Regret and Resentment
Sebastian dug through his backpack in search of favorite pen, which had slipped out of the elastic loop that usually kept it near the top for easy access and found an open envelope instead. It was the one he got with his refund check last week. I forgot all about this, Sebastian realized. Violet had called him to tell him about the situation with Kyle immediately afterward. No wonder it slipped his mind.
His dark eyes glanced toward his phone. I have plenty of time before my next class, he reasoned silently. Sebastian had already eaten his lunch, so he decided he may as well knock out this errand so he could straight home this evening for the video chat he scheduled with Violet. Sebastian agreed with his family to celebrate his birthday this upcoming weekend, but that did not mean he did not want to hear from anyone today.
The building that housed the administrative and financial offices on campus was made of the same bland concrete as all the other structures around it, but with fewer windows. The relative dimness of the artificial lighting compared to the sunny day outside emphasized the contrast between freedom and the shackles of bureaucracy all the more depressing as he entered through the double doors.
Sebastian wanted to escape this building as soon as possible, so he decided to ask the first person he saw for help. "Where do I go to talk to someone in the bursar?" The student worker directed him down the hallway, and the programmer entered the open doorway to his right to find a woman sitting at a long counter with a window separating them, much like a bank.
"Good afternoon!" the young woman greeted him with all the phony enthusiasm that all customer service employees were made to exhibit. "My name is Andi. Would you please give me your name and student ID number so I can better assist you?"
The woman's expression broke character for a moment as her eyes met with his. Sebastian could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up in agitation. "You!" he hissed, removing any doubt that he recognized her, even without all her usual makeup.
She smiled coyly. "What? Am I not allowed to have a job?" the freshman replied sarcastically. "I had to get one if I wanted to get student housing half-way through the year, you know."
Sebastian attempted to shake away the nerves by force of will. "I just didn't expect to see you here," the man admitted with a growl. If the programmer had his way, he would have never seen Andi ever again. The underclassman stirred up way too much drama at his expense. Sebastian wondered if Edge helped her set this up before he left for sabbatical.
The student worker prompted him for some basic information to get started, which he answered accordingly. When Andi pulled up his account, her eyes scanned for something that was shielded from Sebastian's view. "Got it!" She declared, tugging a neon pink sticky note from a vast collection on the edge of her monitor. "So, Sebastian, what can I help you with today?"
The hoodie-clad man removed the refund check and letter from the envelope and slid them to Andi through the slot in the service window. "I got this refund by mistake," Sebastian explained. "I'm here to return it."
Andi unfolded the letter and skimmed through its contents. Her mouth slowly dropped into a frown as she turned her attention back toward her computer screen. Andi addressed him in a polite customer-service tone that unnerved Sebastian a bit. "While I appreciate you being so proactive, this refund wasn't sent to you in error." She placed the papers back onto the counter and slid them back through the hole.
Sebastian refused to recognize Andi's attempt to give back the check. "It has to be wrong, though. My dad doesn't work for the university anymore." Even if they were referring to Demetrius as his father - which seemed likely due to the current circumstances - the researcher had long since left employment with ZuZu U and had been working for a private company for years now. Sebastian doubted any university would offer discounts for the parents of a student after they left their employ. Someone must have forgotten to remove Demetrius from their HR records properly.
Andi's head turned back toward the screen, her index finger anxiously twirling around a strand of loose hair from her messy bun. "The notes on your account state that the paperwork was all completed by your parents before the start of the Winter term," she informed the student, "which is why you received the refund."
The programmer let out an exasperated sigh and leaned to rest his elbows on the service counter. "Can you see the name of the parent on the account?" Sebastian offered as a compromise to demonstrate that the records must have been mixed up with those of another student. "My mom's name is Robin and-"
"'Jesse,'" the bursar employee interrupted, with a pained expression that Sebastian could not understand. The auburn-haired woman watched him sympathetically. His face fell as his brain began to process her words. "The name of the parent on your account is 'Jesse.'"
Confusion swept over Sebastian like a tsunami as a million questions flooded his mind all at once. "Jesse Oakes?" Andi bowed her head slightly, indicating he was correct, and nudged the paperwork he brought back toward him. The programmer stared blankly at it for a moment, then shoved it back into the envelope.
He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the roots as his head failed to contain the rush of emotion in his mind. "Thanks…" Sebastian uttered quietly as he turned to exit the room in a hurry.
A door behind him swung open and a second woman's hushed voice called out, "Andi! Is that the kid whose parents came by with the Dean and brought in all that paperwork?"
Andi hushed her co-worker, but the damage was done. If that woman was trying to be discreet, she failed miserably.
So, mom was in on it, too, Sebastian reflected bitterly as he rounded the corner to head back outside and out of range to hear any more of their conversation. "After all those promises that she would finally tell me what happened," the man muttered to himself as he held the speed dial number for Robin down and waited for his mother's voice to answer on the other end of the line.
"Where is my dad?!" Sebastian demanded, his voice cracking as he spoke. "You met with him to fill out all the damn university tuition paperwork, so where is he?!"
Passers-by gave him a wide berth, eyeing him with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "I'm sorry, Sebby…" Robin wept pitifully into the phone, but he was too angry to care about his mother's feelings. "I was going to tell you this weekend when you came home for your birthday. I didn't want you to find out like this."
"Where is he?" Sebastian repeated, his voice low and steady with pent-up rage. "Where is my father?"
Robin's voice was small and weak, but for once, she gave him a straight answer. "He's probably in Hono I'akuné by now…"
Maru stood at the front desk, using the ample counter space to reorganize old files that she found shoved into an old filing cabinet. The records were rather old, probably transferred from another office for some of the older residents whose medical histories had been documented elsewhere and were since transferred here to the clinic in Pelican Town.
It was not difficult for Maru to find projects to fill her free time at the clinic at first, but now she was slowly running out of ideas to keep herself occupied. The young woman desperately wanted to keep her mind off what Haley had shared with her yesterday, but it was no use.
The researcher never considered that Alex intended to ask her out on a date and the idea proved more difficult to assimilate into her realm of possibilities than she expected. Aren't we close friends? The question echoed endlessly in her aimless stream of consciousness. Did Alex truly see her as a potential mate or was he simply confusing close friendship for something romantic?
Maru found herself questioning every interaction up to this point. While many others presumed friendship to dating as a natural progression between two close friends of the opposite sex, Maru was not convinced. When had Alex expressed an interest in her romantically? Were their signs she missed? Was Haley reading too much into something Alex said?
Part of her wanted to solicit Alex directly and clear things up now, but fear held her back. What if he did want to date? Is that what I want? Maru wondered. If they did not want the same things out of their relationship, the young woman feared her friendship with Alex would end. And while the nurse was unsure of whether she wanted to romance her aesthetically pleasing friend, Maru was positive she did not want him to disappear from her life.
Whenever she envisioned the future, Maru saw herself making any number of contributions to the scientific community. The only partners in the picture were always peers or mentors. Truthfully, Maru never gave much consideration to dating or romance. It was not that the idea disgusted her, it just honestly never occurred to her. There were so many other things in life to which she could dedicate her time and efforts.
What should I do? the researcher thought, struggling to keep the despair of decision paralysis at bay.
The chime to announce a visitor disrupted Maru's angst, and to her surprise, her parents both walked through the door.
"Hello, sweetheart!" Robin greeted her with an affectionate sing-song tone. "How's the clinic today?"
Maru blinked. "Oh, not much going on," the young woman reported with a shrug. She glanced toward the old paperwork splayed out on the counter. "Just doing some re-organizing."
Demetrius' gaze scanned the waiting room. "You've got the place looking nice," he observed, nodding approvingly at the new, educational charts decorating the walls. She wrote to a large facility in the city to inquire if they had any unused medical charts available for a small-town clinic and to her surprise, about a dozen came in the mail the very next week. Alex had helped her hang them on the walls together during her lunch breaks last season. The memory made her a bit sad now that Alex's daily visits ceased.
Maru returned the grin, but her heart still felt heavy. Could I get some advice from my parents? she wondered. Her dad was a little high-strung when it came to her relationships with others, but Demetrius had been doing better since their last conversation about her being an adult who can make her own, informed decisions now. If her mother were also present, their combined counsel would be an ideal balance.
But Robin spoke up first. "Maru, sweetie," she stated. "We came down so we could all call Sebastian to wish him 'happy birthday.'" Her mother smirked knowingly. "I have a feeling he'll be too busy to answer the phone tonight."
Demetrius hoisted a picnic basket into view. "Then we can all eat lunch together," her father stated, his lips stretching back in a playful manner that suggested her parents planned this lunch ambush. Were they really that worried she was not eating enough? Or did they miss her company? Either way, she was touched.
"That sounds great!" Maru replied happily. The young scientist had not fully grasped how down she felt lately, and her parents' comforting presence was exactly what she needed now. Gathering up the old paperwork, Maru cleared space to eat with her family and Robin pulled out her phone to call Sebastian.
Her cell began to ring just as she held her hand out to center it between them. Maru noticed the caller ID flashed with the word "Sebby." Robin smiled, "I guess he couldn't wait to hear from us!" she exclaimed with a chuckle.
Maru's mother answered the phone. "Hiya, Sebby! I was just about to call you."
"Where is my dad?!" Sebastian bellowed, causing both Maru and Robin to jump at the harsh tone.
Maru noticed her mother's face went pale - more so than usual - as she covered her mouth to suppress a cry of distress. Demetrius put a hand on her shoulder, and Maru waited for someone to explain what was happening. Her brother's next words were muted by her mother's gasps for air and Demetrius' soothing words in Robin's ear.
"I'm sorry, Sebby…" her mother sobbed pitifully into the phone, but she did not provide any further context. "I was going to tell you this weekend when you came home for your birthday. I didn't want you to find out like this."
Tell him what? Maru wanted to ask, but her mouth did not form the words. As far as she knew, no one had been in contact with Sebastian's father. If her brother had found his father, Maru was certain he would have told her.
"Where is he?" Sebastian repeated. Maru did not recognize the voice anymore; it was so full of hurt and ire. "Where is my father?"
Their mother's voice was choked from her tears, but she gave Sebastian an answer. "He's probably in Hono I'akuné by now…"
Maru had heard that name before. It was the capital of a small nation consisting of an island chain in the middle of the ocean, about as far from Pelican Town as a person could travel. But how would her mom know Jesse's location? Unless… Maru's eyes widened in shock. Unless Mom was in contact with Sebastian's father.
"Go get your mother some tissues," her father ordered, holding Robin in his arms as she cried. Maru's feet began to move on autopilot as her mind whirled with the fact that her mother hid something so serious from her brother. No wonder Sebastian felt he got the short end of the stick. Still, even though Maru knew that Sebastian's situation was more dire, she could not help but feel that an opportunity to have a real talk with her parents just slipped through her fingers.
Shane requested that every villager in Pelican Town attend a town hall meeting that afternoon, so The Stardrop Saloon was packed. Those who arrived early claimed the tables, but the rest of the crowd stood around, waiting for their mayor to deliver the news that prompted the cryptic, yet urgent invitation.
The mayor surveyed the crowd - only Sebastian, Gil, Lewis, and Harvey appeared to be missing and they all had their reasons. That meant everyone who Shane expected to show up was already here. Emily brought up an empty crate for Shane to stand on safely and he stepped up to address his neighbors. "So… you're probably wondering why I asked you all here today," the dark-haired man began, stretching the stubble on the side of his face to calm his nervous energy.
"I'll get right to the point," Shane announced. "I finally found all of Lewis' records and financially, things aren't great…"
Pierre spoke up, assuming the direction the mayor was headed with this public statement. "But we already pay so much," the grocer protested. "I can't afford to stay in business if you raise the taxes!"
Bobbing heads and a wave of murmurs supported Pierre's argument, but Shane raised his hand to request the audience's silence. "That's what this is all about, actually," he responded with a frown. "Lewis' tax collections were a sham, he charged way more than the actual tax rate." His eyes glanced over to Pierre to address him personally, "Especially from business owners."
This time, Gus voiced his concern. "How bad is it, Shane?"
Shane hesitated. While it was not his fault they were in this financial hole, it was his problem now. Unfortunately, he had to be the one to break the news to everyone else, too. Downcast, he let his predecessor's crimes be known. "Lewis charged everyone at least three times the actual tax rate." He was reluctant to disclose the exception to the rule he found. "Except for Aunt Marnie," Shane admitted with an embarrassed grumble. "Lewis charged her the normal rate."
Marnie flushed. Every adult in town knew that Lewis still screwed the rancher, just differently. It was the general opinion that losing money was the preferable outcome of the two, if given the choice. Not at Lewis had solicited any of the other women in town. They were all far too young to have such low standards, the local alcoholic, or married.
Shane heard the hush side-conversations and plowed through, trying to save his aunt from further embarrassment. "Since Lewis either spent the extra tax money he collected or brought it with him when he ducked out of town, Pelican Town is broke right now." Part of him wondered if he would have taken this job had he known the severity of the situation beforehand. Who knows how long Lewis would have continued to get away with stealing from the villagers unless Shane had challenged him?
"I can't reimburse you all for the money that Lewis stole," Shane revealed with a grimace. "But if I allow you all not to pay taxes until that debt is paid, then we have no funding for the seasonal festivals or town improvements." He gestured toward his neighbors with a shrug. "I'm open to any ideas on how we can all move forward."
For a few moments, half a dozen smaller conversations erupted in the crowd as each small group tried to come up with a decent solution. Finally, farmer Emily raised her voice. "Shane, I remember you mentioning there were plots of land that couldn't be sold because Lewis couldn't access the titles that were locked in the vault?"
This was news to most of the villagers and their outrage was made known by several shouts decrying the injustice. Shane nodded and his wife resumed her suggestion. "Then why don't we offer those cheated by Lewis' unfair tax rate some of that land?" Emily suggested. "As long as it has equivalent value to the money stolen, that should be fine, right?"
"That might work for people like Farmer Violet," Pierre argued, "but most of us don't have a use for an empty lot!" Shane saw many heads bob in agreement to the brunet's counter to Emily's plan. He did not like Emily's idea being shot down, but the man had a point.
Robin, who looked a bit rough this afternoon, supported the barmaid's idea. "If you don't want the land, you could sell it to someone who does," the carpenter proposed. "That way, you'll still get your money back, right?"
The grocer pondered the negotiation. "I suppose that could work," Pierre tapped his chin introspectively, "assuming we can find a buyer."
Surprisingly, opposition came from Sam. "But what about those of us who've had to live with our parents because there wasn't any other land to build on? If all the land gets claimed due to Lewis' scams, the younger people will still have the same problem: no jobs and no land to have homes of their own."
"It also means we might have to sell to strangers who might try to develop the land for a large company, like Joja did," Gus objected. "Or have one person own most of the town."
Once again, the town hall devolved into a multitude of smaller conversations. Shane was frustrated that they had not come to an agreement, but he should have known that this would be the outcome. This mess was not going to be cleaned up with just one meeting.
Shane was surprised when Haley stood on a table, but the crowd eventually yielded to her as she yelled over them all, loud and clear, to shut up. Once the room fell quiet, the blonde turned to the mayor, pleased with herself for taming the unruly assembly. "Have you made a police report or talked to someone higher up in the local government?" the woman inquired. "They might know of some resources for us."
"No, I haven't," Shane confessed. Why hadn't I thought of that? he questioned in annoyance.
"Then why don't we reach out to them first and meet up again once we have more information?" Shane's sister-in-law suggested. The mayor was impressed with how well Haley handled things and agreed that it was a good idea. So, the town hall was called to an end and while most people filtered out of the saloon, a few smaller groups stayed to chat.
Emily was behind the counter, apparently starting her work shift early today. Shane was about to leave when Haley pulled him aside. "I want to go with you when you bring this up to a higher authority," his wife's sister insisted.
"Why?" Shane could not fathom why Haley would bother. The blonde helped him win this campaign, sure, but he always assumed it was because she wanted to help Emily.
Haley's large eyes rolled in their sockets, signaling her irritation. "Because you need someone there who knows how to talk to people, Shane," shifting her weight to one side and putting a hand on her hip. "Your people skills aren't exactly anything to brag about."
"And you're such a delight," Shane countered sarcastically.
Her bottom lips stuck out in a pout, then she sighed. "What I mean to say is that I know how to sweet talk and people tend to want to help pretty blondes," Haley clarified. "And it's good to have different approaches, in case one fails."
It sucked to think about, but Haley was not entirely wrong. It would not hurt to have a second person there with him, right? Shane extended his hand toward his sister-in-law. "Deal."
Haley grinned and accepted his handshake. "Great! I'll make some phone calls and find out who we need to harass tomorrow." She winked at him and found Samantha before heading out the door to leave. Haley and his sister were practically attached at the hip lately.
When did they get so close?
The worst that Emily feared was finally over, and Haley had masterfully dispersed the villagers who gathered in The Stardrop Saloon. While the problem was still unresolved, all the residents of Pelican Town were now on the same page in terms of their current predicament. For some, the news called for a stiff drink.
Gus had not needed to ask for Emily to start her shirt early today, she simply strode up on the bar and went to work getting the town hall stragglers their orders. Her boss dipped his head in appreciation and disappeared into the back to get some food prepared for their customers.
Pierre, Willy, and Clint were all up at the bar. It was unusual for Clint and Willy to sit anywhere but their table by the front door, but the news seemed to spur a desire to be closer to the source of their drinks tonight.
Gus brought out a fresh pot of hot seafood stew and dished out a few bowls with his lucky ladle. Emily beamed as the men all relaxed after downing a bit of drink. The barmaid always enjoyed watching auras change when people did something they enjoyed - like eating Gus' delicious food. Their colors became more vibrant, practically sparkling with satisfaction. It was one of the many reasons she liked working at The Stardrop Saloon so much.
Willy tipped his hat to Gus to compliment the stew after Emily placed a piping hot bowl on the counter in front of him. "I always assumed Lewis was paying you top-dollar for those festival feasts!" the fisherman stated, lifting his pint to acknowledge the barkeep. "At least then the high price would have been worth it."
"Or that the money went into the Stardew Valley Fair," Clint muttered into his mug. Emily frowned as she noticed that Clint's aura was dull today. In fact, now that she thought about it, the blacksmith's aura had been grey during her wedding to Shane as well. She had just been too busy to address it then. Poor guy, Emily sympathized silently. Maybe something whimsical will help… She arranged the larger pieces of the stew into a cute face before she served it to him.
Emily cast a friendly smile in Clint's direction, hoping it might brighten his day even a little bit. "I'm sure things will turn out just fine," the red-clad woman assured the men at the bar. "If you've had trouble with the inflated tax rate, I'm sure that one-third the rate will be much more manageable."
Gus chuckled. "Pierre can finally afford to lower his prices!" the chef teased the grocer, who let out a nervous laugh at the idea. Something told Emily that it might be a difficult adjustment for Pierre.
Clint scratched at his chin under his beard. "I suppose I could finally afford to make some forge improvements…" he supposed aloud.
The woman agreed enthusiastically and provided a recommendation of her own. "Haven't you always disliked being inside all day?" Emily probed. "Maybe you could have an outdoor space?"
Clint's brows knit on his forehead as he contemplated the idea. "That… actually sounds nice," the man agreed. Emily observed with pride as his dark aura slowly receded, like Winter ice melting in Spring.
Pleased with a job well-done, Emily moved on to tend to other customers. Leah and Elliott were at their usual table, chatting away. From the get-go, the barmaid could tell that Leah was fired up about something. "What does Samantha have that I don't?!"
Emily could not help but interrupt when she heard her sister-in-law's name. "Shane's Samantha?" the sapphire-haired woman asked to clarify.
Leah flushed, but Elliott intervened. "My dear friend is of the opinion that Haley and Samantha are romantically entangled." He divulged the next part to Emily from behind his hand, hoping to conceal his words from his best friend. "Despite her simultaneous, contradictory insistence Miss Haley is of the heterosexual persuasion."
Emily had not meant to eavesdrop, but she overheard Samantha and Violet talking yesterday while dropping off some baked goods at Marnie's before work. While she did not like deceiving others, even she could recognize that some people needed a little nudge in the right direction. Emily hummed happily. "They've been getting along so well, haven't they?"
It was vague enough that Leah could do what she wanted with the comment, but the aspiring seamstress aimed to light a fire in the ginger, not douse the flame. "I hope they keep in touch after Samantha goes back to school in the Spring." Emily hoped that reminding Leah that Samantha was still a student and would not be in Pelican Town forever would help.
"Absence does make the heart grow fonder," Elliott commented, peering down through his long eyelashes at his best friend. Emily's attention immediately turned to the woman beside her.
Leah's grey eyes flickered toward Elliott and the two exchanged some unspoken words. Emily had a feeling the artist was not saying polite things to Elliott, even without knowing what message was communicated.
Elliott pointedly changed the subject. "Miss Emily," the gentleman addressed her. "May I ask a favor of you?" He leaned in toward the barmaid. "It is of a delicate nature."
Curious, Emily angled herself closer to the poet. "What is it?"
His long, elegant fingers traced a line on the stem of his empty wine glass. "As you may have heard, Miss Penelope is to accompany me to my brother's upcoming nuptials at year's end," Elliott disclosed to her. "I worry that my love does not have the attire for such an extravagant event in high society, so Mother offered to have a garment of hers altered for such a purpose."
Emily nodded, though she was unsure what the man in the well-tailored clothes wanted. At first, she expected him to request that she make Penny a dress, but that was not the case. And while Emily did love experimenting with fashion, she would have had to decline the request to make any alterations, as was not well-versed in working with finer fabrics like silks and velvet.
"It would be uncouth of me to request a lady's measurements directly," Elliott declared firmly. "And a worse offense to do them myself." The author gazed up at her. "However, I hear that you made the Flower Dance gowns for the ladies this past Spring. Would you be so kind as to confirm those measurements are indeed still accurate and pass them along to my mother?" He slid a small piece of paper toward her, about the size of a business card, along with a matching tiny envelope. "I swear that I shall not peek. I will simply slip this envelope into another and forward it to my doting mother so she can arrange the alterations."
Emily tucked the miniature envelope into her apron, accepting the task. "Of course, Elliott," the woman assured her tipsy customer. "I'll have everything you need by tomorrow!"
As soon as the town hall meeting ended, Violet made eye contact with Pam across the room. The blonde gave her a thumbs up, signaling that she would be ready to leave whenever the farmer was prepared. The bus driver looked disheartened that she would miss out on the gossip that would inevitably occur in the saloon, but Violet requested her services well in advance.
So, Violet quickly ran home to grab the rest of her things and make sure that Bruno had plenty of food, water, and the ability to get in and out of the house whenever he pleased. After skimming over her checklist of items she should bring, the pastel-haired woman shouldered her bags and made her way toward the bus stop where Pam awaited her.
It did not take long to reach ZuZu City as it was too early for the afternoon commute home for most employees. Since this was also a bus privately owned by Pelican Town, Violet also had the luxury of being dropped off at Sebastian's apartment building. Normally, the woman would have taken the stairs, but with all the supplies she brought, Violet opted for the elevator instead.
Once she was at his door, Violet set a few things down so she could find the key her boyfriend gave her. Grinning, the woman slotted the key into the lock and let herself in. The place was still relatively neat, even with Sebastian living there alone for over a week now. A pile of books was stacked on the coffee table and Violet could only assume these were books from Sebastian's "read" or "to be read" selections from Edge's personal library.
After setting down her things in the bedroom, Violet ventured into the kitchen with her bag of ingredients and went to work making a variety of Sebastian's favorite foods. If she had timed everything correctly, Violet planned to be on the final touches by the time her boyfriend returned home from his classes.
Movement from the window caught her eye, and Violet realized that it was snowing outside. The forecast had called for a little flurry, so she was surprised to see it coming down so hard. She hoped Pam got back to Pelican Town safely.
With the pumpkin soup well under way, Violet found a sturdy chair and began to hang mistletoe in strategic places throughout the dwelling. In the doorway, over the couch, in the bedroom. The farmer blushed as she considered what might happen tonight, especially if she got snowed in due to the storm. Violet was nervous and excited to finally be somewhere private where they had no chance to be disturbed. While she did not expect anything to happen, she had planned ahead just in case.
When her alarm went off to remind her of the scheduled "video chat" date with Sebastian, Violet frowned. He should have been home by now… The wavy-haired woman turned toward the window and saw that the snow was sticking to the roads and sidewalks now. Maybe I should call him just to make sure he's safe?
"Hey, Violet," her boyfriend's voice sounded exhausted when he answered. "Is it okay if we postpone our call until tomorrow?" Sebastian asked. "I've had a really shitty day and I just want to pass out until morning."
Violet's heart sank. Yes, she was disappointed, but more importantly, she was worried. "But it's your birthday," she protested. "Is there anything I can do?"
There was a long pause. "The roads are too dangerous right now," Sebastian finally said. "But I appreciate the offer."
If only he knew… Violet was glad she originally intended to surprise him, since at least she could comfort Sebastian for his birthday. "Okay, just get home safely."
She then heard heavy footsteps in the hallway and the jangling of keys. "I just got home, actually," Sebastian informed her. "It smells good in the hallway, like someone's making-" Violet emerged from the kitchen to greet the hoodie-clad man as he entered the threshold. Sebastian's obsidian eyes met with hers. "...Pumpkin soup," he finished breathlessly, nearly dropping the phone in his hand. His bag slid off his shoulder and crashed onto the floor as Violet closed the gap between them, wrapping her boyfriend in a hug. She felt his tears begin to dampen her shoulder as the floodgates let loose.
"Shhh…" Violet caressed the back of Sebastian's neck just as his knees gave out. Violet descended with him, and he collapsed onto her, burying his face into her fluffy sweater. "I'm here now, I'm here," the farmer whispered softly, stroking the back of her boyfriend's head. "What happened?"