Chapter Five

Those childhood memories carried me through the entire night. When I woke up, I felt rather listless inside. The memories made me feel warm and tingly. But they also left this awfulness, as if someone just reached into my chest and punctured a hole through my heart. As I wrangled into my work clothes for the day, I approached my window. There was that shriveled up, scraggly field that I knew would come to haunt me in my sleep if I didn't do something about it. I flipped open the dusty, creaky chest beside the front door and sifted through some ancient looking tools. They were easily half a century old, at least. I furrowed my brow as I lifted a spade that looked like death by tetanus. They would have to do, though, I told myself, throwing the front door open.

Despite it being the onset of summer, there was still a comfortable breeze coming down the large mountain that loomed over my farm. As I reached for the bucket beneath my mailbox, I paused, when I realized there was an envelope inside the imperfect cone. I carelessly dropped the shovel and bag of seeds into my bucket and reached inside. The letter had been there long before me. The way it crinkled indicated all the seasons that had come down on it. I glanced around the farm as if someone were watching me before I opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Dear Mr. Wright,

It has been quite some time since I've last heard from you. Pearl said that your surgery on Waffle Island had been successful. Tell me, dear heart, how are you getting on? We sure do miss your visits to Flower Bud Village. Catherine came by this past spring. I, unfortunately, didn't get the time to chat with her. Oh, but she is darling, Derrick. She reminds me of you when you were just a blossoming young adult. It seems like she's quite the little success in the city. You must be so proud of her. I know Susan would be, too.

I know you're busy watching your health and eating a balanced diet, but I have a favor to ask of you. When you get the chance, can you fish out Susan's old recipe box and send me the list of ingredients for her jams? Specifically her apricot and cherry jams. The local artisan fair is coming up quick and I'd like to compete with something other than a pie. As I've gotten older, I've found they just don't satisfy like they used to. But a slice of homemade raisin bread paired with Susan's glorious jams would be just what I needed to win! Oh, I do hope you receive this letter in enough time. I can always wing it, but of course, plum, that'd be taking a big chance.

Anyway, maybe when the weather cools down, one of us will be willing to jump on a boat so we can see each other. It's been a dreadfully long time, Derrick. Five years is too much. As always, I look forward to receiving your response. Eddie and Brox send their love and best wishes. The traveling merchant will be in next month. Perhaps I'll find you some miracle tonics to help with any lasting side effects.

Much love,

Shelia.

Slowly, I lowered the handwritten note from my eyes. It seemed Derrick had never seen this letter. It must have been the last one delivered to him right before his mailbox became the most unimportant thing in the world. For a moment, it made my heart ache as I thought about the frightening reality of death. Expected or not, the end of a life was so awfully terrifying. I took a deep breath and put the letter back in the mailbox, shaking my head. I couldn't allow my mind to wander away. I was quick to snag my bucket up and I reeled my hose after me as I approached the edge of the field.

I crouched down, looking between the two canvas bags. Peppers seemed like the safe way. The morning sun warmed the nape of my neck as I churned the crunchy dirt with my spade just as I had read in the books from the library. I then tediously mixed the little seedlings in, saying a little prayer with them, too. I enjoyed tasks that took my complete concentration. Anything that made the world melt away in the background. It's why I was so good at data entry. Little jobs like that made coping through each minute of the day just a little bit more bearable. I was beginning to find a flow in my work, plucking wilted weeds as I went, tossing them into my bucket. If I focused on the patch in front of me, I could almost believe that my entire field looked nicely sowed and churned. God, that would make the farm absolutely glowing. As I pat the dirt down compactly, snuggling my seeds inside, I began to daydream about a field bursting with crisp, yellow wheat blowing in the breeze. Chicken clucking and poking their beaks out between the stalks. Distantly, cows would moo and crane their necks to drink from the ice cold creek at the back of the property. Bees would work diligently to provide me with the best honey this side of the ocean.

I reached behind me to grab my hose, but paused when a flash of red caught my attention. Standing at the entrance of my farm was a totally carefree looking Ann, who was slowly tilting black cat eye sunglasses up onto her forehead as she eyed me from where I was knelt in the dust and dirt. She was sporting a green and pink striped one piece beneath a white mesh robe. Her legs gleamed brightly in the late morning light, her radiant red hair let free around her wiry shoulders. On her shoulder, a Waffle Island tote bag swung back and forth. I sighed as I came to my feet and began showering my thirsty seeds with water. Ann's flip flops were obnoxiously loud as she walked towards me.

"Working, seriously?" Ann crossed her arms over her chest. I heard a collection of plastic shovels and buckets tumbling in her bag, along with the clanking of glass bottles. "I told you this is a holiday! Even grumpy ol' Saibara takes the day off. Get in your swimsuit right this instant, Claire!"

"Alright, alright," I sighed as I panned another sheet of water across the thirsty plants. "I told you yesterday I was getting my life together. This is what it looks like."

"Yeah, well, looks swell," Ann grinned and commandeered the hose. "You go get ready. We have to get a prime spot at the beach! And I'd like to at least be tipsy by the time Kai's boat is docking."

I picked at the some dirt beneath my nail as I paced a few steps away before I paused and turned back towards her. "What is so special about Kai coming, anyway?"

"Nothing really," Ann shrugged as she tossed the hose aside and turned to me. "It's just an excuse to take the day off. I live for the days I can step out from behind the counter at the inn. And Mary finally comes out from her library, though, that girl lays the sunscreen on thick. Even Cliff doesn't go to bible study!"

"Does… anyone else go?" I felt my brow knitting together.

"Oh, yeah, sure!" She brightened at this thought. "Basically all the young people. Karen showing off her newest swimsuit that her daddy ships in from The City. Rick pretending like he doesn't have the biggest crush on her," Ann practically rolled her eyes. "I wish Popuri would come out just one year. I almost had her this time 'round."

"What about…" I felt myself hesitating as I swallowed roughly. "Gray?"

"Of course, of course," Ann laughed. "Sorry, all of us here know it's a no-brainer that Gray will be there. He and Kai are best friends. Kind of endearing and also a bit strange seeing as Kai is so loud and wild and Gray's very reserved and withdrawn."

A lot of words and thoughts were rushing through my mind. Lamely, I swung my arms back and forth before nodding and turning away to get myself prepared for the celebration. When I shut the door behind me, I let out a sigh, rubbing at my face and smearing beads of sweat across my flushed skin. I paused in front of my wardrobe, pressing my damp palms against it. Every word Ann had just used to describe Gray was absolutely wrong. Were we talking about the same person? When we were children, he was bright, supportive, talkative, inquisitive, polite, extroverted, outgoing- all the damn adjectives in the book. I lifted my eyes, seeing another framed photo gleaming right in front of me. Naturally, it was of me and Gray. We were at our fifth grade field day, our ankles tied together for the great race. We were laughing, beaming with smiles I barely remembered anymore. Gray seemed to be mid-fall with me shooting a thumbs up at the photographer. We were messy and grimy from giving each game all our attention. Gray's shirt even had a splattered egg on it from our unfortunate tossing experience. I picked the picture up, drawing it towards me. My throat felt tight in that moment.

"I guess we aren't the same people anymore…" I whispered, before replacing it on the wardrobe so I could finally start getting ready.

…

Ann was in good spirits as we walked towards the beach. She swung her arms joyfully, her Waffle Island tote bag tilting back and forth. My eyes were trained down on the hot red brick path beneath my slip ons. I didn't have much water attire. The black two piece I had fished out of my wardrobe was all I had and it still had a tag on it. I wore an open white button up and black shorts over it. I was still reeling, absolutely baffled, at how Ann had just described the boy I thought I knew best in the world. Of course that made me feel like an idiot, too, for being so surprised. Who could blame him?

"... earth to Claire!" Ann leaned forward, snapping me from my trance as we came around the bend of Rose Plaza. "Can you hear me?"

"Oh, yes," I cleared my throat and began working on getting my hair pulled back. "Sorry. Just thinking about the farm." The barkeep crossed her arms over her chest, giving me a sly look. "What?"

"You know, I'm onto you," Ann grinned, her shoulders bobbing warmly. "You've got it written all over your face."

"What are you talking about?" I huffed, frisking my bangs neatly across my forehead. We came to pause at the top of the stairs to the beach. The young people of Mineral Town were gathering. Rick and Karent sat very obviously close to each other in the shade of a parasol. Cliff, still dressed in his warm, woolen coat, chatted with Mary, who was lathered in a layer of sunscreen easily an inch thick. They were near the shoreline where Cliff was absently skipping rocks across the surface. Elli was in the shade unpacking a basket full of snacks while she eyed Stu and May who played in the shallow waters near the clammy pier legs. My eyes stopped, however, on the only familiar person there. Gray was sitting just out of the lapping water's touch. He was wearing red swim trunks and a loose black T-shirt. His hat was turned backwards, his curls bobbing across his forehead in the breeze. He was hugging his knees, looking out at the horizon, where a boat was becoming noticeable.

Ann linked our elbows together, drawing me away from my thoughts. I looked to her with arched eyebrows. Her smile was a mile long as she practically dragged me down the steps. "I think you're already sweet on someone! You work fast, you know that, Claire?"

"I have no idea what you're on about," I grimaced as warm sand spilled into my shoes. She began towing me across the beach with great vigor. As we passed Rick and Karen, I heard the shop keeper's daughter mutter about having the same sunglasses as Ann. She brought me to the next umbrella that was just off the ocean's tide. A few feet away, Gray sat, unaware of our presence.

"You've got a thing for redheads, huh?" Ann wiggled her eyebrows at me. I blinked rapidly a few times now before I slowly turned my gaze to fall on the back of Gray.

"Huh? Wait - what?" I practically choked, only amusing Ann more. She dropped her tote to the ground and rifled through it, unfurling a large blanket beneath the shade of the parasol. "No, Ann, you have it all wrong." I shook my head, stepping closer to her as she plopped down and began pulling a wet bottle of beer out.

"Why else would you ask me about Gray like that?" She shrugged, popping the cap off her beer. "What'd he say to you? Oh wait, wait, don't tell me!" Ann took a big gulp of frothy beer and then started laughing. "You're a sucker for big blue eyes?"

"No," I deadpanned, sitting beside her and opening a beer of my own. "That's not the case at all."

"Well, then spill!" Ann was jittery with excitement, maybe partly from the day but also from her prodding gossip. "No one ever asks me about Gray. What's the deal?"

I took my time drinking my beer before I shook my head. "It's complicated."

"How can anything get complicated in just three days?" Ann looked very doubtful now. I glanced out at the ocean to see the approaching boat. No matter how hard my mind churned, I couldn't find a way to put the words together just how I wanted them. How was it that my childhood best friend, my practical sweetheart, the center of my universe, the only person who had ever noticed me, was sitting five feet away, yet we were like strangers sharing a space?

"I used to know Gray," I finally said quietly, lowering my beer between my raised knees. "In the City."

"Huh," Ann bobbed her head. "Small world. How well?"

"Pretty well…" My eyes were now trained on the back of Gray, studying his yellow and blue hat with the stitched word UMA. The way the ends of his red hair curled, it seemed so familiar, yet so foreign in that moment. As my voice rattled my throat, I felt like I was seeing an entirely different man, blurring the lines of the boy I had so desperately loved as a child. "We did everything together."

"Then why'd he come here?" Ann furrowed her brow, leaning in towards me. My eyes never broke away from Gray, though.

"Something happened…" my lips barely moved as I titled my head back and forth. Just thinking about that awful day in September made me shudder with loneliness. "Our childhoods ended…"

Gray had stood now. His cheeks were slightly red from the hot sun overhead. He dusted his hands off, turning to look for shade I was sure. When he saw us, he did a double take. Ann waved excitedly and held a beer up as an offering. This was enough to coax him under the umbrella where he sat criss cross on the towel across from us. He popped the cap off his beer, carelessly flicking it into Ann's tote bag.

"How much longer?" Ann asked, finishing her beer and lodging it into the sand. In the same motion, she grabbed herself another. "I am so hungry."

"Well, you know Kai," Gray said. He took a sip of his beer and then held it back to look at the label. "You know he's gonna have to be pretty hammered before he cooks for all of us."

"Hopefully he's already started," Ann stuck a pouty lip out. "We go through all this trouble to celebrate him and he has to be drunk to even offer us free food. So rude!"

"You charge him for every meal at the inn," Gray pointed out.

"Hey, that's my daddy's rule," Ann now lifted her chin defiantly. "If I didn't have to charge anyone for a meal, I wouldn't! And mind your own beeswax or I'll put a little bug in my daddy's ear."

He smirked and shook his head, turning his hat forward now as he cooled off in the shade. We made a brief, silent eye contact for just a moment before we both decided to look at the incoming boat. I could feel Ann's eyes on the side of my face, hungry for answers. And maybe antsy for Gray's most embarrassing secrets. I wondered if he was still frightened of chihuahuas. And did he still have a sweet tooth for fruit gummies? I hoped he still ate peanut butter by the spoonful and obsessed over fantasy series. Did he still get a rush of excitement from football games? Could he still pluck a few magical notes on an acoustic guitar? I pressed my cold beer against my lips as I thought about all the years I had locked away in the vault of my brain. Being near him did something to that trove, however. The gates were flung over and I was remembering everything I told myself to forget when I was just fourteen years old. The breeze rushed past and the smell of cola and pine trees came over me. He smelled so much more sophisticated than the young boy who used to lay on too much cologne.

As I watched that boat, I tried to imagine Gray over the years forging his friendship with this Kai-fellow. I wondered what they did for fun. Did they have inside jokes like we used to? Did they bond over the same things? I just couldn't picture it. After Gray had left, I had lived a lonely existence. It was somewhat comforting to know Gray had people in his life but it also made me feel a bit blue. Being here now, however, made me realize I should have done this so much sooner. I licked my lips before I titled my head back, taking a swig of my drink. The crashing ocean brought me back to the scene soon. Ann was now stretched out across the towel, digging her toes in the sand just beyond the shade. Gray watched the ocean, quiet and undisturbed. The children were with Elli, devouring sandwiches and complaining as she lathered more sunscreen on them. Mary had retreated to the shade of the awning of Kai's restaurant, a book open in her lap as she drank some water. Cliff sat on the pier, his legs swinging back and forth. I noticed Rick and Karen had packed up and left. Strange, I thought, as the boat was coming close to the pier.

"Ahoy, mateys!" Came a strong bellow across the water. Ann propped herself up on her elbow, pushing her sunglasses up her forehead. On the bobbing boat, balancing precariously on the railing was a young man with tanned skin the color of almonds. An orange and blue striped shirt was left unbuttoned, flapping in the wind. A white undershirt was bright in the afternoon sun. Cargo shorts left his legs exposed and, to my surprise, he was only wearing flip flops. A purple bandana was snuggly wrapped around his head, bright brown eyes set beneath a bold brow. "Your king has arrived."

"Oh, brother," Ann rolled her eyes as we came to our feet. Slowly, we all gathered onto the pier as Cliff deftly caught a rope, winding it around the metal hook. "He better grill some pineapple."

"No way," Gray shot her a look. They almost had a sibling banter about them. It was nearly believable with their red hair and blue eyes. "Corn, all the way."

"He's obsessed with corn," Ann looked towards me with a mocking smile. Between a blink, for a fleeting second, I saw Gray beaming, holding a plate up excitedly, as his father pulled a cob from the grill.

Kai took a hearty, daring leap from his boat and landed on the pier not so gracefully. A beer bottle dangled from his fingers as he held his arms up as if he were an olympian to be revered. Ann was expecting food that instant, crossing her arms over her chest and looking unimpressed with his entrance. The beachy man finished his beer off, setting it on a barrel and letting out a big 'ah!'. He then sprung forward, wrapping his arms around Gray and giving him beats on the back.

"My man, Gray!" Kai's voice was somewhat scratchy, the sign of a loud, boisterous man. "How I have missed you!" He then turned to Cliff, offering him a fist bump. "And Cliff! My personal pastor, I've got some things to confess!" Kai shot a finger gun towards Mary. "Still working on that cookbook. Keep some room on the shelves, alright?" He paused, his goofy grin never faltering as he only held his arms out. "Ann, oh sweet, Ann. Have you perfected your creme brulee yet?"

"I undercook it one time-"

Kai scooped her into a warm, friendly hug, laughing all the while. "Aw, come on, I'm just joking. You're the only chef out here giving me a run for my money!" When they broke away, that's when Kai finally noticed my foreign presence. His smile fell somewhat to the wayside as he laid eyes on me. I felt a bit squirmish beneath his gaze, aware of my plain existence and appearance. His lips were quick to move again and he glanced among the crowd. "Well, no one told me Mineral Town was invaded by a fox!" Everyone had their own way to cringe at his cheesy comment, but he was not at all affected. Confidence was exuded by Kai as he stepped forward, offering his hand out to me. "Kai Leilani. Who might you be?"

It took me a moment to recover before I swallowed and grasped his hand. "Claire Hanes. I, uh, bought the farm in town."

"No shit," Kai's friendliness never waned. "You beat me to it. I've been saving up money to make my restaurant a farm to table joint. Sounds like we've got some business to discuss, Claire."

"After you throw some things on the stove!" Ann interjected.

Kai didn't tear his eyes away from me as he grinned and said, "Lucky for you, I broke out the rum."