Sunday, 7th of Fall

Alma woke up and heard the soft sound of rain, and she smiled, remembering what Harvey said last night. She also remembered it was Sunday, which meant a new episode of The Queen of Sauce. She grabbed her notebook and turned on the TV. "Tortillas!" the queen exclaimed. "How many of you are gnawing on a microwaved convenience burrito while watching this program? Shame on you! You might as well wrap your beans in an old wash rag!" Alma laughed and thought of Harvey. She scribbled down the recipe for tortillas then turned off the TV and got dressed for the day. Bisclavret followed her around the house, and she rubbed his head and gave him a kiss before putting on her hat and going outside.

Alma had a letter with an enclosed gift from Emily:

"Hi! How are you doing? I hope you enjoy the gift I've sent you… Well, goodbye!

- Emily"

Alma opened the small package: a bolt of cloth. For a second, Alma got excited and thought about the mill. But then she remembered - she was pretty sure she needed multiple bolts of cloth. Maybe four? One would not be enough. But she could at least donate it to the community center and get that much closer to finishing the artisan bundle! Thinking about the artisan bundle, Alma also noticed her preserves jar was not working anymore. She opened the lid and saw that the wild plum she had put in the other day had turned into a nice jelly! She scooped it out and put it into a jar, then put the jar into her bag.

No crops were ready today, but as she went toward the coop and barn, she saw she had more pine tar ready in the tapper too. She placed it in her bag as well before heading into town. On the front of Pierre's shop, she saw an unusual Help Wanted posting from Haley:

"FOR GIRLS ONLY: Psst… I need Red Mushroom… you know what it's for. Keep it secret, okay?

- Haley"

Alma didn't know what red mushroom could be used for that only women would need to know about. Maybe Harvey would know? And, again, just like the posting that Abigail made, if it was meant to be secret, why put it on a flier outside the town's general store?! Alma was very confused, but she knew she had a red mushroom at home and easy access to more in the cave; so she tore off the ad and put it in her pocket before she went in to do business with Pierre. She sold her crops for a good price and bought more wheat seeds to replenish what she harvested yesterday.

Alma went next to Clint's smithy for him to process some geodes she got from clearing out undergrowth on the farm yesterday. She got some rock and a greenish-yellowish stone. Alma couldn't decide if it was beautiful or disgusting. She took it to Gunther to help her decide. "This, my friend, is jagoite. Named after mineral collector Jack Jago, it has a high crystal count that makes it quite … glittery." He held it up to the light to admire the way it shined. "This one deserves a reward," he noted, and he was off to the back room. Alma was always scared what he might bring back with him. This time, it was a large, blue futan bear, big enough to sit in. "This beauty," he heaved, pushing it over the counter, "would be a great place to relax in your cabin, I reckon?"

"Gunther," she said, wagging her head, "you know I'm grateful, but … what am I supposed to do with this? How am I even supposed to carry it out of here?!"

"That bag of yours works wonders. You should try it."

"There's no way this will - " but she lifted the giant bear chair above her bag, and it slipped right in - with room to spare.

"I told you. Wonders!"

Alma stared at the bag for a minute then looked up at Gunther, who was grinning at her above the rims of his glasses. "And now … I can carry this?"

"Why don't you give it a try?"

She hoisted the bag up and lugged it over her shoulders. It was heavy but not unmanageable. "Unbelievable." Alma looked up to Gunther again, still with wide eyes. "This town keeps surprising me."

"Maybe you keep surprising it."

Alma shook her head and started to turn. "That's too much for my brain to handle, Gunther. Too much! I'm off to talk to Willy about fishing because that seems a lot more my speed right now."

"Have a lovely day then, Ms. Alma," he called as she walked out.

Alma went (albeit a bit more slowly) toward the beach, picking up a few seashells on the way. She stepped inside Willy's shop and saw that he was in the middle of boning a fish right there on the counter. "Ms. Alma! Don't mind me - just dressin' my latest catch! Come in!"

Alma wiped her boots on the rug and approached the counter, overwhelmed by the smell of fish. "I just had a quick question, and I'll get out of your hair."

"Of course. What can I do ye for?"

She took out her guide to the fish bundle at the community center. "It's a new season, so I wondered if you could help me find out if I could catch any of these fish this time of year."

Willy chewed on his pipe and looked over her remaining fish. "Catfish are in the rivers during the rain. Walleye are too, but only in the later part of the day; and you can find them in lakes and ponds too. Tiger trout are in rivers and prefer the sun. Those are your best chances."

"Well, that narrows things down for me a lot," she said as she put the scroll away. "Thank you so much!"

"That was easy," he chuckled. "Next time, gimme a challenge!"

"I guess I can also sell these shells and things I just picked up too?"

"Ye can, yes." She handed them over, and he gave her a little gold. "I appreciate your business, miss. Not a lot of anglers around here. If the local fishing scene got a bit more lively, I might expand the shop's stock."

"I'm always happy to do business with you and learn from your knowledge!" She picked up her backpack and threw it over her shoulders again. "I hope things pick up for you soon. See you at the saloon tonight?"

"Aye, miss. A nice ale on a day like this - nothing better." She smiled and went on her way out.

As Alma went back up the beach to the bridge, she glanced over at Elliott's cabin. She thought about her pleasant visit with Leah and thought maybe she might pop in to see Elliott too. She didn't know him very well, but she wanted to get to know him better. She knew he was a writer, and that fascinated her. He seemed a bit of a loner, so she thought if she wanted to make friends with him, maybe she needed to be the one to instigate more. She decided to knock on the old wooden door. "Yes? Oh, Alma! Come in out of the rain." He held the door open for her, and she wiped her boots on the rug before stepping inside. "Welcome to my humble … well, shack."

She chuckled. "It's still bigger than the cabin was when I first arrived. It's nice and quaint in here!" she said, looking around.

"Thank you, thank you," he said with a little bow. "I've got everything I need. My books, my piano, a place to lay my head, a plant or two to keep me company …. This is my writing desk. It's where I spend most of my time," he said, gesturing to the small table in the corner. She saw his papers splayed out on the table and couldn't help but notice a lot of strike-throughs and wads of paper on the floor around the table. "For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a writer. Have I told you that?"

"I knew you were a writer, but, no, I didn't know it was something you wanted for so long," she said as she took off her bag and put it by the door. "It must feel fulfilling to be living that reality now. This is a good place to be a writer, I think. It's quiet, and there aren't a lot of distractions."

He nodded and moved his hair over his ear. "That's why I live out here by myself. I figured a lonely life by the sea would help me focus on my literary aspirations. I know a little of your story - that you dropped everything from your previous life to pursue a new one here. I did the same. Everyone back home said I was nuts … that I could never make it as a writer. Can you believe it?"

"That's hard, I know - to feel like you don't have support from your loved ones. I'm sorry."

"They said 'For every successful author there's a thousand who fail miserably.' Such pessimism… it's sickening." Elliott wagged his head, and she could see there was still a lot of pain there. He looked up at her and smiled. "I can see it in your eyes …. You believe in me, Alma. You've got that spark."

She could tell he was genuine, and she knew he needed some real encouragement. "I do believe in you! You're focused and determined, and I know you put in a lot of hard work to your craft. Even if the odds are one in a thousand, who's to say that one can't be you?"

He smiled wider and wagged his finger at her. "Now that's inspiring. That's what I'm looking for."

Alma smiled too and shrugged. "Everyone deserves someone in their corner. And, hey, if nothing else, I like to read! I'd love to read your stuff!"

"Here's a question then." He flipped his hair out of his face and asked, "What kind of books do you like, Alma? Mystery, romance, or sci-fi?"

"Oh, well," she started, feeling a bit cornered by those options, "I prefer classic literature myself. Folk tales and epics and adventures with strong character dynamics and emotional turmoil. But of those options … maybe mystery?"

"Mystery, huh?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"But not like the cookie cutter things you get at an airport or something. Maybe more like Doyle or Poe."

"It is an exciting genre." He nodded, putting his finger to his chin. "I'll remember that." She thought he sounded overly cryptic, but she was learning more and more that that was just part of Elliott's personality: cryptic, melancholy, verbose, dramatic. "Well! Enough talk about me! Hmm …." He looked around the room for a moment and said, "You probably know a lot about plants, don't you?"

"Oh, no, I wouldn't say that. But I am learning more."

He crossed to his desk and stood by his rose. "Would you mind taking a look at this rose, here? I'm afraid it's not doing so well."

"I can take a look, sure," she said, coming to stand next to him. The plant did look weary and heavy, and the leaves looked a bit yellowed. "Are you watering it enough?"

"I believe so. I take a cup of water from the ocean about every other day."

She looked at him. "From the ocean? As in … saltwater?"

"Yes? I assumed that would be fine."

"I don't think so, Elliott. I think you have to use fresh water." She moved toward the door and took her bag. "If I were you, I'd talk to Evelyn or Caroline. They're both good with plants. They'd know what to do."

"I will," he said, following her. Alma put her bag on her shoulders and her hat on her head, and Elliott opened the door for her. "Thanks for talking with me …. I'll be thinking about what you said."

"Sure, Elliott. Good luck with your writing - and your plant!"

He gave her a little bow and closed the door behind her. Alma checked the time before she moved on; it was about five. She thought back to what Willy told her: catfish and walleye would be available to catch today in the rivers. It would be perfect to try to catch something before going to the saloon. So Alma passed over the bridge back into town and cast her line out into the river. To her surprise, after not a long wait, she pulled up a walleye! "Well, that was easy!" She put it in her bag and thought maybe since it was Sunday, she could go check and see if the traveling merchant had anything good before going to the saloon. She went west toward the forest then north of the lake to the purple and green cart. Alma looked over the woman's selection and didn't see anything particularly helpful. "Nothing today, thanks," she said with a wave. Then, since she was close, she went up to the farm to pick up and drop off a few things - or one rather large thing. She put the giant futan bear in her living room for now, thinking that maybe Bisclavret might cuddle up on it. Then, back outside, she made sure she had the jelly, cloth, and walleye before going to the community center.

In the community center, she took the jelly and cloth to the artisan bundle. She still had a few things left there that she needed to deliver. But when she took the walleye to the night fish bundle, she completed it! Inside the Junimo' present was … another glow ring. She was a little disappointed. She already had one! Maybe, she thought, she could sell it to someone. Marlon, maybe? Regardless, it was time to go meet Harvey for coffee, so she headed out the door and toward the saloon.

The air was chilly now in autumn, so the evening rain was a bit more jarring. When she entered the saloon, she was happy to see there was a fire going. Willy lifted his stein to her when she came in, and Harvey turned, smiled, and stood up when he saw her. She came up to him and hugged him, and he said, "Oh, you're soaked! Maybe we should sit closer to the fire?"

"I'd like that, yes." He took his coat from off the bar and led her to the stool in front of Shane, closest to the fireplace. Alma glanced at Shane and smiled a bit. "Hi, Shane." He didn't answer but instead looked away and continued sipping his beer.

Harvey wrapped an arm around Alma and rubbed on her arm vigorously, trying to cause enough friction to heat her up. "I'd offer you my coat, but it's wet as well. Don't you think maybe you should invest in a coat? That hat is some coverage, but it's not going to do much against the cold."

"Maybe, yeah." She looked up at Emily working the bar, whom she felt may have been listening. "Pelican Town's best seamstress is right here."

Harvey smiled toward Emily too. "That is true!"

Emily turned to them and grinned. "I like making my own clothes, but it's not easy to get cloth. And it's such a long trip to the city."

"Yes, I remember it was difficult for my mother to keep her stock full when she lived so far outside of the city," Harvey said. Then he tilted his head a bit. "Did I ever tell you my mother was a seamstress and tailor too, Miss Emily?"

"She made his coat!" Alma added with excitement.

"Oh wow! That takes skill!" Emily exclaimed, looking over the coat.

"And, sorry, could you get us a coffee and a glass of wine please?"

"Coming up!" she answered, turning to get them.

"You sure you don't want some coffee to help warm you up?" Harvey asked.

"I'm all right. I'm already feeling better," she said with a smile.

He smiled too and took his arm away. "You do have a really healthy glow. That's good."

She chuckled and said, "Well, actually, that might be from these." She showed him her hand, where she was now wearing two glow rings. "I got one from the mines a while ago and just now got another one from finishing one of the fish bundles at the community center. I think I might sell it to Marlon at the Adventurers' Guild."

Emily brought them their drinks, and Alma smiled at the way Harvey's face still looked so shocked. "It's for me?"

"Yes, Harvey, it's for you."

"This is my favorite stuff! It's like you - " He glanced at her and noted her unimpressed expression.

"Read your mind?"

He chuckled and hugged the coffee in his hands. "Okay, so m-maybe I'm a bit repetitive. But that does not make this gift any less special. Thank you." She lifted her glass to him, and he tapped his mug against it.