Thursday, 18th of Summer

When Alma stepped outside in the morning, she was happy to see lots of crops ready to harvest. The farm was a colorful array of fruits, flowers, and vegetables: peppers, blueberries, corn, and hops were all ready! But before she went to pick everything, she saw she also had some mail, so she went to the mailbox and opened up a letter from Lewis:

"Alma,

Remember to eat healthy, or you won't have enough energy to work hard! I'm including one of my favorite recipes. Make sure to use ripe tomatoes!

- Lewis"

Included was a recipe for spaghetti. Alma had eaten Gus's spaghetti from the saloon before, and she wondered if Lewis's was the same. It was very nice of Lewis to think of her. She looked at the ingredients: wheat flour and tomatoes. "I really need a mill to cook, huh? But where do I get cloth?!" She sighed and folded up the letter, thinking that she'd figure it out eventually. But for now, she had crops to pick! She did her usual work: harvesting, watering, petting and watering Bisclavret, petting the chickens, gathering their eggs, and gathering mushrooms. But for the first time, she went too to go love on her calves! "Good morning, ladies!" She patted them each on the back and felt how warm and smooth they were. Then, like she had always dreamed, she wrapped her arms around their necks and closed her eyes, leaning her head against theirs. "I'm glad you two are here," she said to them. "We're going to have a good time together." She made sure they had hay, and then she slid open the barn door for them. "Fresh grass just for you!" she said, gesturing for them to come out. They were hesitant at first, but they soon came out to graze. It was a happy sight for Alma. She stood for a moment with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

On her way back toward the cabin, Alma saw that her oak tree tapper was full with resin again. She bottled it up and put it in her bag as well. She went back to the chests to drop off what she wanted to keep, and as she looked inside, she saw the mahogany seeds that fell from the stumps she had chopped up a while ago. She meant to plant those seeds a long time ago, and she thought now was as good a time as any. She took the seeds with her to the southwest corner of the farm and planted them among the pines.

Alma went back up to the cabin again and stepped inside to put the fresh corn in the fridge. As she closed the door, she jumped when she heard the phone ring. She placed a hand to her chest, trying to calm herself down, as she walked to the phone. Who in the world would be calling her right now? "Hello?"

"Hello?" It was a tiny little voice that she recognized. "Um … Uhh … This is Vincent."

"Good morning, Vincent. What can I help you with this morning?"

"Um … Do you have any piggies on your farm?"

She giggled. "No, buddy, not yet. But when I do, you'll be the first to know."

Alma could faintly hear Jodi's stern voice in the background. "Okay, I gotta go!" and the line was dead.

Alma put the phone back on the hook with a chuckle. But then she stood there for a moment, looking at the phone. She dug in her pocket and found the note that Harvey had given her. She took a deep breath and dialed the number. "Thank you for calling the Grampleton Wellness Clinic. For appointments and scheduling, please press one. For - " Alma pressed one. "Please hold while I connect you." She leaned against the wall as she listened to the soft jazzy elevator music. She thought to herself that when Harvey had first mentioned he liked jazz, this was the sort of stuff she imagined. She was glad he liked the more classic stuff. It was much better. "Grampleton Wellness Clinic, how can I help you?"

"Um, hi, are you all taking new patients?"

"Yes ma'am, we are. What service are you interested in?"

"Therapy, please. And I actually have a referral from my doctor in Pelican Town for Dr. …" Alma looked down at the note, "Katherine."

"Okay, yes, Dr. Katherine is taking new patients right now. Would you like to schedule an intake appointment?"

"Well, yes, I would, but … well, the bus service out of Pelican Town is currently out of commission, so I am unable to come to Grampleton. Would it be possible to do it over the phone or possibly by a video call?"

"Yes, we offer phone appointments if that is better for you."

"Okay, good. Yes, I'd like that."

"Do you have access to email?"

"Uh …" She remembered Harvey said he had a computer at the clinic. She thought he would probably be okay with her using it for this purpose. "Yes, at my doctor's clinic, I do."

The receptionist got Alma's email and phone number and helped her schedule for the soonest appointment. "So before your appointment, I'll be sending you this paperwork, and I'll be honest; it's quite a bit. So take some time maybe a day or two before to go through it and fill out what you can. You can email it back to us when you're done. And then just be by your phone at the time of your appointment, and Dr. Katherine will call you. Okay?"

"All right. Thank you so much."

"Buh bye now."

"Bye, thanks." And Alma put the phone down. The house felt especially quiet after that.

Alma was a bit surprised at how easy it was to call. She thought for a moment and dialed another number. The line rang, and she twisted the cord around her finger. "Hello?" a familiar voice answered.

"Uh … Hi, Dad."

There was a pause. "Alma?"

"Yeah! It's me!"

"Well! Phone lines have grown in Paradise!"

"Yeah, I just bought a phone yesterday."

"Well, darlin', it's good to hear your voice."

"Yours too, Daddy."

"Have you been getting my letters?"

"Yes, I have! Thank you for those. They mean a lot to me."

"Someone at work brought me a copy of the Stardew Valley Tribune and said, 'Hey, didn't you say your daughter moved out there?' And there you were, with a chicken under your arm!" He laughed, and Alma didn't realize until then how much she missed his laugh. "Honey, you're doing so great. You're opening up a bunch of great big doors. I know your Grandpa would be so proud."

"Thanks, Dad. I hope he is."

"So you've got the dog, the chicken, and the article said you've made quite a bit of money with crops. Oh, and it mentioned an expansion on the cabin! What else is going on down there?"

"Not a whole lot! What you just said takes a lot of my time. But I added some cows just yesterday."

"Well, I'm very happy for moo," he said then laughed at his own joke.

Alma just shook her head, and she wondered if he could hear her eyes rolling over the phone. "Every day is pretty much the same, though: I tend to the farm, go sell any produce I can, run errands in town, and socialize along the way. But it's different enough to keep things interesting. I'm … I'm really happy here, Dad. It took me a bit to settle in, but things are changing. I'm starting to get on my feet, make friends, and … feel like I'm making a difference."

"You deserve it, Alma. I'm glad you've found your way home." She could hear his voice straining like he was holding back tears. "You know, your mother would be proud of you too."

"Thanks Dad. How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm all right! Working, seeing Grayson and the grands pretty often, and doing yard work, you know. Not much to report here. Have you called your brother?"

"No, you're the first I called. I can try calling him sometime too."

"You should. I bet he'd like to hear from you and know you're doing okay. You know how he worries about you - probably more than I do!" he laughed.

"You're not wrong." There was a pause, and Alma asked, "I don't guess you've heard anything from Ben?"

"No. No, I haven't. But if I do, you'll be the first to know."

"All right," she said quietly. "Well, I would say you could come for a visit, but I currently only have one bed. Maybe eventually I can upgrade to a guest room or at least a couch. I'd love to have you come visit. Grayson and Rebecca too."

"As much as I'd love to see you, I know you're busy. I don't guess you'll be coming our way any time soon?"

"Even if I wanted to, I can't," she chuckled. "The bus is broken down. No one has gotten in or out as far as I know since I arrived in town. I don't think anyone owns a car - well, no, actually, the mayor has a truck. So maybe he finds a way. But anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be able to come. Maybe by the Winter Star. I'll be sure to let you know."

"All right. Well, I understand. Part of the charm of living in the sticks, right? But at least let me know when you've earned enough for me to retire on the Fern Islands!"

"Yeah, sure, I will," she chuckled. She looked at the time and saw it was three o'clock. "Well, Dad, I'm sorry, but I've got to go. The store will be closing in an hour, and I've got to do some business there."

"All right, well, I'm so glad you called, darlin'. And now you've made the mistake of letting me know your home phone number. You'll be wanting to take your phone off the hook soon, probably."

"No, Daddy, I don't mind. You call whenever you want. I'll try to call every now and then too, okay?"

"Okay, Alma. And do try to call Grayson soon too."

"I will, I will. Okay. I love you."

"I love you too, darlin'. Buh bye."

"Bye." She put the phone on the hook and looked at it for a moment. She felt a bit strange calling him at first, but it did feel really nice to hear his voice and know he was doing okay. "I gotta go," she reminded herself. She pushed off the wall and went outside, heading into town. As she passed the bus stop, she found an artifact poking up out of the ground. Though she was in a hurry, she stopped and pulled out her hoe. It was another lost book! That brought a smile to her face, and she carried on down the road.

"Alma! I was wondering if you were taking a day off! Everyone's enjoying the weather instead of shopping," he said with a sigh.

"You know me; I never take a day off," she said as she put her bag on the counter. "No, I just got a telephone, and I was talking to my dad. It's the first we've talked since I got here, so we had some catching up to do."

"Well, that must have been nice for both of you! I can't imagine how I'd feel if Abby decided to move away to a new place far away all by herself. Your dad must be relieved to hear from you."

Alma smirked as she pulled the last of her goods out. "You remember, Pierre, that I'm closer to your age than Abby's. But she's an adult. She could take care of herself. She'd be fine!"

He shook his head as he looked over her produce. "Still … I'm not sure if her poor old dad could handle it."

"You'd be fine too," she laughed.

He gave her a side glance as he opened up his cash register. "Buying anything today?" he asked as he started taking out her money.

"Not today, I think." So he handed her the money, and she threw it in her bag. "I'm saving up for a couple structures, and these crops that reproduce are spoiling me!"

"This was your first corn, huh? Corn reproduces into the fall too. So it's a good money-maker."

"Good to know," she said as she pulled her bag on. "Thanks, Pierre! Have a good evening! Tell Abby I said hello!"

"Yeah, yeah," he chuckled, knowing what she meant. He waved her out with a teasing smile, and she went out the door.

Alma wanted to put one ear of corn in the community center, but as she looked toward the clinic, she also wanted to say hi to Harvey. It was now a little before five - quite a bit after the clinic's closing time, but she wondered if maybe it might still be unlocked since she knew he worked until around dinner time. She pulled on the handle, but sure enough, it was locked. She stepped back and thought if she should knock, but, no, she decided to go on to the community center. But as she walked away, she heard the door open. She turned and saw Harvey holding the door open for Maru. "Have a good weekend, Harvey!" she said on her way out.

"You too. See you Tuesday."

Maru smiled and waved as she passed by Alma. "Heya! Are you enjoying the season? It's been so warm this year."

"Yeah, it has been. But at least you get to walk home later in the day when it's a little cooler."

"Yeah, true. See ya around!"

"Bye!" Then she turned to Harvey and saw he was still standing there at the door, smiling at her.

"I wondered if that might be you, so I wanted to come see."

She walked toward him. "I was just popping by to say hi. Wasn't sure if you were still working or not."

"I am, but you can still come in - if you'd like, of course."

"Of course," she said, walking past him into the clinic.

He closed the door behind them and made his way to the counter. "I hope you don't mind if I work on some of this paperwork while we chat."

"No, of course not. Don't let me disturb your work." She set down her bag and hat and took a seat in one of the chairs in the waiting room. "I mostly just wanted to let you know that I called Dr. Katherine's office today."

"That's great," he said, patting the paperwork. "Did you get an intake appointment set up?"

"I did. It's going to be a phone appointment since the bus is still out of order." He nodded as he started to work through the papers. "And I hope you don't mind, but I actually need your help with something."

"Of course. What can I do?" he asked, looking up.

"I need access to your computer so I can fill out some of the new patient paperwork they're going to email me."

"Oh, sure, that's not a problem. Do you need to do that now?"

"Well, I guess if you're going to work on your paperwork, maybe I can work on mine too."

"That sounds great," he said, standing up. "Follow me, and I'll set you up." He opened the door from the waiting room, and they circled around behind the desk. "You can sit here," he said, rolling a stool in front of the computer desk. Alma sat, and Harvey leaned over her to login to the computer. Alma smelled his familiar scent of coffee and aftershave. "The internet is obviously pretty slow, but here it is. Do whatever you need to do, and if you need to print things out, just let me know."

"Thanks." He went back to the counter and turned his papers around. They both worked in silence for a while, her filling out personal information, medical history, emergency contacts, and the like; and him making notes on today's patients, their treatments, prescriptions, etc.

Alma looked over her shoulder at him for a moment. She remembered something her grandmother had mentioned years ago - that an important factor of a relationship was the moments of quiet. Were those moments uncomfortable, feeling like they needed to be filled with talking or activity? Or were they peaceful and content, happy to just be in each other's presence? Alma watched Harvey marking on his papers and collating them into their files. He was oblivious to her eye as he focused on his work. She couldn't explain why, but she liked watching him work. Maybe it was because she knew that he took his work seriously, that he really cared for these people, that he was dedicated to making sure they were all living their best lives - even at the expense of his own. Oftentimes when Alma was with him, Harvey seemed anxious and unsure, unable to stay still or get his words out. But when it came to his work, he was calm, careful, and confident. Though today, he looked quite tired. His eyes were a bit puffy and dark underneath. She looked at his hands, dry from washing multiple times a day but gentle as he quickly thumbed through papers. The sound of the pen changed when he was scratching his signature at the bottom of a page. She looked at his eyes behind his thick glasses, darting back and forth as he scanned information. She saw his jaw bulge as he clenched and released it, saw his curled hair trace his neck down into his collar.

He noticed she had stopped typing, and he looked over his shoulder and saw her. "Everything okay? Can I do anything for you?"

"No, everything's fine, thanks," she sputtered, snapping out of it. "At the risk of sounding creepy, I was just … just watching you work."

A look crossed his face for a second like he was shocked. "It's really not that interesting. What a creep," he chuckled, and she laughed too with a sideways glance. "How is, uh, yours coming?" he asked, spinning around on the stool to face her.

"Oh, I'm on page …" she looked back at the computer, "... five of eight. I mean, do you doctors need to know everything about me? Geez."

"To be fair, emotional and mental health paperwork does tend to be longer because so much of it is based on your experiences and perceptions, so it requires you to describe more." He counted on his fingers and said, "Scale of severity, safety plan, name of your first pet, last chapter book you read, how many concerts you've been to …."

Alma turned and pretended to type, "Pumpkin … The Unbearable Lightness of Being … twenty plus …."

Harvey looked up in thought. "Jeeves … Wind, Sand, and Stars … maybe five?" He looked at her with a smile, and they were quiet for a moment. "This is nice - to have, uh … someone in the office with me."

Alma's face changed. "What about Maru? She's in here with you twice a week!"

"No, this is different," he said, looking down at the papers. "She does things for me because she's my assistant. You're doing things with me because you - well, I'm guessing because you want to. But I guess I do have one of the only computers in town, so … you could just be using me. You really are a creep, aren't you?" he chuckled.

She laughed. "Guilty, I guess," she said with a shrug. "Can I ask … how are you doing with - with your feelings for Maru?"

He smiled. "They're gone. I'm actually surprised at how quickly they subsided. But I guess it was easy once I acknowledged them and - " He looked down at his feet. "Well, once I admitted aloud that I had feelings for you too." She reached and put a hand on his knee. He looked at her hand and then up at her face. She smiled. He looked up toward the computer. "Don't, uh … Don't forget to include how many hearts you've broken, your worst date experience, and what your type is. I'll ask Katherine to forward that information to your general physician."

Alma swiveled back and forth on the stool and looked up in thought. "Two that I can think of … cheap dinner with a one-upper … smart and sensitive guys with a nice jawline." She smiled then turned back to the computer to keep working.

He smirked and turned around too. Harvey felt his fingers along his jaw. They continued to work in silence for a while longer, then he eventually stood and gathered his papers, placing them in files and putting the files into cabinets under the counter. "I'll be right back," he said, "I'm just going to make sure the exam rooms are clean and ready for tomorrow."

"Sure, I'm almost done too." She finished up the last few questions and e-signed the documents as he came back to the front desk. She sent them back and said, "Done! All ready for my appointment next week, I guess."

"Great job," he said. "It's a hard thing to do, reaching out for help like that and then following through with the more tedious work. But your future self will thank you."

She nodded. "You're right, she will." She started closing windows and said, "Oh, I also wanted to tell you - I made another phone call today too."

"Oh?" Harvey leaned against the counter.

"To my dad," she said, turning around. "It was really good to talk to him."

He smiled, and she could see a little bit of sadness in his face. "That's really good, Alma. I know he was glad to hear from you too."

She knew that look. She had seen it in herself and her brothers before when they thought of their mother. "You must miss your father."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "I do. Some days I wish I could talk to him on the phone too."

"When did he pass away?"

"About twenty years ago. I was fifteen." Harvey looked down at his feet. "My mother has passed too, just a few years ago. I really … I really miss her."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you, but don't be," he said, pushing up his glasses. "It's a part of life, isn't it? But, anyway," he pushed up a smile, "I'm glad you and your dad are in touch now. Do you expect he'll be, uh, calling you a lot?"

She chuckled. "That's what he said would happen. Said I'll want to take the phone off the hook soon," she said as she stood up. "Thank you again for letting me use the computer. Do you need me to shut it down or anything?"

"I'll take care of it later, don't worry."

"Well," she said with a sigh, "I guess I should be going. I still have some corn I need to take to the community center."

"Corn, huh?" he asked, opening the door for her. "Is that your first corn harvest?"

"Yes it is!" she said as they walked back into the waiting room. "Pretty exciting."

Harvey walked her to the front door and stopped with a sigh, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for coming by."

"Of course. I'd say let's do it again, but I unfortunately don't usually do a lot of office work." She picked up her bag and hoisted it over her shoulders and placed her hat back on her head.

"That's all right," he said, smiling at her hat. "Even if you dropped by just to say hello, it would make me happy just to s-see your face."

She smiled. "Now who's the creep?"

He laughed and held the door open for her. "Tell the junimos I said hello. Take care."

"Goodnight, Harvey." She stepped out, and he closed the door behind her. She looked out and saw the evening sun going down. She sighed and went up the path to the community center. She took the ear of corn from her bag, dropped it with the fall crops in the pantry, then made her way back out of the building. She walked to the path that led back to the farm then got ready for an early sleep.