Shane X Female Reader - Stardew Valley

Chapter 44: After Party

It was nearly nine o'clock at night by the time that the final guests left the party, leaving you, Mayor Lewis, Shane, Marnie, and Jas at the Ranch. Marnie was already cleaning up everyone's mess, insisting that you and Shane head back to the farm since it was getting late.

"No, Aunt Marnie." Shane objected, taking the tray of empty champagne flutes from her and heading to the kitchen. "You did so much for us today, please let me help."

You started collecting dirty plates scattered throughout the Ranch. "Yeah, please let us help." You looked down at your mermaid's shell, which was still reflecting gorgeously despite the unideal lighting of the rather small living section of the ranch. "I honestly can't thank you enough for all of this, Marnie."

"C'mon, Marn." Mayor Lewis chimed in. "You deserve to take a little break."

The rancher blushed as she reluctantly agreed to let the two of you help. "Fine." She grabbed a half-full bottle of wine as she went to sit down at the kitchen table. "I guess I'll finish this."

"That's the spirit." The mayor agreed, putting on his cap and jacket. "I'll be off now, but I really do wish the two of you the best of luck and a sincere congratulations from the people of Pelican Town. We're rooting for you." He raised an empty glass. "And I look forward to marrying you two in the near future."

You nodded your appreciation as you returned to the dishes at hand and began to wash them in the sink. You had to try and keep yourself from getting distracted by the shiny pendant around your neck, causing the warm tap water to splash all over you as you absentmindedly washed the plates.

"Uncle Shane! Uncle Shane!" Jas grabbed everyone's attention as she rushed into the room, holding a thick folder overflowing with papers.

"What is it, Jazzy?" Shane asked as he sat at the kitchen table and set down the cleaning rag he was holding.

She set the folder in front of him with a resounding thud. "I have papers from school for you to sign!"

Your fiancé sighed heavily. "Alright, get me a pen." Jas complied and Shane started to hastily sign the forms for his niece.

Marnie stood up from the kitchen table and grabbed Shane's cleaning rag as she came up next to you and began cleaning a sticky clear stain next to the sink.

"Why is Shane signing Jas's papers?" You asked her quietly, so he wouldn't hear. "Why not you?"

The short rancher pushed some fluffy brown hair out of her eyes. "He's her legal guardian. I have no custodial jusidiction over her." She nodded towards the pair working on the pile of papers at the table. "In all aspects of the law, Jas is Shane's. He has to sign all of her school papers and take her to the doctor, etc. He just moved here so I could help him raise her on the day to day."

"Huh." You continued to clean the dishes. You wondered why Shane hadn't brought up this to you, but then again you had never explicitly asked about it. "So when we get married-"

Marnie answered your question before you could ask. "When you get married, you could adopt Jas as your daughter, if you wanted. I doubt Shane wants to force anything like that on you, dear, but he also can't change the fact that she's legally his daughter." She sighed sorrowfully. "It's really a shame how everything happened with her parents' death, but that is a conversation for another day. Today we're celebrating your engagement! And I couldn't think of anything that would make me happier!"

While you wanted to know more about Jas and Shane's evidently complicated relationship, you knew you should ask Shane about it instead of hearing it from Marnie. And you also were fully aware that Shane hadn't told you about it yet, and it was completely understandable that he would need time to breach such a difficult subject.