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Maru didn ’t see any reason she shouldn’t speak to the young lady who bought the old farm, but her first impression of the newest member of the valley was, “Ako doesn’t seem as if she could hurt a fly.”
Nor did there seem any danger in relaying to Ako her troubling relationship with her older brother Sebastian, how she wished things were different between the two of them, but it was Ako who suggested Maru the next time she needed supplies gathered from the parts of the farm still overrun that she bribes Sebastian by bringing him a treat, something he might like.
And Ako offered to make the treat an apology for not yet clearing the farm. “ She ’s a rather nice friend, ” Maru thought as she headed into the basement with Sebastian’s treat. She took a deep breath. “Hey. Sebastian?”
“Hmm?” he asked, not looking up from his computer.
“I need a favor.”
Sebastian let out a sigh, looking up at his sister. “And?”
“So, the new farmer?”
‘Haven’t met them.” Sebastian shook his head, looking at the computer.
“Well, they’ve not yet cleared out the farm completely so I could use some help gathering supplies.”
“Again?”
“I’ve got a treat for you to take with you, so please?” Maru asked.
He looked up, frowning, then—
“Pretty please! They’re…” She almost let it slip that the new farmer made them.
“You must absolutely not let your brother know I made them!”
“Because the idea is he thinks I did? I’m not sure…” She watched Ako frown then. “Fine.”
Sebastian sighed. “Fine. I’ll go and get the supplies.”
She didn ’t see him after that, but—
The supplies were there, and the single word “done” was sent via text.
Nor did she think anything when Ako came in for a pregnancy test after that beyond the fact when she asked, “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“My husband’s, of course.”
“I didn’t know you were married.”
“Have been for a few years now.”
“Will we get to meet him?”
“He’s rather shy, so not likely.”
Sebastian seemed to be avoiding her, never in his room when she needed him, but the answer was no when she sent a text to see if he could get her more supplies. She complained to her father, thinking he ’d say something, yet nothing happened.
Ako, though, proved a joy to be around. However, she didn ’t take to Maru complaining about her brother, which resulted in Maru trying to reach out via text as that was the only way she knew to communicate with him, telling him all about Ako, her baby, and suggesting he might be interested in having a baby with Abigail.
“Why?”
“Don’t you have a crush on her?”
The response didn ’t come away. “ No. You don ’t really know me, do you, Maru? ”
Maru frowned, thinking about the text, then apologized. “ When you ’re ready to talk, Sebastian, maybe you can give me a chance to get to know you? ”
Except, no text came. She didn ’t think anything of it, didn’t think anything wrong.
After all, Ako wasn ’t dangerous and couldn’t hurt a fly, right?