Coffee and Spice | Harvey | Stardew Valley

-7-

As spring progresses into summer, I fall into a steady rhythm in Stardew Valley. The majority of my time is taken up by the farm, installing the beehives I built during the winter, watering crops, and harvesting materials for a coop I'm planning to have built by my house. There's comfort in the repetition of chores, in pushing my body to the point of exhaustion.

It seems like no matter how productive my days are, there's always so much more to do. As I grow more comfortable with my neighbors, they begin to ask for favors on top of everything else.

Most of their requests are simple things: catching a certain type of fish for dinner, helping locate a missing item, selling or trading crops to avoid staggering retail prices, etc. As I fulfill each task, the subsequent ones become even more demanding. The most formidable of them all comes from Mayor Lewis one morning. He tells me over iced tea and blueberry muffins that he has been hoping to restore the community center in the middle of town. I agree to help, thinking it will only require a few small repairs. I soon regret my hospitality. When Mayor Lewis brings me to the site of the dilapidated building, it becomes apparent just how much work will need to go into the project.

It's not that I mind helping out. It keeps me busy and, as a bonus, I begin to develop closer relationships with those around me. They reciprocate by sharing stories about the town, gifting me with family recipes, and paying me money which goes directly into my savings. In no time at all, my presence is met with enthusiasm and praise for all of my hard work. Even though their reactions embarrass me, I have to admit that it's nice to feel needed.

I even begin to tolerate the farm cat - though choosing a name for him is still very low on my ever-growing list of demands. Most nights I end up passing out on the couch with a book tumbling from my calloused hands and when I wake, the cat is curled up beside me, purring so loudly I imagine the house is shaking.

The only person that I don't grow closer with is Harvey.

It seems that we have come to an unspoken agreement to only communicate when absolutely necessary. When we pass by each other close enough to warrant socializing, we adhere to the most basic structure of small talk. A back and forth of "Hello, how are you?", "Good, and yourself?", "Fine, thanks for asking."; the call and response of a song that's been played one too many times.

There is nothing in either of our postures or words to indicate any history between us. We stick to the basics: a nod of the head, a polite smile, a casual wave. That split-second of transparency I had seen in his eyes the night he walked me home from the bar has not made a reappearance.

With each one of these scripted interactions, I become more irritated. Not at Harvey. After all, I'm not entitled to anything from him beyond maybe standard medical care if I were to get injured again. Although I think at this point, I'd rather let myself succumb to any bodily harm or illness rather than make a trip to his clinic.

I'm mad at myself for searching for any fragment of meaning in our formal niceties.

Is it because I know that there's another side of him, so different than the orderly and polished guise that he presents to the general public? Or is there some internal sense of entitlement on my part that I haven't identified due to numerous other things competing for my attention?

I don't have any sort of claim on him. I'm not even sure if I want to. He obviously doesn't want any ties with me. He no longer approaches me at the bar and after a few weeks, I stop looking for him when I first walk in like I used to do on instinct.

Sometimes though, when I'm laughing with Emily or sharing gossip with Shane, I'll lift my head and our eyes will meet from across the room. We both look away immediately, but I get the sense that he's not entirely unaware of my presence - at least not as much as he lets on. If I'm being honest, I haven't dismissed him from my mind entirely either. But I still try.