Chapter Text
Act one
Sobbing heavily into his hands, Rafael dropped to his knees. Through heavy tears and shaky lips, he said, "I'm going to miss you, baby!" He held you tightly. His salty tears dropped onto your face, ran down your unmoving eyeball, pooled in the lower lid, then rolled down your cheek. Rafael kissed your forehead and face, rubbed your shoulders and cheekbones, sniffled, and sighed. He dropped the side of his reddened, warm face on the side of your quickly stiffening cold face.
The quiet of dawn surrounded you, accompanied by the calls of Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfishers and the rustling falling leaves of the Sumatra Fig Tree. The soft, perfumed breeze, carrying scents of Ginger Lily and Kembang Sepatu, floats along the gentle river, waltzing with Rafael's firm hold, sniffling and breathing on you as you rapidly lose touch, smell, and hearing.
In Rafael's arms, you jolt into a paralyzing shock.
Memories leading up to this moment flash, spark, and gradually replay.
Early Spring, almost six months ago.
"Ahh...," you smiled, breathing in the scent of the flowering trees in your fields. A bountiful late winter and early spring harvest filled the front and back baskets of your spring flower-decorated white tricycle. There were many orders and requests to fill that morning. Mapping out an efficient riding route, your first stop was the Community Center and Sam's general store.
As you stepped into Sam's quaint little store, the familiar scent of fresh produce enveloped you. Behind the counter, Sam stood as he always did, a warm smile flickering across his face. However, as he raised his arm to greet you, an unexpected sneeze erupted. He quickly turned away and covered his nose with a handkerchief. Once the sneeze passed, he blinked a few times, trying to shake off the moment.
You couldn't help but notice the subtle hint of fatigue in his eyes. Concerned, you asked him if he was feeling any better since confessing to being sick a few days ago. Sam took a slow sip of juice and then rubbed his belly absentmindedly. "Sometimes," he replied with a slight frown, "it's on and off."
You placed Sam's order on the counter and nodded, "I hope the new spring season and this harvest help! Please take care!"
You waved and gave one another a final nod as you strolled to the entrance of the store.
Your second favorite place in town--The Coral Island Inn. "Whose birthday was it?" you said to yourself. "Is there an event coming? Ah, maybe for the Cherry Blossom potluck? There's a lot of fruit here, though, perhaps some juice and snacks for the Tree planting festival? Would it be too rude to ask?"
Valentina simultaneously greeted and startled you, hopping in front of your path with a large smile, "Mom! Aunt Alice! The farmer is here with the yummies!" As the twins walked up to you, Valentina pouted and looked at you inquisitively, "There's no edamame or other mushy vegetables in there, are there?!"
Suki looked down at her daughter, placed her palm on her little shoulder, and smiled, "There's a few good-for-you veggies, but no, no edamame. We agreed to meet halfway, remember?"
The little girl folded her arms and looked down, "Yeah, yeah..." She then looked up to you and smiled, "At least there's the juicy fruits."
Alice smiled and nodded at you as she took the banana leaf and flower-woven basket of harvest goods. While walking through the Inn, Valentina followed and hopped along, asking for fruit. Suki took a mango from the order and held it to her chest.
Suki stood in front of Valentina and softly smiled at her, "Did you clean under your bed and put those boots outside, like I asked this morning?"
"Yes, Mom, please, you're cramping my style in front of the newbie farmer! 5th impressions are important!" Valentina groaned.
"It's every impression, Valley. Not just the 5th," Alice chimed in, turning the corner to the kitchen.
Suki snapped her head to the kitchen, "Don't encourage her!" she sighed heavily.
Suki dropped the mango into her daughter's open palms. Valentina giggled and rushed off.
Something had been on your mind, heart, and soul for a while. Rubbing the back of your head and looking to the side, you felt your cheeks tingle and fill with blood. You yanked the collar of your shirt and swallowed. A cloud of thoughts tangled, vined with questions, jumped on the flooring of your skull. You wondered how to articulate, ask properly--
"Hey-" Alice asked from behind you.
A fuzzy electric shock fluttered within you.
"Are you alright?" Alice asked.
You placed your palm over your heart and sat down on the nearest chair. Suki looked at Alice from the kitchen. The sisters exchanged glances with one another as you leaned forward and held your head up with your hands.
Alice sat beside you and placed her palm on the back of your shoulder as Suki crossed her arms and dropped her back against the wall next to the kitchen entrance, watching you and her sister.
You apologized and leaned back in the chair, dropping the back of your head. Releasing a heavy, wide sigh, you told Alice that for a few weeks, along with the Sanchez brothers' regular orders, you had been purposely making Rafael's favorite sashimi dishes with a bouquet of fresh flowers and occasionally venturing into the cavern to mine Onyx and Pink diamond for him.
Alice and Suki smiled at one another.
"Just ask the big cuddle hammer out sometime." Alice smiled.
Suki agreed as her twin sister turned away from you, sneezed, and wiped her nose with a tissue, "Yeah, he's probably more afraid of you than you are of him. And I know for a fact he notices what you have been doing, because Pablo teases Rafael over who gets the Pink Diamonds."
Alice looked at you with soft, watery pink eyes and a sigh. She sniffled with the tissue pressed under her nose, "Ah-umm, s-sorry. The air is salty and dry sometimes in early spring."
It was time for your favorite and last stop of every other day. The Sanchez Brothers Blacksmithy!
Before entering, you took in a deep breath, sighed heavily, juggled, and tightly held the large order and gifts under your arm.
You opened the door, your eyes pulled to Rafael, the younger of the two Sanchez brothers, working on the blacksmith anvil. He and Pablo turned their heads to you. Rafael nodded and smiled softly before returning attention to his work.
Pablo started, "Hey, good lookin'. What you got-"
Without glancing at the older brother, you pressed the woven flower banana leaf basket of goods against Pablo's chest. Your focus and path were on Rafael. You barely heard Pablo thank you for the package as you stepped beside the hammering blacksmith.
Rafael turned his head to you with a blank expression. He placed his hammer down, stood straight, and turned your way. Tingling, fluttering blood rushed to your face and heart, pupils widened as the towering, soft-spoken blacksmith stepped up to you.
"Umm... Please be careful. I don't want you to get burned. It's very hot around here, and sparks tend to fly while I hammer against the anvil. Ok?" Rafael said.
You nodded quietly.
A moment of silence passed by as you two faced one another before Rafael asked, "Did you need something?"
"Oh! Uh..." You replied.
Rafael smiled, "How can I help you?"
You took the twins' advice and asked Rafael out for lunch.
Lunch at Emma's Taco Truck turned into a picnic dinner in the Bamboo forest before capping the night off with a late-night coffee in front of Fishernips.
It was a clear, cool, spring, starry night. The two of you sat across from one another, absorbing the last few moments as you could feel the night wind down. Rafael rubbed his arm, looked down to the side, and lightly smirked.
"So, umm... Yeah. It was nice getting to know you better today. I hope we can do this again sometime."
You nodded and softly smiled. Before you could reply, a small laughing and cheering crowd erupted from Fishernips Tavern.
In the middle of the crowd was a stumbling, reddened-faced Pablo.
Rafael rolled his eyes upward, sighed, groaned, and moaned before dropping his head into his palm.
"Oh! Hey-hey, look, everyone!" Pablo smiled and pointed at you and Rafael.
Pablo and the crowd oooed, ahhed, laughed, smiled, and clapped.
You snapped your head to Rafael, who stood from the table, put balled up fists on his hips, and looked at his unsteady brother and company. Rafael kept his sight on Pablo and sighed, "It's getting late."
As Rafael helped you from your chair, Pablo stumbled over. He dropped his arms around you and Rafael. His arms slightly pulled you both forward and downward.
Pablo swung his red face with rolling glassy eyes between you and his younger brother. The vapors escaping Pablo's lips forced you and Rafael's heads away from his as the swaying man opened his mouth, "This is so sweet...! Adorable! It's nice to see my Baby Bro Bro out and about."
Rafael rolled his eyes, "Come on, Pablo..."
Pablo dropped his head on his brother's shoulder and looked at him through the upper corners of his eyes, "Hey,... Look at this... I hope this is the beginning of many more outings for Rafael."
Pablo stumbled forward, pulling both of you down toward the table.
Before both of you fell face-first on the table, in one swift motion, Rafael swung Pablo into his arms and over his shoulder. Pablo suddenly started snoring. Rafael shook his head and patted Pablo on the back as you covered your mouth, holding back laughter.
The group of friends thanked Rafael for helping his brother and said he must have gotten his charitable attitude from him. Rafael dropped his head and rubbed the nape of his neck. You looked at Rafael and patted his back. You turned to the group and told them that Rafael had stepped up and, without being asked or told, done many things around town, including cleaning the graveyard and fixing up the Inn.
The group looked at one another and said they thought Pablo did those things, and that sometimes Rafael helped. Even Mayor Connor said so. They thought Rafael stayed in the shop all day.
Crossing your arms, you looked at the group and retorted, "Regretfully, you and the Mayor are very much misinformed. If he isn't in the shop, Rafael is running about, volunteering in the community. When not doing that, he is with his niece or fixing up the Inn or Both!" You asked them if they had ever asked Rafael or Pablo about the work they do around town. The group looked at one another and shook their heads no. Some uttered the word 'no' and said that they had just assumed it was Pablo.
You jolted as Rafael gently dropped his palm on your shoulder and patted it.
Rafael turned his head to you with a gentle expression and smile, "Yeah... Don't worry about it, ok?"
You nodded and smiled softly in reply to Rafael.
"Things are fine. Hey, umm... Thank you for seeing me. Could you maybe escort Pablo and me home?"
You chuckled and agreed.