Friday, 26th of Winter

"I think that looks good, don't you, Biz?" Alma stood and admired the red rug under the kitchen table. Then she jumped when she heard a knock at the door. "I wonder who that could be …?" She opened the door and was surprised to see Gus standing there holding a large pot with oven mitts. "Well, good morning!"

"Good morning!" He took a deep breath and sighed happily. "Ah … what a beautiful day, huh?"

"Yes … though it is rather early. Is there … something I can help you with?" Alma asked, hugging her coat tighter on her shoulders.

"You know, as the saloon owner, I hear about everything that's going on in town. I remember when you first moved here …." Alma wasn't sure exactly where this was going, and she remembered yesterday when Gus was rambling about candy canes, unaware of how bored Leah and Elliott were. "Everyone was a bit unsure of what to expect. A stranger from the city … an unknown personality …. One sec …." He took the wooden spoon and stirred it in the pot a few times.

"Uh … Gus?"

"Sorry, I have to stir this pot every five minutes."

"Uh, why - ?"

"Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah," he said, carefully repositioning the pot on his hip. Then he took an extra glance at the pot. "You know, it's like when you're making a sauce …. If you put in a new spice, you could ruin everything!" Just then, the pot rumbled and bubbled, and before either of them could do anything, the sauce caught fire! Alma shrieked, but Gus simply fumbled for the spoon, quickly stirred, and then the fire went out with a sizzle. "But then again, there's always a chance you'll create something new and delicious! Right?" Gus laughed his big belly laugh, but Alma just stared at him, her heart still pounding. "Er … what I'm trying to say is … it's been great having you in town, and I've come to think of you as one of my good friends!"

Alma's face softened, and she put her hand to her chest. "Aw, Gus! You came here just to tell me that? That's so sweet of you! Of course I think of you as a good friend too. You do so much to help so many people in town, and that does not go unnoticed."

Gus smiled. "Anyway, I came to give you something." He gave the pot another quick stir before gesturing behind him at the bottom of the stairs. It was a mini-jukebox, just like the one he had at the saloon! "I was cleaning out the back room, and I found this old Mini-Jukebox. I want you to have it!"

"What? No! You need to keep it! Put it in a different part of the saloon or something for everyone to enjoy!"

"Ah, no, it's not that special. It's actually an old Do-It-Yourself project of mine, from many years ago. They're pretty easy to make! So, just in case you wanted to make more, I brought the blueprints for you …." He stirred the pot again then pulled off an oven mitt to reach in his pocket. He pulled out a blue piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Well, thank you so much, Gus. I will enjoy this! It will bring so much life to my little cabin!"

Gus smiled again and stirred the pot. "Well, I'm gonna head home. I gotta get this marinara back on the stove! Have a good one!"

"You too! Good luck with your sauce!" Before Alma stepped back inside, she glanced at the mailbox and saw a letter poking out. She quickly grabbed it and brought it inside to read:

"Dear Alma -

I want to make fish stew, but I need an albacore! I know they're almost out of season … sorry about the short notice. Could you catch one for me?

- Gus"

Alma thought it was strange that Gus didn't just ask her when he was here, but she figured maybe he wrote the letter a day or so ago; maybe the mail ran late because of Winter Star. An albacore …. She thought through her chests full of fish but couldn't remember if she had one or not. She pulled out her journal and wrote, "Bring Gus an albacore."

After quickly finishing her coffee, Alma set off outside to get to work. Wheat flour was ready in the mill, so she bagged that up and carried it inside. Hot pepper jelly was also finished in the preserves maker, so that, too, she canned and put in her bag. There were sunflowers in the greenhouse, an excellent-looking duck egg, and - "What the heck?!" Alma reached down and picked up the fluffy rabbit foot off the ground. "Beatrix, are you … are you okay?" She examined each foot on her rabbit. They were all four still there. "Then where did this …? Did you attack another rabbit?!" The small white rabbit just stayed happily still in her arms. "Well," Alma said, placing the rabbit back on the hay-covered ground of the coop, "I seem to remember needing a rabbit's foot for the community center, so … thanks, I guess."

As Alma continued working, she remembered that her hoe ought to be ready by today. But even with that recent expense, she still had enough money for another animal to go in the upgraded barn. "Maybe … a goat?" she pondered as she stood in front of Marnie.

"Okay, and what would you like to call your goat?"

"Hm … Aries!"

"Great! Like the constellation?" Marnie asked.

"Well, yes, but the constellation was named after the ram with the golden fleece in Greek mythology."

Yet again, Marnie looked at Alma with a blank and almost pitiful look. "You always have the most … unique names, Alma," she said. "I'll send little Aries to her new home right away."

"Oh, that's right - Aries was a ram, not a ewe. Ah well. Still sounds pretty. Thanks, Marnie!" Alma hugged her coat tight and went back out into the snow. She walked into town and went into Pierre's, where she saw Harvey buying his groceries. "Well, hello there!" she greeted with a quick kiss.

"Hi. Running errands?"

"As always. Buying groceries?"

"As always. This stuff can definitely be incorporated into a healthy diet."

"As always. We sure are creatures of habit, aren't we?" she chuckled. "Meet me at the saloon later?"

"As always."

"It's a deal then." She gave him another quick kiss then approached the counter. She sold her produce and left to go to Clint's smithy. It was nice to visit Clint in the smithy during winter because as soon as she came in the door, there was a toasty comfort. She sighed happily as she stepped in.

"Oh, hi, Alma. Sorry if I look a little messy. I've been working at the furnace all morning. So, did you need anything, or did you just want to visit?"

"I'm always up for a visit," she said, "but I'm here because I believe you have something for me."

"Oh, yeah. Right." He reached around and picked up her steel hoe.

"Thanks so much!" She looked it over before putting it inside her bag. "I'll see you at the saloon later tonight?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Have a good one then!" she said as she went out again. She went next to the community center to donate the rabbit foot. It was the last item she needed for Rasmodius's bundle, so as soon as she put the rabbit foot down, a package appeared in front of her. She opened it up and found five gold bars inside. "Wow! That's handy, I guess." She put them in her bag and called out, "Thanks, Junimo!"

The sun was starting to set, so Alma decided to go ahead and make her way to the saloon. As she walked by Pierre's again, she realized she forgot to check the bulletin board, and she was surprised to see - "It's Clint's birthday?! But I just saw him! Aw, no wonder he was wondering if I was just coming by for a visit. Well, now I feel like a terrible friend …!" She pulled off her bag and set it on the ground to rummage through it. What would be a good gift for Clint? She looked at the gold bars she had just received. Maybe he might like one of those, but surely he had a lot already, right? Would it just make him think of work? But they were gold. Everyone liked gold, right? She thought it'd be worth a shot. She slung her bag back over her shoulders and was about the head toward the saloon when she heard the clinic door open. "Well, hello again!"

Harvey jumped a little. "Oh, Alma, it's just you. You startled me!"

"Sorry. I just saw that today is Clint's birthday. I was trying to see what I might be able to give him at the saloon."

"And did you find anything?" he asked as he approached her.

"Think he'll like a gold bar? I just got one from the Junimo."

"If you deliver it with a smile," he said, "how c-could he not love it?"

"Sweet as that sentiment might be," Alma said flatly, "I know Clint is hard to impress. And he's often kind of down. I hope he likes it."

Harvey held out his arm. "Come on. We'll have some time to ourselves before the, uh … crowd rolls in." Alma smiled and took his arm, and they walked to the saloon together. There were a few other people in there, but they took their places at the bar and ordered. They chatted until Alma spotted Clint come in.

"Oh, there he is," Alma whispered. "I'm gonna go say hi and give him his gift."

"All right. Good luck."

Alma snuck out the gold bar and put it behind her back before she approached Clint at his table. "Hey, Clint! When I visited you today, I didn't know it was your birthday!"

"Oh, is it my birthday today?" he asked. "I guess it is."

"According to the calendar in front of the store, it is. So I got this for you." She held out the gold bar. "I hope you like it."

Clint took it and smiled a little. "Thanks. This is nice."

"So … you didn't do anything to celebrate today?"

"No. Just work. And yours is the only present I've received. So, yeah, thanks, Alma."

Alma looked at him a minute as he propped his head up on his hand. She looked back at the bar and saw Emily working. She had an idea. "Yeah, no problem. Happy Birthday, Clint." She went back to the bar.

"So? He liked it?" Harvey asked.

"Yeah, I guess, but he still seems kind of down." She spoke up a little more loudly, "I wish there was something I could do to make Clint's birthday a bit more special." Emily's ears perked up, and she turned and looked at them.

"W-Why are you yelling like that?"

Emily came over to them and asked, "Is it Clint's birthday today?"

"It is, and he said no one's really done or said anything to him about it."

"Well, we'll take care of that!" Emily announced. She filled up a pint, marched over to Clint, and slammed it down on the table in front of him.

"Em-Emily?! What are you - ?"

She whistled loudly to get everyone's attention. "Everyone! It's our town's best blacksmith's birthday today! Let's do something to make him feel special!"

Clint's face was beet red. "Really, y-you don't have to - "

"Happy Birthday to youuuu!" She began singing and looking to the crowd to join in. Alma did emphatically, but everyone else just mumbled a bit. "Happy Birthday dear Cli-iiiint! Happy Birthday to youuuu!" As the room erupted in applause, Emily patted him on the back and said, "This one's on the house."

"Tha- Thanks, Emily." He covered his face as Emily strutted back behind the counter.

Harvey glanced at Alma, who smugly took a sip of her wine.