Days of relative peace and ease went by until it was finally Tuesday. That meant I would head to Mary's to learn more skills. I wanted to spend at least six months improving my sewing skills and even learning how to crochet. If I helped her cook each time, I could also learn to cook more advanced dishes. Building my relationship with her will allow me to branch out more to the other big farms and grow my homestead. I needed more than just animals or crops; I needed knowledge. I could read every day, but working with my hands to pick up the required skills was vital, and that would take time.

I first needed to get Mary to agree to my coming over every other day for six months. At least the next six months. I had five years to prepare everything; the next six months were just the start.

I chatted one-sided with Grandpa Evans and fed him hot pancakes with wine-mulled syrup from my space. Grandpa Evans made more happy noises as he chewed it, and I smiled as I looked over him affectionately. Good food really can make a difference. I still needed to do more for him, but giving him better food was a start.

I left a heart-healthy pizza topped with spinach, mushrooms, and white sauce in the fridge. When I told Grandpa Evans this, he stared longingly at the fridge. I giggled heartily. Food really was the way to a man's heart.

I spent more time dressing up today. I wanted to persuade my need to make my own clothing by showing how bare thread everything I owned was. It was spring, and soon it would be summer. By the time winter came, I wanted to be cozy and warm.

The dress I picked was yellow and had brightly weathered-down sunflowers on it. I neatly braided my three feet of hair into two plaits and put on a worn-out sunflower sunhat. My yellow sandals looked cute, and I admired myself vainly, noting that the bruises on my legs and arms were well-faded. I was worried about how Mary would view them, but I could use this to have her teach me herbal remedies. The cut on my head was well hidden by my hair, but it bled profusely that day. I felt terrible for Adam, who had to see that.

Wizened from my first experience, I filled a water bottle. I put the necessity into my black backpack and then slipped it on. I wished Grandpa Evans a merry day. It was barely seven in the morning, but I wouldn't be home for quite some time.

I walked through the forest boldly, unafraid of the dark shadows. Fear didn't belong in this family, and by conquering the house, it was less present, as it should be. It was almost eight o'clock in the morning before I reached Mary's. We were all country folk, so she was up and waiting for me.

I was wrapped in her warm bosom and loved that I could smell Snickerdoodle cookies again. Food really is the best. Warm hugs really are amazing. Human contact was something I really wanted the whole time, but my brother was cold as ice, and my grandma was as elusive as dragons. I was left to fend for myself in a dusty, dark tomb of books. I loved and hated these facts.

I felt a little guilty for approaching Mary with ill intent and resolved to be better to lap up her love guilt-free. I spent the first twenty minutes explaining that I fell while trying to climb a tree. I didn't want her to know that I got hit by the car. She might insist on dropping me off at home. I needed to walk and get stronger. A stronger body equals a suitable vessel for power.

We spent three hours drinking tea while she showed me how to crochet. My fingers lacked the needed coronation, and it took forever to get it down.

"Look at the time!" Mary exclaimed, noticing that the grandfather clock showed that it was almost lunchtime. "It's just us today, but you must be starving!" I guiltily looked at the empty cookie and fruit platter. I also polished off the pot of rose tea she made for me. I wasn't starving, but I gave a pitiful expression and nodded. I needed to grow, so I needed to eat well.

"Can I help? I want to learn everything I can from you, Aunt Mary." Mary's cheeks flushed red, and she pulled me into the kitchen.

"We'll put together something simple today so that you can finish memorizing the single and double stitch."

My mouth dropped open as I listened to what Mary wanted to prepare minutes later. Her definition of simple was far different from mine. Once again, I put on an apron and made dough with her. She let me lead this time and coached me through the process. While we waited for it to rise, she showed me how to make rice and prepare beef. We cooked the rice and beef, and she showed me how and what to use to season it properly. I filed away everything. My knowledge-thirsty brain wanted to learn everything.

As we worked, the scents that tickled my brain only fueled my growing desire to become a better cook. The scent was tantalizing, and I held in my hunger as she showed me how to roll out the dough.

"I've never had piroshki before." I'd just heard of it today.

"You're going to love it." She assured me, and we started to fry them in oil. I watched it, fascinated by the sizzle while fighting back my drool.

What she made was also convenient for what I wanted to talk to her about.

"You use yeast a lot, Aunt Mary," I said as if realizing that.

Mary shrugged casually as she said, "It's beneficial."

"How could you make yeast if you really needed it, but the store ran out of it." I needed to start planting little seeds into her heart to prepare her. Once the world sank into chaos, grocery stores would only be adequately restocked after a decade, if ever.

Mary tilted her head as she considered this. "I can do it because my gran taught me, but it's not something I've done in a while." Her cheeks pinkened as she admitted, "It's easier to buy it at the store."

"Can we practice making that? Like how we're going to work on herbal remedies on Thursday." I pleaded, batting my big eyes up at her.

She was too lost in thought to notice this fully. "I can pull out my great grandma's book. The best family recipes and creations are in it. I can refresh my memory with it."

I clapped my hands eagerly and thanked her. If you make your own yeast, I could continue to bake well into the end times. Mary reheated some leftover vegetable soup, and I sat eagerly at the table and ate with her. With the absence of others, lunch was over quickly, and I was able to spend the next three hours crocheting.

Mary sent me home with food, yarn, and crochet hooks to practice with. I made it home before six and greeted Grandpa Evans. His head moved a quarter of an inch, and I smiled. "How do spaghetti and meatballs sound for dinner with some garlic bread?" As confirmation, I got a happy grunt and quickly pulled a serving for him from my ring's space. I was still full from eating at Mary's, so I nibbled on my nails as I read on the sofa beside him. Once he was done eating, I cleared his plate, wished him a good night's sleep, and went into my room.

I read until my eyes couldn't open, and I passed out. I was making good progress with everything, but I was nervous at how slow things were moving.

Wednesday meant that I spent time puttering about the home. I cleaned areas I hadn't touched earlier in the week, practiced cooking independently, and tended to the backyard garden. It had been a few days since I got to it, so I enjoyed myself. It was an excellent time to look around and figure out how I would 'unearth' the solar panels. There was an old shed, a greenhouse that needed to be fixed, and a well.

I stroked my chin and puckered my lips in thought. The shed was in the best condition, so if I slipped fifty of the panels I had in it and covered it up, it would work and be believable. If these were left out here, they needed some wear and tear. My plan to get William to fix the house for free would work, and I wouldn't have to touch money. Each of those panels dropped a pretty penny, and he could install a few onto the roof for me.

There was a bit of concern that he might try to rip me off, which is why I couldn't just pull up to him. I needed protective Mama Mary to slap him with the wrath only a mother could pull off.

With more concrete ideas in mind and a decent land layout, I returned to my room to sketch. I pulled some books from my space and used them to inspire me to finalize how our homestead would look. When I was done, I started filling up the bookshelves in my room. My books differed from fiction, fantasy, and real-life necessary pages like the books upstairs. Mine was all about homesteading, herbal medicine, crafting, and psychology. I needed good access to these. After all, who knew if I'd be able to move around much when I finally had time to read. I wish my desk was closer to the bookshelves, but they encased my beautiful window seat.

As I stared at my excellent work, an errant thought flashed. It was easier to pull things out! This meant I was improving at maneuvering at least one of my new abilities. I marveled at this fact. Time to spend the rest of my day seeing how far these fresh muscles could take me! Sadly, I didn't last long, and after going wild, I conked out on the couch.

My brain ached to the point where I didn't dare think or do any sort of planning. So, I lounged on the couch beside Grandpa Evans and watched his Irish dating show. My brain could hurt, but I didn't dare have idle hands. So, instead of reading, I practiced crocheting and chatted with him.

Thursday's trip to Mary's allowed me to show off the scarf I created. She showed me how to make a basic salve, and we worked on creams and balms. I made a lavender hand salve, a rose facial cream, and honey lip balm with her. I had a basic idea of how to do this; I wasn't that bad of a witch. But I did refine my knowledge and solidified it.

Lunch was green bean casserole with cranberry roasted turkey and all the sides. It was an autumn feast!! I eagerly learned how to brine a turkey; for time's sake, she showed me how she had prepped while using a brined turkey.

I skipped all the way home, excited for tomorrow. Because tomorrow was the day I would get my lemon trees.

I greeted Grandpa Evans and was pleased when he grunted back. It almost sounded like hi! I coated his hands generously with the lavender balm. I tried to catch his eyes. His green eyes locked with my green orbs. "I know it's been a hard year, Grandpa Evan, but it will improve. I'm learning to care for everything, and we will thrive." I lowered my lashes to cover my surprise. A small trail of tears had begun to leak. I kissed his head and ran to the kitchen to prepare his dinner. A man needed his privacy.

From Wendy's memories and from what I could see, I think both of them suffered through depression in the last few years. It wasn't just the year since the loss of Grandma Carol. We watched her slow decline, and that took its toll. It was amazing and touching to see just how much he loved her. I can't fix him, but I will do everything possible to help him.

I passed out as soon as I handed Grandpa Evans his plate. I just remembered that I had to return it and put it in the sink for him. However, when I woke up the following day, it was already dried in the dish rack.

I had a hard time containing my excitement Friday morning. It didn't help that my body wasn't worn from the day before, and I was overly excited. I spent that morning creating an elaborate breakfast. I needed to keep my hands busy and wanted to save excellent ingredients in the fridge. I made thick golden pancakes from scratch with a mixed berry compote. I fried eggs and bacon for a savory side and even had leftover chopped berries to cut through the heaviness of the grease.

When I was done, I realized other things would expire, so I pulled out Grandma Carol's book and made raspberry drop cookies.

Grandpa Evans ate more than I've ever seen before. He put away half of the food and drank his coffee serenely when done polishing that off. He was watching a Czech murder mystery show that I was almost drawn into sticking around to watch.

Instead, I spent hours puttering around the house doing daily maintenance, reading, and caring for our plants and trees. I explored a bit more and found that we had pawpaw growing naturally and even chestnut trees. I could add that to my plans. I eyeballed these new discoveries, my mind already seeing where to fit them into my goals.

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I also walked around to figure out one of our biggest problems. We were going to need animal meat. I was reading about nutrition that morning and had yet to truly consider where meat came from. It was always conveniently there for me in both lives. Sadly, I never had to handle the messy side of it, but that would have to change.

I was going to take in livestock but was still torn on it. What would be the least troublesome? How would we house them? The fence around our home is falling to pieces like wet cotton candy. A decent storm, and it would be over.

I struggled over this the last few days and hadn't decided until now. Let's get goats, chickens, ducks, and quails. Goats, the frisky leapers, needed some really tall fences. I would also need something to guard and gather all the trouble-making life stock. So that would mean some shepherd dogs. Luckily, Alyssa trains and breeds, so that works.

According to my homesteading book, creating a rice paddy with fish and other animals could work to maximize growth. What if we had two ponds? If both had fish, we could have more than one, and the ducks could have their own that wasn't the rice paddy. I quickly ran to amend my plans, and time passed until it was finally the appointed time to meet Adam.

I was almost ready to leave until I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I had dirt and flour on my cheeks and hair. My eyeballs were the only clean part of my face! I quickly hopped in the shower and washed the day away. I didn't have time to wait for my hair to dry, so I promptly braided it in a single plait to get it out. I changed into a bright yellow dress, making my eyes and skin-pop. My usual sandals slipped right on, and I was ready to go. At the last minute, I put on a floppy straw hat.

"I have to go, Grandpa Evans. The ones who ran me over are dropping off the lemon trees." He made a sound that I liked to think was concerned, and I giggled, "Don't worry, I have it handled. I'll be safe." I packed some cookies I made for Adam in case he showed up. I gave Grandpa Evans a little kiss on the head.

I skipped through the woods, dragging my wagon more quickly this time. It hadn't been a week, but I could feel my body getting better at handling physical labor. I breached the opening, expecting to see no one since I was early.

When I saw the clearing, however, I barely stopped my mouth from dropping open. There were two vehicles at the entrance to the Unruly Forest. One was a delivery truck with a farming logo clearly not from town. The other was the polished lux car that definitely belonged to Adam. At my approach, Adam exited the vehicle. He was wearing a navy blue suit today. From his slicked tidy hair, shiny clean shoes, and sparkling cuff links, he screamed wealthy CEO. He's a child, though! Why does he carry himself like an adult? I wanted to muss up his hair and make him more approachable. I settled for waving while wearing a sunny smile as I greeted him eagerly. "Hi, Adam!"

A half smile grew on his lips, and he adjusted his sleeves, making his cufflinks shine more. That's it. I'm getting this kid out of a suit. How could he expect to putter, play, or have a good time when he has to worry about expensive silk or wool? I put that plan aside and ran to meet him, leaving my wagon behind.

"I baked some cookies. Do you want them?" I pulled off my backpack and started to rummage around in it.

"N-" I looked up at the sound of someone saying no. One of Adam's men had left the car as well. However, Adam likely silenced him due to how quickly he stopped talking. However, when I looked at Adam, his dark brown eyes were on me, and the men looked on the ground. How did he manage that without saying a word?

"I would love to try one," Adam reassured me.

I put aside my thoughts and smiled at Adam. I held up the opened plastic container and handed it over to him. "Ta-dah! I said with a grin that changed into a crushed expression of chagrin.

There was a lot of damage to the cookies, given how I skipped and jumped around on my way over. I looked down at the crumpled mess, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I may have been too excited when I ran over, and they got jostled. They'll still taste pretty good. I'm perfecting my technique." Adam picked up one cookie that had barely any damage and took a bite. I stared up at him, eager for his reaction. His face didn't shift, nor could I see how he felt about it, and I mentally scolded this child, who was too mature for his age.

"It's delicious." He said after he was done chewing and swallowing.

Yeah, I made it. Of course, it's good. Adam's expression, however, didn't show that he enjoyed it. He wore a neutral expression, and I finally shook my head at him.

"You need to liven up. What's your favorite food?"

Adam looked at me blankly as he polished off the cookie. "Food is just fuel."

I looked at him askance with horror. "Food is life! And you have to enjoy life to live fully. Come back next Friday, and I'll make you something to picnic."

"Next Friday?" Adam's expression grew strange, but I ignored it as I burrowed on. I needed contact with children my age, which was a great time to make a new friend. I'll feed him my food to get an honest opinion and get him to loosen up. All around, it was a win-win situation. Adam's men started to shift, and the stern expression on their faces made me take back a step reflexively.

"I was just thinking that once the lemons grew, I could also make you some treats or lemon leaf wraps." I started to stammer and changed my mind midsentence. Walking further into town and meeting kids my age would be alright. If I ignored the gap between us, it could end badly for me.

"I'll come." Adam's decisive voice settled everything, and the men shifted, uncomfortable with his choice. I looked at him, perplexed but happy.

"I can show you Trick Waterfalls, and we can eat and play there. You can keep these cookies here, but bring back the container." Adam nodded and promptly handed it to one of his men.

"The truck can't drive through the forest, so my men will bring the trees to your home."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. It's challenging to navigate the forest. I can put them in my wagon and take them." I spoke. I planned to carry them just far enough before putting them into my space when I was out of sight.

Instead of responding, Adam gestured for the back of the truck to open. There were five instead of the three lemon trees I expected to see. I tried to contain my excitement; maybe the extra wasn't for me, but I bound for another stop.

"All five are yours," Adam said, making my dream come true.

My self-control was gone, and I almost tackled the trees with delight. Instead, I grabbed Adam into a tight hug. There was no way the delicate trees could handle my growing strength, so I did the next best thing.

"You're the best!" I said.

I missed his reaction, but I took the time to casually ruffle his hair and then inspected the trees over his shoulder. All five of them were just under two feet. I resisted the urge to touch them, but the wind moved the leaves, and it looked like they were using their leaves to reach for me.

My feet moved closer to them, and I giggled, "How are you lovelies? You're just babies, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll take good care of you. I'm your new mama." I probably looked insane, but the trees could understand me. I was getting better at understanding plants as well. Images came to my head of seasons. "Only three years old? Oh, my, look how tall you've grown." I urged them silently to stop reaching for me, and although they moved a bit, I tried to disguise it with my hand by shaking some branches.

One of Adam's men cleared his throat, and I pulled away, my face burning. My excitement got the better of me, and I looked like a lunatic. I avoided everyone's eyes and kept them firmly on the trees.

"Young Master Adam, we should get these to her home."

"Yes. One can pull four in the wagon, and the other can carry the remainder." After some shuffling and careful moving, that was precisely the lineup. I watched the lemon delivery truck drive away and waved at the driver cheerfully.

"Be careful and keep close. The forest is difficult even for natives to get through." I gave what I thought was a stern look to the two who carried my lemon trees.

Adam seemed to interpret my concerns and assured me they could handle it. I grabbed his hand, pleased that although he had a cold exterior, warmth was in his palm. "We can drop them off on the porch, and I can show you the tree house."

Adam's hand tightened its grip once we entered the forest. I squeezed it and tried to sound comforting, saying, "Don't worry, it's safe, and if something happens, I'll protect you."

If I didn't have Wendy's memory, I'd be worried the first time I entered it. The trees were natural skyscrapers. You could barely see the sun once you entered. The dark forest smelled like damp life, and while I loved it, I could see the dismay of the two adults. Adam's expression was fixed into a stoic blank slate. I could tell he wasn't wholly unmoved by how he tightened his hold on my hand. I babbled, aware of the tension as I displayed my superior knowledge of the forest. Every part of it had a story, and I pointed out and told as many said stories as possible to pass the time.

We got through the forest quickly, and the three following me breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the clearing. I could see pity in the eyes of the men when they saw where I lived and placed the trees on the drooping front porch.

"Come this way!" I pulled Adam to the back of the house where the treehouse was. "This spring and summer, our home will get a makeover. I started explaining what was going to happen, pointing out everything.

Adam said nothing while listening to my chatter. When I finally paused for air, he dug his heels in and stopped me from dropping his hand to climb the ladder of the tree house. "Why goats?"

"I will learn how to make cheese and butter from the milk. The plan is sustainability." I spread my one free hand out dramatically at the word sustainability. Once I have everything planted, I can feed them and my family. With the crops, we can make fertilizer as well. I'm going to start growing next week."

Adam's expression said nothing as he took in the state of things. "Did you draw up plans?" I nodded, "Show me."

We entered the house from the mudroom since it was the closest entrance at the back of the house. I didn't see Adam's men, and that was fine. They were buzzkills anyway. I brought Adam into my room and was surprised that Grandpa Evans wasn't in his chair. I could hear the water running in his bedroom and figured he was getting clean.

My pink girly room only made Adam stand out more when he entered. The dark navy blue contrasted with my pink and white decorations. I could feel my cheeks heat up at how he silently observed everything. My unmade bed from this morning, the overflowing shelves of books. My charming window seat and messy desk. Even my walk-in closet, where clothes were strewn on the floor as I tried to find something to wear. I could feel my cheeks heat as I realized what a mess I was. This was my private space, and having someone in it was unnerving. Especially Adam, who was so quiet and stoic today.

I tried to drop Adam's hand, realizing he wouldn't let go. I pursed my lips and showed him my desk. Adam's perusal of my room ended. He used his free hand to review my drawn-up plans, and I pointed to the books I had used.

"How are you going to do this?" He was kind to not bring up money, but it was evident from outside the home that much work needed to be done.

"Selling some polar panels, a relative left behind. I will barter them with William to fix the house and get a proper fence around the home." His brown eyes pierced mine, and I had to remind myself I wasn't technically lying. My grandma owned our home, meaning the Acquisition Room was hers. Why did it seem like this kid saw everything?! Am I being too sensitive?

"William?" Adam said.

I blinked. Oh, is that why Adam was staring so hard? He needed to figure out who William was. He was from out of town, so I could see the confusion. "He runs the only construction company in Green's Mountain."

"What if he rips you off?" Adam said.

"He won't. I'll have Mary helping me. She's the big boss in town. No one dares to cross her. We're family, and she's my family in everything but blood. Every other day, I go over, and she teaches me to cook, crochet, and sew." I said, pumping my chest proudly of having such a connection.

"Like handkerchiefs?" He pulled a familiar one out from his pocket, and I tilted my head. Didn't I make that earlier this week at her place? "You dropped it, and I forgot to return it."

"Oh, you can keep it. That was my first one. I need to get better at it." I wanted to take it back, ashamed of how it looked, but it was crisp and neatly folded. Did he have it cleaned and just hold on to it? "I'll make you a better one to replace that later."

It was slipped back into his pocket, and Adam released my hand. "Let me see if I can help you with your plans. I have experience with my uncle's business."

True to his word, Adam sat down with me in my room, and we spent time drawing and creating plans. His men came in eventually and brought the lemon trees with them. I set them up around the window seat. Overjoyed at their splendor, I sat on the window seat and looked lovingly at them. I urged Adam to sit with me to see for himself, and strangely, it didn't take a lot of words before he did.

Time enviably passed, and Adam had to go. I led them out of the forest and eagerly waved goodbye to them. Next Friday was going to be just as much fun.

It was late April, so I needed to get busy planting food and preparing to have the ponds dug out. Saturday morning, I had a delivery of food, and I greeted Bill and Mary, who showed up. This was the first time in over a year that Mary had visited. My visit last week must have touched her since the journey through the forest was not easy.

I gave her a warm hug but found her touch to be chilly instead of warm. I stiffened, looked up, and saw she wasn't looking at me. Ah. She didn't know the decline of the house had been this bad. I brought her in, and she smiled, pleased by how clean the house was. Grandpa Evans retreated to his bedroom, and I chatted with Mary.

"I found something, Aunt Mary."

She paused from sipping her tea and looked at me, "It says solar panels on it. It was in the old shed out back. I think Uncle Benny left them. I hoped to trade them with William to fix the house and put in a fence and two ponds." I ran to my room and showed her the final plans Adam and I drafted. He was more intelligent than me, so these were bound to be foolproof, and if they didn't work, well, William was the expert, wasn't he. He could find a way.

I could see tears coming out of Mary's eyes and grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

She pulled me into her arms, "Nothing, you sweet girl. It shouldn't be like this. You shouldn't have to grow up like this." She stroked my hair, and when she was done, she asked me to show her the panels. I did and noticed the shock and joy on her face. "I'll have William come out and give you a fair price for these. You will also have some installed for the house to help your utilities."

"Will you take a couple? I want to give you something for taking such care of me." Mary opened her mouth to refuse, and I said, "I love you and want you to have these too." I could see her hesitation, so I laid the puppy eyes on thick. "I want to pay you back, too. You are family, and family look out for one another. What happens if the power grid goes out? You should have panels, too." I could feel myself get worked up over what I knew would happen. This damn sensitive body couldn't handle things as well, and I could feel tears come down. I wanted her safe, too. I needed her to be safe. Mary's warmth was the maternal love I'd never received in my actual life. I tried not to think about how it was all for 'Wendy' and not me.

"Okay," Mary said with a shaky voice. It was against her morals to take from someone she deemed worthy of care.

We hugged and went back inside. With that settled, we puttered away and worked on crochet together. I started to make a pale pink sweater with Mary's instructions. All too soon, Mary had to leave, and once she did, I spent the rest of the day planting and watering seeds. It was time to experiment with my limits to how much I could feed plants my energy. They would grow if I could reach the limits, like a muscle. So, I spent all I had doing that until I was ready to drag myself into my bedroom to read myself to sleep.

The lemon trees greeted me when I entered my room, and I greeted them back. They loved their new home, and I enjoyed the scent of fresh lemon leaves. They smelled amazing and uplifted my weary spirits. I lay in my window seat and read until I conked out.