a Stardew Valley fan fiction: The Proper Care and Feeding of Souls

Chapter 18: Rehearsal

"To live is the rarest thing in the world.

Most people just exist."

- Oscar Wilde

As much as Penny loved teaching the children in town, she loved the leisurely pace of summer even more. She'd often spend her days leaned up against a tree with a book, allowing herself to be pulled into fictional worlds filled with romance and adventure. Reading was an escape that helped her cope with the uglier realities in her life.

Today, however, she was working. After years of pestering him, Mayor Lewis finally agreed to allow her to use a room in the community center for schooling Vincent and Jas. The room was in poor shape. It probably hadn't been used in years. Instead of her usual knee-length skirt and cardigan, today Penny wore a t-shirt and cut-off jean shorts, her hair pulled out of her face covered with a faded bandana. She was determined to transform this room into the learning environment her students deserved.

As Penny scrubbed the windows, floors, and walls, against her better judgment, her thoughts kept returning to the day of the fair. She replayed through her mind the moment her eyes met Sebastian's across the glowing firelight, his soft, barely traceable smile that she glimpsed on rare occasions throughout the day, the vision of him standing alone on the pier and the thought of how incredibly drawn to him she felt even though they'd barely spoken. She quickly shook her head to erase the very idea of him.

As late afternoon rolled around, Penny started to lose steam. Leaning up against the wall, she took a break gulping down the cold water from her water bottle. She lost herself in the silence and stillness until an unfamiliar sound filled the community center. Penny tilted her head, listening to the beautiful melody that seemed to be coming from the piano she'd noticed in the main entryway this morning. Someone was playing a complex, rich, classical tune. Perhaps she vaguely recognized it. Perhaps it just felt familiar in the way that it touched her soul.

After a second classical song, the pianist moved to a few more lively tunes and Penny found herself motivated to continue her work. Reveling in the melodies as they bounced off her ears, she began rearranging the tables, chairs, and shelves she had just cleaned. Eventually, the tunes evolved again. This time, Penny realized the musician had moved from the piano to the keyboard and the music took on a different sound but was equally as mesmerizing.

Penny stood back, admiring her progress. There was one large piece of furniture left to move: a large, wide chest of drawers with a hutch on top. Penny took a deep breath, summoning her strength and energy. In retrospect, she maybe should've started with the harder tasks. With all her might she shoved against the chest, willing it to move. It would not budge. She pushed again, perhaps with a bit too much gusto. As her hands slipped upwards, she forcefully shoved the hutch, which was apparently not connected to the chest, sending it crashing to the floor. The heavy wood shelving hit the floor, the cracking sound of wood ringing throughout the room. Penny stared in horror at the broken furniture.

She hadn't noticed the music had stopped until she heard a voice behind her. Sebastian's deep, soft voice had an urgency to it. "Are you okay?" His brows furrowed in concern. Penny turned to see Sebastian leaning in the doorway, looking worried. The whirlwind of emotions paired with her exhaustion elicited a possibly inappropriate response. Covering her mouth delicately, she giggled, her's eyes glinting with mischief at Sebastian. His face softened with relief and he smiled, stepping down into the room. Penny's giggles turned to infectious laughter. As Sebastian neared, she placed her delicate hand on his arm looking up at him with tears of laughter in her eyes. Against his very nature, he laughed alongside her, not because he thought the crushed wood was funny but because her full-bodied laughter was delightfully contagious.