossy cows, anyway."

Sam cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted into the sky, "Moooo!" Zoe rolled her eyes but couldn't help but join her friends in their laughter. "If it keeps you safe, we can be anything you want us to be," Sam promised with a smile. His words hit her like a blazing fireball, setting her insides aglow. We, she reminded herself sternly. He said we. Not me. Nothing special.

It didn't help.

"Well, I do appreciate it," Zoe said, suddenly feeling quite shy. "I guess I've never really had friends like this."

"No friends?" Sam asked. He looked genuinely confused. "I find that hard to believe."

"Well, I mean. I had 'friends,' but…" She couldn't help but notice the way Sebastian was staring at her with a quiet intensity. "I've never had friends I could count on… Definitely none that would show up and do my job for me or make sure I was taking care of my health."

"Wow," Abigail said, eyes wide with surprise. "That kinda sucks. That's how y'all live out in the city?"

Zoe smiled at Abigail's typical yet refreshing bluntness. "Maybe not everybody, but I guess I've kinda just always had… situational friends. We were friends cuz they were… just there. Easy. And when they weren't easily accessible anymore, we didn't seem to be friends anymore, either."

Abigail tsked and shook her head. "That's lame."

Sam gave her another glowing grin. "Yeah, that's not how we operate in the valley. You're stuck with us for good."

Even Sebastian offered something that vaguely resembled a smile.

Zoe's cheeks warmed. She grinned so hard that it started to hurt. "Thanks, guys. That really means a lot. And I think you've more than proven it. I'll try my best to be a good friend, too."

Abigail leaned back, pushing her admittedly tiny stomach outwards. She made a show of patting her abdomen. "You can start with food. I do love to eat."

"After you've finished recovering," Sebastian jumped in quickly. He caught her eye and then, clearing his throat, cast his gaze towards the ground immediately. "Um. Cuz doctor's orders."

It was adorable, the way Sebastian had suddenly shifted from ignoring her existence entirely to taking on the role of her unofficial caretaker… even if he did smother her, just a little bit. "Yes, doctor," Zoe said, her voice dripping with syrupy sweetness.

Sebastian forced out a fake laugh. "Ha ha."

"Fine, after you feel all the way better," Abigail compromised with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "But I'll be dying of starvation in the meanwhile."

"Can't have that!" Sam said cheerfully. "I'll just have to make some of my famous instant pancakes, in the meanwhile."

The look Sebastian and Abigail gave Sam could have withered even Pierre.

"What?!" was Sam's indignant reply. "I'm really good at it!"

Abigail's cackle was melodious and contagious. Zoe couldn't help but grin. "Sam, literally nobody likes instant pancakes," she stated plainly.

Sam's face darkened into a pout. "My mom says they're good."

This, unfortunately, did nothing to calm Abigail's glee. It, in fact, only served as fuel for the fire of her amusement.

"What?!" Sam said again. Abigail practically fell over with laughter.

Sebastian shook his head. "Well, that's enough excitement for today. I promised Harvey I would keep you inside for the rest of the day. He didn't seem too confident in your ability to resist temptation."

"I know how to follow doctor's orders!" Zoe protested, unable to control her pout. The lack of trust was well-deserved, and she knew it.

Sebastian smirked. His eyes twinkled mischievously. "There's a difference between knowing and doing," he observed.

Zoe felt the smile returning to her own face. "It's not like a little yard work is gonna kill me."

Sebastian's hand was gentle on her elbow as he guided her into the house. "That's the point, I think. It probably will." He ushered her to the couch, and after she got comfortable, he grabbed a nearby blanket and draped it across her. "Anyway, he's got a medical degree that says he knows a lot more about it than I do, so I say we trust his judgment."

"Yeah, yeah," Zoe grumbled. "It sounds terribly boring, though. What am I supposed to do?"

"Rest," Sebastian tossed over his shoulder as he headed outside to rejoin the others.

Rest. When was the last time she had done that before her injury? She wasn't sure, but she'd done plenty in the past couple of days. She doubted she would be able to get any sleep at all.

It turned out she was wrong, and she realized how wrong she was when Sam gently nudged her awake, plate of spaghetti in hand. She yawned and stretched her arms above her.

"That looks better than instant pancakes," she said sleepily. Sam blushed.

"It should. Gus made it," he replied. She raised an eyebrow, and he carefully placed the plate on her lap. "Sebastian ordered it. Abigail went to pick it up."

Zoe nodded her understanding. "Well, I appreciate you guys."

"As you should!" Abigail declared, gracelessly throwing herself down onto the armchair next to the couch. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and wiggled herself into a comfortable position, balancing her own plate of spaghetti on her lap.

"Really, Abs, were you raised in a barn?" Sebastian didn't look nearly as cross as he sounded when he swatted at her feet. Abigail refused to budge.

"Sometimes I think my dad's a pig," she said with a shrug, chomping down on a forkful of noodles.

"Like father, like-" Sebastian started to say, but he was silenced by a fierce look from his purple haired friend.

"Don't you dare!" she intoned threateningly, jerking the tines of her fork in his direction. "Don't get stabbed, Sebby."

It was apparent from the smug look on his face that he'd enjoyed getting a rise out of Abigail. He settled on the other armchair, and after going into the kitchen for his own plate, Sam sat next to Zoe.

This is nice, she thought as she listened to her friends tease and playfully banter over plates full of pasta. This feels like home.


Her friendships only blossomed as time went on. She continued to recover quickly and was back in the full swing of farming in no time. Her farm hadn't suffered for her injury, thanks to the friends to whom she would forever feel indebted. Even Sebastian was much warmer towards her, especially after the afternoon she stumbled upon him hard at work in the basement. Zoe showed Robin the sashimi she had promised to deliver that day, and the red-headed carpenter waved her on. She'd incorrectly assumed this meant Sebastian wasn't busy. On the contrary, he was knee deep in freelance work and feeling particularly frustrated at his friends' and family's lack of respect for his chosen profession. When she had responded with understanding and empathy, he had softened noticeably. He didn't push her away after that.

On an especially warm spring day, Zoe ran out of steam fairly early. The sun was merciless in its assault on her loosely covered skin. She knew she would work herself into a heat stroke if she didn't take a break, so she decided to throw on a bathing suit and head down to the beach. She wasn't going to accomplish much work, anyway.

The beach was calm and quiet, as usual, though Sam and Vincent occupied a small area on the sand down the shore from Willy's shop. She had to shade her eyes from the sun to get a glimpse of the two figures in the distance, but there was no mistaking that spiky, golden head of hair. Zoe made her way across the hot sand with a smile.

"Hey, Zoe," Sam greeted her as she approached. Surprisingly, he wasn't dressed for playing in the water. He was wearing his typical jeans and a T-shirt, but he didn't seem bothered by the warmth as he stood watching over his younger brother. Vincent didn't notice Zoe immediately; his attention was fixated on the remarkably detailed sand castle he was building. "Nice day, isn't it?"

Zoe huffed, wiping sweat from her brow. "Something like that," she said wearily.

Sam gave her a charming half smile. "Well, if you're not working, I guess. I'm just keeping an eye on Vince. I figured the fresh air would be good for him." His smile morphed into a nostalgic grin as he added, "Our dad used to take us to the beach on sunny days like this."

Dad was the magic word that grabbed Vincent's attention. His head swiveled in their direction, but the usual glow that lit his eyes upon seeing Zoe dimmed much more quickly than normal. He scrambled to his feet and ran the short distance across the sand. "Sam…" he said uncertainly once he'd reached them, "is Dad ever going to come home?"

Sam released a nearly imperceptible sigh. He crouched down to get on Vincent's level. "Of course, Vince. Dad's going to come back as soon as he possibly can."

Vincent's expression was blatantly dubious. "But I heard some grown-ups saying that…" He paused reluctantly and peered out at the water as if it might give him strength or the answers he needed. "…that all of our troops are getting shot to pieces," he finished quickly.

Even Zoe startled at Vincent's candor. Who on earth would say that in front of a child? Sam looked as though he might pass out. "Don't believe everything you hear!" Sam nearly shouted. Vincent's eyebrows raised in alarm, and Sam cleared his throat, obviously working to bring himself back down. "Don't you remember how strong Dad is?" he tried again in a much calmer tone. "He'd never let a pathetic little Gotoro grunt get him like that! Don't you worry!"

Vincent seemed slightly appeased but not entirely convinced. Sam must have noticed, as well.

"And always remember," Sam added gently, "that Mom and I are here to play with you if you ever feel lonely."

At the mention of play, Vincent's eyes lit up again, and his smile returned bigger than before. "Okay!" he said. With a wave, he turned and scuttled back to his sand castle.

Sam's sigh was much heavier after Vincent returned to playing. His tone was subdued when he spoke again, in a quieter tone so that Vincent wouldn't hear. "To be honest, I have no idea if my old man will come back… We've all heard the reports. Our soldiers are falling by the thousands."

Zoe had heard them, too. She had been hearing about the war long before she came to Pelican Town. After several years, it had become like background noises. She just started to expect news of death. It was different for Sam. It was a lot more personal. She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. This wasn't something she could fix or make better with honeyed words.

"But what am I going to say to Vincent?" His blue eyes were heavy as he watched his brother digging happily in the sun-cooked sand. He looked much older than he really was, in that moment. The question almost felt rhetorical, but Zoe searched for an answer anyway.

"You did the right thing," she concluded at last. "Kids should have hope." The blissfully innocent smile Vincent wore as he erected a structure that was doomed for inevitable destruction… that smile should be protected at all costs.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Kids should play and have fun while they still have the chance." He watched Vincent play for a few more seconds, and then his demeanor suddenly changed. He pulled himself upright and turned to face Zoe with that trademark friendly grin on his face. "Hey, did I tell you the band's starting to come together?"

He hadn't. Countless times already, Zoe had heard him playing guitar as she walked by his house. Sam was good. Everybody in town knew it. He'd made multiple offhand comments about forming a band since their talk about picking a genre, but he didn't seem terribly pressed about it. She guessed it probably meant a lot more to him than he let on. It seemed that she'd guessed right.

"Yeah!" he went on before she could reply. "It turns out Abigail's a pretty good drummer. And Sebastian seemed to really want her in the band…"

Zoe wasn't sure why this stung just a bit. She was more than aware Abigail secretly pined after Sebastian. All along, she'd thought it was rather unrequited. Maybe that wasn't as true as she thought. Why did it matter to her, anyway? No way. It didn't. She dismissed the idea from her brain quickly. "That's really exciting, Sam," she said as genuinely as she could. "I am happy for you."

When he gave her that lopsided grin, she felt a glow travel from her brain down to her toes. Her heart sped up slightly, and her palms began to sweat. What was going on with her brain and her body today? She felt utterly betrayed.

"Thanks," he said rather shyly. "I am really excited. I mean… maybe nothing comes of it, but…" He looked out across the endlessly vast ocean sparkling in the light of a sun which suddenly seemed a lot less brutal. She had to strain to hear him when he next spoke. "Maybe it's everything."

In this moment, she finally realized that none of her newfound friends seemed terribly intent on sticking it out in the valley. Abigail didn't care where she went or why; she just wanted out and wanted to live. Sebastian felt suppressed by all the expectations and scrutiny of small town living in a place that had little appreciation for computer technology. And Sam… well, he wanted to be a big rock star. Maybe this would be the dream that carried them all out of the valley.

She wanted so badly to be happy for them - she really did. Instead, she felt a lonely sadness settle heavily upon her. The farm was her life now. It was the greatest gift her grandfather had ever given her. No way could she abandon it and leave it to thorn over the way it had before she arrived to claim her inheritance. She couldn't follow them as they chased their dreams. This was her dream… a much simpler, calmer life.

What would be left for her here after they were gone?


Zoe's heart was heavy as she climbed the path up into the mountain. It was hard not to shake this idea that everything that had come to matter to her since arriving in the valley… would soon be long gone.

She knew it wasn't about her, and if her friends' happiness depended on getting out of here… well, she couldn't begrudge them that. It was the search for happiness that had brought her here in the first place, even though many scoffed at her and thought her a fool. She determined she would give them the same support she would have wanted. Still, it was going to suck. A lot.

"Oh, hello, Zoe."

With a start, she realized she was standing outside Robin's house. Sebastian was lying half out of the garage, his upper body hidden beneath a motorcycle. He assumed her surprise was at his seeing his two-wheeled vehicle for the first time and slid out just enough so that she could see his face. "What, you haven't seen my motorcycle before? Hmm… I guess I haven't shown it to you."

"No, I guess not," she murmured, and with a nod, he slid back underneath the bike.

He was quiet for a moment as he banged away at parts unseen, and when he spoke again, his voice was somber, wistful. "Sometimes after sundown, I make the long ride out of Stardew Valley…" She waited, sensing there was more he wanted to share. After a beat, he did. "There's nothing else like it, blazing along the empty stretch of road toward the faint city glow…"

She could picture it, but the only thing conjured up by the thought of city lights was a distinct feeling of dread. She chose not to say so.

"Once I've saved up enough money," he went on, "I'm going to head out on my own… to the city and beyond. Just me and my bike."

Her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. There it was again — the reminder that she would eventually be alone again, left behind for bigger and better things. What could she possibly offer that the bright city lights wouldn't dim? Her chest felt constricted, and she struggled to take a deep breath.

Sebastian interrupted her thoughts, his voice back to its normal tone and cadence. "There we go, oil's changed," he announced. The creeper made a crunching sound as he slid out and propped himself up just enough to get a good look at Zoe. "Hey… maybe I'll take you for a ride someday."

Her heart returned to its home and skipped a beat. She incorrectly assumed it was due to fear. The only bike she'd ever ridden didn't have an engine. "I'm scared of motorcycles," she confessed helplessly.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, seemingly assessing her, and appeared to determine that she was being honest. His face softened. "There's no need to worry. I'll make sure you're safe."

Zoe momentarily forgot about breathing. Their eyes were locked, and she couldn't look away even if she wanted to. "Oh… okay," she heard herself mumble.

He almost smiled. "Cool."

As she walked home in a daze, she realized she'd entirely forgotten her original purpose for going up into the mountain.


Cauliflower in hand, Zoe walked briskly into town. She still had a lot to get done on the farm, but the morning's harvest finally brought a lovely head of cauliflower. Some time ago, Jodi had requested one for a recipe she wanted to make. Zoe felt a little bad for how long it had taken, but the seeds had been kinda expensive. Regardless, she had one, and she was bringing it today.

Zoe hadn't thought she would get used to the way everyone just barged into one another's houses (except hers, for some strange reason — perhaps because she was new), but she quickly had accommodated to the change and didn't feel guilty about going right in to Jodi and Sam's house. Nobody was in the living room, but she heard noises coming from the kitchen.

It was Sam. He turned away from the open fridge to greet her. "Oh, hi, Zoe. I was just about to have a snack." He whipped back around to reach into the fridge again. "Here, let me get something for you." When he came out of the fridge, he held an egg in his hand. Before she could even question what he was going to do with an egg, he fumbled and dropped it right on the floor. His immediate panicked expression spoke volumes. "Oh, no. What a mess," he said grimly.

Zoe heard footsteps coming down the hall. Jodi appeared behind her. "What was that sound?" her friend's mother questioned. She quickly caught on, judging from the sound of her dramatically squeaky gasp. She stormed past Zoe and stopped just short of the mess on the floor. "This is absolutely terrible! What happened?" she demanded. Suddenly, her typical, innocently friendly demeanor was gone. Zoe almost didn't recognize the angry woman standing next to her. It set her own hair on end. She couldn't imagine how Sam must be feeling.

Zoe knew a thing or two about having an impatient, harsh, and critical parent. "Sam handed me the egg for a snack, and then I dropped it," she fibbed before Sam could respond. "I'm so sorry, Jodi. I'm just extra clumsy today, for some reason."

"Yeah… That's what happened!" Sam agreed with an awkward smile. His eyes questioned Zoe, but it was too late now to back out of the lie. Zoe didn't even fully know why she'd said that. Maybe her self-preservation skills were stronger than she thought… and even extended to Sam.

"Thanks for telling me the truth, Zoe," Jodi said, rapidly deflating. Her bright, friendly demeanor had quickly returned. "It's not such a big deal."

Yeah, sure it's not, now, Zoe thought rather bitterly.

"I'm sorry about this, Mom," Sam apologized, avoiding his mother's gaze. "I'll clean it up.

"Thanks, honey," Jodi said with a giggle that now felt more nauseating than endearing. With that, she spun on her heel and walked out of the room.

Sam eyeballed Zoe before reaching for a paper towel. "What was that all about?"

Zoe's heart began to pound in her chest. "Hmm?" she deflected weakly.

Sam raised an eyebrow as he knelt down to clean the egg off the floor. "You know what I mean."

Zoe knelt next to him, even though her hands were empty. "I just… I didn't want you to get in trouble," she said softly, staring down at her hands folded in her lap.

Sam stopped for a second, but she didn't dare look up at him. She felt his eyes on her, quietly gauging her. "Huh," was all he said. "Well, thanks. I don't necessarily like lying to my mom, but… it seemed to defuse the situation quickly, anyway."

She half-laughed. "Yeah. That it did. And, um… hey… what kinda snack were you making with an egg, anyway?"

"What? Oh." He finished cleaning the mess and got to his feet, pulling her up with him. "Hardboiled egg. One of my favorite snacks. It's simple, quick, and hard to mess up, even for me."

That earned a real laugh from her. "Okay, fair enough."