Saturday, 13th of Winter

It was an exciting day for Alma on Paradise Farm today; when she stepped outside, she saw a plethora of winter produce ready to harvest! There was a beautiful array of crocuses, crystal fruits, snow yams, and winter roots. Alma happily picked them and put them in her bag. In the greenhouse, her pumpkins were ready, which would bring in a nice amount of money from Pierre.

As she was getting ready to leave the greenhouse, Alma looked over the tree saplings and happened to remember something: Caroline had told her how to plant her own tea saplings. She hadn't tried it yet. She looked up Caroline's instructions and went to the chests to see if she had the necessary components. She had what she needed for only one sapling, and "Oh, that's right," she remembered too as she looked over Caroline's instructions again, "I have to plant it in a garden pot." She had those instructions from Evelyn too, and she checked to see if she had all the things she needed to craft that as well. She went back to the greenhouse, constructed the garden pot, filled it with soil and a little fertilizer, then put the necessary things together to plant a tea sapling. And there it was, starting to grow! She would have her own tea in no time.

As Alma stepped out of the greenhouse, she remembered she had her upgraded pickaxe and should now be able to break up the bigger boulders on the property. As she picked up the shattered rocks from the first boulder, she happened to find a note in the snow. It was a similar image to one she found before, with a big red X marking a spot on the ground. In this image, the X was on a riverbank, and it looked to Alma like it was close to JojaMart. She folded up the note, put it in her pocket, and continued breaking up the boulders. There was one boulder near the southernmost entrance to the farm, and there too, Alma found another secret note. It was clinging to the southern side of the boulder, like the wind had blown it from the south. When Alma picked it up and took a look with her magnifying glass, she saw this one was a drawing: a clock that read 12:40, a moon, and an arrow pointing to a particular bush near the bridge to the beach. "Is this for … tonight?" She looked it over to see if there was any sign of date, but nothing. She didn't want to be out til nearly one o'clock tonight, but maybe she needed to if she wanted to know what this meant. For now, she went back up to the chests, dropped off all the rock she had collected, and went into town to sell the things she had collected.

She sold the pumpkins, animal products, and winter plants to Pierre and was happy with the amount of money she had made on this cold winter day. When she came out of the store, she looked at her watch and knew where Harvey would be. She made her way to the library. On the way, she found not one but two lost books! "The spirits must really like me today or something," she said as she scraped the snow off the second book and made her way into the library.

"Well, someone looks happy today!" Gunther said as she walked in.

"It's been a productive day!"

"Then we both get to reap the benefits, I suppose?" She nodded with a smile and put both books on the counter. "I suppose!" He took a look over the books before taking them toward the back, then he said, "Oh, and your latest addition is on the shelf if you'd like to go check it out."

"I will, thank you!" Gunther went to the back, and Alma went into the stacks. She saw Harvey sitting at one of the tables thumbing through a large book. "Hi Doctor," she said quietly.

"Yes, how may I- Oh! Hi, Alma." She chuckled a little and sat next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "Do you … have any medical questions?"

"Hm … whatcha reading?"

"That's not a medical question."

"Are you not reading something medical?" she asked, lifting up the front of the book to peek at the cover.

"Well, yes, but -"

"Then it is a medical question." She looked at him with a smug look, and he just shook his head and smiled.

"I'm doing some medical research on alternative treatments for the flu. Some of the strains this season are particularly rough, and I'm seeing a lot of reports of the shot being ineffective in more cases than normal. I want to see if I can be armed with some other methods before we have a bad case here. I already know some like camphor, eucalyptus, and elderberries; but I wondered if there were any more out there." Alma nodded and briefly looked at the dense-looking pages as he flipped through them. "What about you?" he asked. "Here to drop something off to Gunther, or to read something, or …?"

"A little bit of both. I found a couple lost books, and Gunther told me there was one at the back I could check out. The spirits seem to like me today."

"Yeah?" he smirked. "You've, uh, had a good day?"

"Yeah, I got a lot of things done on the farm this morning, sold a bunch of produce, and I found some good stuff along the way."

"Good, good."

"How about you? Busy day of research?"

He sighed. "Yes, I was hoping to do a bit more pleasure reading, but this is important. I wanted to get this done first."

"Well … why don't you come with me to the Lost Books collection and see if there's something there that strikes your fancy?" She stood up and took his hand, trying to pull him on.

He smiled and chuckled through his nose. "All right." They walked past the front section of the Lost Books, and Alma noticed Gunther was not back at his desk yet. He must have still been in the back working on something. Harvey's eyes scanned over the old books as they walked past. "Did you really help find all of these?"

"I think so, yeah. I don't know if anyone else has brought any or not. I guess no one pays attention like I do."

"I mean, I've started to look, but I never see anything!"

"Remember what Welwick said," Alma said with a smirk. "Your eyes are only beginning to open." She continued walking and turned the corner to the back wall where the newer lost books were. "Oh, this must be it!" She pulled off the book at the end of the shelf and laughed when she looked at the cover. "Oh, no way!"

"What is it?"

"So there's another one I found before that is actually a script for something called The Fisherman. This is Act Two!" She turned it open and looked inside. "Look, there are two characters!" She dropped her backpack and stood next to him so he could see. "I'll be Tex, and you be Gordy, okay?"

"Uh, o-okay."

Alma put on a thick Southern accent as she read, "'Gordy, tell me your best fisherman's story.'"

Harvey went for more of a pirate accent as he read over Alma's shoulder. "'Deep sigh'-– Oh, I mean - " He dramatically sighed and put a hand to his forehead, and Alma giggled before he continued, "'I've caught a lot of fish in my time … and some that are very rare and difficult … But there was one that I struggled to catch for three days and three nights.' Well, you've struggled to catch some fish for a lot longer than that."

"Well, I'm not a master fisherman like good ole Gordy here. Three days and three nights must have felt so very long for him!"

Harvey continued, "'I call this fish … "The Legend." He was a huge beast … And the harder I tugged on the line, the harder he tugged back.'"

"Now that I can relate to!"

"'I let my guard down for a moment and he snapped my boat in two. I've never fished since.'"

"'Do you think anyone will ever catch him?'"

"'Hmm … If this person were a master at fishing, and caught all other rare fish first, and made sure they ate the correct kind of food … then maybe.' I bet you could do those things. You're already on your way to eating the right kind of food, and you're soon on your way to being a master fisher."

"Catching all the rare fish will be a feat though."

"You'll get there," he said with a smile. Then he pulled the script a little closer to him again and continued, "'Above all you've got to have respect for the water, son.'"

"'...Son? Do you mean … you're … f-father?'"

"Actually, no, I thought it was just a fairly common figure of speech for an older man to call a young man 'son.' Oh, uh, of course, I mean - 'Yes, my boy.'"

"Ooh, and the curtain falls there, wow! What drama! And I didn't know you had it in you!" She closed the book and put it back on the shelf.

"No, I - I think I'll stick to my medical books, thank you."

"Oh, I dunno, I think you made a fine pirate."

"Yar, shiver me timbers, matey." He held up his finger like a hook, and Alma laughed as she came closer. "Maybe in another life, but, no, not this one." She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her face up to him. He hugged her waist. "I, uh … think I like this life better anyway."

"A pirate's life is not for you?"

"Not in the slightest." She giggled and kissed him, and he pulled her close, returning the kiss. He nervously looked over her shoulder.

"He's in the back working on the books I brought him," she whispered, playing her fingers at the back of his neck.

He still held to her waist, but she could see his eyes darting back and forth around them. "W-what if someone else comes a-and - "

"You know you're the only one in here most of the day on Saturdays, but …." She brought her hands down to his chest, gently moving him around the corner of the bookshelf in the small area under the window. "This better?" He leaned against the end of the bookshelf and could feel the cold air coming through the window pane, and Alma shivered against him.

"I guess, but a-are you cold? It's a bit drafty back here."

She put her hands inside his coat and wrapped them around his waist. "Not now." She smiled up at him. He smiled back, but she could still see he looked uncomfortable. She knew all too well how it felt and didn't want to do that to him. "Are you all right?"

"I just - worry about if - if someone sees us."

"Then let's get out of here," she said, patting his chest. She could see the instant relief in his face.

"Yeah?" She smiled and moved her hand down his arm, taking his hand, and pulling him away. "Oh, let me get your bag," he said, going to grab it. "And, uh, I'd better clean up the area I was working in." He hurried back to his table, took another quick look at the page he had open, then closed the book and carried it to the book return cart. "Okay, I'm ready." As they went back toward the front door, Harvey glanced back and saw, sure enough, Gunther wasn't there. They quietly snuck out.

As they began walking through the snow, Alma put her arm in Harvey's, and as they walked along the river into town, she noticed something glimmering in the water. "Oh, wait a second." She stood at the river to get a closer look.

"What? What is it?"

"See that? Willy told me that once that glittering boulder was removed from the mountain face, it meant more ore would be in the water. He said I could pan for it, but I haven't really tried yet. But I think there's some right there." She walked around behind him to get to her backpack and pulled out the copper pan Willy had given her. She crouched down next to the river and carefully put it in the shallow water, making sure to grab the rocks and dirt that were on the edge. "Woo, it's cold!" She used her hands to remove the large pieces of debris first, then she carefully moved the pan in and out of the water to let the water move over the dirt and slowly reveal what was underneath. She used her fingers to feel and look through the dirt, and then she noticed something shining. "See? Look there!" Harvey adjusted his glasses and looked closely. "I think that's iron ore! I've seen it in the mines too."

"Well, look there. Good job. Maybe the spirits are happy today." Alma dumped the water but put the ore and pan back in her backpack before they continued on into town. "So, uh, where - where did you have in mind to go?" Harvey asked as she put her arm back in his.

"Well," she said, "it's about dinner time. How about we get something to eat? Maybe at the saloon?"

"You sure you don't want somewhere more … p-private?"

"We could always take it to go." She could see he liked this idea. She smiled, and they turned to go toward the saloon. "Your place or mine?"

"Either is fine with me," Harvey answered, "but I do have a few things I need to straighten out at the clinic first."

"Then how about we just stay there?" They made it to the saloon, and Alma stopped for a moment and said, "In fact, how about you go ahead and do what you need to at the clinic while I pick up the food, then I'll meet you there. How does that sound?"

"Sounds fine. Let me give you some money to- "

"I certainly will not. But I will take my bag, please." Harvey gave her a flat look then pulled her backpack off his shoulders and handed it to her. She tossed it over one shoulder and stepped toward the door. "Want anything in particular?"

"I trust you," he said, sticking his hands in his coat pockets.

She smiled and said, "I'll see you in a bit," before walking into the saloon.

"Good evening, Alma," Gus greeted, walking up to the bar. "Can I get you anything?"

She looked over the menu and decided to order two salads, eggplant parmesan, and a bottle of wine. "And it's to go, please, Gus."

"You got it. Take a seat and relax. It'll be ready in a bit."

Alma looked around the saloon and went around to say hello to the Saturday night regulars. Right around the time she was finishing up, she saw Emily put her bag on the bar and smile up at her. Alma approached the bar, thanked Emily and Gus, grabbed the bag, and went back outside in the winter cold. She went through the square to the clinic and knocked, and Harvey soon came to open it up for her. "Man, do you ever get used to this cold?"

"The first year is the hardest," he said, locking the door behind her. "I'm all done, so … shall we go up?"

"We shall," Alma said with a smile. Harvey took her backpack and held the door open for her to the stairwell. He led her into his apartment and turned on the light. "So," he began, setting down her bag and taking off his coat, "what did you get for us?" She set the bag on the end table between the two couches and opened it up to show him. "Ooh, good choice! I'll get us some wine glasses. How about you take off your boots and get comfortable?"

Alma did just that: she kicked off her boots, hung up her coat, and set down her bag before going to the radio and starting up some jazz music. "This will warm me up," she said, turning up the volume. Harvey came with plates, silverware, and wine glasses and watched her dance back over to the couches. He smiled and helped serve the food. Before she took her first bite, she lifted up her wine glass. "To cozy date nights." He touched his glass to hers and leaned forward for a kiss. She smiled, kissed him, and took a sip. "So," she said, mixing up her salad, "have any plans for tomorrow?"

"No, not really. Just another day. No patients on the schedule, but I'm still on call, of course. I plan to do some work in the clinic, maybe fiddle on the radio a bit, do some reading, then … maybe go to the saloon for a nice dinner."

"A nice dinner?"

"Yeah. I usually get something special from the saloon and indulge with a slice of cake from JojaMart or something, but … well, for some strange reason, I don't feel like doing that this year." Alma looked at him with a smirk, and he gave a knowing look as he took a bite of his salad.

"How about I make you a nice dinner instead? Dinner at your house tonight, dinner at mine tomorrow?"

"You know you don't have to do that. It's just another day, really."

"Of course I don't have to. I want to. No one deserves birthday cake from Joja. But especially you. This is a special day, and you are a special man. Let me treat you special."

Harvey's expression melted, and he set down his glass and plate, stood up, moved Alma's food and drink out of the way for her, took her hands, and pulled her up. He embraced her tightly, with her arms curled up against his chest. It felt so good to be wrapped up in his warmth, and she took a moment to close her eyes and really lean into it. He rubbed her back and rocked her back and forth with the music, resting his head on top of hers. Then he kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you."

"I could make you a special birthday breakfast too, if you'd like," Alma said quietly. She looked up at him with a warm smile and reached up to take off his glasses. "No pressure to … perform tonight, though. Just kisses and cuddles to keep us warm."

"Of course," he whispered, moving his lips to hers. "Then I can make breakfast for us the next day." He scanned her face and asked, "Is this okay?" She moved her arms up around his neck and pulled him closer for a kiss.