"Robin?"

The carpenter cast a cheerful smile over her shoulder. "Morning!"

"What are you… have you started already?" the farmer asked, eyes still bleary from sleep.

"Yes indeed, I've been here since sunrise." She stood up and dusted the wood chips from her clothes. "Your new coop is coming along nicely. I'm almost done with the base foundation."

"I didn't realise you'd be here so early."

"I like to get a head start."

"If I knew, I would have been up to greet you," the farmer said apologetically. "I was organising my storage system this morning. Things in the house are going to be pretty cramped until I have enough to commission a shed for a workshop."

Robin waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Your farm is lovely in the early morning."

"Can I get you some breakfast? Maybe some bread, or–"

"I'm seriously fine!" she insisted with the wave of a hand. "Go about your business as usual. I'm sure you have lots to get done."

The farmer looked uncertain. "Well, if you're sure…"

"Positive."

"Okay. Just give me a minute." The farmer retreated back into the house and Robin's eyes followed her silhouette through the windows. She opened a chest and stooped over… Robin couldn't even imagine what. Not wanting to rush her, the carpenter simply resumed her work, grabbing a couple more oak planks so she could build up the walls.

There was a part of her that wished she could have kept watching. Even before she was married, Robin had always been intrigued by moments of domesticity, especially outside her own household. Being able to break from her own routine and watch how someone else went about their day in their home, what they did, how they carried themself, fascinated her. The fact that she had caught the farmer before she was properly up and ready simply added to this. It was nice to be able to see someone new wake up and prepare to take on the day.

"Here."

Robin looked up to see the farmer holding a mug out to her. The smell was the first thing to hit her, an immediate indicator of what was in it.

"I didn't have enough for a triple shot, so I hope just a regular coffee is fine." The farmer already looked infinitely more awake than she had been ten minutes ago. "I lived off coffee while working at Joja. I'm trying to cut down, but I'm still at the point where I need at least a cup or two in the mornings before I can function."

Their fingers brushed when Robin took the mug from her. "Thank you," she said with a grateful smile. "And there's no shame in running on coffee. Harvey would know a thing or two about that."

Now that she was sufficiently caffeinated and Robin would soon be getting there, the farmer retrieved her watering can and began tending to her flourishing crops. The steady thud of a hammer could be heard as Robin resumed her work.

"The farm must be doing well if you've managed to earn enough for a coop this quickly," she observed, making easy conversation. Talking with the farmer was always easy. Getting to know a new person was like a breath of fresh air from the monotony of Pelican Town, and Robin sought out each new piece of information like a piece of treasure to hold close.

"Yeah, it is! You were right about the soil. It produces some high quality crops. Pierre pays highly for them." Robin didn't want to think about the higher marked up prices he resold them at. "I've also been helping people with little fetch quests and errands. It's not much, but every bit of gold helps." She paused for a moment, seemingly deliberating on whether or not she wanted to keep talking. "My dad doesn't seem to agree with you though," the farmer finally shared. "About the farm."

The older woman cocked her head. "He told you?"

"Not in words, but he keeps sending me gold in the mail. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it. It certainly helps keep this place up and running. But it's also kind of… condescending?" The farmer shrugged. "He had his doubts when I told him that I was taking over Grandpa's old place. I haven't been back since I was a kid. And after working a corporate job for so long, maybe he thinks I'm too much of a city kid to be able to do this. I don't know…"

Robin gave the farmer a sympathetic look when she saw her shrink into herself a bit. "I know the feeling." She paused the wood cutting for a moment, subconsciously turning her axe over in her hands. "My parents were bewildered when I told them I wanted to be a carpenter. They were pretty old fashioned. My mom thought I shouldn't have had to work at all, especially once I had Sebby."

"How'd you change their mind?"

"I built a home for myself and their grandchildren from the ground up. Built theirs too, in our hometown a couple of villages over."

"Great, so all I have to do is make my dad a farm?" said the farmer, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She let out a good natured laugh. "All you have to do is show him that you can hold your own out here. You're gonna have to live with the condescension for a while. But once you're up on your feet, maybe ship him some of the stuff your farm is producing, or better yet invite him to see it for himself."

The farmer's eyes widened. "That's actually a pretty great idea."

"I had a good feeling about you when I first saw you coming off that bus. I know you're gonna do great things here, Farmer. Your dad will see it too. It might just take a little time."

Her cheeks reddened but she smiled, heartened by the encouragement. "Thanks, Robin. That means a lot"

"And if you ever need someone to talk to, I know a thing or two about starting up in a small town." She took in the farmer's shocked expression. "Why do you look so surprised?" Robin asked.

"I just thought you grew up here like most of the other townsfolk. Leah and Elliot seemed to be the only people not born and bred here."

Robin chuckled. "I've certainly been here a long time, but by no means did I grow up here." She had been chopping more planks while they spoke as easy, mindless work, but now she put her axe down to give her palms a break, noting their red and irritated surface. If she kept going, there would no doubt be blood drawn soon. "I came to Pelican Town as a single mom after things with Sebastian's dad ended."

"I'm sorry," the farmer said, more as a reflex than anything.

Robin brushed her off with a wave of her hand. "Don't be. It was a shotgun wedding so it was bound to be a disaster anyway." She just shrugged away the farmer's startled expression. "Traditional parents, remember? No way their perfect daughter was going to have a child out of wedlock. But in a way, I'm thankful. When things with Sebastian's dad didn't work out, it gave me the chance to move and give us both a fresh start. It was nice too, escaping where I grew up."

"But you just traded one small town for another."

"What can I say? I stay true to my roots," she laughed. When was the last time she laughed this much having such a mundane conversation? It seemed that the farmer just brought something out of her. "It was an adjustment, sure, but in a way, being used to living in a small community made things easier. It helped that Sebastian had Sam and Abigail to play with back then too."

The farmer smiled. "That's really great, Robin. Sounds like you got the fresh start I'm chasing right now." She hesitated, like she was afraid to ask her next question. "When did Demetrius come in?"

Robin stiffened, a familiar tension finding its way into her shoulders. She took a deep breath to re-centre herself and tried not to let it show. "Demetrius moved to the valley a little after I did." she explained, keeping her voice neutral. "He came from the city, like you."

"A scientist from the big city? It's no wonder you got swept off your feet," she said, like it was an obvious observation. Robin frowned, but the farmer was too busy hoeing spots for more seeds to notice. "I'm really happy for you, Robin. I hope that I'll be able to build a life here like you did. And maybe find someone great to marry too someday."

Her mind wanted to scream at the farmer. To tell her that marriage was a sham. That it had failed her twice, the only difference being that this time, Robin couldn't afford to run away again and start afresh. But even if the farmer seemed to be the easiest person in this town to be open and honest with, that would be so much to explain so early into their friendship. "Yes, Demetrius is… great," she instead settled on with a strained smile.

"I have to run to Pierre's for more fertiliser before I get these seeds in the ground," the farmer declared, getting up and brushing her dirty hands off on her overalls. "Do you need anything from town?"

Such a simple ask, and yet Robin's heart swelled at the fact that she was being thought about at all. That farmer was so considerate. "I'm alright, but thank you for asking."

She nodded and gave her one last smile before heading towards town. Robin felt her heart warm as she watched her leave, unable to tear her eyes away.

A/N - Hello dear reader! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've got lots planned out for this story so if you're enjoying it, stick around because I'm far from done with Robin and the farmer. And if you have any ideas or suggestions on what cutscenes and dialogues you'd like to see me play around with, feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to incorporate it into the story. As always, let me know what you think and until next time, stay safe.

This story is also available on AO3. I also have a Twitter kayasmuttytoast where I post behind the scenes content, polls, writing updates and more. I also have a Tumblr and Bluesky kayassmuttytoast. The links are in my profile!