Sunday, 28th of Fall

Alma woke up to the sound of rain on the tin roof. The mornings were getting really chilly, and she curled her blanket around her tighter. She didn't want to get out of bed. She was tired and sore, and she knew there probably wasn't a lot to do on this, the last day of fall. She turned on The Queen of Sauce and learned how to make artichoke dip, and even after the show was over, she didn't want to move. Alma groaned and rolled over, then she sighed and sat up; she knew she needed to get up. "Morning, Biz," she said, rubbing his head as her feet hit the floor. They both stretched, and she pulled on Harvey's flannel and hugged it tight to her.

She went to the kitchen and boiled some water to make coffee. While she waited, she looked out the front window. Robin was outside working on the well. Cranberries and sunflowers were ready to harvest, so she was happy to have that last bit of produce before winter settled in. She thought about what else needed to be done: she needed to check on Essa and make sure all the animals had plenty of hay for today and … the rest of winter, she realized. This was also her last shot to catch a catfish for the bundle in the community center. That needed to be her priority. And, with her mind on the community center, she remembered there were a few things she needed to drop off there and at the museum today since she couldn't go yesterday. She should also check out the traveling cart to see if there was anything good. Probably should do that before going into town, she thought. And, of course, she needed to have drinks with Harvey at the saloon tonight. The whistling of the kettle brought her mind back to the kitchen, and she prepared her coffee.

After she drank her coffee and got dressed, Alma put on her straw hat and went outside to get to work. She squinted through the rain as she first harvested the cranberries and sunflowers, putting the seeds back in the chest for next year. She went in the coop to check on the small animals and gather their produce, then she went to the barn.

"Good morning, little Essa!" she called as she took off her hat to wipe the water off her face and hair. "Io, how are you two doing this morning?" Essa walked to her mother and began nursing, which Alma took to be a good sign. "Well, Lottie, I guess that means we'll start with you this morning." She milked the brown cow, then Poppy the goat, then took care of the cheese presses and hay before coming back around to milk Io. Once she got a full jar, she patted the little cow on her head and rubbed down her nose. The calf seemed quite content with a full belly, and Alma could see her nestling down in the hay for a nap. "I'm so glad you're here, little Essa. Welcome to Paradise." She started to make her way outside the barn but then turned back around and waved to the livestock. "You all enjoy your day. I'll see you tomorrow!"

She went to the chests and took a minute to take inventory of the hay. She muttered as she did some quick math in her head: "The barn silo can feed eight animals a day, so that should last all season with no problem. The coop one feeds twelve a day, which should cover them for most of the season, but I'll still need about … a hundred bundles in the chest?" She grabbed enough hay to fill each silo, and there was still plenty in the chest. "Okay, so no need to cut anything today. That just leaves … the mushrooms." She went to the cave to harvest the mushrooms, did a quick walkthrough of the property, then organized all of her things in her chests and bag. She pulled her backpack tight on her shoulders and thought about the best way to go about today. "Cart first … then circle around town to the store, then the community center, the museum, and fishing until the night." She nodded to herself and started south.

"Good morning, ma'am!" Alma greeted as she came to the cart. She reached over and gave the large pig a pat on the head.

"Good morning! See anything you like?" The traveling saleswoman opened up her shelves so that Alma could peruse.

She looked over all the overpriced items, looking to see if there was anything that was useful, either to her or to the Junimo. "I'll buy that red cabbage please."

"Certainly," the woman said, taking down the cabbage. Alma gave her the gold, and they made their exchange. "Anything else?"

"I think that's it for now. See you Friday! Thank you!" Alma waved as she walked away. She passed between Marnie's and Leah's houses and took the road into town. She pulled Harvey's flannel tighter over her; with the rain and the chilly air, Alma was quite cold. She really needed to get more clothes before winter moved in. And just as she had that thought, she passed in front of Emily's house. Alma still didn't have the cloth to be able to make her own clothes, but maybe she could commission Emily to make something for her. She knocked quietly on the door and thought she heard someone's voice calling her in, but when she poked her head in the door, she realized she must have misheard; Emily and Haley were in the middle of an argument.

"I do the vast majority of work in this house, and you know it," she heard Emily say with a stern voice as she opened the door.

They both looked to Alma who quickly retreated. "I'm so sorry. I'll come back another time."

"No, it's okay," Emily said. "Come on in."

"No, really, I should - "

"Oh, it's that new farm girl," Haley said with a roll of her eyes.

"She has a name, you know." Emily waved her in. "Please, Alma, come in out of the rain."

Alma hesitated but then came in and wiped her boots. "Hey, I bet you'll understand my point of view here," Haley said. Alma already regretted the decision to come inside.

"Uh … okay. What's going on exactly?"

Emily sighed and pinched her eyelids. "I'm really sorry to involve you in this, Alma. Haley is complaining because I asked her to clean under the cushions."

"But it's only because I cleaned them last week!"

Alma thought through her possible answers. She could tell Haley to stop whining and just clean it, but that would be rash and unkind. She could tell Emily to take the high road and just do the work, but that would be unfair to Emily and would probably still make Haley feel bad too. How could she get Haley to do the work and help Emily out while still making her feel validated? "Haley, why not have this be your one weekly job? Emily has asked you to do it because she feels like she's carrying a lot of the load. That may or may not be true, but you can do this one job and let Emily do the other work."

Emily and Haley exchanged glances, and Haley let out a dramatic, heavy sigh. She turned away and grumbled for a second, then she turned back to Alma and Emily. "All right, you win. I guess this can be my job every week. Then there won't be any reason to argue over it."

"I'd really appreciate that, Haley," Emily said with a little smile. Haley went to get the vacuum, and Emily turned to Alma, winked, and said, "Thanks, Alma. That was a great solution."

Alma winked back. "I've got siblings too. I get it."

"So, sorry, did you drop by just to say hi or - ?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about some clothes for the winter."

"Yeah, it's another beautiful fall day, and it's a pity it'll soon be over." Haley turned on the vacuum obviously trying to annoy them, and Emily yelled over the noise, "Come with me to my sewing room!" She led Alma down the hall and around the corner to a small crafts room. "So what did you bring to make?"

"Well, that's kind of the problem. I still don't have a lot of wool, and I'm trying to save up to make a mill so I can earn some more on things like rice, wheat, and sugar. But I'm really in need of some warmer clothes. I wondered if I might be able to give you some gold to make something for me, like a commission?"

"Oh! Well, I don't normally work like that. I don't think my skills are good enough yet to make things for other people!"

"Well, you still know more than I do! And it doesn't have to look good; it just has to get the job done. All I need is just something warm to wear while I'm out on the farm, like maybe some long pants and a coat."

"You said you already have some wool, but you're saving it for a mill? But you won't be able to use a mill until the spring time anyway, will you?"

Alma hadn't thought about that. "I guess not."

"But, yes, you're going to need some warm clothes right now, trust me. The Stardew Valley winters can be rough. So tell you what: if you can bring by just one wool and either cranberries or plum, you can make pants easy. And if you have any kind of ore, I can show you how to make a turtleneck sweater. Or any geode with cloth can make a hoodie to go over your overalls, if you'd prefer that."

"How about coats?"

"I know how to make one that's kind of velvety, but that probably won't be good for farm work. You can make some jackets that are kind of sturdy. Ooh, if you have a bomb, you could make a bomber's jacket that has fur around the collar. Or a frozen tear will make a dark jacket that's lined with fleece. A chewing stick would make a canvas jacket too, which is similar."

"That's what I'm talking about! Something like that would be great."

"Okay, well, yeah, if you come across a frozen tear or a chewing stick, bring it with a piece of wool, and I'll show you how it's done!"

"Can I come by maybe later today?"

"Sure! I'll be here before four, but you can come in any time before eight. Haley will be home all day."

"Before eight, got it. Thanks, Emily!"

"You're so welcome!" she answered with a big smile.

They said their goodbyes, and Alma went back through the living room to head out the front door. "It's looking good, Haley!" The girl grumbled under her breath as Alma left.

Just outside Pierre's shop, Alma saw an ad from Abigail asking for a hazelnut because she was bored. She was offering nearly three hundred gold for it - for something she could literally just pick off the ground! "Easy money," Alma said, tearing the soggy paper from the bulletin board. "Morning, Pierre!"

"Hey, Alma! Good to see you. It's not morning for much longer, though, is it? This day has just crawled by. Most people stay indoors on a day like this …. And with winter coming, it's not good for business."

"I'm sure. I've got my final fall harvest just for you though!"

"Let's see it then!" he said, drumming his fingers on the counter. She pulled out the mushrooms, sunflowers, and most of the cranberries; and as he rang those up, she took out the mayonnaise, eggs, cheese, and milk.

"I haven't had a chance to tell you: one of my cows had a calf yesterday!"

"Really! More milk then!" he laughed.

"Yeah. It's great to see a big ole baby on the farm."

"Besides yourself?" he chuckled. She pulled her bag back over her shoulder, rolled her eyes, and pursed her lips. "Kidding, kidding. You know I'm a bigger baby than you are anyway." He handed her the money, and she snatched it from him and turned to leave with a smirk. "See you tomorrow then, if your animals are warm enough to make anything!"

"Yep, see ya then!" she said as she pushed the door open and put her hat back on to go back out into the rain. Alma circled behind the store and went to the community center (picking up a hazelnut for Abigail on her way) then went inside to drop off the red cabbage and the ninety-nine slimes she had collected. "Hello, Junimo friends!" she said as she went down the hall. She stopped at the bulletin board and put the red cabbage in Emily's bundle then continued to the boiler room. She crouched down and pulled off her backpack to pour out the ninety-nine slimes, which were now coagulated into one giant slime that still somehow fit into her backpack. It oozed out of her bag and into the bundle, and with a flash of light, the bundle was complete. A present appeared in front of her, and when she opened it up, she was surprised to see a ring. "Not another glow ring, I hope." The glow ring was on her right ring finger, and out of instinct, she was about to slide this one onto her left ring finger before stopping herself. She instead put it on her middle finger. Alma expected to see some sort of change, but … there was nothing. "Hm. Well … I guess time will tell!" She stood back up, pulled on her backpack again, and started back for the front door. "Thank you, Junimo! See you later!" And she put back on her hat and pulled the door closed behind her.

Alma checked the time. She decided maybe she should go back to the farm to get the materials for making clothes since she was a bit closer to home, so she headed that way. The dirt road by the bus stop was muddy on rainy days like this, and she had to pull her leather boots up a bit more when she took each step. But she made it back to the farm, gathered the cloth and tried to look for a frozen tear to make the fleece-lined denim jacket … but she couldn't find one. She went on the porch to get a break from the rain and think for a minute. She would definitely go make some pants, but would she use her only other cloth to make the bomber jacket as a temporary coat? Would it be that cold that the bomber jacket wouldn't be enough? Or that she would need a coat at all? Did she have to have the fleece-lined one? It did sound nice to her on this chilly, wet day. Then she realized something: "Wet day …." A denim jacket would get soaked in the rain, but a bomber's jacket should be able to turn water. She grabbed a cherry bomb and put it in her bag.

Alma hurried into town and went first to Emily's house. It was about two o'clock, so Emily answered the door with a smile when Alma knocked. "Hi Alma! Did you bring the stuff?"

"I did!" she answered as she came inside. "Two pieces of cloth, some cranberries, and a cherry bomb. You're sure this will make some clothes for me?"

"Absolutely. Follow me." Alma followed Emily into the sewing room again, making sure to say hi to Haley who was busy in the kitchen. "Okay, have a seat here," Emily said, gesturing to the stool in front of the sewing machine. "Place your cloth or dyeable clothing in the feed …."

"Like this?" Alma asked, positioning the cloth under the needle.

"That's right, and put the materials in the spool to begin tailoring."

Alma looked up at Emily with raised eyebrows. "You - You mean I just stuff cranberries into the spool?"

"That's right!" Emily laughed. "Trust the process! Press the power button to begin tailoring!" Alma pushed the power button and watched the cloth go under the needle. "Now it's tailoring …." Then Alma was amazed to see the material come out on the other side … as long-legged farmer's overalls!

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"I know, right?! Want to try them on?"

"Sure!" Alma took off her backpack, boots, and wet overalls and slipped on the thick overalls. "Oh, these are great, Emily! Thank you so much!"

"They look great on you! But you're not done yet!"

"Right, let's make the coat! Let me see if I can do it myself this time …." She fed the cloth in the feed, placed the cherry bomb in the spool, pushed the power button, and watched the magic work. On the other side of the machine was a leather, fur-lined bomber's jacket. "Oh wow! What a cool jacket! I'll look so badass in this, Emily!" She threw it on over Harvey's flannel and already felt much warmer. "Oh, this is a game-changer! Now I can't wait to get more wool to make more stuff!"

"Of course! You can come use it any time! It's pretty addicting, though, so watch out!" she laughed. Alma gave Emily a hug and thanked her again before heading out to go to the museum.

As she made her way across town, she was so happy with the way the water fell off the brim of her hat onto her shoulders then just rolled off her back onto the ground. "A game-changer," she said to herself again. She opened the door to the museum with new-found confidence.

"Well! Look here!"

"What? I'm just trying to be better prepared for the winter is all."

"With style!" he laughed. "I mean, I just gotta say, you look much more like an actual farmer now."

"What do you mean?!" Alma asked, slightly offended but still wearing a smile.

"I mean, I know it's a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, but there's a saying that real cowboys are the ones who don't wear cowboy boots and cowboy hats. You've looked a bit like someone playing the role of a farmer, but now … you really are a farmer." Alma took off her backpack and couldn't help but agree with him. She bought the overall shorts and boots because they seemed like the right choice, but they have proven to be pretty … ineffective - though all the pockets on the overalls were certainly convenient. Now she focused on practicality and knew what kinds of things to look for. "Anyway, I doubt you're here to talk to me about your fashion. Though if you are, of course I am willing to listen and gossip."

"No, you're right; I've brought you a few things." She handed the artifacts to him that she had gathered, and he adjusted his glasses to look more closely.

"Ah, two very interesting and valuable contributions indeed. This precious stone is an opal. No two opals look alike, and they change with the way the light catches them. Some even believe the throne of Yoba itself is made of opal."

"Wow, okay."

"And this here, I believe I know what this is," he said, picking up the old scroll. He removed the green ribbon and unrolled the delicate parchment. "Yes, this is special indeed." He laid it flat so Alma could see and held his gloved hands at the corners. "This, my dear Miss Alma, is a dwarf scroll."

"Dwarf?!"

"Yes, this is dwarven script. I can't read it - not yet, anyway," he said with a smirk as he looked from above the rims of his colored glasses, "but I bet if we found a translator of some kind, like a dwarven Rosetta Stone, we could easily translate it." He began to roll it up again then asked, "Keep an eye out for me, will you?"

"Always."

"Or, who knows, with your spelunking in the abandoned mines, you might run into a dwarf or two!"

"All the more reason to keep an eye out."

"Indeed." He smiled as he carefully put the green ribbon back around the scroll. "Thank you for these, Miss Alma."

"Of course. I'll see you around! I've got some fishing to do before it gets too late." She pulled on her backpack and made her way to the door again before waving goodbye and setting off to the river.

She checked the time on the way; it was now a little after four o'clock. She had a bit of time before Harvey would be finishing up his day and heading to the saloon, but he would understand if she was late. This was her last chance to catch a catfish before next year. He would probably leave to go back home around ten (though he might wait a little longer if she weren't there), so as long as she made it to the saloon before then, she should be all right. She set up under the tree that was next to the river just there close to the museum. She set down her backpack at the base of the tree, cast out her line, and sat under the tree to get a break from the rain.

The waiting for fish was something that Alma had grown to love and hate. It was peaceful and quiet - especially at a time like this, when she could watch the raindrops dance on the surface of the flowing river while the sun started to set over the mountains. But it also left her alone with her thoughts. She first thought about making more clothes and wondered how long it would take for Beatrix to produce wool. And when she did, how would she turn that into cloth? Did she have things to make a spinning wheel? She wasn't sure, but she knew she'd figure it out.

Something pulled on the line, and Alma pulled in a smallmouth bass. Figures, she thought. She cast it out again and settled back in.

Her mind went back to what she was just thinking: "She wasn't sure, but she knew she'd figure it out." That was kind of what she lived by, wasn't it? Sometimes it was good; it made her a quick learner and able to adapt to many situations. But it also meant she would sometimes rush in and would learn from mistakes. And man, did she make mistakes - many of which were, let's be honest, self-sabotage.

There was another pull. It jumped around a bit more and made Alma excited that maybe it was a catfish, but when she pulled it up, it was just tiger trout. She cleaned it and put it in her bag before casting out her line again.

Yes, she had made many mistakes. Most of the problems you got in were problems you got yourself in, she told herself. Of course, relationships were a given. Even now, she had trouble not rushing in to Harvey.

There was another pull, but it got away. It was probably a catfish, Alma thought with buzzed lips.

But with Harvey, she reminded herself, something was different. This was the first man she really wanted to run toward rather than away from. … Well, no, she told herself, that wasn't totally true. She was still guarded, but she wished she wasn't. She was fighting her own instinct to not let herself go and get carried away. And she ran toward Eric too, didn't she? She sighed in frustration. "I hate this," she mumbled.

Her line pulled, but it felt too easy. Up came a chub.

But did she hate this? Wasn't she the one who asked Harvey to spend the night with her because it would make her feel better? She wagged her head. "Typical," she scoffed. She was even using the L word with him - and often! Did she … Did she really love him? "Yes!" she answered herself emphatically, as if trying to make the voice shut up. Then why? she asked herself. Why do you love him? "Because he loves me," she answered quietly. Then she looked out at the river in front of her. "But is that a good enough answer? Do I actually love him, or do I love the fact that he loves me?"

The line pulled again, and it was jumping quite a bit. She had to stand up to brace herself on the roots of the tree. Up popped a jumping pink-bellied salmon, which she promptly put in her bag.

"The love he gives is really good," she said aloud. "Unlike anything I've had before. That's what makes it … intoxicating. It's genuine. Sincere." But so was Eric's. His addiction didn't mean he didn't love Alma; it meant she wasn't enough for him.

Another fish pulled on the line, and it felt heavy. She pulled it hard and tried to give it slack too when she needed to, and soon, she pulled up a shad. She sighed, took it off the hook, cleaned it, and put it in her bag.

She was definitely enough for Harvey, right? Would he want more? He seemed content with his life in Pelican Town, and it seemed like he really did love her. He said he wanted her and nothing but her. Those were powerful words, and they almost made Alma feel … scared. Why was that? Maybe she had just been conditioned to feel anxious about intimacy. But … she also … kind of craved it with Harvey.

Another fish pulled on the line and jumped a lot. "This has gotta be it!" Alma strained. She stood up and pushed the heel against the roots of the tree, pushing and pulling on the line and trying to get the feel of the fish just right. But sure enough, the line snapped, and the fish got away. "Dangit! All I want is a damn catfish!" She pulled in the line, fixed it up, and cast it out again.

She sighed and closed her eyes when she sat back against the tree. What did she want? Where was this going? Were they just going to hang out and have fun forever? They were both older. Surely commitment was on Harvey's mind. Why waste time when they could go ahead and settle down? But that's not how she felt. The thought of settling down terrified her. It made her feel trapped. But still … she looked up into the tree at the fat raindrops falling through the leaves. Didn't she want to settle here? Where else would she go? Back home? Maybe, if her father needed care as he got older. But … he could always move here. This would be a good place to retire. Far better than being in a retirement home by himself, anyway. Grayson would probably offer to take care of him because he would feel like that was his responsibility, but he's got his own family to care for. Alma could do it. She envisioned her father as an old man living in the cabin with her. And Harvey right there, helping to care for him too. How great that would be.

Another fish began to pull, and she began reeling it in, doing the usual back-and-forth dance. And when she pulled it up, she was not surprised to see it was a walleye. She put it away then cast out again with a sigh.

So what if she didn't settle down with Harvey? What was the alternative? They just date like this? Live together? Harvey seemed interested in more than that, though she knew he would give her all the time she needed. She could always break it off, of course. But if she did, what then? It would be incredibly awkward to live in this small town with him. And she didn't want to add more heartbreak to her long list of exes, fill up with more and more regret. So what? She would move? Run away? Again? That seemed a bit ridiculous, didn't it?

There was a pull on the line, and she started to pull back. It gave in pretty easily, so she knew it was not a catfish. Up came a bream. The sun was down now, and her chances of catching a catfish were getting smaller and smaller. Still, she had time. She cast her line out again.

There was always the question, too, about the farm. Winter was coming, and it would be the hardest time to stay afloat. Sure, things were going okay now, but they weren't great either. It was tough to bring in profit with all the expenses she had. Maybe this wouldn't be sustainable. Maybe she would have to move. What about Harvey then? No way they could stay in Pelican Town on his income; he can barely pay for himself! But would he be willing to move away?

"Why am I thinking about all this?!" she said, shaking her head. She ran her hand down her face and sighed with frustration. Do you want to break up with him? No! Then it's that simple. There's no problem; enjoy it as it happens. You'll figure things out. You always do.

The line pulled again, and she grabbed the rod to begin reeling. It was jumpy, and she set her jaw. "Stay focused, Alma. Relaxed …." When it jumped away, she would gently let the line go then reel it in slowly then gradually faster. It would come in - then jump back, and she would try to coax it closer and closer and closer to shore. Two steps forward, one step back. Then the line sank with something heavy. "Oh, don't tell me I got a treasure chest too! How am I going to - " The fish pulled hard, and she lost her balance. She quickly planted her front foot against the root of the tree and pushed off on her back foot, pulling the line tight. She was careful to pull and let go and pull and let go, all while keeping the balance of the treasure chest in check too. She could see the shadow under the dark water, and she flicked the rod up, and there it was! A big, gray, ugly catfish! "Fuck yeah!" Alma covered her mouth and laughed at her outburst. She took the fish off the line and looked it over a minute. "Why do the Junimo want you?" She shrugged, put the catfish in her bag, and continued to pull up the treasure chest. "Some icing on the cake, I guess." She opened it up to see ten pieces of gold ore. "Thanks, spirits!" She put the gold in her bag too then picked up her fishing rod, hoisted on her bag, and went across the bridge toward the saloon.

She opened the door of the saloon and was immediately hit with the warmth from the fire. Heads turned to see who it was, and there were several smiles and raised glasses when Alma waved. But Harvey's gaze stayed on her until she joined him next to the bar. She gave him a kiss on the cheek as she put her hat on the bar with his coat. "Hiya."

"You've had a wardrobe change, I see."

"Emily showed me how," she said, nodding to the server behind the bar, who promptly smiled back. "It's to help keep me warm in the winter. You like it?"

He nodded and looked her over. "I'm actually a little jealous. It's the style of an old bomber jacket. I've always wanted one."

"Well, they're not hard to make!"

"No, I - I mean, a real one, like from the old war. Of course, not to commemorate war times but the - the style, the nostalgia …. It'd be an honor to have one."

Alma nodded slowly and smiled. "Noted."

"It's waterproof, right? That should help keep you dry too."

"Yeah, that's why I made it. Emily told me about a fleece-lined denim jacket that I was leaning toward, but when I thought of how this one could turn water, that sealed the deal."

He nodded and felt the material on her arm between his fingers. "It's a good material. Well done, Miss Emily."

"I didn't make it! Alma did!"

"Well, I couldn't have done it without Emily. Her machine is magic!"

"And you can use it any time."

Alma nodded in appreciation then turned to Harvey. "Coffee?"

"It's for me?"

"Who else?!"

He chuckled. "It's like you read my mind."

"I have a way of doing that. Emily, one coffee and one wine please." Emily nodded with a smile and turned to make the drinks. "Will you excuse me a minute? I'll be right back." She got up from her stool and gave him another kiss on the cheek before walking toward the arcade. Abigail was there sitting on one of the couches. "Abigail, you all right?"

"Hello Alma! Yeah, just bored."

"So I saw!" she chuckled, digging in her bag.

"But I'm enjoying the rain. The valley looks more interesting in the rain … don't you think?"

"I suppose so." She handed her the hazelnut, and Abigail's face lit up.

"Oh, is that the hazelnut I requested? Thanks so much! Let's see. Here's what I owe you …." She pulled out her coin purse and gave Alma the gold. "There you go, as promised!"

"Thanks," Alma said, and as she put the money in her bag, Abigail looked over the hazelnut.

"Hmm … this isn't as exciting as I thought it would be …."

"Oh. Well, I - "

"But that's not your fault! Haha!" Abigail laughed with a wave. Alma didn't quite know how to answer. "Thanks for responding to my bulletin, Alma."

Alma simply nodded and saw this as her opportunity to escape. She went back to her seat at the bar where a glass of wine was waiting for her. Harvey was already sipping on his coffee. "Good?"

"This is my favorite stuff! Thank you." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek as she sat back on her stool.

She took her glass, touched it against his, and took a sip. "How was your day?"

"A bit busy. I'm preparing for the winter season too. Making sure I have everything stocked, sanitized, organized, and ready."

"I guess that's true. You and I will be in opposite positions during the winter; it's going to be slow for me but probably your busiest season, right?"

He nodded as he swallowed down more coffee. "Especially at the beginning of the season, with the sudden change in temperature and humidity. Lots of upper respiratory infections and viruses then. But I'll be ready!" He looked over at her and smiled, putting his hand on hers. He leaned over and whispered, "And I'll always have time for you to stop by my place if you ever need a confidential check-up." She looked over at him as he leaned back to his seat and took another sip of coffee, and she smirked and shook her head before taking a drink of wine. "How about you? Besides your trip to see Emily, how was your day?"

"Pretty good. Just a lot of errands. Catching up on things I couldn't do yesterday. And I finally caught a catfish! On the last possible day to catch a catfish!"

"That's great! You've been trying for that for a long time!"

"I know! It feels so good to finally get that behind me! I'm going to drop it off at the community center before I head home tonight."

"Do you, uh …" He looked down into his coffee mug. "Do you need any - any assistance at home tonight?"

Alma opened her mouth to answer but hesitated. "No. Thank you, but … no. Maybe not today."

Harvey nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, of course. I guess it'd be a-a better idea for you to, uh, to offer that anyway instead of me inviting myself over. That's never good manners. S-Sorry."

"Hey, it's okay," she answered, reaching for his hand with a smile. She put her fingers in his and squeezed. "Thank you for … being concerned."

He nodded again and smiled a little, but his eyes looked down at their hands and looked a little sad. "I just … miss you."

"You saw me yesterday."

"I know."

Alma looked up at his face, and their eyes met for a moment. She scooted closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. "Maybe you could walk me home, if you don't mind taking a pit stop at the community center?"

His smile grew wide, and he turned to kiss her on the forehead. "I'd love to."

For a moment, time seemed to sit still for Alma. She listened to the sounds of the saloon and closed her eyes. She could hear the sound of tinkling silverware and plates, Gus and Pam talking and laughing (Pam a little louder than Gus), Emily cleaning dishes in the sink, Clint and Willy quietly chatting behind her, the crackling of the fire, and the music from the jukebox filling the air. She felt Harvey's chest rise and fall as he breathed, and she could hear him swallow his coffee. The smell of his aftershave filled her nose, and she tried to enjoy the moment. She could feel the warmth from the fireplace heating her from the back, and she put her other hand on Harvey's arm and focused on feeling his warmth under his work shirt. She sighed and tried to empty her mind. All the thoughts and stress and questions and doubts and emotions she had earlier … she tried to imagine they belonged to someone else. Because she was someone new now, wasn't she? She was here, right now, in this moment. She was a middle-aged farmer dating a doctor in Pelican Town and having drinks with friends in the saloon on a rainy fall night. That's who this Alma was now.

"Everything okay, love?" he asked, stroking her thumb with his.

She took another deep breath and quietly answered, "Just resting. Trying to soak it in."

He put his other hand on hers and patted it gently. "You work so hard. Take all the time you need. Just let me know when you're ready to go."

She turned his wrist so she could see his watch. It was about nine o'clock. She lifted her head and took another drink of wine. "I guess we probably should get going soon."

"I'm in no hurry. Enjoy your drink." He tapped her glass with his mug before taking a sip of his coffee. They sat quietly chatting and enjoying the evening, then around ten o'clock, they finished their drinks and got ready to go. Alma put on her hat, and Harvey pulled on his coat and beat her to her backpack. He flung it over his shoulder before she could protest. He smiled in victory and went for his umbrella by the door.

"Goodnight, you two!" Gus called as they approached the front door. Alma and Harvey both waved before Harvey opened the door for them and opened his umbrella. Alma hugged her jacket tighter in the late night air and clung close to Harvey as they walked north toward the community center.

"Does the community center have a - a different atmosphere at night?"

Alma knew what he was really asking. "There's no need to feel scared. It's just the Junimo. Plus," she said, opening the door, "we'll be in and out." He nodded, but Alma could still see he was clenching his jaw as he climbed through the door and closed his umbrella. She went ahead of him toward the fish tank. "Just set my bag down right here, if that's okay." He pulled the backpack off and put it on the floor with a thud. She reached in and pulled out the big catfish. She placed it with the other items in the bundle, and in a flash, the bundle was complete!

A present appeared in front of them, but Harvey gasped at what he saw. "Alma! Look!" He pointed at the junimo that was carrying the bundle off to the hut. "I - I can see it!"

The junimo squeaked as it passed them. "He says 'Thank you!'"

Harvey's eyes stayed locked on the junimo as it went to the hut and dropped off the bundle. "Y-You can … speak its language?"

"Right. Rasmodius gave me a magic drink to make me understand."

"Because that makes sense!" The junimo rushed back over to them, and Harvey squealed and clung to Alma. As the junimo bounced around them, he did some fancy footwork and screamed to avoid the little creature.

"Okay, okay, we're leaving!" Alma laughed. She picked up her bag and took him by the hand. "Come on to the door, it's okay. He'll follow us, but it's okay. He's not going to hurt you." He grabbed his umbrella, pushed the door open, and rushed outside. When Alma left, she turned to say goodbye to the junimo before closing the door. "Sorry, he's quite an anxious person. He'll get used to you. Goodnight!" Then she pulled the door closed and giggled when she got under the umbrella with Harvey. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I'm sorry that was scary for you."

"How embarrassing …." Harvey ran his hand down his face and shook his head.

"No, it's okay. Totally understandable. It's not every day you see little creatures like that, and I'm sure several people would have the same reaction if one just came bounding toward them!" She got in front of him and patted his chest. "But you did see it! That means your mind is opening more and more! That's exciting!"

"Yes, I was excited at first, but excitement is adjacent to fear. And, yes, something rushing at you will cross that line easily."

She kept her hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat. "Your heart is still beating pretty quickly. You sure you're okay?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm better now. I'm okay." She looked up at him, and they both suddenly realized how close they were to each other. "Well, now my heart's beating quickly for another reason." She smiled and moved her arms up and around his neck. He wrapped one arm around her back and pulled her in for a kiss. They both listened to the calming sound of the rain falling on the umbrella above them and felt each other's warmth in their arms. Then, after a moment, the raindrops stopped. They pulled apart and saw snow falling around them. "We'd better get you home," Harvey said. "Let me take your bag back."

"It's okay, Harvey. I can carry it."

"Listen, did you - did you see me in there? Let me have some of my masculinity back please."

She laughed and took off the backpack. "Fine, there you go." He put it back on his shoulders and held out his arm for her to take. She put her hand in the crook of his arm, and they began to walk down the cliff and toward Paradise.

"Be careful, it's really muddy here," Alma said as they came to the path in front of the bus stop. Harvey led them close to the fence line where the dirt was a bit less walked on and more solid. But still, Alma could hear Harvey's shoes sticking in the mud, and she felt guilty for him to have to walk this way.

They came to the farm and walked up the steps to the porch so they could be dry under the awning. At first, after Harvey closed his umbrella and put her bag on the porch by the door, he just looked at her and smiled. He reached a hand to her cheek and kissed her. "Will we keep meeting at the saloon when it snows?" Alma asked quietly.

"Any chance I get to spend time with you is an opportunity I will take. But … it doesn't have to be at the saloon, if you - if you want somewhere more private. You could always come to my place for a glass of wine. Or two."

"And jazz?"

"Sure, if that's what you want."

"And that confidential check-up is still on the table?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Or the couch. Or the bed. Or against the wall. Or - "

"All right, I get it, Harvey," she chuckled.

"S-Sorry, just a joke. Probably in poor taste." He moved her frizzy hair out of her face and kissed her again. She put her arms inside his coat and wrapped them tightly around his waist. After a long and passionate kiss, she pushed him away a bit and rested her head on his chest. He put his arms around her shoulders and rested his head on hers. "I love you."

"I love you too." She pulled away and moved her hand down his arm until she found his fingers. "Thank you for walking me home in the rain and mud and snow. And for putting up with the junimo." He nodded with a smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Alma." She took her bag, opened the door, and placed the bag on the floor, standing in the doorway to watch him get his umbrella. He made his way down the stairs, then turned around and blew her another kiss. "Goodnight!" She waved a little, then he turned around again, pulled his coat a little closer, and shrugged his shoulders up to his ears as he continued down the path into town.