Wednesday, 24th of Spring

The rooster crowed from Marnie's farm, the sun came beaming through the windows, and Alma awoke refreshed. She remembered today was the Flower Dance, and she felt a few butterflies in her stomach. But, she reminded herself, she was a farmer first. So she bounced out of bed, got dressed, and went outside.

She was pleased to see that her cauliflowers were ready to harvest and more green beans were on the vine, ready to be picked. She got out her watering can and first went to tend to Bisclavret. "You'll always be my dance partner, huh?" she giggled, scratching his back. She went back to the crops, watered everything, and harvested what was ready. Since today was a holiday, she knew Pierre's would be closed, so she dropped her produce in the shipping bin. Alma looked up and checked herself in the front window of the cabin, combing her fingers through her cropped hair and straightening her posture. Then she took a deep breath and headed south for the dance.

When she first entered the designated field to the far southwest of town, she first saw Pierre behind his stand. "Good morning, Alma!" he greeted. "Lovely day for a dance, huh? And shopping?"

"Shopping? No thanks. Dancing? We'll have to see, won't we?" She saw Emily and Caroline hanging out next to the stand. "Good morning, ladies! How are you all?"

"Whoo, I'm stuffed!" Emily laughed. "Have you tried the red jelly yet?"

"Well, no, I just got here, but I'll be sure to check it out. Caroline, you look a little sad. Everything okay?"

"I wish Pierre would spend this time with the family," she said quietly.

"Ah, I see. Well, you know he's doing it for you all."

"I suppose."

"Did you have to work today too?" Emily asked.

"I did, yes, I took care of some crops before I came down."

"It never ends, huh?" Caroline asked.

"No, I guess not. But I do still get to enjoy today," she said with a smile.

"That's right!" Emily laughed. "Lighten up, have some fun!" She danced a little and bumped hips with Caroline. They both giggled.

Alma saw Clint standing nearby, and she went and said hi to him. "Good morning, Clint. Is everything okay?"

He glanced at Alma quickly then put his eyes ahead of him again. "I wonder if Emily would dance with me?"

Alma followed his gaze and saw he was watching Emily. "Well, why don't you ask her?"

"I … I know I should, but … I don't know if I can."

Alma patted his shoulder. "You got this, Clint. You can do it." She gave him another pat before she continued on. She kept moving and saw Elliott and Leah standing by the side of the river. "Good morning, you two."

"Hi Alma," Leah said with a big smile. "Glad to see you here."

"Glad to be here! Elliott, you look very stylish today, if I may say so."

"Thank you dearly, Alma. I wore my best shirt for the dance," he said, tugging at his sleeves. "This sort of thing doesn't happen very often! And might I say, you look lovely as ever."

"Well, thank you very much. I hope your dance partner notices your effort," she said with a smile and a nod as she continued on. Willy, Pam, and Gus were standing by the treeline next to the river. "Hi folks!" Alma called. "How are you all this morning?"

"A wee bit bored," Willy said. "I should've brought my fishing pole."

"Not quite your scene, huh?" Willy shook his head and continued puffing on his pipe.

"Well, it fits me just fine!" Pam laughed. "Now this is the life, huh, kid? Sweet wine, a babbling brook, warm air …. Did I mention wine?" And she excused herself to go back to the food table.

Alma looked at Gus, who seemed to be focused on the river. "Gus? You okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm just looking for frogs. Frog season is really starting to pick up, and I'm thinking about frog leg dishes I can make."

"Ooh, okay. I look forward to that! I'll leave you to it then." She walked up the treeline and saw Sam, Sebastian, and Abigail there. "Hi guys. How do you all feel about this today?"

"Ugh …" Sebastian moaned, and that said enough for Alma.

"I really hate dancing in front of everyone," Abigail said. "It's so embarrassing."

"Aw, I'm sure you'll be fine, Abigail. Better than me, anyway!"

"I don't mind it, I guess." Sam was trying to act cool, but Alma could see something was up. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he looked a little stunned. "Okay, no, you know what? I admit it … I really like flowers!"

"No shame in that!" Alma cheered. "Enjoy the dance then! I'm gonna check out the food." She went to the table and saw Shane filling a plate, eating as he went. "How is it, Shane?"

"Mmm … excellent sauce," he muffled through his food, and then he took a big slurp. "Can't talk - eating."

"Right, right," she said. She eyed the table and saw the red jelly that Emily mentioned. She spread some on a cracker and tossed it in her mouth. "Mm, that is good!" She took another with her as she went to Demetrius, Robin, and Jodi. "Good morning!"

"Morning, Alma!" Robin said.

"Are you going to be dancing today, Alma?" Jodi said with a giggle.

"That remains to be seen. I haven't gotten a partner yet. But I'm fine either way."

"Well, I'd let Demetrius dance with you if they would allow us old folks to participate. But it's just for young people, I guess."

"These springtime dances can be traced back to ancient fertility rituals, so, yes, they revolve around the youths - unfortunately for us."

"Unfortunately," Robin repeated. "Guess we're not as 'fertile' as we used to be, huh? But it's still nice to be out here." She took a deep breath. "Ahh … The air smells so sweet with all these flowers."

Alma looked around at the blossoming trees. "It is lovely out here. I didn't even know this little place existed!"

"One of the many secret charms of Stardew Valley," Jodi said.

Alma could see out of the corner of her eye Vincent and Jas play-dancing in the middle of the field. "Vincent seems excited."

"Oh, he is. He and Sam both love this actually, though they may not admit it. They're both such sweet softies, my boys."

"Sebby is quite sweet and sensitive too, deep down," Robin said.

"Well, we all remember what it was like to be teenagers, right? When coolness reigned supreme? Now we've all settled for how uncool we really are," she said with a chuckle, and the others agreed and laughed too.

Alma could hear Jas and Vincent playing with each other. "Some day, I'm going to be the flower queen!" Jas shouted, leaping in the air.

Vincent chased behind her, crying, "That's not fair! Why can't I be the flower queen?"

"You can be someday, Vincent, if you want to!" Alma called to him. He smiled really big and kept running after Jas. They all smiled and watched him, and then Alma excused herself to continue talking to others.

She came next to Evelyn, who was tending one of the flower arrangements. The elderly woman smiled at Alma as she approached. "I've been working on these floral arrangements for a week. Do you like them?"

"Oh, yes, Ms. Mullner, they're lovely! What does Mr. Mullner think of them?"

"Flowers?" he asked from his wheelchair. "What flowers? I can hardly see them."

"Just use your imagination, dear."

"Yes, believe me when I say they're beautiful," Alma said. "You've done a great job, Ms. Mullner."

"Thank you, honey." She pulled Alma in a little closer. "Is there a young man here who's got his eye on you, you think?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"Well, any man would be crazy not to. You're a fine young woman. And you come from good stock."

"Thank you, Ms. Mullner, that's so nice of you to say," she said, patting her hands. "I'd best be moving on so I can talk to a few others too," she said, excusing herself.

As she walked on, Mayor Lewis called out, "Well, should we start the dance now?"

"Not yet!" Haley answered loudly. "I'm practicing my dance moves … It needs to be perfect." She went back to her dancing. Alma noticed Alex watching her from a distance.

"Alma," Mayor Lewis said as she passed by, "why don't you let me know when to get this started? You may be a better judge of it than I am, apparently." She nodded and moved on.

Alma stood next to Alex and asked, "Thinking of asking Haley to dance?"

"What? Oh, I'm just enjoying the scenery," he said with a smirk. He snickered and kept his eyes on Haley.

"Right. Well, good luck." She kept walking and saw Marlon standing in a corner. "Marlon! I'm a bit surprised to see you here."

"Why's that? I enjoy a good soiree every now and then. And Marnie looks lovely today."

Alma looked at him and saw his eyes fixed on Marnie in front of them. "Why don't you let her know? I'm sure she would love the compliment."

"Oh, she wouldn't want attention from an old guy like me."

"Well, the only way you'd know for sure is if you tried," she egged on. She walked toward Marnie and stood next to her. "Marnie, how are you feeling about all this?"

She sighed and took a sip of the wine glass in her hand. "Love is in the air … and I'm still single."

Alma turned and raised her eyebrows at Marlon with a knowing smile. Then she turned back to Marnie and said, "Well, not to put a bug in your ear or anything, but you might want to go say hi to Marlon. He's been making googly eyes at you for a bit."

"Really?" She turned around, and Alma kept walking to leave them alone.

"Good morning, Linus!" Alma said, seeing the man stand under the shade.

"Oh, hello there. It's nice of you to talk to me."

"Are you having a good time?"

"I suppose," he answered, sounding a little sad. "The Flower Dance is the first sign that spring is almost over. What a shame."

"I imagine things get a little harder for you in the heat of summertime, right?"

"They can be. But I manage," he said with a small smile.

Alma looked up and saw Dr. Harvey talking with Maru and Penny. Her heart jumped for a moment, but she silently reminded herself this was not a big deal. Ask if you want, and it's no skin off your teeth if he says no. It's just supposed to be a fun day to enjoy the beautiful weather and the company of your neighbors. She excused herself and tried to join their conversation. "Alma! You're here!" Maru greeted.

"Yes, yes, I made it to the Pelican Town middle school dance, apparently." They all chuckled at that. "Everyone is just standing against the walls. Is it always like this?"

"Yes," Penny said with a gulp. "I'm nervous."

"I like dancing," Maru said, "but this one is a little stilted. The old timers really love it, though."

"You mean like the Mullners?"

"Yes, and Mayor Lewis too. They seem to revel in watching us suffer," Penny said with a nervous laugh.

"And how are you feeling, Doctor? Have you gotten a partner yet?"

He nervously cleared his throat. "No, I - I'm working up the courage to ask someone to dance with me."

"Oh, I see. Because I - Well, I wanted to ask …"

"...Yes?"

Ah geez, here it was. It was happening. "Well, I wondered if maybe … I might ask if you would … mind being my dance partner?"

Penny and Maru looked to him for his response, and his face turned red. "Oh! Well, I - I'm so flattered, but - I-I'm sorry … I, er…" His eyes glanced to Maru. "I have plans to ask someone else."

Maru's face turned a bit red too, and she looked at Alma. "Oh, that's fine!" Alma answered quickly. "You two have fun. I'll be happy to watch. Maybe I can learn the dance for next year," she said with a chuckle. "Mayor Lewis asked me to tell him when I thought everyone was ready. Should I - ? Let me just go ahead and tell him we can get started." She quickly exited the conversation, and she could hear quiet talking behind her. She tried not to think about it but instead went straight to Mayor Lewis and told him everyone was ready.

Alma found a spot in the back corner of the field and watched as everyone came out in their suits and dresses. She thought Dr. Harvey looked especially handsome in his suit. She was always a sucker for a man in a suit. Her mind flashed quickly to Eric on their wedding day, how handsome he looked in his suit, the smile on his face, the tears in his eyes. She shook her head and tried to get him out of her head. Looking at the other men dancing, they all looked quite handsome in their blue suits. Shane and Sebastian didn't look too happy, but their dark features went well with the dark colors of the suits. Sam and Alex both looked comfortable, smiling and moving with confidence. Elliott was poised and gallant as he moved to the music. And of course Dr. Harvey, though he looked a bit nervous, looked trim and sharp as he danced.

She looked at Maru across from him, so beautiful in the white fluffy dress. No wonder Dr. Harvey wanted to dance with her - she was radiant! In fact, looking down the line, all the women were so beautiful in their dresses. Haley looked like she was right in her element, with the flower crown on her head and everything. Emily looked free and fluid, her blue hair a beautiful contrast to the stark white dress. Abigail and Penny both said they didn't feel comfortable at the dance, but their shy energy made them both all the more charming. And Leah, her tall and thin frame so graceful and elegant, with her red braid down the side, looked like she was floating. Alma smiled and watched them move to the music. It was a lovely sight.

Her eyes moved around the crowd, and she saw what Maru meant: all the older couples really looked happy to watch them all dance. But others like Clint, Marlon, Linus, and Marnie looked sad. That's how things like this were; those matched were happy, while those single were lonely. Alma felt her eyes blur a bit with tears, but she pushed them down and continued to smile as they finished their dance. Everyone clapped as the music finished.

Mayor Lewis stepped forward. "Thank you all so much for coming! Let's clap again for our young dancers!" There was another round of applause as they all curtsied and bowed. "I want to give a special thanks to Evelyn and Caroline for putting together all the beautiful floral arrangements and to Gus for making the delicious food! If any of you would like to stay and help clean up, I'm sure that would be much appreciated!"

As the crowd dissipated and moved around to help tear down, Alma went to Evelyn and offered to help clean up, but she shook her head and said, "No no, Alma, this is your first Flower Dance, which makes you like our guest. You enjoy yourself and rest. We'll take care of it."

"Okay, if you insist." Alma looked out the corner of her eye and saw Dr. Harvey and Maru laughing together with the other dancers.

"Did you have a good time, dear?" she heard Evelyn ask behind her.

"Hm? Oh, yes, that was fun! Time to go home now, I suppose."

She could tell from Evelyn's expression that she knew she was a little sad. Evelyn patted her shoulder and leaned in to whisper, "Next year." Alma looked at her face, and she winked and repeated quietly, "He'll dance with you next year."

"Oh, no, it's okay," Alma chuckled, trying to brush it off, "I was just - I thought it was part of the festival to ask - It's not a big deal. I'm fine. I'm just going to go home and rest, I think."

Evelyn continued to smile and nod, patting Alma's arm. "That's all well and good, honey, but you listen to Granny. It will happen next year." And she walked away to George and kissed his head. Alma watched them and smiled before turning around and heading back to the farm.

Alma stepped out into the field, smoothing out her white dress. The warm spring breeze felt refreshing as it blew through the fabric. She placed the flower crown on her head and wrapped her long, dark braid over her shoulder. "Wow," she heard behind her. She turned and saw him standing there, in the blue suit with a red boutonniere on his breast. His expression was genuinely amazed. "You look beautiful, Al." She came up to him and pulled his collar tight for him. "I haven't seen you wear a white dress like this since our wedding. You look … stunning."

She patted his chest. "The same is true for you: how often do you wear a suit? You look quite handsome."

"So what I'm hearing you say is that you think it's hot? That I should wear a suit more often?"

"It wouldn't hurt." She looked up at his eyes and saw how they shined in the sunlight. He smiled down to her, and her heart melted. He felt his hand along her braid and held her face in his hands, bringing her in for a kiss. She could feel the blossoms falling around them, and the breeze blew between them. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too." Then his little smirk grew into a big, goofy grin. "'Every girl crazy for a sharp-dressed ma-an!'" he sang quietly.

She giggled and straightened his boutineer. "Only you would sing ZZ Top at something like this."

"You know you like it. Shall we dance?" he asked, offering his arm.

As she took it, she heard movement behind them. She turned and saw the other couples filing in. Leah and Elliott were immediately behind them, but they looked past Alma as if she wasn't there. "Harvey?" She could barely see that he and Maru were behind Elliott and Leah, but she couldn't crane her head around to see them clearly. She heard applause and saw the other townspeople clapping and watching as they all made their way into the middle of the decorated meadow. They all extended their arms, holding hands as they took their places on the field. When all the women turned to face all the men, then she could see clearly: Dr. Harvey was there, two men down. "Harvey!" she called, but it was like he couldn't hear her.

Eric looked down the line. "That's him?"

"Eric, don't."

"Since when were you into mustaches?"

"Please - "

"He seems kinda … sad, right?"

"Eric!"

"I'm just saying, he's not really your type - "

"Shut up!"

" - Though you were always kind of into nerdy guys, I guess."

"Eric!"

"And it doesn't seem like you're his type either!"

"I said shut up!"

"It's like he doesn't even know you're here!"

"Shut the fuck up!" She threw a punch at him, and it knocked him back onto the grass. Suddenly, they were visible. Everyone gasped and looked down to Eric then up at Alma. She shook her hand, her knuckles panging from contact with his jaw. "I - I'm sorry. I, uh … I don't belong here." She took off the flower crown, now crooked on her head, and started to take off the dress. "These clothes aren't mine." She stepped out of the dress and said, "This hair isn't me anymore." She pulled at her braid until it disconnected from her head and left her cropped and uneven hair behind. She walked home through the crowd, naked. As soon as she left the meadow, she could hear the music of the Flower Dance begin.