The bus jerked hard as it navigated the winding exit at mile marker 55, labeled Pelican Town. Zoe Moonstone blew her bangs out of her eyes with a rough sigh. It had been years since she'd seen this place.

"And for my very special granddaughter... I want you to have this sealed envelope. No, no, don't open it yet. Have patience. Now, listen close... There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life… and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my dear, you'll be ready for this gift. Now, let Grandpa rest…"

His words had echoed in her brain for the past six years. As a 17 year old girl, she hadn't taken his words very much to heart, but they had become ingrained in her mind all the same. It felt like a puzzle she couldn't quite figure out.

She recalled them again after Grandpa died nearly four years ago. She was a sophomore in college, living the Zuzu City young adult dream. Her grades were impeccable, and she was actually on track to graduate early. She was surrounded by friends and even shared a large house just off campus with all of them, though she somehow felt alone all of the time. She fit in well enough, but it seemed as if no one really understood her at all. Looking back, she wondered if she even understood herself.

Zoe didn't go to the funeral because final exams were approaching, and she was too afraid to miss a single one. Her mom had attended and called her to tell her how beloved Grandpa had been and how all the townspeople had attended. It made her heart hurt for reasons she didn't understand.

After graduation, she realized just how difficult it was to find a suitable job in a city flooded with well-qualified college graduates. Her early graduation with honors seemed rather unimpressive next to the all the students who had studied abroad and engaged in countless extracurriculars. Anxiety got the best of her during interviews, so she couldn't even dazzle them with a stunning personality. Eventually, she had settled at the Joja Corporation working a thankless Monday through Friday 8-5 desk job with 30 minute lunch breaks that were strictly — and often rather harshly — enforced.

Zoe went from living the dream to dreading her life. "Life's better with Joja" was a joke for which she could hardly summon the energy to laugh anymore.

One day at work, she found a letter she had buried in her top drawer upon hire. It was the letter from Grandpa. She'd been working towards positivity and optimism about her new place of employment despite failing to land her dream job post graduation, but something told her to keep this letter on hand just in case. She had nearly forgotten its existence and vaguely wondered how purposeful that was.

She tore it open and quickly devoured its contents with her weary eyes.

"Dear Zoe,

"If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.

"The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life…real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.

"I've enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Moonstone Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life.

"This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck.

"Love, Grandpa"

It had taken her less than a month to sell everything she owned. Handing her notice in to her snotty manager was the most satisfying thing about the entire move. Her manager had looked down her nose as if she could hardly believe Zoe had found a better position anywhere, and the way she cackled at hearing that Zoe would be leaving for her grandfather's farm in the middle of nowhere… Well, it still grated on Zoe's nerves.

It didn't matter. She was escaping, and she'd rather die than become anything like the ruthless manager who'd held Zoe under her thumb for almost a year. Zoe couldn't get that year of her life back, but at least her life would now be her own.

The air brakes on the bus whistled loudly as it came to a stop. She grabbed the duffel bag that held what was left of her earthly possessions, apart from whatever she might find on this long abandoned farm. With a nod at the bus driver, she hopped down off the bus.

She was greeted by a tall, slender redhead with a warm smile. "Hello! You must be Zoe," she said.

Zoe, still feeling uncertain and unsettled by the hours she'd just spent in cramped bus seat, nodded her affirmation but said nothing.

"I'm Robin, the local carpenter," the woman continued. "Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He's there right now, tidying things up for your arrival." She gestured towards a path behind her. "The farm's right over here, if you'll follow me."

Zoe obliged, mumbling her gratitude, and together the two women headed towards her grandfather's farm. It had been years since her last visit, but she marveled at how little had changed in that time. The dirt path remained unpaved, and its wooden barrier only looked more weather worn. The trees around them waved at her in the breeze, seeming to welcome her home. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to fully enjoy the absence of exhaust, chemicals, and sewage that seemed to permeate every crevice of Zuzu City. They walked towards the farm in comfortable silence.

"This is Moonstone Farm," Robin said at last, as the path opened up into a sort of clearing. The small cabin consumed most of the clear area, but the remaining space around them was largely dominated by trees, weeds, and stones. Zoe's eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a small gasp. This was not the farm she remembered. The open fields bursting with delicious and bountiful crops were nowhere to be seen. The brush and bramble had taken over completely.

"What's the matter?" Robin asked, noticing her reaction. She swiveled around and took a good look at the farm. "Sure, it's a bit overgrown," she acknowledged, "but there's some good soil underneath that mess!" Robin seemed to realize that Zoe remained rather unconvinced, so she offered a reassuring smile. "With a little dedication you'll have it cleaned up it no time," she promised, but Zoe couldn't be so sure.

Zoe followed Robin to the front steps of the cabin. "And here we are," said Robin cheerfully, "your new home."

Zoe stared up at the old brown cabin in silent amazement. Grandpa had built a sturdy home that had outlived him and would probably still be standing long after she was gone, too. She remembered sitting on his knee on the front porch while he told stories about farming and fishing and the deep mines. She hung on his every word, and her mom would stand to the side and chuckle. "I think she wants to be like Grandpa when she grows up," she would say.

I'm doing it, Grandpa, she thought to herself. I don't know what I'm doing, but here I am.

Her thoughts were interrupted by an older man exiting the cabin, tugging his brown cap down to shade his eyes. "Ah, the new farmer!" he greeted her with a grin. He came down the steps and extended his hand to her. "Welcome! I'm Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town." His handshake was firm, but his skin was surprisingly soft. "You know, everyone's been asking about you," he went on. "It's not every day that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal!"

Zoe felt rather unnerved at the idea that so many people were interested in her arrival. It felt like more pressure than she could handle. "Oh, um, that's n-nice," she stammered.

Mayor Lewis seemed not to notice her discomfort at all. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and gazed up at the house in front of them. "So… You're moving into your grandfather's old cottage. It's a good house… very 'rustic.'" The way he said it sounded as if he was trying to lend the home the appeal of modern farmhouse fantasies when he really believed it was more along the lines of a dilapidated disaster.

"Rustic?" Robin echoed with a laugh. "That's one way to put it. 'Crusty' might be a little more apt, though."

"Rude!" Mayor Lewis exclaimed indignantly, though Zoe had to admit that it was rather comical watching the redness spread from his nose, across his cheeks, and all over his ears. He was one step short of steam shooting from his tomato colored ears. "Don't listen to her, Zoe," he insisted, lifting his hat and smoothing his hair as he attempted to recover his composure. "She's just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades."

It was Robin's turn to look flustered, but she was much quicker about covering over her distress than the Mayor was. "Hmmph," she harrumphed in return, facing away from the Mayor.

"Anyway," Mayor Lewis said pointedly, furrowing his brow in Robin's direction, "you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest." Zoe sighed heavily as she finally allowed herself to take note of the exhaustion that weighed heavily on her bones. Sleep sounded like an amazing idea.

"Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself," the Mayor continued. Zoe felt herself tense up immediately. Yeah. That idea… not so appealing. When she had visited her grandfather, it was typically only on the weekend, and she never ventured far away from the farm. "The townspeople would appreciate that," he added, though she didn't think it was for her benefit. The Mayor seemed to be hopelessly oblivious to her discomfort.

Robin and Mayor Lewis both said their goodbyes, with the Mayor interrupting briefly to explain the mail system and how to prepare goods for export. When she was finally alone, she let herself into the cabin.

The place was pretty dusty, and the furniture was in dire need of a good scrub. The fireplace would definitely need to be cleaned before use. Who knew when it had last been lit and what might be lurking in the chimney. That, however, was a problem for tomorrow. Thankfully, spring was in full swing, and there should be no more frosty nights. She removed the bedding and took it onto the porch to give it a good shake. No time for a wash tonight - yet another problem for tomorrow.

When she was satisfied that most of the dust had been removed, she quickly made the bed and collapsed into it.

Home.

Yeah. She was finally home.

Introductions were a lot less painful than she had expected. The older townspeople seemed genuinely excited to see her. The youngest were unimpressed, but they were pretty adorable, making it a forgivable offense. The responses from those who were her age ranged from welcoming to lukewarm to borderline dismissive. In an odd way, she almost preferred being dismissed. It wouldn't be her fault if she didn't pursue a friendship, in that case. The carpenter's daughter was the only one in town who looked anything like Zoe. It turned out she was also biracial. She was nice enough, but Zoe didn't think skin tone was necessarily the best bonding point for new friends.

She made it a point to keep to herself after Tuesday, and once she had cleaned and aired out the cabin, she focused on tending to the farm, felling trees, removing brush and bramble, and tilling the soil. There was an ample amount of food to be foraged from the surrounding areas as well, and all of these tasks kept her busy enough to forget she might require any human company. On Friday, she finally ventured into town again to procure seeds from Pierre. The mayor had gifted her several parsnip seeds, but she'd already planted them and was hoping for a little more variety.

"Hey new girl," she heard a voice say as she handed over payment to Pierre for the seeds. Zoe turned to see a girl close to her own age approaching. She was a few inches shorter than Zoe, had purple hair, and displayed a bright smile that stood out in stark contrast to her dark clothes. "I'm Abigail. Remember me?"

"Um, yeah," Zoe said, stashing the seeds in her backpack. "You were here when I stopped in earlier this week."

"Sure was," Abigail said. She jerked a thumb in Pierre's direction. "This guy here is my dad."

Zoe glanced at Pierre, who offered a big cheesy grin. "That's true!" he said with what felt like very forced cheer. "Thanks for supporting my family by shopping local. You won't find better seeds at JojaMart, anyway." His grin turned into a scowl at the mention of the corporation that had formerly employed her. She made a mental note not to make mention of her work history in his presence.

"Yeah, sure thing," Zoe replied absently, turning back to Abigail. "I guess I didn't realize you were related."

Abigail shrugged. "I look more like my mom," she explained with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, a bunch of us head down to the saloon every Friday night. If you're free, you should come."

"Oh," Zoe said, surprised at the invitation. Her initial conversation with Abigail had hardly been earth shattering or bond forming. She was well aware that her social anxiety made introductions awkward in general. Abigail hardly seemed to mind and appeared to take Zoe's apparent shyness as an invitation to be even more welcoming. "Uh, that sounds nice," Zoe amended, chastising herself for coming across as ungrateful. She didn't have plans at all, and she didn't have a good reason to decline. She tried to remind herself that it would be a good thing to make new friends.

"Yeah, I mean, we're still stuck in Stardew Valley, but we manage to have some fun," Abigail joked with a sideways glance at her father.

Pierre seemed unimpressed. "If you applied yourself to your education the way you apply yourself to those games, you might be at the head of your class," he retorted snappishly.

"I bet," Abigail said, turning away from Pierre so he wouldn't catch the roll of her eyes. "Anyway, wanna come? We would love to have you."

"Well," Zoe said, feeling the tell-tale vibration in her chest that signaled an increase in anxiety. "I mean." She took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully, sending all of the hesitancy and negativity with it. "Yeah. Actually. That sounds like a lot of fun."

Abigail rewarded her bravery with a wide grin. "Awesome! I usually get there around four, but we stay pretty late, so anytime after that is fine."

Abigail's smile and friendly words swirled in Zoe's head as she trekked back to her farm. Once upon a time, she'd been surrounded by friends and possibly even considered rather popular. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Her friend group was comprised mostly of school friends who attended her university, and she was somehow absorbed into their new friend group. She was popular by association. It turned out that after they graduated and most of her friends got much better jobs, she hardly heard from any of them. That was when she finally realized she hadn't worked to make friends in years and had no idea how it was supposed to be done.

Well, she mused, tonight would either be sink or swim.

She threw her tools back into the chest sitting on the side of the house and wiped the sweat from her brow. It had been a taxing day, but it was a productive day. Now that a sizable area had been cleared for her garden, the seeds had been sown in their neat little rows. She could only hope that the weather remained favorable for growth. Having inherited the farm was a blessing in itself, but she still needed to pay for things like electricity. She had some money in savings, though it wouldn't last forever.

Zoe glanced at her watch and noticed that it was nearly four o'clock. If she was going to head down to the saloon tonight, now was as good a time as any to start getting ready. She showered quickly and threw on jeans and a t-shirt. One of the advantages of country living was that no one particularly cared how fashion forward you were, except maybe that seamstress girl and her snobby sister. She tugged on her boots and headed out the door.

It was about half past when she timidly made her way into the saloon. The bar owner, Gus, greeted her from behind the bar with a jovial wave and said, "Thanks for coming by, new girl. Please make yourself comfortable, and let me know if you need anything."

It was so strange to be so easily recognized and welcomed everywhere she went, but she was gradually getting used to it. Zoe did a quick scan of the room but didn't see Abigail immediately. Then she heard tinkling laughter coming from the right and noticed the room off to the side. She found Abigail sitting on the couch and a blonde boy setting up the pool table.

"You laugh," he said, "but I have a feeling. Tonight's gonna be the night."

"I admire your faith in the face of years of defeat," Abigail replied with a giggle, "but I somehow doubt tonight is going to be any different."

His sideways grin was rather adorable, Zoe decided. "All right, all right," he relented. "We'll see who has the last laugh."

Abigail's brow twitched with amusement as she turned towards Zoe. "Sam here hasn't beaten Sebastian in years, but he never gives up hope."

Sam, realizing they had company, pulled himself up to his full height and stood his pool cue on end next to him. "That's right," he confirmed proudly. "One of these days, I'm gonna show him who's boss."

Zoe, though unfamiliar with the group dynamics, couldn't hold back a smile. "Then I guess I admire your faith, too."

Sam's cheeks turned pink, and his eyes crinkled in either amusement or bashfulness - she wasn't sure which. "I appreciate that," he said with genuine warmth. "You're the new farmer, right?"

Zoe nodded. "Nice to meet you… I mean, again."

Sam chuckled. She decided she liked his laugh, too. "Yeah, it's been a few days, and I imagine you've met quite a few people in that time."

She responded with a nod and a sigh. "So many people," she admitted wearily.

Sam and Abigail laughed together. "Don't worry," Abigail assured her. "Before long, you'll be just like us and overly excited to meet a new face because you know literally everything about all of the residents." She smirked and folded her arms in front of her. "It's about time we had someone come along and shake things up a bit. Especially someone who isn't a thousand years old."

Sam shook his head and let out a soft laugh at Abigail's hyperbole. "Careful there, Abs. Don't let the mayor hear you talking that way about our older and wiser residents."

"Or our friend, Mr. George," Abigail giggled behind her hand.

Sam stuck his hand out at Zoe. "Don't listen to her. Anyway. It's nice to meet you… again," he said.

Zoe felt her face flushing as she shook Sam's hand. His grip was firm, and his hand felt warm in hers. His eyes were intently focused on hers, giving her the uncomfortable feeling that she was entirely too exposed. She had the briefly dizzying sensation of not wanting to let go of his hand, but of course social etiquette dictated that she should. She released him and took a step back. "Likewise," she murmured.

If the vibe was weird for anyone else after that exchange, they didn't show it. Sam turned around and grabbed the pool chalk, twisting it on the end of his cue. "Have you ever played pool?" he asked.

Zoe shook her head. "Never had the opportunity," she said.

Sam grinned. "Care to learn?" he asked.

She accepted his invitation with only mild reluctance, thinking she couldn't be all that bad at it. However, after three uncomfortably quick games, she admitted defeat. "I don't think I was built for this game," she joked weakly.

Sam laughed, slapping a hand on her shoulder. "Don't feel bad. If it's any consolation, Bas is probably going to wipe the pool table with my face once he gets here."

"Bas is gonna do what?" came a low voice from the doorway.

Sam turned to smirk at the newcomer. "Speak of the devil," he said.

Zoe's eyes were drawn to the raven haired man standing in the doorway between the bar and the game room. She remembered meeting this guy at Robin's house earlier in the week. He was the son that was living in the basement. He wasn't entirely cold upon meeting her, but he also wasn't particularly friendly. She had felt the tug of attraction then, but she doubted he felt the same.

Zoe's heart did strange gymnastics as she watched Sam's friend take off his jacket and throw it on a nearby chair. He tossed his head gently to shake his long, dark bangs away from his eyes, but it didn't look exhaustingly cliche like with most of the emo boys she'd ever known. Something about the way he carried himself suggested something deeper beneath his dark and brooding surface. She watched as Abigail tackled him with a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso. He didn't flinch at the sudden and public display of affection.

"About time you showed up," she teased genially. "Sam was getting a little full of himself spanking our new friend."

Zoe's cheeks warmed at the insinuation behind the turn of phrase. "Hey, it wasn't all that bad! I was holding my own!" she insisted indignantly, clenching her fists at her side.

Sam let out a snort, drawing her attention away from the pair across the room. "I mean… it was pretty bad," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "No offense. But to be fair, it was your first time playing."

Zoe sighed in frustration, blowing her bangs out of her face as she relaxed from her defensive posture. "Yeah. Okay, true," she acknowledged defeatedly.

Sam beamed at her so brightly it seemed the whole room lit up. "But don't worry. You've got plenty of time to practice. We come out here every weekend, and we would love to have you hang out with us."

The melancholy man standing at the other end of the pool table quirked his brow. "Open invitation? That's bold."

Abigail playfully thumped her friend on his chest. "Stop it, Sebastian. Play nice with our new friend. She's cool so far."

Sebastian. Not a very forgettable name, but it had seemingly completely evaporated from her memory. Zoe was so nervous upon meeting him, she could barely formulate words. That's probably why she totally forgot his name. She probably looked like a silly and dazed little school girl.

Great.

"So, Samson," Sebastian said with a roll of his shoulders. He pushed his sleeves up and grabbed a pool cue. "You ready to wipe this pool table with your face?" Though he was clearly poking fun at his friend, his facial expression remained neutral and his tone nearly flat.

Sam smirked at his friend. "Oh, so you did hear me." Sebastian gave a wry smile in return but said nothing as he started to set up the table for their next game.

Abigail approached Zoe, grabbing her arm and leading her towards the arcade games against the opposite wall. "C'mon girl… let's leave the boys to their macho battle." She dug in her pocket for some coins and pushed them into the arcade game on the left. Zoe took at quick look at the design on the side. Journey of the Prairie King. She'd never heard of it.

"How good are you at video games?" Abigail asked.

Zoe shrugged, feeling rather embarrassed that she didn't seem to have much in common with this crowd. They must be terribly impressed with her already. "Not so great," she admitted. "I haven't ever really played much."

"No worries," Abigail said. "I bet I can have you up to speed in no time."

Surprisingly, Zoe felt herself to be quickly at ease with this group of friends. Sam, without fail, stopped between each game to get a can of Joja Cola from the vending machine. He was adamant that this can would be the one to grant him the caffeinated sugar rush he needed to beat Sebastian. Abigail repeatedly expressed concerns about his ability to sleep that night, but Sam waved her worries away with a goofy grin. Zoe got the feeling he was well aware he had no chance at winning. It was still fun to watch them play.

Fifteen minutes before midnight, Gus called for the last round. The only ones scrambling for another drink appeared to be the scruffy twenty-something-year-old who lived with the animal lady and the fluffy, older blonde with rather brash makeup. Abigail shook her head while Sam smirked at her. Sebastian seemed completely unimpressed by the entire exchange.

"Have you had enough abuse for the night?" Sebastian snarked, hanging his pool cue on the wall. They'd just finished another round, and unsurprisingly, Sam was not the victor.

Sam shrugged, spreading his arms open. "I admit defeat tonight."

Sebastian rolled his shoulders, appearing cool and unaffected. "Nice," was all he said.

"Maybe next time," Sam insisted, grinning at his friend.

"Or maybe not," Sebastian deflected, grabbing his jacket and pulling it on.

"Well… thanks for inviting me," Zoe said to Abigail. She hated endings like this. She never really knew how she was supposed to act or what she should say. It always felt oppressively awkward.

"Yeah!" Abigail said cheerfully. It still amazed Zoe that this bright and pleasant girl styled herself in a manner that screamed dark, brooding, and stand-offish. "I'm really glad you came. It's nice to have another set of ovaries to counteract the ridiculous levels of testosterone that this room sees every Friday night." She rolled her eyes but failed to contain her smile.

"Hey!" Sam protested indignantly. "We aren't that bad."

That earned a cute little smirk from Sebastian. "Yeah, sure, Sam."

"Well, um… thanks again," Zoe repeated, grabbing her jacket and wallet and holding them to her chest as if they might protect her from the pain of total social failure and rejection.

"Hey, your farm is outside town, right?" Sam called out just as she was about to turn and leave. Zoe nodded affirmatively. "It's pretty late, and that's a long trip. I'll walk you, if you want."

"So chivalrous," Sebastian quipped as he strode past Zoe and out the door. "See you guys later," he tossed over his shoulder as he departed.

"Um… well, yeah. Sure. Thanks. That would be nice," Zoe fumbled. For Yoba's sake, SHUT! UP! she internally screamed at her brain.

Sam smiled at Abigail and gave her a parting hug. "I'll see you later, short stuff," he said.

"Boy!" Abigail slapped at Sam's hand as he ruffled her violet locks. "I'm not short! I'm fun sized!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sam said, and they laughed together amicably. "Come on, new girl. Let's head out."

They walked quietly through the curtain of darkness to the serenade of crickets and bullfrogs until they were just outside town. As they started on the fenced path to her home, Sam stepped close enough to nudge her shoulder with his. "Gonna be ready for a rematch next Friday?" he teased.

She was grateful for the low lighting, covering her blush. "Oh, I don't know," she said. "I really don't get out much. I'm more of a homebody." The last thing she wanted was for him to get his hopes up and then be disappointed by her recurring social anxiety. It was much easier to make an impulsive plan and go than to plan things a week ahead of time.

He seemed genuinely surprised by her confession. "Really? That's a bummer. You were a lot of fun tonight."

Somehow she doubted that. "Wow, it must be really boring living here," she said without thinking. Then her words caught up to her brain, and she slapped her hands over her mouth upon realizing how insulting she probably sounded. "I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

But she was met with a loud guffaw from Sam. He stopped in the middle of the path, doubled over with laughter. She froze, hands still hovering over her loose lips.

"You're right," he said after several moments of uninhibited and boisterous mirth. He stood up straight and wiped at his moistened eyes. "It is pretty bad living here sometimes."

"I know but I-" she paused, uncertain. "I don't want to sound like a snobby city slicker. To be honest, I hardly went out when I lived there, either."

He shook his head, grinning broadly. "You must think very poorly of yourself, to say something like that."

His words were met with a mixture of fear and resentment. Once again, she felt much too exposed in front of this guy. Was she as clear as glass? That was such a frightening prospect. She resented him for making perfectly correct assumptions about her self esteem, but also she remembered all too well the sting of rejection from elementary and middle school girls who delighted at her lack of confidence and self worth. They regularly took advantage of the ability to make her cry in front of the rest of the class. Remembering those days only triggered further embarrassment.

"I mean… I…"

Whatever he saw in her eyes caused his face to soften. "Hey. I'm sorry. Maybe I speak without thinking a lot, too." His smile was warm and welcoming, and she couldn't help offering her own small smile in return. "But for the record, yes, you were a lot of fun for this lil small town, hillbilly boy."

"Sam, I wasn't trying to…"

"I know." His grin widened. "Truth be told, I'm actually not even a small town boy."

"No?" she probed, her interest piqued.

He waved a hand at her, as if physically banishing any wrong ideas she might have about his background. "I'm from Zuzu City. We moved here several years ago after Dad's first deployment. It was a much shorter one then, but Mom was anxious about having Vince and me in the city all on her own."

"Really? Why here, of all places?"

"We used to visit all the time. I don't know if you've met Abby's mom, Caroline, but they go way back, like high school. She moved out here after marrying Pierre."

"So I guess your mom just liked it out here that much?"

"Yeah." Sam shrugged. "And truthfully, it's really not even that bad. I know Abby always talks smack about Pelican Town, but I wasn't a fan of how bright and loud it was in the city. And every summer was impossibly hot. Sweltering, honestly.."

"Yeah, you're right about that," Zoe agreed. "I am looking forward to experiencing summer outside the city. Maybe I won't boil this year."

Sam chuckled at her lame attempt for a joke, which felt oddly gratifying. "I don't think you will. Plus, we have an awesome beach for really cooling off. And all the lakes and rivers. There's usually a pretty nice breeze in Stardew Valley. No stagnant stench around here."

She giggled knowingly. "Yeah, sometimes Zuzu City smells awful, but especially in the summer. I got used to it, though. It smelled like home."

He leveled his gaze upon her then, scrutinizing her with his big blue eyes. "Do you think you'll start to feel like you're home here?"

There were so many implications in his words and yet none at all. On the surface, his question was entirely harmless, but the way he watched her, patiently awaiting her answer, suggested that there was more to what he was asking. Was she going to run, or did she really plan to stay? Did it make a difference to him?

She nodded shyly. "Yeah. I kinda think I will."

His smile told her that she'd given the right answer. "Cool. I'm glad to hear that. I look forward to spending more time with you." The tingle that traveled from the base of her head, down her spine, and into her toes nearly made her shiver. "And I really hope you change your mind about Fridays," he added almost too casually. "I mean it. It was a lot of fun hanging out with you tonight."

She didn't know what to say. She felt paralyzed by those intense blue eyes that glistened warmly even in the moonlight. "Oh. Okay," she responded lamely.

Satisfied, he offered his arm. "I guess that's enough dawdling. We better get you home, huh?" She slid her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed him to guide her home.

After he left her at her cabin, her hand was still tingling with something she preferred not to identify.