Robin and the Red Crow

Chapter Nine - More Than Just a Doctor

The small girl at the front desk of the post office shook her head after sorting through the pile of letters she pulled from a basket under her desk.

"I'm sorry, sir, but no letter from your brother has turned up yet," she said begrudgingly. "I'll be extra sure to keep my eye out for anything from a man named Otto and send word to Sunshine Acers as soon as I see something."

"Ah... Well... Thank you very much for looking," Robin said, disappointed. He almost wished he could go back behind the counter and personally sort through the letters, just in case, but knew they would never allow him to do so, local or not.

Robin felt frustrated. He had already been at Sunshine Acres for almost a month and couldn't help but feel like he might be overstaying his welcome. He had intended to only be at Sunshine Acres for a few days, not a few weeks. Not that Holly or Jo had said anything to make him feel unwelcome. It was merely his own anxieties that left him feeling like a burden. Although, if anything, the ladies seemed to be more hospitable each day, as if he were part of the household and not just a guest.

To Robin's surprise, he was also starting to feel that way.

Initially, Robin's days were filled with tediously cleaning the house's decor, but now that he had painstakingly managed to finish most of it, he had found time to do other things.

When Cookie stayed behind, he would take her on a walk in the pasture behind the house and bring books on plants from the library to identify what was growing in the wild prairie. Sometimes, he would take the Nanahound along the old roads that ran alongside Sunshine Acres, enjoying the views of the countryside and the sounds of nature. Other days, he filled his time with baking and trying new recipes, experimenting with different ingredients to suit his tastes. On those days, he especially looked forward to the ladies' return. They became candid yet increasingly praiseworthy judges of some of his cooking concoctions.

Truthfully, Robin wouldn't mind staying at Sunshine Acres for a bit longer. He only wished his brother would respond.

After leaving the post office, Robin made his way over to Miss Ivy's Fashion and Jewels. As he strolled along the streets of Adel, he looked around to admire the small town he had when he first arrived.

Robin noticed several familiar faces each time he came into the town of Adel. However, unlike in London, the people here would walk up and start talking with him when they noticed he was staying in town and not just passing through. This shocked Robin at first, and looking back, he realized he had been a bit rude to the first couple of strangers he met.

Another curious thing was that after meeting him once, the people of Adel would wave at him and greet him as if he had lived there his whole life. It initially puzzled Robin, but it started to make him feel at home as he walked the streets, greeting people as he passed. Even strangers waved at him, wishing him a good morning as he walked by.

As he approached Holly's shop, he realized he had seen it before on his first day in town. Ivy's Fashion and Jewels was the small shop in the corner of the square, a coral light pink color with a light green awning. Painted on the awning was the store's name in chipping gold letters. He glanced into the shop window to see Holly and an older gentleman talking at a case near the front of the store. As Robin pushed open the glass door beside the window, a small bell rang out, causing Holly and the customer to look up at him in surprise

"Welcome— Oh, Robin! How did it go at the post office?" Holly asked, her surprise turning into a smile as he entered the store.

"No such luck, but I sent a letter to my family, so we shall see what they say," Robin said, sliding off his summer jacket to hang on the coat stand by the door.