Stardew Valley: The Heart Remembers

Chapter One

Boxes were scattered about the room, nearly the entire apartment packed up into them. The young woman sat among them all, thinking about how strange it felt to see the past six years of her life reduced to nothing but a couple dozen cardboard boxes. She reached for the ring on her left hand – a nervous habit she'd picked up since becoming engaged – then let out a sigh when her fingertips grasped at nothing but the bare skin of her ring finger. She'd sold the ring a week prior, using the money from the sale to pay the fees for breaking her lease early.

"You're not taking this?"

She turned her head slightly and looked up, brown eyes meeting the matching ones of her mother, who was standing there with a wedding dress folded over her arms.

"Why should I? Not like I need it now," she replied, forcing a smile even as she felt the tears coming back once more.

"Sweetie..." Her mother sat the dress atop one of the boxes and knelt next to her, pulling her into a hug. "You know what happened wasn't your fault, right?"

"I really wish people would stop telling me that," she complained, her voice shaking slightly.

Her mother nodded as she released her hold, then wiped at the tears which were forming in her daughter's eyes.

"I'm sorry. A mother worries, though, and with this sudden decision of yours to move..."

"I'm not just moving because of what happened," she assured her mother. "Yes, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, but I haven't been very happy at work lately, either. I just... Need a change, right now."

"I suppose it's a good thing I gave you Grandpa's letter then, isn't it?"

The young woman nodded, a strand of her dark blonde hair coming loose from the ponytail she'd pulled it back into. Her mother had given her the letter at her bridal shower, thinking it would hold some encouraging words which would help lead to her future happiness. It did, but along with those words had been a declaration that the old family farm had been left in his granddaughter's name, should she ever need an escape from her life in the city.

"Adam wanted to sell the farm," she admitted to her mother. "He said the profit from the sale would give us a nice little nest egg to start with. I couldn't bring myself to do it, though... Not that it matters any more."

"You were pretty young when your grandfather passed away, but I'm sure part of you still remembers going there to visit him. And I know he loved having you there, helping him with the chores."

"What could a four-year-old possibly do on a farm?"

Her mother chuckled. "Well, you got dirty more than anything, but you did help. He used to give you a basket and send you to the field in front of the house to pick strawberries for breakfast. And you always loved brushing the animals, even if you were too little to reach to the top of them."

She felt her eyes welling with tears again, and her mother cocked her head to the side and gave her another concerned look.

"Jaina, what's wrong?"

"I... I don't know," she replied, shaking her head and wiping at her eyes. "I can't even remember what he looked like, but hearing you talk about the time I spent with him... Somehow, it makes me sad."

Her mother smiled softly. "You miss him. Even if your mind can't quite remember, your heart does."

With a sigh, her mother picked up the wedding dress once more and held it up int front of her to take a proper look at it.

"Seems such a waste to just get rid of it. I'll hold onto it for you."

"Why?" Jaina protested. "I'm not getting married now."

"But you will, someday."

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm done with love."

"So you say," her mother retorted with a bit of a smirk. "But one day, you'll meet a wonderful young man and fall head-over-heels again."

"You sound pretty damn sure of that."

"Call it a mother's intuition." She carefully laid the dress back down and looked out over the room with a sigh. "Are you sure you don't want your father and I to come with you tomorrow?"

"Daddy shouldn't be taking off work right now. He's got that new client, after all."

"Hmpf, and he's one of those picky ones, too," her mother groused, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned. "I really hope he doesn't overwork himself again."

"Well, if it ever seems like he needs a break, you two would be more than welcome to come visit me."

"That would be nice. It's been a while since I've been back home, after all."

"Hey, Mom... Why did you decide to leave?"

"It wasn't the right place for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Pelican Town. It's peaceful and the people there are some of the nicest you could ever hope to meet. But I couldn't exactly follow my dream there. Besides... I fell madly in love with your father." She winked at her daughter, causing the younger woman to roll her eyes.

"You guys are still so sickly sweet to each other even after more than a quarter century together."

"And the sex is still just as hot as ever."

"Mother!" Jaina cried out, her eyes wide and her cheeks blushing. Her mother merely chuckled at her reaction.

"There, finally... You stopped pouting."

"Yes, but now I have mental images in my brain which are going to haunt me for a very long time."

"Sorry," her mother apologized, though she was still grinning widely. After a moment of silence passed between them, she let out a sigh and placed her hands on her hips as she looked around the room once more.

"Are you sure you don't want to take anything else with you?"

Jaina nodded. "I'm sure. I already sent ahead the things I think I'll need, but if I think of anything I forgot, I'll let you know."

"Alright. And if you decide you want to come back to the city, your room will always be ready and waiting for you."

"Except it's going to be filled with all these boxes."

"True, but I promise not to put any of them on the bed so you'll at least have a place to sleep."

"Thanks, Mom... For everything," Jaina said quietly, a weak smile on her face as she looked up at her mother from where she was sitting.

After that, the two women set about finishing their task, labeling the boxes according to their contents and sorting them accordingly. Once they had finished, they returned home and had one last dinner together as a family before Jaina was due to depart for Stardew Valley. They talked and laughed and her father nearly started to cry when he reflected upon how she'd grown up and was leaving her parents behind. It was a nice family dinner, and Jaina knew she was loved. Still, though... her heart felt heavy.

As she laid in bed that night, she hoped that she made the right decision to leave Zuzu City and strike out on her own in the country. The city had been her home since she was born, but she just didn't feel right there anymore. All the city did was take from her. Her job had been stressing her to the point where she felt ill just thinking about going in to work each morning, and her fiance... A part of her blamed the city for losing him, too – though she still blamed herself more than anything for what had happened.

With a sigh, she rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes, resolving to leave all of her negative feelings behind when she got on that bus in the morning. Pelican Town was a wonderful place, her mother said, and what she could vaguely remember of the times she spent there visiting her grandfather made her feel calm. She had already made her decision, and now she would see it though. That little country town would be her salvation, and in return she'd do everything she could to make her grandfather proud of her so he wouldn't regret leaving his beloved farm to her.