Sunshine and Shadow Acres [A Stardew Valley Fanfiction]

Chapter 17: Admissions

              Sebastian and I had accomplished crafting many sprinklers as Abby and Sam continued to chip away at farm labor. Eventually I just found myself sitting there wondering how the terrible things in my life that drove me here resulted in this. I felt as if I didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve them.

"What's going through that pretty little head?" Abigail startled me out of my thoughts as she approached me. She briefly motioned to my lap, and I nodded and allowed her to plop down. I could feel Sebastian and Sam eyeing us but didn't pay it any mind.

"Just... that I don't deserve you guys," I admitted.

"That is untrue," Sebastian was quick to speak up. "You deserve the world princess." I quirked my eyebrows at him and his face flushed red. That's when the realization truly washed over me. They all had a crush on me. That realization ignited a new panic within me as I realized I had no clue what to do with that discovery.

"He's right," Abigail told me softly, drawing my attention back to her. Her arms were slung over me and she held me to her as she sat on my lap.

"You've always been a beacon of light, Addie. Even if you can't see it," Sam added to the pile. I shook my head in protest.

"I don't think that's true."

"Listen, babe... we're not going to pry. But obviously you had some things go down in your life. They knocked you down. And you've been trying so hard to not let that show. But despite everything, you're still a guiding light. You obviously don't know the radiance you possess. But I promise you, we can see it. The town can see it," Abby said, and I didn't know how to even begin processing her words.

"I'm on the run," I blurted out on accident. The three of them went quiet, but they weren't judging me. They were giving me the option to divulge information if I wanted to or leave the information where it lay.

"I... I don't know. I just... I am not this beacon you all think I am."

"Oh sweetie," Sam sighed as he approached and sat on the ground next to us, resting his head on my leg and looking up at me. "Whatever happened, I doubt you tried to do wrong." I sighed as I considered his words.

"I... you're right. But... I was... I was a different person. A person I don't like. And a person I can't seem to shake," I shuttered.

"You don't have to tell us anything you don't want to, Addie. We just want what's best for you. And... I hope... someday, you might be able to find the beacon of light within yourself and learn to appreciate yourself as much as we do," Sebastian said, and I momentarily gaped at him. Sebastian tended to be a man of few words, especially when it came to words seeped in emotion.

"I... I'm scared." All of them nodded slightly and I sighed, resting my head on Abby's shoulder. "There are probably people trying to find me."

"You have us now, Addie. You have the town. No matter what, we're here."

"They're... you don't understand. They aren't just... some guys. They're... bad people. Organized." Sebastian's gaze curiously scanned my face like he was trying to connect dots. I saw pieces of the puzzle falling into place, but he hadn't fully pieced it together.

"Regardless, we'll be here."

"I... I don't understand you guys," I admitted.

"Care to elaborate?" Sebastian questioned.

"I... why do you guys... care?"

"Oh, Ad's," Sam sighed. "You're important to us. Not only were you our friend as a child, but you're our friend now."

"I just... don't quite get it."

"Hopefully we'll be able to show you over time," Abby said as she gently stroked my hair. I sighed but decided to just spend the rest of the evening with them and try to put pause on the conversations that I wasn't quite ready for.