Saturday, 13th of Spring

It was the Egg Festival, and Alma was excited to see what Pelican Town did for fun on a holiday. But the festivities weren't starting until nine, so she had a few hours to get work done around the farm. She reminded herself, though, that it was a holiday; she didn't want to work herself too hard. She stepped outside and saw her second round of parsnips were ready for harvest, so she picked those, threw a few in the shipping bin, and saved the rest for the community center. She watered the other crops and put water in Bisclavret's dish too, patting his back as he lapped it up. She did a quick walkthrough of the farm and picked up some pinecones, seeds, and acorns to sell in the shipping bin too. As she was walking, she looked around and felt proud of herself for how well the farm was coming along. It was a feeling she was noticing was a trend, and she hoped it would continue. She took a quick look at her watch and saw it was just past eight o'clock – just enough time to get ready and head into town.

When she made her way to the town square, her eyes lit up when she saw all the colorful decorations. It seemed to make the town light up! Right as she entered the square, Pierre had a stand right in the middle of the path. Shane was standing there too, looking over his wares. "Alma!" Pierre called. "Happy Egg Festival!"

"You too, Pierre, thank you! Shane," she acknowledged with a nod. To her surprise, his sullen face actually cracked a smile. She turned back to Pierre and asked, "Selling anything special today?"

"As a matter of fact," he said excitedly, and he pulled out a giant pink rabbit plushie. "How would you like to have this big guy in your little cabin, eh?"

Alma giggled and cringed at the same time. "I'll pass, thanks."

"All right, fair, you don't seem like the pink bunny type anyway. Shane?"

Shane's smile was quickly gone. "Yeah, I'll put it right next to my tea set."

"Well, what about Jas? Maybe she'd like to have it?"

"She's already got enough crap."

"Okay, fine. But, hey, Alma, how about some strawberry seeds? Maybe that suits you better? A hundred a pop!"

"Strawberries? That sounds lovely! Give me … maybe nine?"

"Excellent!" and he packaged them up for her.

"I've heard from Marnie that you help her with her chickens," she said to Shane as she paid for the seeds, "so I guess you're pretty excited for the egg festival?"

"Yes, our hens have been working overtime to prepare for this festival. This is their biggest event of the year! So they deserve the best tonight: bowls full of sweet corn!"

Alma was taken aback by his enthusiasm; it seemed so uncharacteristic of him. "Well, I'm glad you're having a great time. I'm sure you've worked hard to raise those chickens. When I have enough money for a coop, I will be especially happy to buy one of the chicks there, knowing they've been loved so well."

"You'd better take good care of them, or I swear …." He was back to his old self.

Alma watched him go off to the big buffet table. "Oh wow!" she said, her eyes following him to see all of the food. Clint and Pam were there filling their plates, and Gus was there keeping an eye on all of the dishes.

"I hope everyone's enjoying the food," Gus said. "I've been cooking for days to get everything ready."

"You cooked all of this yourself?! It looks incredible!"

"I did! Fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, chocolate eggs … you name it!"

"Heheh," Pam snickered. She leaned in close and whispered to Alma, "And I put something into the punch." She gave a little wink.

"Is there any more food?" Clint asked.

"What do you mean, Clint?!" Gus asked. "There's still plenty! Have you got eyes?! Eat, eat, eat!"

Alma made herself a plate of food and chatted with other neighbors while she ate. She saw Linus standing by himself under a tree, and she came up to him. "Hi, Linus. You look lonely."

"No one really talks to me," he said quietly. "I just come for the deviled eggs."

"Well, they are delicious," she said. "Did you get enough to eat?"

"I did, yes, thank you."

"You're welcome." She couldn't help but remember her dream about him a few night ago. She felt humbled in front of him. "It's always nice to see you." He nodded with a little smile.

"Hi, Alma!" Robin called. "Happy Egg Festival!"

Alma walked over to Robin, Demetrius, and Caroline. "Hi! How are you all?"

"Doing fine!" Robin answered. "How are you enjoying your first Egg Festival?"

"Well, so far, it's delicious!" She happened to look up and see Dr. Harvey walking by, looking a bit nervous. She decided to pay it no mind, though, and she took a bite of eggs on toast and checked back in to the conversation.

"Egg … what a strange thing to celebrate," Demetrius chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on, you old stick in the mud," Robin joked. "Spring is a busy time of year, so it's nice to have a day off to catch up with friends."

"Yes, I like it too. And Abby's always loved the egg festival, ever since she was a tiny girl," Caroline said with a nostalgic smile.

"I'm sure the children do love it."

"Oh yes," Caroline said. "Vincent and Jas haven't been still since they got here."

"Wish Jodi or Sam would do something about it," Demetrius mumbled.

"They're just excited, honey," Robin said.

"Yeah, if I were a kid, I think I'd be hard to control at something like this too," Alma laughed. "Let me go say hi to them and see how they're doing."

"Okay, have fun!" Robin called after her.

Alma waved to Willy and another man with him before she walked away, and as she passed through the crowd to the children, she said hi to Jodi and Emily too. Penny and Maru were standing with the kids, and she stopped to say hi to them. "I always look forward to these gatherings," Maru said. "It makes the valley feel like a real community."

"Yes, this is the most lively I've seen the town!"

"I love it too," Penny added. "And the children have been looking forward to this festival for weeks."

"So I've heard!" Alma said, turning to the kids who were running laps around each other. "Hey guys!" she called, and they barely stopped to turn to her. "Are you two doing the egg hunt today?"

"Yes! Yes!" Vincent cheered. "When does the egg hunt start?! I'm so excited!"

"I just hope I can find some eggs before Vincent takes them all," Jas said with a playful pout.

"That's right! I'm gonna win!"

"Well, what about me?" Alma asked.

"Huh?"

"You can't play!" Vincent cried with a point. "You're a grown-up!"

"What's wrong? Think you can beat me?"

"Nuh-uh! I'm gonna win!"

"We'll see about that," Alma said, wagging her fork at him. She walked away with a smirk before he could object. Penny and Maru laughed behind her.

Alma walked by Leah and Elliott who were standing together and sipping the punch. "This fruit punch is especially good," Leah said, looking at her glass.

"That's because Pam got to it," Alma said.

Elliott and Leah both laughed. "That explains it," Leah said.

"It's nice to lighten up a bit and relax," Elliott said. "Taking breaks from work can make you more productive in the long run."

"So no writing for you today then, I guess?" Alma asked.

Elliott shook his head with a smile and flipped his hair out of his face. "I haven't touched my pen to paper today, and I don't plan to."

"Did you still have to do farm work?" Leah asked. "I imagine the work of a farmer never stops."

"You're right," Alma answered, "but there wasn't too much to do. So it's still a nice day of rest for me too." Leah smiled and took another sip of punch. Again, Alma looked up and saw Dr. Harvey do a lap. She started to wonder what he was doing. "I think I'll go say hi to some other people, if that's all right."

"See you around," Leah said, and Elliott gave a little wave too.

Alma saw Abigail, Sebastian, and Sam standing together, with Dr. Harvey a bit behind them, mumbling to himself a little. She tried to join in on the young adults' conversation without seeming too out of place. Abigail smiled at her. "Well, Alma, are you ready for the egg hunt?" she asked. Dr. Harvey looked up at Alma, acknowledged her with a quick smile, and then walked off again, sticking his hands in his coat pockets.

"I think so," she said, taking another bite of the food and watching him leave. "I've already trash talked the smallest kids, so I've done half of the work, as far as I'm concerned."

Sam especially laughed at that, then coughed. "I bet Bincent didn't like dat," he said, wiping his nose.

"Not one bit!"

"Bincent insisted I compete. But I can barely eben breade! Ub… my doze … allergies …"

"This was definitely more fun as a kid," Sebastian said. "We used to do a rotten egg toss." Sam and Abigail both giggled.

"Ew, really?" Alma asked.

"Yeah. Mayor Lewis put an end to that pretty quick."

"Well, I still like it, and I'm looking forward to it! Searching for eggs is like going on a treasure hunt!"

"Pfft," Sebastian scoffed, "for a pretty lame treasure."

"At least we're not finding rotten eggs," Alma added. "And I'm glad you're so into it. May the best egg hunter win! I'm going to go talk to some more people before it begins.*

"All right, see ya, Alma!"

Alma looked over and saw Alex and Haley standing together too. She felt a bit awkward; they seemed at just the right age gap with her that going up and talking to them would seem … really uncool. So she simply waved and walked on. Instead, she saw Evelyn and George and thought they seemed more her speed. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Mullner! Happy Egg Festival!" she greeted with a smile. "How are you two doing?"

"What's everyone so happy about?" Mr. Mullner grumbled. "Eggs … why eggs?"

"Well," Alma answered carefully, "I think it has to do with the new life in spring. Many cultures celebrate birth, life, fertility – that kind of thing. So, eggs, you know … kind of, uh, represent that … if you catch my drift." She could see his face twist more and more with each word she said.

"Yes, dear," Ms. Mullner agreed, "This festival has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. Tradition connects us with both the past and the future." She patted his shoulder and smiled. "It's comforting."

"I was more comfortable in front of my TV!" he groaned. Evelyn just continued patting his shoulder, shaking her head and smiling.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then, Mr. Mullner. Have a good day!" she could hear him mumble something else grumpily as she walked away, but she chose to ignore it. "Hi, Marnie! Mayor Lewis."

"Hi, Alma! Welcome to the Egg Festival – complements of my wonderful brood of hens."

"Yes, Marnie! What a crowning achievement for you, I'm sure! This is so great."

"It is a highlight, yes."

"And this festival wouldn't even happen if it weren't for Marnie!" Mayor Lewis said, smiling at her.

"And Shane!" Marnie added.

"Yes, and Shane, I suppose," he flatly agreed. Dr. Harvey circled by again, lost in thought. She watched him walk quickly away and turn at the saloon. Was he okay? Should she talk to him? Should she bother? "Is that true, Alma?"

She just realized Mayor Lewis was still talking to her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening for a moment. What?"

"I heard from Abigail earlier that you plan to participate in the egg hunt. Is it true?"

"Oh, uh, yes. For the littlies, you know."

"Well, that's very nice of you. The more participants, the more energy there is for the event. I appreciate that. Maru, Sam, and Abigail will be competing too, and besides Vincent and Jas, I believe that's it. I think all of them are here and ready to go, so whenever you're ready, come let me know, and we'll get started."

"Yes, sir, no problem."

"Jas is very excited," Marnie said.

"I can imagine!" Mayor Lewis agreed.

They continued chatting, and Alma saw Dr. Harvey finally stop next to a basket of eggs closeby. "Excuse me a moment," Alma said. She tried to catch up to him, but he started walking quickly again. "Dr. Harvey!" she called.

He turned around just as he was passing by the benches in front of the saloon. "Oh, Ms. Alma. Happy, uh, Happy Egg Festival!"

"You too, thanks! Are you … okay? It looks like you're power walking around town!"

"Well, it looks that way because that – that's exactly what I'm doing. It's good exercise, and I, uh … I get a bit nervous during things like this. I'm just trying to work off some of the anxious energy."

"Oh, I see. Sorry."

"No no, it's fine. But you, on the other hand, I – I couldn't help but notice that you're actually quite good at working the crowd. First you were here and then there and then over there, talking to this person and then that one – and yet you act like I'm hard to catch up to!"

She poked at her scrambled eggs. "Well, I'm still new, you know. It's good to take advantage of a gathering like this and get to know everyone better, since everyone is in one place. I don't have to go all around town to talk to people!"

"I suppose that's true."

"Your job means that people come to you, when they have their appointments. But mine keeps me pretty isolated. So I have to look for opportunities to socialize."

"I see. That explains why I seem t-to keep running into you around town, and why you keep visiting the clinic."

"Uh, yeah. I guess so." She shoved a hard-boiled egg in her mouth.

"Don't get me wrong – I enjoy it when you drop by. It's just unusual, as I've said, for someone to just … come and chat at the clinic."

"Yeah, I'm just, uh, making my rounds to get to know people better."

"Well, I envy those social skills. I'm afraid I'm … naturally quite introverted."

"It's not something to be afraid of," she said. "It takes quite a bit of effort for me sometimes to get out there. Plus, if you were really looking, you would've also seen I avoided the cool kids," she said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder to Alex and Haley.

"Oh, that explains why you landed on me then," Dr. Harvey chuckled, pushing up his glasses. He indicated the bench and said, "Why – Why don't you sit and enjoy your food? Don't let me stop you."

"Didn't you get any?" Alma asked, sitting on one of the benches.

"A bit, yes," he said, sitting opposite her. "I am predisposed to high cholesterol, so I don't eat eggs t-too often. But eggs definitely have a place in the well-balanced diet. Oh, uh, oops," he said, tapping his feet on the cobblestone. "I should take off my doctor's hat for the time being."

"It's a difficult hat for you to hang, I think."

"Yes, it – it can be. And like I've told you before, I'm never really off work. An emergency could happen at any moment."

"I'm learning that the same is true of farming – not the emergencies, I mean. But there always seems to be something to do."

"You're right. You and I both work in basic human necessities, and those, uh, don't stop." Alma ate more of the eggs on her plate, and Dr. Harvey looked up into the sky. "Are you, uh … are you planning to have chickens on your farm?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes! In fact, that's the next big thing I'm saving for: a coop!"

"Not the – not the kitchen add-on?"

Alma shook her head sadly. "No, the kitchen is quite out of reach, I'm afraid. It's going to be a while before I can make that kind of money. The chickens and other animals will be an investment to help me get to the kitchen."

"I see," he said, and she could tell he was still a bit concerned.

"It will happen, though. But a coop is in my near future. I'd say I can afford one within a week, if things keep going the way they are."

"That's good. Then you'll soon be, uh, having egg hunts of your own!"

"Yes, I - Oh wait! The egg hunt!" She stood up from the bench and looked back toward the town center. "I told Vincent and Jas I would be in the egg hunt with them! I hope they're not still waiting on me!"

Dr. Harvey smiled and stood up too. "If that's the case, you mustn't keep them waiting."

Alma started to rush back to the square, stuffing the last of her food in her mouth. She turned around and covered her mouth as she joked, "Cheer for me? I'm up against some stiff competition!"

"Oh! I, uh - Sure!"

She smiled and made her way to Mayor Lewis. "Am I too late?" she asked.

"Do you think everyone's ready for the egg hunt yet?"

"Yes, let's start!" she cheered, clapping and looking toward Vincent and Jas who came rushing over. Sam and Abigail came and joined too, as did Maru. A small part of Alma really wanted to beat Maru. But she fought that instinct and patted her shoulder like a good sport, saying, "Good luck!"

"It's time for the highlight of today's festivities," Mayor Lewis announced. "The Annual Spring Egg Hunt!" People started gathering around, and they cheered and clapped for their favorite competitors. Vincent and Jas could hardly hold in their excitement, and they were literally jumping for joy. "Calm down now, kiddos," Mayor Lewis said. "You're going to need all your energy if you hope to find the most eggs and take home the exclusive prize."

"That prize is mine!" Vincent shouted.

Mayor Lewis looked around and asked, "Now, is everyone ready?" Everyone who was competing got into a crouched position, ready to go. "Let the egg hunt … begin!"

As soon as Mayor Lewis blew his whistle, they all scattered, picking up eggs as they went through the town. Alma headed toward the saloon and seemed to find one right after another. She didn't count, and she didn't seem to see anyone else around her. She could hear some of the spectators yelling out where eggs were, so she thought maybe the little ones were struggling. She slowed down a bit and tried to see where everyone else was. Jas was heading down toward the beach, Sam was up by Pam's trailer …. Alma kept going, picking up more eggs until she heard the whistle blow again. She and the others brought their baskets of eggs back to Mayor Lewis, who did the official count. Everyone watched in anticipation and waited for his announcement.

"Wow, look at all these eggs! Now if only I could get you kids to pick up litter this efficiently, we'd have the cleanest town this side of the Gem Sea!" he laughed. A few others chuckled too. "And now, the winner of this year's egg hunt." His face changed, looking very dramatic. He made sure to make eye contact with every participant. "Alma!"

"What?!"

The crowd cheered, and thankfully, Alma could see that Vincent and Jas were smiling too. She was glad they weren't sore losers about it. "Here's your prize, Alma. Enjoy!" Mayor Lewis handed her a straw hat, and she laughed and thanked him.

"Now I really look like a farmer!" she said, and several people in the crowd laughed and clapped for her.

"Good job, Alma," Maru said.

"Yeah, dice work for a dewbie!" Sam laughed.

Abigail came up to her and tried to look in her basket. "How many eggs did you get?!"

"I don't even know," Alma answered. "I didn't think it was that many!"

"She had eleven!" Mayor Lewis answered.

"Eleven?!" Vincent yelled. "That's like a superpower!" And they all shared a laugh.

"Well, that's it for this year's Egg Festival," Mayor Lewis announced. "Let's give a special thank you to Marnie and Shane for providing all the eggs! To Gus for preparing the food! Emily for dying so many of the eggs! And Evelyn and Caroline for the decorations!" Everyone clapped for each person. "You all help to make these events special. Thanks for coming, everyone!"

They started to scatter, some helping to tear down, some standing around and chatting, and some going home. Some people came to congratulate Alma – including Dr. Harvey. "Well done, Ms. Alma. I-I think you'll be ready for those upcoming egg hunts on your farm then, right?"

"I guess so! And now I have a farmer's hat to not hang up too!" she joked, feeling her fingers along the brim. He chuckled a little and nodded to her before going back to the clinic.

CW: cancer, death

Alma could hear her parents talking in the kitchen down the hall. She tried to listen carefully to know what they were saying, and though she couldn't understand, she knew it was serious. They kept their voices low. Soon, she heard her mother start to cry. Alma got out of bed and tried to sneak as quietly as she could down the hallway. "How will we afford treatment?" her mother asked, wiping her nose. "We just paid for Alma's first semester, so there's not much in savings, especially if we're going to pay for Benji's schooling too in a few years."

"Let's see how the surgery goes first before we start talking about treatment. We may not need to worry about it. And if we do, we'll find a way. You're going to get whatever treatment you need." They were quiet, and she could hear her father's voice breaking when he said, "You let me take care of that."

"What treatment?" Alma asked, coming around the corner.

She found them hugging each other, and when they saw her, they gasped and separated. "Oh, Alma, honey," her mom said, losing control over her voice, "you shouldn't - you don't need this right now." She started crying.

"If it means that we need to dip into my college savings to do something for your health then, yes, I do need it – right now, before we finalize the payment. What's going on?"

They looked at each other, and her mom put her hand on his shoulder, as if signaling that she would say it. She wiped her eyes and stepped toward Alma. She reached out to hold her hand. "Honey …" she started, patting the top of Alma's hand, "my mammogram came back abnormal, and I had a few more tests run. We got a call from the doctor yesterday. It's cancer." Alma's eyes wandered to the floor, and her mouth dropped open. "We were going to tell the three of you together, when Grayson would be home for the weekend."

"So," Alma started, trying not to cry, "what are the treatment options?"

"First, a double mastectomy," her father said. "They're hoping they can remove the cancer just from that. And if not, we'll talk about options for chemotherapy and radiation."

"But it's very possible that surgery is going to be the end of it."

Alma nodded a moment, processing the information. "If you do need chemo," she said, "let me take out student loans."

"Alma – "

"I can work on campus, cut down on hours in each semester, and work two jobs if I need to."

"Alma, listen – "

"I don't care if I don't graduate on time. Please don't let me be the reason you don't get treated!" She started to break down.

Her mother took her by the shoulders. "Hey, Alma, listen now." She looked her in the eye. Both of them had tears running down their cheeks. "We're not going to do that."

"That's right," her father said, stepping in. He put his hands on both of their shoulders. "Let's take this one step at a time. We're going to do the surgery – "

" – And finalize the payment for your first semester."

" – And take it from there." He hugged both of them, and they hugged each other. "We'll get through this."

Suddenly, when they stopped hugging, Alma saw they were no longer in the kitchen of their city apartment. She and her father were in the crematorium. Her mother was not there. Benji was there, standing by the window, looking outside. Grayson went up to the counter and took the urn from the worker at the front desk. He turned around and held it in front of him carefully, carrying it to them. Benji turned around to see. When Grayson handed it to Alma, it slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, a cloud of ashes rising up around them.