Chapter Text
Moving back to Pelican town wasn’t ideal for Cole, but he found it beat staying in the city. Besides, it would be a waste not to move onto the land his Pappy left him. He may as well carry on the tradition of being a farmer and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather.
He held onto the letter his Pappy had left him, gingerly rubbing the edges of the paper as the bus approached a sign. ‘Stardew Valley 0.5 mi’. With a sigh, Cole placed the letter in his pocket, shutting his eyes and rocking his head against the dingy bus seat, waiting to arrive.
It didn’t take long for the bus to come to a jolting stop, snapping Cole’s eyes open. With a quick murmured thanks to the bus driver, he stepped off. Briefly, he glanced back as the shuttle continued on its journey. Filled with a wistful sadness, he bid his old life goodbye, sighing as he turned back around.
“Hello! You must be Cole.”
“Gah!” He jumped, startled by a redheaded woman. Had she been there the whole time? Who knows, he wasn’t very attentive to his surroundings these days.
“Ah, sorry. You frightened me.” He laughed, offering a firm hand to shake. “The one and only. And you would be?”
“I’m Robin, the local carpenter.” She smiled, shaking his hand as she spoke.
“Well, pleasure to meet you Robin.”
“Likewise. Lewis sent me here to find you and show you the way to your new home. He’s there right now, tidying things up for your arrival. The farm’s this way, if you’ll follow me.”
“Ah, I remember where it is. But you go ahead and lead the way.”
With that, Robin started in the other direction with Cole walking beside her. He expected her to be more chatty, not so straight to business.
“So, carpentry?”
“Yep! I’ve been working with wood for years. I've built nearly all the new buildings in town since I moved here.”
“Really? Mighty impressive work for just one lady.”
“Hah, well, I don’t finish them overnight.” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, adjusting her ponytail shortly after. “It’s fulfilling work, though. I love what I do.”
Before Cole could continue any further, they were stepping onto the farm. It was much closer to the bus stop than he remembered from his childhood.
As soon as he passed the fence and stepped onto the farm, old memories swarmed his head. Playing with his siblings in the overgrown fields, helping his Pappy water the plants early in the morning, late nights in the shoddy old cabin playing cards with his Pappy. They warmed his heart, filling him with a soft joy he hadn’t felt in a long while.
“Wow, sure has grown a lot since I’ve been here last.” He commented, looking around at the overgrown weeds and grass.
“It hasn’t exactly had anyone to take care of it in the last decade or two, haha.” Robin laughed, though Cole felt his stomach sink.
Thankfully, Lewis spared him from his thoughts, stepping out of the old cabin and shutting the door behind him.
“Ah, Cole! It’s good to see you again, son.”
“Lewis.” Cole gave a toothy grin, offering his hand.
“We’re past handshakes by now, aren’t we?” Lewis chucked, giving Cole a quick hug.
“Ah, I suppose so.”
“Look at you, all grown up! How old were you when I last saw you?”
“Fourteen, sir.”
“And that was 17 years ago. That would make you 31 now, right?”
“Unfortunately so.”
Lewis gave a hearty laugh, wrapping his arm around Cole’s shoulder and rocking him around.
“Aging gets to us all, kid! One day you're spry as a lamb, the next your knees barely work, and you’re hobbling around on a roller!”
“Well, I’m not that old yet–”
“Anyways! The townspeople have been dying to meet you, those of us who don't remember you at least. It’s not every day someone new moves into town!”
Lewis was somehow more infuriatingly dismissive than Cole remembered, which was saying something given how much he disliked him as a child.
“But, I’m sure you want to rest. Get situated, and all.”
“Actually, I’m not all that tired. I think I’ll go around and introduce myself if it’s all the same to you.”
“Just as much of a go-getter as I remember!” Lewis laughed, punching Cole’s arm as he did. “Of course you can, son. Oh, I had a gift for you! Lewis fished a small bag out of his pocket and handed it over. “Some parsnip seeds to get you started. I bought it from Pierre’s this morning.”
“Pierre's?”
“Right, sorry I forgot you don’t know him! I suppose he did move in since the last time you visited. He owns the town’s general store now. You’ll be getting all your seeds from him.”
“Even if he’s a bit of a hack…” Robin cut in, earning a glare from Lewis.
“Robin.” He scolded in a whisper before returning to Cole with an unsettlingly cheery grin. “We’ll let you get settled in now! If you need anything, you know where to find me!”
“Course. I’ll see you both around.”
With that, Lewis was off, giving Robin an earful about her comment about Pierre as she walked beside him.
Cole sighed with relief as the pair left the property. As much as he'd usually appreciate the company, he wasn't sure how much longer he could put up with Lewis. After a moment of pause, Cole entered the house carrying his two suitcases inside with him.
The house was smaller than he seemed to remember it being, but just as shoddy. The place still had its signature creaky floorboards and chipping paint, plus a few cobwebs now that it’d been abandoned for the better part of 17 years.
Cole bit the inside of his cheek, suppressing the urge to cry as he looked around.
The place needed to be renovated as soon as possible, or at least Cole needed to get used to remembering the memories associated with the place. He couldn’t let himself become an emotional wreck every time he stepped inside.
For the most part, everything was as his Pappy left it, the same as the day they moved out. He pushed the memory back. it wasn’t a time in his life he particularly enjoyed thinking about.
Instead of dwelling on his memories, he set to work on putting his few belongings away.
Most of his things were clothes and toiletries, bare necessities that he couldn’t spend his first night without. He figured the things he didn’t pack he could get from JojaMart, given it was still in town. Finally, he got to the bottom of the suitcase, which he’d been dreading.
The only other thing he had packed was a single photo. He wasn’t even entirely sure why he’d brought it. He couldn’t bear looking at it. Nostalgia, he supposed. It was at least one thing in his old life to hold onto.
“...Miss you, Emmie.” He sighed, placing the photo face down at the bottom of one of the dresser drawers.
Once he was properly unpacked, he stood back, taking a brief look around the room before sitting on the edge of the bed. Again, his eyes threatened to prick up with tears. He sniffed and looked up, wiping away at his eyes. He took off his hat, holding it to his chest as he stood up.
“I’ll make you proud, Pappy. Swear on it.” With a resolute sigh, he placed his hat back on his head, stepping out the cabin door to start his new life.