Love Is The Best Medicine (Stardew Valley - Harvey)

Chapter 33 - I Can Fix This

Harvey burst through the door, paperwork stacked in his hands. "Evangeline, I can fix this!" He beamed, his face looking too confident for your liking. Slamming down a copy of the will on your desk, he pointed directly at a certain section upon it.

"Witnesses?" You enquired, looking confused and slightly more hopeful.

"Yes, and look who's noted as a witness!"

You scanned the section that you had already read thousands of times over. "Yes I know who the witnesses are." You responded, looking once again deflated and sure that Harvey was going to suggest something you had already thought of.

"Mayor Lewis!" Harvey's enthusiasm was contagious, but it also left you feeling a sense of déjà vu. You had combed through the will multiple times, and the presence of witnesses, including Mayor Lewis, had not escaped your notice. It was a fact that had raised your hopes before, only to be dashed by the realisation that these witnesses had indeed validated the authenticity of the will.

But the glimmer of hope in Harvey's eyes was hard to ignore. He seemed to have something up his sleeve that you hadn't considered, and that intrigued you.

"Mayor Lewis?" you repeated, your curiosity piqued. "What about him?"

"He's been the mayor of this town for what, forty plus years right?"

"Right...?" you affirmed, your mind racing as you started to connect the dots.

"He will have a copy of the original will tucked away somewhere!" He beamed, grabbing onto your shoulders.

"How do you know?" You retaliated, as there was no evidence such a document existed.

"In all those years, he would have undoubtedly come across numerous legal documents, including wills. And Mayor Lewis isn't one to take chances when it comes to the town's records. He told me he documents and keeps copies of every legal file that passes by the town for security purposes, and the will is no exception." You listened intently, the puzzle finally taking form.

"If Lewis can prove that your grandfather wrote his will before you knew Levi to begin with, then this new fabricated will holds no claim and proves Levi has carefully forged it in order to get revenge or some quick money." Harvey finished, his face bright and hopeful.

The realisation hit you like a bolt of lightning. It was also now possible that Lewis held the original written will without knowing.

If Mayor Lewis had indeed witnessed the signing of the will, not only did that make him a key witness, but it also added weight to the authenticity of the original document.

"Let me get my coat!" You announced, jumping up, knocking over your cold coffee onto the rug below. Slinging it on, you sped out the door, Harvey in tow.

You charged through the town, your body physically and mentally on a mission, and finally reached the Mayors door. You loudly knocked, your arms folded with impatience.

"Evangeline? Dr. Harvey?" The Mayor said, looking somewhat shocked to see you both at the door at the same time as one another.

"Mayor Lewis, I need your help urgently." You demanded politely, refusing to take no as an excuse. "My house and farm are being threatened to be taken away, and you may be the only one who can save it."

"Oh, Evangeline! That sounds horrible!" You heard an older woman say behind the door. Suddenly Marnie appeared from behind the shoulder of Lewis, who now looked slightly embarrassed.

"Marnie?" You questioned, slightly confused. "Hi Marnie." Harvey smiled, unaware of what he was actually seeing.

"Marnie go back inside!" Lewis whispered behind him, which caused Marnie to tut and walk back in.

"Uh- okay. Anyways." You continued, slightly taken aback. "Mayor Lewis, I need to see my grandfathers will." You asked, your stomach tying knots within you.

"Your Grandfathers will? What makes you think I still have that?" He replied, his expression worried, causing yours to fall slightly.

"Mayor, you told me you keep all documents," Harvey interjected, his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the situation.

"I may still have it... Come in," Mayor Lewis sighed, finally relenting and opening the door wider for you to step inside. The room held the faint scent of aged books and polished wood, the sort of smell you'd expect in your Grandparents house.

Approaching a tall file cabinet, he pulled out a drawer and began rifling through files, the overhead light casting elongated shadows as he searched for the document. The atmosphere in the room was tense, Marnie frowning as she watched. You kept your hands firmly in your pockets, fiddling with your fingers in anxiety.

As the mayor continued to search, you exchanged an anxious look with Harvey. The uncertainty was unbearable, and you couldn't shake the feeling that your future in the Valley was coming to an end. The pessimist in you wasn't hopeful and had started to overpower your optimism.

Finally, Mayor Lewis straightened, holding a dusty, old folder. He carefully opened it, revealing the aged papers within. "Here it is," he said, a hint of relief in his voice as he handed it to you. "Your grandfather's will."

Your heart leaped as you took the folder, fingers trembling with anticipation. You noted the date in the top corner. It was certainly the original. You gently flicked through, and lo and behold, there it was.

"In the event of my passing, I leave my house and its farm-land to Evangeline Rosingdale." You read aloud, your voice getting louder with uncontainable excitement as you reached the end. The weight that had been pressing on your shoulders for days suddenly lifted.

Harvey beamed at you, his joy unfathomable. He wrapped an arm around you, and together, you felt like you could conquer the world. You had to admit, together, you were a force to be reckoned with.

"I knew we could do it." He smiled, kissing you gently, the warmth of his lips filled with both passion and relief. Mayor Lewis raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, seemingly surprised by your relationship. Marnie couldn't help but giggle, her smile speaking volumes about her joy for the two of you.

Pulling away, you took a deep breath. "Thank you Mayor." You smiled, extending your hand for a hand shake. Looking slightly surprised, he shook yours in response, a smile forming in the corners of his mouth.

"I'm glad I could be of help." He replied, giving you a rare nod of admiration.

Now, you had to confront Levi and take what's yours.