I slumped to the ground on my farm that morning, feeling the strength leave my body. “Just… one… more… hour,” I moaned as I half breathed, half cried. My stomach was twisted up in knots after what today was.
My parents have been dead for a year, and I’ve been in this town for three seasons.
“Hey, Hana,” I smiled weakly as I bought my usual rice for my dinner. “How’s your hip doing today? It okay? Hey, I need another, since I’m having company tonight. Here’s the extra G-“
“It’s on the house, Deary, since you come every day I’m open. You’re like a grandchild to me, Sweety. There’s no need for you to be paying so much for dinner every night. I hope your date goes well!”
I had turned to walk out the door and it felt like a pile of bricks hit my head when she said date. “It’s Allen, not a boyfriend,” I sighed when I was outside. “Speaking of Allen…”
“Hey. Pay attention. I need you to stay the night with me,” I kicked his leg after walking around the counter.
“Why? You feeling—“ He paused and his eyes got big for a second. Shaking his head, scolding himself, he said, “Of course. Do you have a double bed yet, or am I going to have to bring you here to sleep, Cousin?”
“No double bed- why do you even have one, Allen?”
His eyes went mischievous. “Well, dear Cousin, I have reasons-“
“You mean you sleep with your hairdryer,” I laughed.
He folded his arms. “Maybe. But, yes, we can either rough it at your farm or sleep comfortably here. Whichever you want. Mom and Dad sent me a letter for you.” He ran upstairs and dug around a bit. When he found what he was looking for, a thud, thud, thud, was heard and he threw a letter onto his counter. “Read it as I do your hair, okay? It’s on me.” He smiled.
“I know it looks terrible, alright? I didn’t even take a shower last night-“
His nose turned up and he smirked, “Let’s change your hair just a tiny bit, then, alrighty, Cousin?”
Dear Ruth,
Your Aunt Natalie and Uncle Pierre want to send their deepest love in exchange for your sadness. Oh, darling, Chelsea and Elliot loved you so much. There was nothing your silly father wouldn’t do for you and your brother. Tell Allen to get his stupid butt over to your farm since Jean can’t be there. Oh, and tell him to eat properly. He doesn’t need his condition to act up again. Tell Rod hello for us, and please take care of yourself. Happy early birthday, too, Ruth. We love you, and so does Grandpa Taro. He tells us that letters from the newly risen Sunshine Islands do get to Echo Village. Have you gotten any from him? Oh, Ruth. We love you.
Natalie
“Hey, Soseki. How’re you? I made you Boulibasse-“
His arms were quickly around me. “Ruth-“
Clutching tightly to the edges of his robe, I buried my face in his chest. “So…Allen told you?”
“I have my sources, Darling. Just shh for now, though, okay? Eat a little cake or something. Things like this shouldn’t happen when you’re so young…”
He led me to a seat at his table and pulled the other close to it. Sitting down, he put his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry my house is so small, Sweety. I wish I could help more,” he sighed.
“This is lovely,” I said, smiling up at him as his stubble got caught in my hair. “Thank you.”
“You can stay as long as you like,” he smiled.
“He’s not my boyfriend, Allen,” I mumbled, eating across the table from my cousin.
“Shh, Ruth, this restaurant’s tiny. And so what, you just spent an hour in the arms of a man who you’re not dating? You’re so platonic and strange,” he smirked. “I like it.”
“Shut up,” I moaned and covered my face.
“Dunhill,” I stopped short after walking out of the restaurant for lunch. “He’s been saying something lately that I just can’t wrap my head around…” Running up the hill, I came to his house. Without knocking on the door, I ran in. “Why do you keep saying you’ll write Father to tell him how the town’s developing? Where’re you gonna send it, Dunhill? They’re dead! That’s why I came to this stupid town. Not because I wanted it to be revitalized, but because of Dad!”
“I know,” his old faced smiled weakly. “I know. But death doesn’t mean you can’t remember your parents. Come, I’ll show you something. I found myself in this place here, when I heard the news a year ago. These two little people dressed in bright clothes greeted me with strange words. A green-haired goddess appeared and patted my head. Her beauty and naïvety astounded me. Right here, by these stumps.”
We were at the place where I brought music to life out of dead trees. “I’ve seen them, too,” I smiled as Aaron and Alice waved at me. Sitting down, the walked over to me with confused looks, but I shook my head. As I looked back up at Dunhill, waiting for him to continue, I saw him wipe a tear from his eye.
“Your grandfather wrote me a letter telling me to bring you here to work. Your mother and father loved this town very much and wanted to move here themselves. A storm brought them together and no storm could separate them, even in death. When the Islands sank, you were here with your aunt and cousins. Do you remember?”
I nodded. “Uncle Pierre was judging a Cooking Contest in some place called Konohana. I get letters from people there.”
Dunhill smiled. “There’s much to be sad, about, yes, but there’s much happiness, too. Without their deaths, you might not have ever accepted what ultimately brought happiness to everyone here. And who knows? Maybe the Islands of Happiness don’t have to be sunken in your memory. Remember them alive, and floating. And be happy yourself.”
“Why’re you wearing an apron, Cousin?”
“Shut up, Allen. I’m cooking. You wanted dinner, correct?”
“I can make it, Cousin-“
“Shut up, Allen. I’m busy. Go feed my cows.”
“Can’t Bess and Henry be okay for one night?” He said, a shiver running down his back.
“No, they can’t. Now shoo,” I smirked.
As he left and shut the door, I sighed. “There’s so much to this day that I’ll always want to forget, but there’s so much to remember. Dunhill’s right. Maybe I should write back to Great-grandpa Taro… He might want to visit here.” Looking up at the ceiling, I smiled. “Uncle Pierre was always gone on business. Even if Allen resents it, I’m glad he was. It left room in their house for me. Maybe I was supposed to come to this town and not be on my Islands forever.” Cutting up cabbage and adding it to a pot, I smiled. “Stir-fry. In honor of the best father a girl could want.”
Have fun on your trip! I will need to make sure Xilan is included. ~ 
