Coffee and Spice | Harvey | Stardew Valley

-14-

Over the next few weeks, the scenery of the valley transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors and increasingly bitter winds charge from the north, prompting the return of heavy sweaters and boots. The trees that hug the slopes of the mountains in the distance sway constantly, their red and gold leaves shimmering under the sunlight like little flames. There's an air of infectious contentment among the residents as they go about their business, despite the persistent chill. I feel content, too. At least in some ways.

I'm getting a better grip on managing the variety of tasks that are required each day, and as a result, my farm is flourishing. With guidance from Willy, I master the tedious art of fishing and begin catching bucketloads of fish in the river that borders my property. I descale and freeze most of them for future meals, but Willy is always happy to take the surplus off my hands for a fair price. Crops go to Pierre, which he then sells for an elevated rate in his shop. I don't mind though, as his payments are adequate and reliable. Robin builds a small coop by my house using materials I've gathered, and Marnie supplies me with four very cute chickens in exchange for a steady supply of apples from my orchard.

There's a sense of community in the trading of goods and services. Each person has a role to fill, joining in the collaboration of many moving parts that form the foundation of our little town. I feel like I truly belong. Like I'm actually contributing instead of just being drained of all energy and finances with nothing in return, the way it was in the city.

I spend most afternoons with Emily, watching movies together, strolling around on the beach, running errands in town. Sometimes Hailey and Alex join us, which is awkward at first, but over time we all grow more comfortable with each other.

Harvey and I continue to meet at the saloon most evenings, but we now sit at the bar. Shane - who has begun frequenting his usual seat again without any provocation from Gus - and Emily act as a barrier of sorts between us, keeping the conversation from straying towards uncomfortable topics.

I was worried how it would be to have Harvey join us. I didn't want him to feel like an outsider. At first, he mostly listened to us while drinking his beer, occasionally contributing inconsequential things here and there. I got the sense that he was gauging our established dynamics to determine how best to fit himself into our little cohort. I made an effort to loop him into the conversation whenever I could, knowing how it felt to be the newest member of a group.

Luckily, Emily's bubbly personality meshed with everyone, so there was no problem there. Harvey and Shane were polar opposites (to the surprise of no one), but they found common ground with the topic of airplanes of all things. I don't even remember how it started, but since then they would often get lost in their own discussions that sounded very technical and boring. Emily and I would just share an amused look and then we would talk on our own until they were done.

The most difficult part about Harvey and I interacting around others was having to censor my reactions to him. Sometimes I would laugh a little too much at his jokes or would find myself smiling in his direction for no discernible reason. When he would inevitably catch me in the act, it brought on a whole round of blushing and heart palpitations. But it was a much-needed reminder to snap myself out of it before Emily or Shane noticed.

Many times, I caught Harvey staring at me too, even when I wasn't the one speaking. His face would pink slightly, and he would always look away before anyone else caught on. As always, he was better at pretending than I was.

I tried to find something that was even slightly distasteful about him, as if unearthing one flaw would be enough to tone down my fixation. Instead, watching him, absorbing his words and body language so closely, only fed the flames. I was endlessly fascinated, feeling like I could never quite get a grasp on him despite the embarrassing amount of time I spent observing him.