Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One

Boxes were scattered about the room, nearly the entire apartment packed up into them. The young woman sat among them all, thinking about how strange it felt to see the past six years of her life reduced to nothing but a couple dozen cardboard boxes. She reached for the ring on her left hand – a nervous habit she'd picked up since becoming engaged – then let out a sigh when her fingertips grasped at nothing but the bare skin of her ring finger. She'd sold the ring a week prior, using the money from the sale to pay the fees for breaking her lease early.

"You're not taking this?"

She turned her head slightly and looked up, brown eyes meeting the matching ones of her mother, who was standing there with a wedding dress folded over her arms.

"Why should I? Not like I need it now," she replied, forcing a smile even as she felt the tears coming back once more.

"Sweetie..." Her mother sat the dress atop one of the boxes and knelt next to her, pulling her into a hug. "You know what happened wasn't your fault, right?"

"I really wish people would stop telling me that," she complained, her voice shaking slightly.

Her mother nodded as she released her hold, then wiped at the tears which were forming in her daughter's eyes.

"I'm sorry. A mother worries, though, and with this sudden decision of yours to move..."

"I'm not just moving because of what happened," she assured her mother. "Yes, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, but I haven't been very happy at work lately, either. I just... Need a change, right now."

"I suppose it's a good thing I gave you Grandpa's letter then, isn't it?"

The young woman nodded, a strand of her dark blonde hair coming loose from the ponytail she'd pulled it back into. Her mother had given her the letter at her bridal shower, thinking it would hold some encouraging words which would help lead to her future happiness. It did, but along with those words had been a declaration that the old family farm had been left in his granddaughter's name, should she ever need an escape from her life in the city.

"Adam wanted to sell the farm," she admitted to her mother. "He said the profit from the sale would give us a nice little nest egg to start with. I couldn't bring myself to do it, though... Not that it matters any more."

"You were pretty young when your grandfather passed away, but I'm sure part of you still remembers going there to visit him. And I know he loved having you there, helping him with the chores."

"What could a four-year-old possibly do on a farm?"

Her mother chuckled. "Well, you got dirty more than anything, but you did help. He used to give you a basket and send you to the field in front of the house to pick strawberries for breakfast. And you always loved brushing the animals, even if you were too little to reach to the top of them."

She felt her eyes welling with tears again, and her mother cocked her head to the side and gave her another concerned look.

"Jaina, what's wrong?"

"I... I don't know," she replied, shaking her head and wiping at her eyes. "I can't even remember what he looked like, but hearing you talk about the time I spent with him... Somehow, it makes me sad."

Her mother smiled softly. "You miss him. Even if your mind can't quite remember, your heart does."

With a sigh, her mother picked up the wedding dress once more and held it up int front of her to take a proper look at it.

"Seems such a waste to just get rid of it. I'll hold onto it for you."

"Why?" Jaina protested. "I'm not getting married now."

"But you will, someday."

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm done with love."

"So you say," her mother retorted with a bit of a smirk. "But one day, you'll meet a wonderful young man and fall head-over-heels again."

"You sound pretty damn sure of that."

"Call it a mother's intuition." She carefully laid the dress back down and looked out over the room with a sigh. "Are you sure you don't want your father and I to come with you tomorrow?"

"Daddy shouldn't be taking off work right now. He's got that new client, after all."

"Hmpf, and he's one of those picky ones, too," her mother groused, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned. "I really hope he doesn't overwork himself again."

"Well, if it ever seems like he needs a break, you two would be more than welcome to come visit me."

"That would be nice. It's been a while since I've been back home, after all."

"Hey, Mom... Why did you decide to leave?"

"It wasn't the right place for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Pelican Town. It's peaceful and the people there are some of the nicest you could ever hope to meet. But I couldn't exactly follow my dream there. Besides... I fell madly in love with your father." She winked at her daughter, causing the younger woman to roll her eyes.

"You guys are still so sickly sweet to each other even after more than a quarter century together."

"And the sex is still just as hot as ever."

"Mother!" Jaina cried out, her eyes wide and her cheeks blushing. Her mother merely chuckled at her reaction.

"There, finally... You stopped pouting."

"Yes, but now I have mental images in my brain which are going to haunt me for a very long time."

"Sorry," her mother apologized, though she was still grinning widely. After a moment of silence passed between them, she let out a sigh and placed her hands on her hips as she looked around the room once more.

"Are you sure you don't want to take anything else with you?"

Jaina nodded. "I'm sure. I already sent ahead the things I think I'll need, but if I think of anything I forgot, I'll let you know."

"Alright. And if you decide you want to come back to the city, your room will always be ready and waiting for you."

"Except it's going to be filled with all these boxes."

"True, but I promise not to put any of them on the bed so you'll at least have a place to sleep."

"Thanks, Mom... For everything," Jaina said quietly, a weak smile on her face as she looked up at her mother from where she was sitting.

After that, the two women set about finishing their task, labeling the boxes according to their contents and sorting them accordingly. Once they had finished, they returned home and had one last dinner together as a family before Jaina was due to depart for Stardew Valley. They talked and laughed and her father nearly started to cry when he reflected upon how she'd grown up and was leaving her parents behind. It was a nice family dinner, and Jaina knew she was loved. Still, though... her heart felt heavy.

As she laid in bed that night, she hoped that she made the right decision to leave Zuzu City and strike out on her own in the country. The city had been her home since she was born, but she just didn't feel right there anymore. All the city did was take from her. Her job had been stressing her to the point where she felt ill just thinking about going in to work each morning, and her fiance... A part of her blamed the city for losing him, too – though she still blamed herself more than anything for what had happened.

With a sigh, she rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes, resolving to leave all of her negative feelings behind when she got on that bus in the morning. Pelican Town was a wonderful place, her mother said, and what she could vaguely remember of the times she spent there visiting her grandfather made her feel calm. She had already made her decision, and now she would see it though. That little country town would be her salvation, and in return she'd do everything she could to make her grandfather proud of her so he wouldn't regret leaving his beloved farm to her.

Chapter Text

The ride to Pelican Town was much more comfortable than Jaina had been expecting, thanks to her parents' last-minute surprise of a ticket on a coach bus. She would have been fine riding on the usual bus, but it was a six-hour ride and they insisted she should be comfortable during the lengthy travel time. They'd both looked like they were about to start crying when the call finally came over the terminal's loudspeaker, especially her father. He almost didn't let her out of his tight hug in time for her to catch her ride, and even then only did so thanks to her mother's coaxing and a promise to return home for the winter holidays.

She let out a sigh as she rested her head back against the plush seat and watched the scenery pass by outside. Seeing everything suddenly change from the cold concrete and steel of the city to the lush greenery of the more rural outskirts and then to ever more untamed wilderness as they continued their journey had been both a bit jarring and extremely exciting to her. Aside from the visits she'd made to her grandfather's farm as a small child, the entirety of her twenty-four years had been spent in Zuzu City. She grew up there, went to school there, worked there, eventually got her own place there, and was planning to settle down there, too.

With a sigh, she shook her head to clear away her thoughts of the life she had planned on having. That dream was gone, now. It had died when her engagement was abruptly brought to an end. Now, she had a new goal. It surprised her to think that it might actually be the first time she set one for herself. Her parents had urged her to go to college, so she went. Joja offered her a job shortly before her graduation, so she took it. Adam said they should get married, so she agreed. He had made pretty much all of the decisions regarding their wedding, too, and even decided where they would be living after the ceremony.

This move was her choice, though. Despite the strange looks the people at work gave her when she told them why she was quitting, she stuck to her guns. She knew nothing about farming, but the tiny specks of memories which had ignited in her mind when she read her grandfather's letter kept urging her to return to that little house in the country. If nothing else, it would be quiet there and she'd be able to clear her mind a bit and decide upon a new game plan for the rest of her life.

Letting out another sigh, she closed her eyes and settled back into her seat. She hadn't been able to sleep much the night before, and with how comfortable the plush seat felt she soon found herself drifting off.

As she slept, fuzzy images played through her mind, like a VHS tape that had been watched so many times it wore out. Indistinct child-like voices laughed and called her name, and she found herself moving toward them in her dream until another voice called for her from somewhere else.

"Jay-Jay!"

It was another child's voice, but it came through more clearly than the others. The nickname felt somehow familiar, though she couldn't recall anyone ever calling her that before. Curious who was calling her by that name, she turned around and ran toward the voice, but the more she ran the farther away the voice got until she fell to her knees in exhaustion. She cried out for the other person to wait for her, her voice that of a child as it passed through her lips, but there came no reply. Even the laughter and voices of the other children had died out. She was all alone.

Jaina woke up with a start just as the bus slowly pulled to a stop, and the driver called back to the passengers that they had arrived at Pelican Town. She stood from her seat and went to the front of the bus, and the driver got off with her to help her retrieve the backpack she'd stowed away with the rest of the passengers' luggage below. She thanked him, and he gave her a smile and a polite farewell before heading back onto the bus and driving away. She sighed as she watched the bus disappear down the road, and realized that there was no turning back at this point.

"Jaina?"

At the sound of her voice, she turned around to see a woman with red hair looking at her with her head tilted curiously to one side. As soon as their eyes met, the woman grinned and stepped up to her, then immediately wrapped her up in a hug.

"My goodness, you've grown up so much! I mean, of course you have. It's been twenty years, after all," she rambled, releasing Jaina just enough to step back slightly and look her over.

"Um... I'm sorry, but... do I know you?"

The woman seemed surprised by the question, her smile falling a bit, and she finally moved away from her and awkwardly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Right... I'm sorry. I guess you wouldn't remember me."

"Oh, it's not you," Jaina quickly assured her. "Honestly, I don't remember much of anything about this place. I don't even really remember my grandfather, it's been so long."

The friendly smile returned to the woman's face and she nodded, then held out her hand in greeting.

"I'm Robin, the town carpenter," she introduced herself as they shook hands. "I'm sure you don't remember, but you used to play with my son, Sebastian, when you came to visit."

"I did?" Jaina asked, furrowing her brow a bit as she recalled the dream she'd just had on the bus.

"You did," Robin replied with a nod, her smile growing bigger. "You two and Sam and Abigail all used to be thick as thieves whenever you were around. Maybe you could all get together sometime and relive the old days."

"They're all still here?"

"Well, Sam's family moved to the city for a few years, but they've been back since he and Abby were in high school, and Sebby spent a couple of months in the city after his own graduation, but right now they're all living right here in Pelican Town. They even get together to hang out at the saloon every Friday night."

Jaina felt a little relieved to hear that. Perhaps she didn't remember them, but it was nice knowing she had friends in her new hometown – assuming their memories were better than her own. She resolved to try to get in touch with them once she'd taken some time to settle in.

"But listen to me rambling," Robin said with a wave of her hand. "I bet you're about ready to collapse after that long trip. Come along and I'll show you to the farm."

The two women chatted as they walked from the bus stop to the farm, and Jaina found out from Robin that she and her husband also had a daughter who worked part-time as an assistant to the local doctor. She told her that Sam's father was a soldier and had been deployed to fight in the war, and that there was an aspiring writing living in a shack on the beach. She also assured Jaina that the items she'd sent ahead had all arrived safely, and that Robin herself and the Mayor had taken to the task of cleaning up the old farmhouse for her use, even adding some new furniture to help her feel more at home.

"I will warn you, though," Robin said as they neared the farm, "the place has seen better days. After all, it's been abandoned since your grandfather died."

Jaina nodded a little, not quite sure what to expect, then let out an audible gasp of shock once they finally reached the property and she saw just how run-down the place had become. The tiny house had certainly seen better days, its walls worn and roof faded, and the land surrounding it had become overgrown with weeds. The nearby forest even seemed to be trying to claim the land back, as there were dozens of trees now growing in random spots, various twigs and stones littering the ground around them.

"Didn't there used to be a barn there?" she asked Robin, pointing in the general direction where she could faintly recall a large barn which had housed her grandfather's livestock once standing.

"There was, but we had a big storm a few years ago that knocked it down. Luckily, the house survived."

Just as she said so, the front door of the house opened and an older man with a mustache came out, wiping his hands on a handkerchief.

"Mayor Lewis!" Robin called out to him. "Look who's here!"

The man squinted a bit as he looked at Jaina, then let out a hearty chuckle and came down the front steps of the house, holding his hands out to her. She reached out her hand to shake his in greeting, and found her hand clasped warmly between both of his as he continued smiling at her with the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

"By Yoba, it really is you!" He exclaimed, raising her hand to kiss the back of it. "I remember the last time I saw you, you barely came up to here."

He momentarily released one of his hands from its grip on hers, holding it a couple of feet above the ground, then reached up to pat the top of her head.

"Your grandfather would be proud to see how beautiful you've become," he said, and Jaina had a sudden, brief memory of someone doing the same thing to her when she was little.

"I think... I remember you," she said to him. "You used to come to visit my grandfather and play cards."

"That's right!" Lewis said, beaming. "We were the best of friends, he and I, despite our age difference. He even helped me run my campaign to become mayor." He cleared his throat a bit and finally let go of her hand, the wiped at his eyes a bit. "But you didn't come here to hear an old man reminisce about a lost friend."

"It's fine. Perhaps you could tell me some stories about him, sometime. I barely remember him, myself."

"That sounds like a fine idea," Lewis agreed, then turned back to the house with a sigh.

"I'm afraid it's not much, but Robin and I did our best to at least make it comfortable for living in."

"And if you ever decide you'd like to spruce the place up or expand it and make it a little bigger, you can always come to me for help," Robin offered. "I do things like barns, too, and I charge a fair price."

"Look at you," Lewis said in a teasing voice. "She's been here less than an hour and you're already attempting to get her to hire you."

"Not like there's anyone else in town who can do the work," Robin retorted. "Besides, whose fault is it that this place was left to go to such waste. Some friend you are, Lewis."

"Hey!" Lewis shouted at her, though he was smiling. "Alright, fair enough. But keep in mind, dear, that it's not just us. I'm sure plenty of others in town would be willing to help you get this place back up and running."

"You should ask my son to help you," Robin suggested. "It would be good for him to get outside of the house during the day once in a while."

"Good luck with that," Lewis grumbled.

"Am I missing something?" Jaina asked, looking between the two of them with a confused expression on her face.

"It's just that... Sebastian is..." Robin stumbled over her words, then sighed a bit and shook her head. "You'll see when you visit my shop, I'm sure. Actually, since you just got to town, why don't you come over and join my family for dinner tonight?"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."

"Spoken like a true city girl," Lewis remarked with a chuckle. "One thing you should learn fairly early on while living here is that everyone's door is open to their neighbors, so to speak. We all help one another and look out for each other as much as we can."

"Most of us do, anyway," Robin added. "At any rate, don't you dare say no. I'm sure my daughter would love to meet you, and I know Demetrius won't mind setting an extra place at the table for a new neighbor."

"Alright, then," Jain finally agreed. "I'd love to join your family for dinner.

"Great!" Robin said, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Now, to get to our house, all you have to do is take that little road over there and follow it up over the hill. You can't miss it."

Jaina looked toward a footbridge crossing the stream which ran behind the house, seeing the path beyond leading up into part of the forest.

"What if I get lost?"

"Seriously, you can't miss it," Robin repeated with a chuckle. "Just stay on the path. Once you come to a clearing, my house will be right there. Feel free to let yourself in, when you arrive. My shop is at the front, so we might not hear you knock."

"Got it."

"Well, we'll leave you to get settled in now," Lewis told her, giving a slight tip of his hat. "Remember, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"I will, thank you. Both of you. I already feel welcomed."

Jaina smiled at them and they said their goodybyes, the mayor heading the way she'd come from the bus station with Robin, while Robin made her way across the bridge.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Robin called, turning back just as she reached the edge of the forest. "Dinner is at six. Don't be late!"

Chapter Text

Jaina arrived at the home of the carpenter and her family just before 6:00. She had wanted to arrive earlier in order to help out with the dinner preparations, but dozed off while resting after she took full stock of the small cabin she would be calling her home. Feeling a bit awkward upon arriving, she knocked on the front door, then waited with her hands shoved into the back pockets of her jeans. As the minutes ticked by, she took a good look at the surrounding area.

The space directly in front of the building had been cleared out of all vegetation, but there were trees and bushes just beyond the edge of the property, and she could hear running water coming from somewhere nearby. Birds chirped and leaves rustled as squirrels and chipmunks scurried about, but aside from those faint noises it was quiet. She wasn't used to such quiet, and it seemed somehow oppressive to her, almost as though she was in some sort of horror movie just waiting for the killer to jump out and grab her.

Shaking the thought from her head, she turned and raised a hand to knock once more, but the door suddenly opened before she could bring it down. The person on the other side was a young woman, probably in her late teens or early twenties, with long, wavy auburn hair and a warm brown complexion. Tawny eyes widened behind her red-framed glasses as a grin broke out across her face, and before Jaina even had a chance to say hello the girl grabbed her by the hand and dragged her into the house.

"She's here!" she called out, releasing her grip in order to close the door behind them. "You were right, Dad, you did hear her knocking!"

"I told her she didn't need to worry about that," Robin remarked as she walked into the entryway, drying her hands off on a dish towel, a bit of her red hair coming loose as she shook her head in mock exasperation. "Jaina, dear, you're just in time. I was about to go pry Sebastian away from his computer, so why don't you take her into the kitchen, Maru?"

"Got it!" the girl named Maru cheerfully replied, then waved for Jaina to follow her back in the direction Robin had come from while Robin instead went down a nearby flight of stairs.

As soon as they entered the kitchen, Jaina found herself face with another unfamiliar person, this time an African-American man about Robin's age. He smiled the same friendly smile that Maru had shown her at the door, and in three long strides he was standing before her and shaking her hand.

"You must be the new farmer Robin was telling us about," he said excitedly. "I'm Demetrius, Robin's husband. You've already met our daughter, Maru, and my step-son should be along soon. Please, have a seat! I'm looking forward to hearing all about your work. I'm a scientist myself, you see, and I've been studying the plant life of the valley for the last several years."

Jaina smiled politely as he rambled, muttering a 'thank you' when he pulled a chair out for her to sit in at the table. Maru took the seat next to hers, looking just as excited to talk to her as her father, and Demetrius sat at the head of the table, leaving the two spots across from her free for Robin and Sebastian.

"I don't get why you have to pull me away now," Jaina heard a low, grumpy voice complain from the hallway. "I was working. I can eat later."

"You can take a break for thirty minutes to eat, Sebastian," came Robin's voice in reply. "Besides, we have a guest."

Robin stepped into the room, followed by a rather annoyed-looking young man with dark hair and impossibly dark blue eyes to match. He was dressed entirely in black, from his jeans to the t-shirt he had on, and even the hoop in his left ear was black, as well. He was scowling and looked like he would much rather be anywhere than his family's dining table, and that scowl only deepened when he set his eyes upon Jaina.

"Who're you?" he asked, standing behind the chair across from her, his eyes narrowing a bit as he took her in.

"So good of you to join us tonight, Sebastian," Demetrius said, some of the earlier cheer gone from his voice. "Your mother invited the new farmer from down the hill to have dinner with us tonight."

"Surely you remember her, dear?" Robin added, gently touching her son's arm before taking the seat between him and her husband. "You two used to play together every summer when she was visiting her grandpa there."

"Doesn't ring any bells," Sebastian remarked with a disinterested shrug, then pulled out his chair and sat down. He immediately grabbed the closest dish to him, but Demetrius cleared his throat loudly and he stopped and turned a cold glare in the man's direction.

"What?" he snapped.

"We haven't said grace yet," Demetrius reminded him, and Jaina could see Sebastian tightening his jaw against whatever words he wanted to throw back in response as his mother touched his arm once more and whispered something to him.

"Fine," he finally acquiesced, pulling his hands back and folding them before himself on the table. "But make it quick. I'm on a deadline."

Demetrius smiled gratefully at Robin, then folded his own hands in prayer and began to say grace.

"Great Yoba, thank you for this meal you have provided for us, that it may nourish our bodies and souls. And thank you for bringing this young woman into our lives. May she have a fruitful harvest and make many friends here in the Valley. Amen."

Everyone – save Sebastian – responded with an 'Amen,' and soon dishes and platters were being passed around the table. Jaina found her plate being piled high with various edibles by Maru, who explained the health benefits of each one in an excited sing-song voice. Demetrius, in turn, praised his daughter for her knowledge, causing Sebastian to let out an annoyed sigh and roll his eyes.

"You know an awful lot about nutrition," Jaina commented, and Maru smiled and nodded in response.

"I very much enjoy doing research with my dad, and I can use what I've learned to help me with my part-time job at the clinic in town."

"My little girl is going to be the next Alexander Flemming," Demetrius boasted. "She graduated high school at sixteen, you know."

Another groan came from Sebastian, but Demetrius didn't seem to notice, and he carried on talking about how Maru was a genius and a science whiz and had been working on building a robot from scratch all by herself. After several minutes, Jaina wanted to roll her eyes, as well, but she continued to politely smile and nod as she ate, though she was only really half paying attention.

"That reminds me, if you wouldn't mind, I was hoping I could pick your brain about the current agricultural trends."

"Hm?" Jaina muttered, her attention fully drawn back to Demetrius by the question. She found him and Maru both looking at her expectantly, and she smiled awkwardly in return.

"Well, I... I don't actually know anything about that," she admitted with an apologetic shrug. "I've lived in the city all my life until today."

"You mean you moved here from the city on purpose?" Sebastian finally spoke up, giving her a look like he thought she'd lost her mind. "Who the hell does that?"

"I had my reasons," she answered him quietly, her gaze falling down to the table.

"Each his own, I guess," Sebastian mumbled in reply before returning his attention to his food, and Jaina noticed that he'd carefully pushed the pieces of carrot to one side of his plate.

"Still don't like carrots?"

"Huh?" Sebastian raised his head and looked at her, and when she met his eyes she could see the confusion in them. The two of them stared silently at one another for a moment, until Demetrius finally broke the silence.

"Something wrong?"

"You said, 'still,'" Sebastian pointed out. "That I 'still don't like carrots.'"

"I did?"

"Oh, so you do remember Sebby!" Robin exclaimed, clapping her hands and grinning.

"I... No. I don't know why I said that," Jaina replied, finally breaking eye contact with Sebastian and looking down at her plate, a blush starting to color her cheeks.

"Do you remember, Sebby?" Robin continued excitedly, turning to her son. "I made that pot pie one time, and you two swapped veggies. You ate her peas and she ate your carrots for you."

"No, I don't remember," Sebastian quickly replied, and Maru giggled.

"Wow, I don't think I have ever seen you blush before, Sebastian. It's kind of cute."

"Shut up!" Sebastian snapped and stood up from his seat, the chair scraping nosily across the floor from his sudden movement. "Thanks for dinner. I gotta get back to work."

"Oh, come on," Robin called after him as he stalked out of the room and back down the hall. "Don't be rude to our guest."

"It's okay," Jaina assured her, shaking her head. "I'm sure he's just embarrassed because I called him out for being a picky eater."

Robin sighed and picked up the plate Sebastian had left behind, which was mostly cleaned except for the neat little pile of carrot pieces pushed off to one side.

"He's never really liked sweet things, that boy. Sometimes, I think if maybe I'd made him eat them as a child he wouldn't be such a sourpuss now."

"Has he always been like that?" Jaina asked.

"Yep," Demetrius replied, and Maru nodded in agreement.

"He really is a sweet boy," Robin jumped to her son's defense. "He's just shy and has a hard time opening up to people. Maybe now that you're here, he'll start getting better."

"Why would he change the way he acts just because I'm here?" Jaina wondered.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Robin asked, then sighed and turned toward her husband. "Maru was just a baby, but you remember don't you, Demetrius? You remember how close those kids all were."

"I do," Demetrius replied with a nod, then pointed at Jaina. "It was Sebastian, Sam, Abby, and you, right? You used to wear your hair in pigtails all the time. Always wore these cute little summer dresses, too, though they were covered in dirt more often than not."

"Sam might be Sebastian's best friend, but when you all were little, you were always at his side," Robin continued.

"I bet he loved that," Jaina said dryly, causing Robin to smile a bit.

"He acted annoyed, but I think actually he liked it. While Sam and Abby were off running around and screaming their heads off as they played, the two of you would sit together and play quietly. He'd whine and complain about having a girl hang all over him every day, but I saw how sad he was at the end of each trip when you went back home."

"Those are nice memories for you," Jaina gently interjected, "but I don't remember any of them... and I don't think he does, either. It's been twenty years since we last saw each other. We're not children any more. It would be nice if I could get him to open up, but I'm not going to hold my breath."

Robin's smile took on a sad quality and she nodded slightly. "You're right. You're both adults now, and I'm sure you've probably both grown and changed. You all have."

Jaina nodded and quietly returned to eating, occasionally participating in the conversations at the table. None of them asked her what had prompted her move to Stardew Valley, and for that she was grateful. She knew one day she'd probably have to tell someone her reasons, but for now she was content to just enjoy the warm family atmosphere and not bring them all down with sob stories about her life in the city.

Following dessert, she stretched and let out a yawn, then stood from her seat and excused herself with a polite smile. Demetrius and Maru both seemed disappointed that she was leaving so soon, but Robin assured them they would be able to pick her brain at a later time. She escorted their guest toward the front door, but once more detoured down the stairs to Sebastian's room. Jaina opened her mouth to protest, thinking the woman was going to bug her son to say good night to her, but before she could say anything Robin was already pounding on the door and calling Sebastian's name.

"What?" he growled when he opened the door just far enough to poke his head out.

"Jaina is going home, and I want you to escort her."

Jaina blinked at the request, then shook her head and hurried down the stairs to stand next to the older woman.

"No, it's fine. I can walk by myself."

"Nonsense!" Robin replied, giving her a scolding look before turning to her son once more. "You know how dark the path is, and she's new here."

"Sebastian said he was busy with work. I don't want to interrupt him."

"It's dangerous for her to go alone this time of night, Sebastian," Robin spoke over her. She stared her son down for a long while until he finally relented with a heavy sigh.

"Fine, I'll walk her home. Give me a sec."

The door closed heavily and Jaina could hear Sebastian rustling around in his room. She turned her attention to Robin and once more shook her head, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Really, he doesn't have to go to all this trouble. It's a clear night. I'm sure the moon will be more than enough to light the path."

"Might as well drop it," Sebastian remarked as he emerged from his room and closed the door firmly behind himself, giving his mother a look. "Once Mom's got her mind set on something, she's a stubborn ass about it."

"Must be where you get it from," Robin retorted with a grin, reaching up to tuck some of her son's hair behind his ear. He swatted her hand away and let out an annoyed sigh, then turned his attention to Jaina.

"Ready to go?" he asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of the hoodie he'd thrown on over his t-shirt.

"Yeah, sure," Jaina replied with a nod, averting her eyes from his intense gaze.

She thanked Robin once more for having her over for dinner, then followed Sebastian outside. Once the door had shut behind them she let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth to apologize to him for having been made to walk her home, but her words died on her lips as she looked up into the night sky.

"Woah..." she breathed in awe, causing Sebastian to turn toward her.

"Hm?"

"There's so many stars out tonight..."

"It's always like that," he replied with a disinterested shrug.

"Yeah, I know, but... Living in the city, you don't actually get to see them like this. Damn, it's beautiful."

Sebastian scoffed a little at the childlike wonder in her voice and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shaking his head.

"If you're so enamored with the stars, you'll get along with Maru just fine," he muttered around the cigarette between his lips before lighting it and taking a long drag.

"You smoke?" Jaina asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Obviously," Sebastian answered her question after blowing out the smoke he'd just inhaled. "Why? You want one?"

Jaina shook her head as he offered the pack to her and shoved her hands into her pockets. "Never touched the things. They'll kill you, you know."

Sebastian chuckled dryly as he put his cigarettes and lighter away and began walking toward the path leading to her house. "Way I see it, we're all dying anyway. Each and every day of our lives, little by little, we get closer to death's door. So why the hell should I worry if I'm speeding things along a bit?"

"Surely your mom would be devastated to hear you say that," Jaina said with a sigh as she followed him. "So would your friends and girlfriend, I'd wager."

Sebastian let out a sudden bark of laughter and stopped to look at her, walking backward as he spoke. "Girlfriend? You think a guy like me has a girlfriend?"

Jaina shrugged, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "Some girls happen to go for the moody, damaged types."

"That so?" Sebastian wondered quietly, his eyes looking her over from head to toe. "Is that the type of guy you fall for?"

"Not a chance, Sebby," she replied, then laughed at the disgusted look on his face at the use of his mother's chosen nickname for him. He rolled his eyes and took another drag off his cigarette, and the two of them fell quiet as they walked through the woods together toward her farm.

"Why did you really move here?" Sebastian suddenly asked after a while, breaking the silence between them.

"I had my reasons," Jaina replied, repeating her answer from earlier at dinner. Sebastian looked at her out of the corner his his eye for a moment, then finally let out a sigh.

"Fair enough," he muttered before returning to his cigarette, and Jaina turned her head slightly to look at him. She'd expected him to try to press her for more details, but it seemed that he was at least respectful enough to not do so.

Several more minute passed with the only sounds between them being that of their shoes on the dirt path and Sebastian smoking, and soon they came to the clearing just above the bridge leading across the river and to her farm.

"Here you are," Sebastian said, gesturing toward the bridge. "I'll be taking off now, unless you need me to walk you right up to the front door."

"No, here's fine," Jaina assured him, shaking her head. "Thank you for walking me back, Sebastian."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," he mumbled in reply, turning on his heel and starting back up the path.

"Good night!" she called after him, to which he merely replied by waving at her back over his shoulder.

As she watched him go, she felt a sort of sadness that she couldn't quite place, but she quickly shook it off and wandered the rest of the way back to the farmhouse, looking forward to the first night spent in her new home.