A Place To Stay
folder
+G through L › Harvest Moon
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
29
Views:
4,901
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+G through L › Harvest Moon
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
29
Views:
4,901
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the rights to Harvest Moon or these characters. Stories are for entertainment only, and I make no profit off of this.
16
Fall was almost here. The long, humid summer days had waned a bit, signaling the end of the season.
Claire was preparing dinner when she heard a rap on the door. Cliff opened it to reveal Kai and Popuri, hand in hand, giddy with happiness.
Claire set down the spatula she was using and came forward to greet them. “Hey, guys. What’re you so happy about?”
“I’m going away with Kai!” Popuri blurted out, hopping up and down a little.
Kai nodded and grinned. "We just had Carter and the Mayor make it official an hour ago. It was a quick little wedding, with just Rick, Lillia and Karen there."
Popuri let go of Kai’s hand and came forward a little, grabbing Claire by the shoulders. “I did what you said,” she whispered breathlessly. “I listened to my heart, and now I know that I want to be with Kai, forever.”
Claire smiled and hugged her. “That’s wonderful. I wish you guys the best.”
Cliff shook Kai’s hand, and then Kai gestured out in the direction of the fields. “Hey, I notice you’ve got two pineapple plants that survived the storm. I heard about that, by the way. I’m sorry, and I was disappointed to not be able to buy up your crop this season. But anyway, do you think I could buy those last two pineapples that are still on the plant?” He grasped Popuri’s hand, squeezing it and smiling down on her. “They’d be a little taste of summer to take with us to our next destination.”
“Sure,” Cliff said, slipping on his work gloves, and going out with them onto the field. He twisted off the two just ripe fruits and handed them over to Kai.
“Thanks, man.” He slipped some money into Cliff’s hand, and then turned and hurried off with Popuri.
“Goodbye!” Popuri yelled cheerfully over her shoulder. “See you next summer!”
Cliff walked back into the house, unfolding the bills in his hand. He choked and Claire turned, surprised.
“Claire, Kai overpaid me - by a LOT.” Claire took the money from him, her eyes widening at the very large denomination bills that she had only seen once in her life before. A small piece of paper fluttered out. Cliff stooped down and picked it up, unfolding and reading it.
“To Cliff and Claire - Consider this a late wedding present. Claire, I really appreciate you being such a true friend to Popuri. When everyone else was telling her what to do, you told her to listen to herself. I hope we can have as happy of a marriage as you two do! We’ll return next summer. Best wishes - Kai.”
Happy tears sprung to Claire’s eyes. “Oh, Cliff! This is enough money to get the chicken coop repaired!”
Cliff nodded, swallowing. “And then some.” He hugged Claire happily.
The next morning, they went to visit Gotz and commissioned him to rebuild the chicken coop, this time with stone reinforcements like the barn had. Gotz was some kind of magician, because the work was done in less than five days.
Rick obligingly brought one of his roosters to “visit” Chichi so that they could have some new chicks on the farm. Rick was taking Popuri’s departure very well, considering how resistant he had been to her relationship with Kai the summer before. But as he and Karen were getting more serious, he understood the importance of being with the person that you loved the most.
Elli and the Doctor announced their wedding in the middle of fall. Elli’s wedding was a lavish affair. She wore a sexy strapless gown, and the Doctor wore a white tuxedo. Claire and Cliff returned the favor they had done them by being their matron of honor and best man. The party that followed at the Clinic was even wilder than Cliff and Claire’s wedding reception.
Gray and Mary were finally a couple too. The rumor was that Mary was reading Gray the “good part” in one of her romance novels late at night in the library, and they both got worked up, going all the way against a bookshelf. Claire giggled to herself when she thought of that.
It was the night of the moon-viewing festival. Claire and Cliff dressed up in kimonos and hiked up to Mother’s Hill. They cuddled together, admiring the view, and then shared the moon dumplings that Claire had made.
Cliff sighed. “A lot has changed in a year. Last fall I was about to have to leave town, about to have to keep wandering.”
Claire snuggled up to him. “Do you ever miss traveling?”
Cliff mused this. “A little, sometimes. But the most exotic locale doesn’t compare to holding you in my arms at night.” He tilted Claire’s chin up to meet him, kissing her.
“I’ve found where I belong. Now I have a place to stay.”
Claire was preparing dinner when she heard a rap on the door. Cliff opened it to reveal Kai and Popuri, hand in hand, giddy with happiness.
Claire set down the spatula she was using and came forward to greet them. “Hey, guys. What’re you so happy about?”
“I’m going away with Kai!” Popuri blurted out, hopping up and down a little.
Kai nodded and grinned. "We just had Carter and the Mayor make it official an hour ago. It was a quick little wedding, with just Rick, Lillia and Karen there."
Popuri let go of Kai’s hand and came forward a little, grabbing Claire by the shoulders. “I did what you said,” she whispered breathlessly. “I listened to my heart, and now I know that I want to be with Kai, forever.”
Claire smiled and hugged her. “That’s wonderful. I wish you guys the best.”
Cliff shook Kai’s hand, and then Kai gestured out in the direction of the fields. “Hey, I notice you’ve got two pineapple plants that survived the storm. I heard about that, by the way. I’m sorry, and I was disappointed to not be able to buy up your crop this season. But anyway, do you think I could buy those last two pineapples that are still on the plant?” He grasped Popuri’s hand, squeezing it and smiling down on her. “They’d be a little taste of summer to take with us to our next destination.”
“Sure,” Cliff said, slipping on his work gloves, and going out with them onto the field. He twisted off the two just ripe fruits and handed them over to Kai.
“Thanks, man.” He slipped some money into Cliff’s hand, and then turned and hurried off with Popuri.
“Goodbye!” Popuri yelled cheerfully over her shoulder. “See you next summer!”
Cliff walked back into the house, unfolding the bills in his hand. He choked and Claire turned, surprised.
“Claire, Kai overpaid me - by a LOT.” Claire took the money from him, her eyes widening at the very large denomination bills that she had only seen once in her life before. A small piece of paper fluttered out. Cliff stooped down and picked it up, unfolding and reading it.
“To Cliff and Claire - Consider this a late wedding present. Claire, I really appreciate you being such a true friend to Popuri. When everyone else was telling her what to do, you told her to listen to herself. I hope we can have as happy of a marriage as you two do! We’ll return next summer. Best wishes - Kai.”
Happy tears sprung to Claire’s eyes. “Oh, Cliff! This is enough money to get the chicken coop repaired!”
Cliff nodded, swallowing. “And then some.” He hugged Claire happily.
The next morning, they went to visit Gotz and commissioned him to rebuild the chicken coop, this time with stone reinforcements like the barn had. Gotz was some kind of magician, because the work was done in less than five days.
Rick obligingly brought one of his roosters to “visit” Chichi so that they could have some new chicks on the farm. Rick was taking Popuri’s departure very well, considering how resistant he had been to her relationship with Kai the summer before. But as he and Karen were getting more serious, he understood the importance of being with the person that you loved the most.
Elli and the Doctor announced their wedding in the middle of fall. Elli’s wedding was a lavish affair. She wore a sexy strapless gown, and the Doctor wore a white tuxedo. Claire and Cliff returned the favor they had done them by being their matron of honor and best man. The party that followed at the Clinic was even wilder than Cliff and Claire’s wedding reception.
Gray and Mary were finally a couple too. The rumor was that Mary was reading Gray the “good part” in one of her romance novels late at night in the library, and they both got worked up, going all the way against a bookshelf. Claire giggled to herself when she thought of that.
It was the night of the moon-viewing festival. Claire and Cliff dressed up in kimonos and hiked up to Mother’s Hill. They cuddled together, admiring the view, and then shared the moon dumplings that Claire had made.
Cliff sighed. “A lot has changed in a year. Last fall I was about to have to leave town, about to have to keep wandering.”
Claire snuggled up to him. “Do you ever miss traveling?”
Cliff mused this. “A little, sometimes. But the most exotic locale doesn’t compare to holding you in my arms at night.” He tilted Claire’s chin up to meet him, kissing her.
“I’ve found where I belong. Now I have a place to stay.”