Chapter Seven-Flower Bud
It was a cool Spring day when Cliff and I rode into Flower Bud Village. Now we were expecting our first child. This was a pleasant time for both Cliff and I. We had arranged for an area of land that was next to a good fishing spot and wasn’t that too far from the Church.
Dallas started to bark as the ‘Welcome To Flower Bud Village’ sign began to enlarge. The village hadn’t changed a bit since I left. The only thing different was the children running around. The children that were babies when I left were now teenagers. There were also a few new kids running around.
“You must be the new Pastor that Carter told me about.” Theodore said looking at Cliff and I. So Carter was friends with Theodore. Who would’ve ever guessed that?
“Yes I am.” Cliff’s voice was filled with awkwardness as he let out those three simple words.
“Okay here’s your house up this way. If you need help with anything, I’m on my Village Patrol route right now so just find me and I’ll have Bob help you.” Theodore said pointing towards the direction of the house. “Also I knew that you two were a family so I already arranged for Kurt, Joe, and Woody to upgrade it for you. Well that should be about it. Welcome to the Village.”
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The next few days went by semi-calmly. Of course we had to have Bob help us with our things. Cliff and I also got to experience a fight between Joe, Kurt, and later Woody. Now what it was about exactly, Cliff and I are still trying to figure out. It was funny though.
On this day I decided to go over the forest to fish because I knew Ray would be there, he was. His face was still has serious as it was the day I left. For a second he took a break from fishing and looked at me.
“Cassidy?” Ray said tilting his head at me, his voice was deeper than ever. With the exception of a few small gray hairs, Ray had aged better than I had over the past ten years.
“Yes its me. How are you doing?” I asked him. I was excited to see him.
“Fine. Maria and I got married a few years ago. What about you?”
“I’m doing pretty good. I married a guy that I had had a relationship years ago. He says that he’s met you before.” I said. I doubt he would remember Cliff though.
“Okay. Do you still have that fishing rod I gave you.” Ray seemed to ignore what I had said to him about Cliff.
“Yes. Best fishing rod ever.” As I said these words I saw Cliff coming into the forest. If you were in Cliff’s position, you would’ve thought Ray and I were flirting.
“Hi Cassidy. Who’s that fisherman over there?” Cliff’s voice had both a combination of anger and calmness in it.
“The name’s Ray. Cassidy and I weren’t flirting if that’s what you want to get at.” Ray said standing up for me. “We tried that game a long time ago and it didn’t work out.” Cliff’s face started to redden with anger.
“Cassidy, you knew this guy? Why didn’t you tell me when we brought that up?” Cliff was upset about this.
“I did. It was just that you and I were getting so far I didn’t want Ray to endanger that.” I said. I began to walk out of the forest in fear of getting too deep into this blow out.
“Really Cliff, it was nothing. Just a couple of friends getting to know each other again. Nothing major.” I finally said. This oddly seemed to calm Cliff down. “So I hope you and Ray can become friends or just get out of each other’s faces and move on.”
“Okay.” Both men said. They were shocked by how tough I could actually be if the chance was give.
“Well I have some things at the um church to attend to.” Cliff said.
“Yeah and I’ve got to fish some more.” Ray stuttered. I smiled as I continued to walk out of the forest to explore Flower Bud Village.
Memories floated throughout the village for me. Jamie was still the complete grouch he had been four years earlier. Alex was still at the clinic. The big question was if he had changed his clothes during the past four years. I laughed at the thought.
“Hey Cassidy, how are you doing?” Michael asked as I walked into his shop. I may have only bought a few things there during my whole ten year stay but I still enjoyed his and Louis’ company.
“Fine. You remember Cliff, that man that I told you about from Mineral Town?”
“Yeah.” Michael said even though it was obvious he didn’t know who I was talking about.
“We got married a few seasons ago.” I said as I heard an explosion coming from one of the back rooms. “Ann again?” I asked.
“Yes.” Michael sighed. He always worried about Ann when she’d do some of her crazy experiments. I did too. “Well nice talking to you. I’m going to see what Ann broke this time.” Michael rolled his eyes at the thought. I soon walked out of the Junk Shop to start my daily shipping.
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The next season passed by quickly. Cliff became a very good pastor, he and Ray were slowly starting to like each other, overall I’d say its been a pretty good season. Cliff was excited about becoming a father. Like everything else that had occurred in the past four years with us, Cliff had everything he wanted. A family, a home, and the job of his dreams.
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The man paced the small clinic. For this to be a clinic, it sure is small, he thought. He worried about the woman that was behind the curtain. This particular woman was his wife.
“Cliff, don’t worry about her so much. Women have been having children for years. I don’t see how your wife would be any different.” Doctor Alex said. His face didn’t look nothing of what you’d expect a doctor’s face to look like, yet at the same time his face looked as professional as a doctor’s face could be. Unless if you count Trent.
“Alex, its not that I don’t trust you and Martha its just that….” Cliff’s face began to fade, as Cliff’s face did when he had something on his mind. Alex put his hand on Cliff’s shoulder. As a doctor Alex saw all sorts of things. But that’s another story. Footsteps on tile were heard coming from behind the curtain, Martha.
“Martha, how’s my wife doing?” Cliff asked frantically, almost with a sense of demand.
“She’s doing fine. Congrats.” Martha smiled as she guided Cliff into the small isolated area.
It was a sight that thirty-six year old Cliff would never forget, his wife and his two children. This surprised Cliff too because he had figured that his wife was only having one kid. Of course she didn’t tell you Cliff. She would’ve never had a moment alone if you had known, Cliff thought. But that was something that didn’t matter to him now.
“Hey Cassidy, guess who’s here?” Cliff smiled as he stepped closer to the bed.
“Cliff?” Cassidy said, drowsy.
“Yes. You want me to write the people of Mineral Town about this?”
“Yes but don’t write to Elli about it, let her find out by someone else.”
“Okay I’m just going to write a letter to Duke because I’m sure with Manna being as nosy as she is, she’ll read the letter and the whole town will know.” Cassidy laughed at what Cliff said.
“Sure.”
“So what names should I put on the letter? I mean if you’ve thought of names.” Cliff asked, his awkward side showing with every word.
“No I haven’t picked out names. I waited for you to help me with that. And I promise I won’t name one of the children after any kind of fish.” Cassidy joked with Cliff.
“Good because Rainbow Trout Owens doesn’t sound too good.” Cliff laughed. “Well we can joke around later. So what are they? So we can break some ground here.”
“A boy and a girl.” Cassidy said. “I was thinking about the name Dylan for the boy.”
“Sounds good. Brooke was my mother’s name, so um h…how about that for the girl?” Cliff asked. Cassidy nodded.
“Hey, I’ve built cribs for the little ones.” Woody said as he entered the clinic, “Congrats.”
“Thank you.” Cliff said, not taking his eyes off the children. Cliff’s smile grew bigger by the minute.
“Okay, you can leave now Cliff. She and the babies will be fine in our care. Get some rest. She’ll be ready to leave in a few days.”
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The next few days flew by quickly for me, Cliff, and the twins. I enjoyed to sight of Cliff with the twins, he seemed so full of himself. Like he was finally at peace. This was a good sign. Ray and Maria came by a week later to congratulate Cliff and I. That day I also met Ray’s son, Carp, spitting image of Ray. I also got to read the letter Cliff wrote to Duke.
Dear Duke,
Cassidy and I welcomed our twins on Spring 10th. No, I didn’t name one after you like I promised but there’s always the next son. Dylan and Brooke are they’re names, so you can tell Manna that. Have her tell everyone or you can tell everyone, whichever you prefer.
We hope to come by to visit soon,
Cliff
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It was a simple letter. Nice but simple. Everyday I ask Woody if he wants me to pay for the cribs and he gives me the same answer every time ‘No. You don’t need to. Free of charge.’ Still I manage to give him a couple thousand G. He takes it but you can tell he doesn’t want to, he just does it to be polite. Yes we had the good life that Cliff and I had envisioned at the dock in Mineral Town years earlier. I smiled at the sleeping Cliff at the thought
