𝓦𝓮𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓗𝓸𝓶𝓮: The Evelyn Fairfax Files

💌Friendship Stamps (Eddie and Eve)💌

"Appreciate your help, Eve!"

Eddie cheerfully mentioned to me as I helped him sort through the mail at his Post Office. I knew how overworked he can get whenever he works on delivering mail or working at his Post Office.

He continued, "I always get so frazzled when I get overwhelmed with work things."

"S'no biggie, Eddie," I answered. "I always felt bad when you overwork yourself. All of us neighbors are."

"I know," Eddie replied, "but I can't help myself. Sometimes I just...feel my best when I deliver a package or parsal, in rain, snow or shine."

"I get it," I nodded. "Sometimes, I get so immersed in my work that I don't want to stop. But burnouts are a thing, chief, and we can't have the neighborhood's favorite mailman go through a burnout!"

Eddie blushed, "My stars, Eve, yer giving me honey glows in my cheeks!" he chuckled, "I'll try not to push myself too much so I don't worry my friends."

Once we were done, we finally took a break, and Eddie decided that he had something to show me. When he came back, he showed me a little book.

"This is my prized stamp collection!" he explained. "I have a page for certain types of stamps and I paste them in this book."

"Oh! So like a scrapbook for stamps?" I asked.

"You could say that!" Eddie nodded. "Personally I prefer to call it a 'book collection'." He flipped to a page for me to see. "But this page is ma favorite. That's because it's a collection of stamps given to me by my friends! This apple one was given to me by Wally...the butterfly one was given to me by Frank...Barnaby gave me this silly one...and other stamps given to me by Julie, Sally, Howdy, Poppy...and even Home itself! I call these my friendship stamps. But there's one missin'...yours!"

"O-oh" my eyes widened. "I....I don't know if I have any stamps to give...but perhaps if I check in my tree house I can find one. C'mon!"

I led Eddie out of the post office and out of the neighborhood towards my tree house. Eddie's eyes widened, "Woah...so this is where you've been livin' in. I thought you had a house in the neighborhood. Guess I never payed attention."

"Well...it's...a bit complicated," I explained. "Wait here. I'll go find that stamp for your collection!"

As I headed up to my treehouse, Eddie waited outside. Luckily, I forgot I had a treasure chest that could give me what I imagined, so it would be easy finding a stamp to fit Eddie's collection.

Meanwhile, the resident, reliable mailman was sitting outside of my tree house waiting for me to come down. He looked over at the surrounding trees, hearing the wind blow the leaves.

And then...the sounds started to get...louder...more reverbed...

Eddie started to feel numb in his body as he felt...strange....as if he felt disconnected from his physical body...as if the world he was in was...not real...

He hasn't felt this way since-

"Eddie?....Eddie?....Eddie, you okay?!"

That voice....was that voice real...?

Suddenly he snapped out of it when I shook him back, "Eddie! Oh, there you are, thank goodness. You looked a bit distraught. You okay?"

"O-oh...sorry Eve..." Eddie gripped his head. "I...think I zoned out a bit...there's...something about this tree house...I don't know what-"

"Hey! Um...I found a stamp for you collection!" I interjected.

"Oh?"

When I helped Eddie up, I showed him the stamp I managed to find. It was a cute stamp with a envelope sealed with a heart. I figured he would like it.

"Wow," Eddie smiled. "Eve, this is awesome! Now I have a stamp from all of my friends! Including you" he booped my nose. "Thanks, darlin'!"

"Heh! No problem, Eddie," I smiled, now knowing and feeling happy that I was considered a friend by Eddie, and that my stamp was in his collection of friendship stamps.

But as we walked back to his post office, I thought back to when he said he felt strange around my tree house. He definitely looked zoned out, but more...panicked. As if he suffered from...

De-realization.

Was Eddie going to be the next person to know that I was actually from the real world?

I decided not to worry about it for now.

I had a new stamp to help Eddie put into his collection.

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Next Neighbor: Julie