Love Is The Best Medicine (Stardew Valley - Harvey)

Chapter 34 - You Couldn't Hurt Me If You Tried

(I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.)

You awoke, the bedsheet somehow on the floor beside you, perhaps evidence of your restless night. You looked across the room and saw your clothes from the day before hanging on the vanity chair. Today would be the day you'd confront Levi. You weren't entirely sure how you were going to attack the day, but the thought of him being gone forever was keeping you positive.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you took a moment to collect your thoughts. The emotions of the past few days swirled within you, forming an early morning headache. The morning light streamed through the window, the beams lighting the wooden hallway. Making your way to the bathroom, you took a glance at yourself in the mirror, your eyes heavy and worn. Swallowing some pain killers with a glass of water to numb the pain of your headache, you felt your nerves quake in your stomach.

You picked up your black pencil dress that you had laid out on the vanity chair the night before. Squeezing it over your figure, you gazed towards the mirror. You saw yourself from a couple years ago gazing right back at you. You had worn this dress many times throughout your time in the city, and you never imagined having to wear it again.

You painted your face with your usual makeup and quickly tied your hair into a ponytail. This really was it. You took a deep breath and made your way downstairs.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted you in the kitchen, courtesy of Harvey, who was already up and preparing breakfast. His eyes met yours, concern etched on his face. He seemed to study your outfit, almost as if he wanted to compliment you but wasn't sure if he should.

"Morning love, how are you feeling?"He questioned, placing a kiss on your head as you walked past.

You offered a faint smile in response. "I've felt better," you sighed, taking a sip of the perfectly made brew. Harvey's gaze lingered on you, his concern deepening. "I wish I could do more to ease your mind my love." You appreciated his sincerity, the weight of his words bringing a mix of comfort and vulnerability. "I wish I could be there today, I'm sorry darling, I can't put work off today-"

"I know you are busy, let me know how work goes okay?" You weakly smiled, understanding completely. If anything, you thought this was a good chance to finally be independent and strong, to finally face up to Levi. "I haven't been to the city in a while." You mentioned.

"I know you haven't, are you nervous?" Harvey asked as he threw on his forest green jacket and straightened his tie in the mirror. "I don't know really, maybe?" You sighed once again, feeling your stomach seemingly drop from the thought.

Harvey moved towards you, cupping your shoulders."This is a big thing for you, I'm always on the end of the phone if you need me, remember that okay?" His words were sweet and calming, filling your head with hope and confidence, exactly what you had needed.

"I know I can do this." You exclaimed, a burst of energy coursing through your veins. Harvey's eyes lit up as he saw yours do the same, his admiration for you evident through his expression. "I know you can, darling." His words were strong and reaffirming. Giving you one last kiss, he left for work in a rush. You felt liberated on his love.

You slipped on your black suede heels, grabbing your jacket and headed for the door. The summer air was warm and inviting as you stepped out of the comfort of the farmhouse. The stillness of the valley around you put your mind at a gentle ease.

The walk to the station was pleasant and calm. The trees were perfectly still, the birds within them nesting and tweeting. It made you realise how different the city is to where you are now, and how much you actually preferred the countryside.