Chapter Text
The shop was quiet near closing time, the townsfolk of Pelican Town residing in their homes or the local watering hole. Lauren relished the peace she'd found here away from her new property. Skimming the aisle before her, she sighed. The move hadn't gone exactly as she had wanter, something she could easily brush off and forget. It wasn't the move that was the problem; it was the state of the property. When the mayor had finally reached out to her so they could make arrangements, he'd neglected to inform her just how bad the property's condition was.
You'll manage just fine here in Pelican Town, Lauren, Lewis' voice echoed in her head.
Sure, she scoffed, twisting to look at the other shelves. If you think wading through a decade's worth of weeds is 'managing'.
Another sigh left her and her feet carried her down the length of the aisle. At least here in the small store there wasn't foliage growing through the cracks in the floor. Nor was there a mess of boxes left to be unpacked in a less than ideal amount of room. How had her grandfather lived in such a small space? There wasn't even a proper kitchen.
Shaking the questions she had out of her head, Lauren allowed herself to browse the shelves on the next aisle. Her shopping list was simple– something she could eat and anything to help her fall asleep. The first night alone in that cabin would be miserable, otherwise.
Taking several minutes to examine the different bottles of wine on display, Lauren gingerly lifted a rather expensive bottle to read the label. It sounded perfect, having hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. She twirled on the ball of her heel, her eyes glued to the flavor panel. The sound of footsteps behind her enticed her to shuffle close to the shelves to her left, making room for the townie in case they needed to pass her. This wine..? Or a cheap beer? She chewed on her lip and weighed the pros and cons of her options.
The internal debate was short lived, a solid force colliding with her back and sending her forward. Lauren gasped as the bottle flew from her hands, her fingers clawing at air as she tried to catch it mid flight. The glass bottle met the floor with a loud crash before she could rescue it, shards scattering across the floor in a red puddle. Her eyes squeezed shut and her arms came up to take the brunt of her impending plummet.
Much to her surprise and relief, she never hit the floor. Strong arms had snaked around her waist and ribs, holding her in a vice like grip flush against the same force that caused the damage to begin with. "Shit, are you okay?"
The voice was deep and hoarse, sounding strained and filled with concern. Lauren sheepishly nodded, her fingers digging into the stranger's forearms to balance herself and regain her thoughts. His hand smoothed down her hip and his other tightened against her chest. Lauren gasped, panic soaring through her when her feet left the floor. A quiet protest left her as the stranger twisted around, her back flush with his chest as he moved her easily out of the way. "Sorry about that," he sighed, his arms falling away from Lauren's body when he was certain she could stand on her own.
Free to move, Lauren stepped away from him, her hand flattening the front of her sun dress. "It's alright," she assured him, turning to properly examine the situation. The man had brought his hand to the back of his neck, brooding anxiously from the accident. Wine and glass filled the small aisle, the scent of alcohol wafting over her. Now she was thankful she hadn't purchased the wine, the smell making her feel light headed. Scattered droplets and varied shards from the bottle led to the end of the aisle where Pierre, the shop's owner, stood with a somber expression.
"Alex, what on Earth happened?" Pierre asked, his hand planting firmly on his hip. Alex inhaled sharply and raked his fingers through his brown hair before gesturing to the mess on the ground.
"It was an accident, Pierre," Alex managed, his jawline growing tense. Pierre sighed and nodded. Of course, he knew it was an accident. Alex Mullner was a good kid, something Pierre had grown to understand over time. "Let me pay for it, it was my fault."
Pierre shook his head. "No, no, Alex, it's quite alright."
"It's not, let me pay you." Alex refused to take no for an answer, his hand fishing into his back pocket to pull out a tattered waller. Lauren forced herself to jump in, her hand closing over Alex's wallet before he could open it. He frowned, taken back by the unfamiliar gaze that met his. The words left his mouth before he could properly process them. "You're not Leah..." His cheeks grew hot upon his realization.
Lauren beamed at him, a nervous laugh leaving her as she brought her hand to her cheek. "No," she confirmed, "I don't believe I am, at least."
"Lauren, are you alright?" Pierre chimed, his head tilting to the side as he studied the two of them. Pierre was one of the few folk in town to have officially met Lauren before her move out to the valley was solidified, his generosity in offering to purchase fresh goods from her and sell her quality seeds making the town all the more surreal to her.
"I'm okay, Pierre," Lauren said, pulling her eyes away from Alex. "Honest."
Pierre's lips were tight, his eyes falling to the floor between them. Lauren perked up quickly, returning her attention to Alex. "All thanks to er... Alex was it?"
Alex nodded, his hand reaching out to the empty space between them, the gesture, while kind, unfit for the current situation. However, anything was better than Zuzu City. Lauren gracefully took his hand, the greeting more than welcome. After a firm handshake, her attention returned to Pierre and her heart sank. "Let me help you clean this up and we can talk about my payment for it."
"You kids," Pierre sputter, exasperated. He rolled his eyes and turned away from the mess, disappearing within the store. Lauren precariously stepped over the mess, Alex following suit. Pierre returned quickly, an old mop and a steel bucket filled with water in tow. "Please, Lauren. It's not a worry. Accidents happen."
Guilt swelled in her chest as she watched him mop the mess– Pierre's shop was struggling, the new Jojamart down the small dirt road putting his prices to shame. While the information hadn't been given to her, Lauren knew it to be true; she'd seen many of the townsfolk pass the quaint storefront in favor of the supermarket's low prices, lowered further by the coupons hung up on the bulletin board just outside Pierre's shop. She would come up with some way to repay the shopkeeper, her mind going over the many options. A sigh left her lips and she turned her gaze to Alex.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Lauren smoothed her hand down her front and inhaled deeply. "Thank you, by the way," she murmured. Alex blinked, his gaze traveling to her waist before snapping back to her eyes. The gesture, while lewd in itself, was brushed off as nothing by her. She knew what to expect for the first few months of being in town, knowing that many of the men here had grown up with their neighbors and potential partners– used to seeing each other daily and familiar with each other. Lauren however, was new and exciting, someone for the town to discuss among themselves until her presence grew just as boring as everyone else's.
"Yeah, not a problem," Alex managed, tearing his eyes away from her. His cheeks darkened and he let out a quiet snort. She smiled sweetly and looked back to Pierre who had finished mopping away the spilled wine. It was cleaning the glass while the floor was wet that would be most difficult for him.
"Alright kids," Pierre sighed, resting the mop's handle against the butt of the aisle's shelves. "It's almost closing time. What're we getting?"
Alex pointed to the aisle he needed and ducked around Lauren to fill his list. Left with Pierre, Lauren bit her lip and chuckled. "Dinner– a soup or something and..." she glanced at the mess leftover and brought her hand up to her lips, her teeth digging into the skin of her thumb. Pierre laughed, understanding what she was feeling. He stepped over the shards and paced down the aisle, skimming over his selection of wines before gripping two bottles.
"These here were made local by some of our very own and they're less than half the cost of that," Pierre said, passing the bottles to Lauren. She clutched them tightly to her chest, not wanting a repeat accident, and watched as Pierre circled the aisle, disappearing from sight before returning with a hefty can. "And this would be one of Caroline's favorites, beef medley." He waved her to the counter and set the can down so he could work the register.
The transaction went over smoothly and Pierre held up a finger to silently tell her to wait, disappearing yet again into the back room of his store. He returned with a large wicker basket and placed Lauren's purchase inside, beaming as he slid it towards her. "Hopefully we'll be seeing you around, Lauren. Enjoy your evening."
"Thanks, Pierre. You too." Lauren looped her arm through the handles and turned away, ready to return to her mess of a cottage. Alex allowed her to pass, a can of creamed corn in his hand. "Nice to meet you, Alex." He shrugged nonchalantly and gave her a curt nod.
He watched Lauren leave the shop and let out a long exhale. Sure, it hadn't been his smoothest introduction, however, he was certain he'd made an impression to last. Plopping the can down on the counter, Alex shook his head and glanced up at Pierre who had an amused expression. "It's been a while since we've had someone new move to town, hasn't it?" the shopkeep asked.
Alex's brows knitted together as he counted out his change. "Yeah," he replied, thinking of when Leah had moved to the valley. It had taken a while to adjust to the new face, but she was part of the community now. "She seems nice." Alex didn't wait around for whatever snarky comment. Pierre could and would make, scooping the can up and pivoting sharply on his heel. He raised a hand farewell and stepped out into the warm spring evening. The air felt good after the crisp winter the town had seen, his skin warming under the rays of the setting sun. His feet reluctantly began to carry him home, the trip back to his grandparent's house short-lived.
His shoulder pressed into the frequently stuck door and pushed it open, his nose filled with the smells of dinner. As always, his grandmother wanted to be sure that none of the meat she'd purchased during winter would spoil and was working on creating a mixed meat stew. "Alex, honey?" she called out, turning to see her grandson coming in. "What took so long? Everything's ready but the corn."
"Sorry, granny," Alex sighed, crossing the kitchen to wrap his grandmother into a tight embrace. He pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head and set to work in opening the can for her. "Had a run in with the new farmer at Pierre's," he explained. His grandmother's body language quickly changed, her posture almost playful as she looked examined Alex closely.
"A new farmer, huh?" She stirred the pot on the stove and carefully twisted the burner off. "Someone interesting?"
Alex scoffed, grinning as he shook his head. "Evelyn," he playfully scolded. Evelyn patiently waited for her answer. There was no way to avoid answering her questions– and even if you did, she was bound to get it from someone else. "She seems alright. Nice or whatever." Evelyn beamed, her eyes glimmering in excitement as she turned and began to rummage through the cupboards. Flour, sugar, cinnamon– Alex shook his head, knowing that his grandmother was bound to meddle in this poor girl's affairs.
Lauren's chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. The heat of spring was already taking its toll and the season had barely started. She let out a disgruntled groan and paused, leaning into the handle of her hoe. Weeding, tilling and more weeding. Already, the farm seemed like too much to manage on her own, leaving her feeling defeated as she viewed the horizon of trees covering her property. Frustrated, she straightened herself and shoved the hoe down, joining it on the soil.
She curled into herself, resting her chin on her knees as she thought of all the work ahead of her, cursing her grandfather for leaving such a mess behind for her to try and tame. Her chest ached, angry with herself for being ungrateful to a man who helped raise her. Sighing, she unfurled and leaned back on her arms, soaking up the sun as she tried to rationalize her thoughts. It wasn't as if her grandfather left her the property with the intention of refusing to reveal the deed to herself for over a decade. Her grandfather wouldn't have done this to her on purpose– the man had only ever wanted to see her succeed in life.
Silencing her thoughts, Lauren stilled herself and focused on calming her breathing. Labour like this had never been her strong suit, making her wish she had some extra help to quicken the process. Once she was able to properly breathe, she struggled to her feet and moved to grab her tool, wanting to call it quits for the day. She swung the long wooden shaft of her tool over her shoulder and twisted around, looking at what little progress she'd made today. It was enough to start planting crops, but her heart sank.
Grumbling to herself, she made her way towards the dividing push that separated her yard from the fields, pausing when she heard voices on the other side. "Granny, come on. She's not here." The voice was familiar, yet she couldn't pin a face to match a name.
"Oh, nonsense," came an older woman's voice. Lauren sighed and stepped around the hedge, dropping her tool beside the shrub where she could easily find it again tomorrow. She smiled sweetly when she saw the pair on her porch; the gentleman from Pierre's store and a short and frail older woman whose hair was pulled back in a neat and tight bun. Lauren's stomach swirled nervously, knowing that she looked like a mess in her dirt covered and grass stained overalls. Their conversation carried on and Lauren ran a hand through her hair, wincing when she pulled a twig from a large tangle.
Ready to get it over with, Lauren forced her feet to carry her towards her porch. "Hey," she called, holding her arm above her head. The older woman seemed ecstatic, turning to reveal the large dish cradled in her arms. Beside her, the man whose name Lauren couldn't remember shifted anxiously, his hands ready to catch the dish. Lauren quickly crossed the distance to her porch, smiling politely when the dish was pushed into her arms.
"Welcome to Pelican Town, dear," the woman greeted her. Her voice was tender, filled with warmth that radiated from her the way it would with any good grandmother. "My name's Evelyn, but you can call me Granny."
"Oh, thank–"
"And I'm sure you remember meeting my grandson, Alex," Evelyn gestured to Alex who seemed relieved that his grandmother was no longer holding the heavy pie. "I hope you like baked goods, dearie. That's my renowned apple pie– everyone in town loves it."
Lauren laughed nervously, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. She let the silence drag on, assuring that Evelyn had finished speaking before she tried again to thank her. "Thank you, so much," she managed, adjusting her grip on the pie dish. "This is very generous of you."
"It's the least I can do for one of our own," Evelyn assured, turning her attention to the cabin behind her. "It's good to see that your grandfather's cabin hasn't worn down too much." Evelyn turned back to Lauren. "I hope it kept you warm last night."
Lauren nodded, her smile wavering as she realized Evelyn knew her grandfather personally. "Everything's perfect." She glanced at Alex who sheepishly smiled, his gaze averting to his grandmother. His hand came to her shoulder, giving her a firm squeeze to silently tell her it was time to leave.
"And how is the land treating you?" Evelyn asked, ignoring Alex's touch. Lauren opened her mouth but quickly closed it, casting a wary glance over her shoulder to the dense forest that had rooted itself directly in the center of the farm.
"It's... okay," Lauren said slowly, thinking of the mess on her clothes. Evelyn seemed to see right through her words, clicking her tongue loudly in disappointment. Oh boy.
"Perhaps Alex could come help you catch up on the yard work this week," Evelyn suggested, her hand landing on Alex's arm. His face went pale and he turned to Evelyn, shaking his head.
"Hang on," Alex sputtered and glanced at Lauren who he knew he was liable to offend. "I can't do stuff like that– I.. I..."
Evelyn frowned, her body seeming to droop like a wilted flower. "And why not?"
Before Alex could explain himself, Lauren cleared her throat and shook her head. "You guys don't have to do that."
Evelyn fussed, insisting that Lauren accept the help– help she absolutely needed but didn't want to take from those who didn't want to give it. "Dear, take the help Alex needs to do something productive, anyhow. Some hard work would do him some good." Lauren scoffed quietly and looked at the victim of free labour. She'd always hated it when her parents signed her up to do things and couldn't imagine being an adult in the same situation.
Lauren gave in, shaking her head. "Alright, I'll think about it." Evelyn seemed satisfied with her answer, the burning passion to get her grandson out of the house diminishing quickly. "I'm just about done for the day, though." The older woman beamed and clapped her palms together.
"Don't let us keep you then." Evelyn turned to Alex and brushed down the front of his jacket before taking several short steps towards the stairs of the porch. "When you finish that pie, dear, feel free to have Alex come pick up the plate. Can't make any more pies without it, after all." Lauren nodded, smiling as Evelyn began her trek back to town. Alex hung back a moment, chuckling when Lauren relaxed and set the pie down on the first step.
"I'm sorry about my grandma," Alex said, moving to sit on the porch. Lauren laughed and joined him, her hands wringing together in her lap. "She does this every time someone moves to the valley." Alex rocked himself backwards and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He was quiet a moment before laughing dryly at himself. "If you do need help, though, I could come give it a try."
"No, I couldn't let you do that," Lauren sighed, leaning back on her palm. Alex frowned and studied her face closely. Dirt was smeared on her cheek, hiding the exhaustion but telling the story of her day in the dirt. He supposed it could've been worse– it could have rained today. "Besides, I wouldn't have come here if I wasn't ready to get my hands dirty." She made a point.
"I thought I'd offer," Alex said, adjusting himself. Another moment of silence passed over them and he let out a shaky exhale. Carefully, he got to his feet and raised his pocketed hand as a farewell gesture. "If you change your mind, you can find me at the blue house next to Pierre's."
Lauren returned the wave and watched Alex leave, relieved to have her cabin to herself once more. While she didn't mind meeting new people, she would have preferred it to be on her own terms and at a time when she didn't look like she'd been working on the farm all day. Moving to her feet, she scooped the pie up and let herself into the cabin where the pie found a spot on one of her many stacks of boxes. Now there was only one thing on her mind: taking a warm shower to wash away the grime.