The next morning, Randall looked through the daffodils once their flowers had opened again for the day. He arranged their pots in a line based on how pretty and vibrant they appeared. He had told Jessica he would bring her some of the flowers, and he needed to decide which ones to take.

One of the yellow ones stood out as the prettiest, at least to Randall’s eyes. It had no brown spots anywhere on its leaves, and the delicate flower shone brightly in the morning sun. He set it aside as his candidate for the flower festival.

From the rest, he chose those with the thickest leaves and stoutest flowers. Knowing Jessica’s penchant for neglecting the plants she’d had before, he hoped these would be hearty enough to survive a bit of adversity. He transferred them all into an empty planter that had been left over from those in the attic.

He took special care walking into town, as the planter wasn’t really made for carrying long distances, but he made it to the town hall with no mishaps.

“Hello, welcome to the…” Jessica’s greeting trailed off when she saw the flowers. She stood up and came around the desk, clapping her hands together. “They’re so pretty!”

“Daffodils as promised,” said Randall. “Is there somewhere you’d like me to put them?”

“Give me one second.”

Jessica ran across the hallway to the room with all the filing cabinets and returned with a small wooden table. It looked like the sort of stand a court stenographer would sit behind while taking notes during a legal hearing. She moved a couple chairs and set the table in front of a window that overlooked the main street.

He set them down while Jessica went behind her desk and sat in her chair. He lined the planter up on the table then stepped out of the way.

“That’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “Now whenever I look up, I’ll see them.”

She stood again and came over to examine them. She knelt over the planter, gently lifted the head of one of the daffodils, and inhaled deeply.

“They smell so nice! I can’t thank you enough for bringing them.”

Randall blushed at her praise. “It’s not a big deal. They were your flowers after all. I just held onto them for a few days.”

Before Jessica could respond, the door to the mayor’s office opened and a gruff, male voice called out.

“Jessica, what is all this noise? I need peace and quiet to concentrate on all this important business…”

The man broke off what he was saying when he walked through the door and realized someone was there with his secretary. He looked to be in his sixties, with white hair around the sides of his head although he was completely bald on top. He wore a pinstripe suit stretched over an ample belly. His stern look immediately switched over to a smile as he approached.

“You must be Randall.” The mayor shook his hand, holding so long Randall started to feel uncomfortable before releasing his grip. “I’m John Montgomery, mayor of Haven. I heard about the accident with the ferry, and let me say that sort of thing never happens around here. We pride ourselves on being a safe and caring community. Jessica said you arrived with no possessions to your name, so have you been able to land on your feet?”

Randall was feeling a bit slimy, and not just from the man’s sweaty palm during the handshake. He tamped down on that feeling though and took a moment to phrase his answer.

He said, “The family that runs the general store set me up in an old farm west of town.”

The mayor nodded. “The Crosby’s are kind souls. They do more to help the people of this town than just about anyone else. But are you sure you don’t need anything? I could pull some bits out of the budget if you need some new clothes or other things to feel comfortable. I’d hate to think you’re living destitute when old Mayor Montgomery could help.”

“I’ve got a couple rows of cabbages and potatoes that’ll be ready any day now. I should be fine until those are ready to harvest and I can sell them to the store.” Randall had no idea how many more days it might be until his next batch of crops could be picked, but he didn’t want to owe this man a favor.

The mayor put a hand on his shoulder. “Like to make your own way in the world. I can respect that.”

“Mr. Montgomery, he raised those daffodils and brought them here for me,” said Jessica. “Aren’t they pretty?”

The mayor pulled a pair of spectacles out of his pocket and leaned down to examine the flowers. “These are magnificent. We’re having a festival this weekend to celebrate the coming of spring. You should enter these in the flower competition. Did Jessica tell you about it?”

“She did,” said Randall. “I’ve got some more daffodils back at the farm that I was planning to enter.”

The mayor winked at him. “Let me just say that I’m one of the judges, and these are certain to win first prize.”

Feeling the mayor was trying to butter him up for some reason, Randall opened his mouth to protest. He was cut off by the mayor looking at his watch.

“Sorry to cut things short, son. I’ve got a meeting with someone shortly, and I need to prepare. Thanks for coming by, and I’ll see you at the festival this weekend.”

The mayor marched back into his office and closed the door before anyone else could say a word.

“Did you get the feeling he was looking for any excuse to pay me in some way?” Randall asked.

Jessica sighed. “Last year, a group of tourists were upset that it rained during their entire stay on the island. I guess they spread word when they got home, and the number of people who came to visit afterwards was the lowest we’ve seen in decades. He’s probably afraid of the bad press if you make a fuss about what happened to you while you were here.”

Thinking that if he ever got to go home, the last thing he’d do would be to badmouth the locals, Randall laughed. “He really doesn’t have to worry about that.”

Jessica shrugged. “The mayor lives and dies by his approval rating. He’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re on his side.”

Randall rolled his eyes. “Tell him his reputation is safe. I wouldn’t badmouth him or the town for the accident that brought me here.”

“I’ll try,” said Jessica, but the tone of her voice didn’t sound like she believed it would help.

#

The rest of the week passed quickly until the day of the festival arrived. Randall chose the daffodil he’d set aside before as the nicest to be his entry in the competition and set off towards town.

Pedestals had been placed around the plaza, and some already had flowers displayed on them. A banner had been stretched between two poles by the road that read, “Haven Spring Flower Festival.”

Randall got in line behind a couple other people holding vases or flower pots. When it was finally his turn, Jessica greeted him from her place behind the registration table.

“You made it!” She pointed to a spot on the table beside her where he should place his submission. “Since this is your first time, I’ll explain a bit about how this all works. Contestants have until noon to enter their flowers into the competition. For an hour after that, anyone can fill in a form with their votes for the three displays they like the best. After the votes are tallied, the mayor and two mystery judges will look at the top picks and choose who gets first, second, and third place.”

“Sounds simple enough.”

Jessica passed him a slip of paper. “There’s your form, so please fill it out when it comes time to vote. Also, the prizes are listed on the bottom. I’ve been enjoying the daffodils ever since you brought them earlier this week, so I may be biased, but I hope you win.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the support.”

Randall moved aside so the next person could submit their entry and looked over the slip of paper he’d been given. The header said, “Flower Festival Competition Ballot.” Underneath it was a line with three separate spaces to vote for his favorites. On the bottom was what he’d been looking for, the listing of prizes.

First place was 500 bits, an amount that received a prolonged whistle when he saw it. Second place was 200 bits and a new watering can. Given that he needed a watering can so badly and there were none available for sale at the general store, that seemed like the better prize. Third place was 100 bits and a bag of fertilizer. For a second, he wondered if that was some kind of jab by the game’s developer, telling the player if he won third prize, he needed some help to grow better flowers in the future.

It would be a while until noon rolled around, so Randall crossed the street to the cafe and went inside. The shop was covered by wallpaper that had little Eiffel Towers spread out in geometric patterns. A glass case held an array of pastries for sale, and a large, intricate machine behind the counter shot a little burst of steam into the air periodically. Vincent sat on a stool next to the register, while Desiree appeared to be cleaning the wide array of nozzles coming out of the bottom of the machine.

Randall went to the counter to order a coffee, only to watch Vincent stand up and walk into the kitchen.

“ A customer would like to order,” Vincent said over his shoulder before he went out of sight.

Desiree leaned around the corner into the kitchen. “You know, you can take orders in the dining room when there’s nobody on the patio to serve.”

“I was told before to let you know when certain people came into the cafe,” Vincent yelled from somewhere in the kitchen.

Desiree turned around and immediately blushed. “Randall, I didn’t realize you were here. Ignore my brother’s rudeness. Mom won’t admit it when I ask, but I’m pretty sure he’s adopted.”

Exaggerated fake laughter came from the kitchen.

“What can I get you?”

Randall had spotted the little signs in the display case and was taken aback by the prices. Unsure if he could even afford anything here with the 80 bits he had to his name, he asked, “How much for a coffee?”

“For black coffee, it’ll be 30 bits,” said Desiree. “For an espresso, latte, or specialty drink, they start at 50 bits.”

After long nights up coding in the real world, and his penchant to forget things when he stopped at the grocery store, Randall had gotten used to drinking plain coffee.

“One black coffee,” said Randall.

“Would you like anything to go with that?” Desiree leaned over the counter to point at the items while she spoke. “We have strawberry tarts and muffins. Kate told my father about the wonderful strawberries that had come in, but I believe these are the last he was able to buy.”

“Just the coffee will be fine. I’m not that hungry.”

Desiree punched buttons on the register, and he handed over the 30 bits. She stepped over to the machine she’d been cleaning when he walked in and started fixing his drink. He watched as she turned knobs and water flowed through the system before the dark brew trickled out the bottom into a cup she was holding.

While the machine was working, she asked, “What brings you into town this morning?”

“I’m entering the competition for the flower festival.”

“I’d almost forgotten that was today.” Desiree shut off a valve, and a final few drops fell into the cup. She slid it across the counter to him. “It’s a wonder I could forget, though, considering Kate has been talking about it nonstop for the last week.”

“Is she entering?” asked Randall.

“In her words, ‘This year I take first place.’”

“She sounds confident. How can she be sure?”

“She’s kept that a secret, even from me. But she swears it’s the prettiest flower she’s ever seen. Said she wouldn’t unveil it until the competition. So I guess we’ll have to wait.”

Randall held up his cup. “Thanks for the coffee.” He took a sip and his eyes widened. “That’s really strong.”

Desiree smiled. “Anytime.”

Randall sat at one of the small tables on the other side of the cafe, savoring the rich taste of the coffee and looking around at the decor. A tiny French flag hung from a flagpole above the door leading into the kitchen. Pictures on the wall showed landmarks from Paris, some that he recognized but many that he did not. He’d never traveled to Europe, though he’d have to put it on his list for the future after eating the food and drinking the coffee at this cafe.

A couple minutes later, Desiree came out of the kitchen, the sound of her shoes striking the floor getting his attention. She stomped up to his table and placed a plate there, leaving Randall and several of the other patrons speechless.

Finally, he said, “I didn’t order these.”

Desiree leaned down and pointed at the croissants. “Do you see how brown these are?”

Randall picked up one of the croissants and looked it over, but they didn’t appear any different from the ones he’d had the last time. “They look fine to me.”

“I know! But my father,” and she stressed the word heavily, “said they were baked too long, and he wouldn’t allow them to be sold to our patrons. However, he didn’t say I couldn’t give them away.”

She waved her hand for him to eat one, and he took a tentative bite.

“Well?” she asked.

“It’s really good.” He gave a thumbs up to really show his approval.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

She grinned triumphantly and stomped back into the kitchen. Several people were watching him, including Vincent, who had returned to his place by the register.

“My mother used to call her our little Joan of Arc,” said Vincent. “It was cute, when she was eight.”

Randall went back to sipping his coffee and made sure to eat all the croissants before he left.

When noon rolled around, he made his way back to the plaza. Jessica rang a bell to get everyone’s attention.

“Last call for entries,” she said and lowered the bell. “Please bring them up in the next five minutes.”

Most of the pedestals were full by this point, and Randall walked around to scope out the competition. Each display had a card listing the name of the flower and the contestant who had grown it. He didn’t recognize any of the other contestants, and he was starting to wonder which one was Kate’s entry, when a gasp went through the people standing around him.

He turned in the direction everyone was looking and saw Kate coming up the alleyway from her house. She carried a short vase made of white china with a riot of purple flowers escaping from the top. She placed it on the table where Jessica was waiting for final entries.

“Is that a single plant?” asked someone behind him.

“How did she get it to grow so many flowers?” asked another person.

He thought he could tell the other entrants in the competition by the dejected looks on their faces. Jessica finished filling out her papers and placed the last minute entries on pedestals with the other flowers. He had to wait for space to clear around Kate’s entry before he could get close enough to read the card.

“Kate Crosby — Violets”

He immediately wrote her name in the first slot on his ballot. He wrote himself on the second and took another trip around the plaza to find someone for the third. A display of irises caught his attention, so he wrote down the name from the card.

He turned in his votes and stood to the side, watching the other people as they walked around. Everyone stopped at Kate’s violets, and most of them wrote a name down immediately. Some stopped at his daffodil, though he wasn’t sure if they liked his flower or were perplexed by a name they didn’t recognize. By the end of the hour, he had no idea how many people might have voted for him.

The crowd quieted down when the doors to the town hall opened and the mayor walked outside. Jessica took the stack of ballots and walked up the stairs to where he stood next to a table with a giant fishbowl.

The mayor raised his hands and said, “Welcome, everyone to our annual Spring Flower Festival.”

A couple cheers and whistles rose from the crowd in the plaza, while most people were clapping. When they quieted down, the mayor launched into a speech.

“Every year, we get together at this time to celebrate the return of warm weather. The flowers remind us that life is returning to our little island and that we have warmer weather to look forward to. We’ve had a record number of entries this year. Our little town has really outdone itself with the quality of the submissions as well. Now, in no particular order, the three most popular arrangements you voted for.”

Jessica handed the mayor a slip of paper.

“First, a name I’ve not seen before in this competition.” Randall’s hopes rose until the mayor said, “Yuki Sato.”

Everyone looked around until a figure moved to the front of the crowd and climbed the stairs. She had long black hair tied back with a ribbon, and she wore a colorful kimono. Given her name and her Asian features, he assumed she was Japanese. She held her hands together in front of her and bowed as the crowd clapped.

“Second, and I’m not surprised to see her name here,” said the mayor. “She’s been entering this competition since she was ten years old, and it’s about time she was a finalist. Kate Crosby.”

Randall could see the bright red of Kate’s hair as she moved through the crowd and joined the other young woman at the top of the stairs. She smiled and waved when a group in the crowd called out, “Go Kate!”

Randall’s heart beat faster as the mayor prepared to announce the third finalist.

“Lastly, we have a young man, who I was lucky enough to meet earlier this week. Randall Thompson, please join us!”

Randall grinned and made his way up with the others.

“Congratulations,” said Kate when he stood next to her. “Your daffodil was beautiful.”

“Thanks,” said Randall, “but I’m not going to pretend I have a chance. You’re going to win this.”

Kate blushed. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely.”

The Japanese woman wished him good luck with a slight bow, and he returned the gesture.

“For the final assessment, two mystery judges, chosen at random from those of you who voted will join me in deciding the winners from the three finalists. While my assistant handles drawing the names, I still need to take a look at the entries by our finalists.”

While they’d been waiting, volunteers in the audience had found the entries they’d submitted and cleared a space for them at the base of the stairs. The mayor descended and examined their three arrangements. When he stopped at Kate’s piece, his face turned white, and he quickly moved on to Randall’s display.

He climbed back up the stairs and joined Jessica at the fishbowl. She reached in and grabbed two of the ballots and handed them to the mayor.

“Our first mystery judge will be…” The mayor looked at the paper and called out, “Gerald Tottenham! Come up here doctor. You’ll make a fine judge.”

A man wearing a brown sweater over a collared shirt held his hand up as the crowd cheered for him. While he mounted the steps to join them, Kate leaned over to whisper in Randall’s ear.

“That’s the town doctor,” she said. “We passed his clinic near the harbor the first day you were here.”

Randall nodded and greeted the man when he joined the group in front of the town hall. Up close, he could see the man had brown hair that was graying at the temples.

“And our second judge, will be…” The mayor read the paper and frowned before motioning Jessica to step closer. He whispered something into her ear, and she hurried through the doors into the town hall. “Just a moment folks. I need to check the rules of the competition before we can continue.”

Murmurs ran through the crowd below while they waited. Two minutes passed and Jessica rejoined them with a sheaf of papers. She and the mayor bowed their heads over them and argued back and forth.

Finally the mayor stood up and announced, “It seems there’s nothing in the bylaws saying family members of the finalists can’t be chosen. Our final mystery judge is Meredith Crosby.”

Nobody seemed quite sure how to take that, as there was no cheering like what had accompanied the doctor. Meredith walked slowly forward to join them.

“Finalists, I’m going to need you to wait inside the town hall, while we deliberate,” said the mayor. “My assistant will accompany you.”

Jessica held the door for the contestants then followed them inside. There were refreshments laid out on a table for them, but nobody moved to partake, likely due to the tension they were feeling.

“Why would it be a problem for my mother to be one of the judges?” asked Kate.

Randall shrugged, not wanting to say what was obvious. She watched him until finally he said, “There might be a question of whether she was playing favorites if it turned out you won.”

“She wouldn’t do that. Everyone here knows she’d judge things fairly.” She turned to Jessica. “They know that, don’t they?”

Jessica sighed. “I said as much, but the mayor didn’t agree.”

They waited the rest of the time in silence. Kate hugged her arms and chewed at one of her fingernails. Fifteen minutes later, the door cracked open and the doctor told them they should come outside.

Once they were lined up outside again, Randall scanned the judges’ faces. The doctor looked uncomfortable, and Meredith’s cheeks were red.

“This year’s contest was a difficult one to adjudicate,” said the mayor. “I’ll now announce the winners. When you hear your name, please step forward and Jessica will give you your prize.”

The crowd waited below them, silent in anticipation.

“In third place, for her beautiful arrangement of cherry blossoms, Miss Yuki Sato.”

The young Japanese woman covered her smile with a hand and stepped forward to give another bow. Jessica held out an envelope, which she accepted with both hands before stepping back in line with the other finalists.

“In second place, for her nice display of violets, Miss Kate Crosby.”

Kate’s body quivered beside him, but she didn’t move. He glanced at her face, and tears stood out in her eyes. After a moment, her mother moved behind them.

“I’m sorry honey,” she said in her daughter’s ear. “Don’t worry, the mayor is going to get an earful after this, but the faster we get this over with, the better. Step forward and take your prize.”

Kate did as her mother said, moving stiffly to take the envelope Jessica pressed into her hand. Jessica presented the watering can, which Kate took by the handle. She fell back into line without even waiting for the little bit of applause from the crowd to die down.

“And finally,” said the mayor, “for his absolutely stunning daffodils, Mister Randall Thompson.” He turned and gave Randall a wink.

Again there was some polite clapping from the people below as Randall reluctantly accepted his prize.

“Congratulations to all the winners, and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the festival.”

The mayor turned around and disappeared into the town hall. Kate’s mother was only a couple steps behind him.

Randall stood there, unsure of what to do. The crowd below slowly dispersed, but a small cluster of people he recognized gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Kate rushed down them and launched herself into Desiree’s arms. The sound of her crying reached all the way up the stairs. Liam stood next to them, his hand on Kate’s shoulder, staring daggers in Randall’s direction.

#

The Japanese woman came over to express her congratulations for him winning the contest, and they spoke for a couple minutes about what had happened. Both of them were confused, and she asked him to pass on her admiration for the flowers Kate had submitted.

By the time they finished talking and she walked away, Kate had disappeared. Randall searched the plaza but didn’t see her anywhere. He headed to the alley next to the town hall that led to her house, and spotted some people milling outside the front door.

When he approached, Liam scowled at him.

“Haven’t you done enough?” asked Liam.

“Give it a rest, Liam,” said Desiree.

“It’s his fault she’s so upset. She deserved first place, and he stole it from her.”

Before Randall could say anything in his defense, a voice called from the direction of the street.

“He didn’t steal anything.” Meredith joined them, tapping her foot in agitation. “It’s not Randall’s fault, so don’t blame him.”

“What happened up there?” asked Vincent.

“The mayor decided because Kate and I were related, I had to place her last in my lineup of votes. We argued about it while the doctor refused to pick a side.”

“What a coward,” said Desiree.

“I can’t hold it against him,” said Meredith. “He just wanted to enjoy the festival. It wasn’t his fault he was dragged into the argument. Anyway, since the mayor was the primary judge, he had final say. While we all agreed the cherry blossoms were beautifully arranged, the competition is meant to be for live flowers, so the other young woman got third place. Since I couldn’t ‘impartially vote…’” She said the two words in a fair imitation of the mayors voice. “And since the mayor chose Randall as the winner, it didn’t matter how the doctor voted. If he picked Kate’s submission, the mayor was the tiebreaker.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Randall.

“No need for you to apologize. The mayor’s the one who screwed up.”

“Did he give any reason as to why he voted for Randall’s piece?” asked Desiree.

Meredith scowled. “He said he’s been looking at the daffodils Randall gave his secretary all week, and he couldn’t imagine any other flowers beating them.”

Randall groaned. “I told Kate when we became finalists that her violets were the obvious winners. We can all agree on that, can’t we?”

“Damn strait,” said Liam, earning him a scornful look from Desiree.

Everyone else nodded their heads.

“No offense to you Randall,” said Meredith. “But my daughter was making herself crazy getting ready for this day, and I hate to see it turn out this way.”

“No offense taken,” said Randall.

Meredith let out a long breath and looked back at the plaza where people were still milling around. “You all should go and enjoy the rest of the festival. I saw Jessica preparing some drinks and snacks when I stormed out of the town hall. Try to have some fun.”

“All right,” said Desiree. “If that mayor is foolish enough to show his face though, he’ll get an earful from me.”

“Randall, stay for a moment,” said Meredith.

Liam gave him a dirty look as the rest of them walked away. Once they were out of earshot, Meredith continued.

“I’m going inside to talk to Kate. I don’t know how she’s feeling about what happened, but I’ll make it clear you had nothing to do with it. I don’t want her to feel resentful towards you. Can you wait here a moment, in case she wants to talk with you?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Meredith pointed out a pair of rocking chairs on the porch. “Sit if you like. If she’s not up to it, I’ll come out and let you know.”

Randall took a seat in one of the rocking chairs and examined the flowers growing around the window he’d seen from across the street in the cafe. They were definitely a class above what he’d been able to raise.

He leaned in close and asked, “So what songs does she sing for you?”

The flowers didn’t answer.

The sound of the door squeaking open next to him caused him to fall back into the rocking chair, a guilty look on his face. Kate walked out, looking around but not meeting his eyes.

“You all right?” asked Randall.

“No.” Kate plopped into the other rocking chair beside him. “But Mom explained what happened, and I want you to know I don’t blame you.” She covered her face with her hands and half-groaned, half-yelled into them.

When she finished, he said, “You should be happy though. Coming in second place, you got the better prize.”

“That thing?” she pointed at a corner of the porch where a brand new copper watering can sat. “You think I want that around to remind me what happened today.”

“That’s a hot commodity. There’s not a single one left for sale in the whole town.” He pulled out the envelope Jessica had handed him and found five paper bills inside, each in a denomination of 100 bits. He took out three of the bills. “Would you sell it? Seems to me it’s worth about 300 bits.”

For the first time since joining him on the porch, Kate smiled. “It’s a deal.”

She walked across the porch and picked up the watering can. She set it on his lap before taking the bills out of his hand, then sat back down in her rocking chair.

“You way overpaid, by the way,” said Kate. “I’d have given you the watering can for free.”

“That’s all right,” he replied. “I’m going to turn this thing into a million bits.”

#

Relationships

Desiree ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Jessica ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Kate ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

#

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