Bloom 5

Today I was supposed to be able to travel and I was planning on it but instead some strong winds are almost tearing the roof off. I have to spend half my evening brushing the petals out of the nooks and crannies they accumulated in. Instead of opening the store I went into town. My meals have been getting bland. I had to tie a ribbon to my hat and under my chin so it wouldn't fly off. As I was walking in I realized I got so caught up in the bookstore I forgot to send a letter to my old crew. I stopped in, picked out this cute postcard with a drawing of the town square, and wrote shomething short about what I'm doing now and how much I missed them. Its a shame I had to leave them when I did. But I hope I get to see them again one day.

While browsing the shelves at Appleford's Food Store I bumped into Jer. He seemed a little down so invited him back to the shop. I grabbed a little bit of everything and I had to stop at The Bake House for some honey. The entire time I was shopping, Jer was moping around, shoulders slumped, tail dragging in the dirt. I tried to strike up a conversation but he just sighed and shrugged. I knew I had to get these chesnuts roasted right quick. I locked his elbow in mine as we walked back together. I remembered my friends' grumpy teenage years well. They were always moaning and groaning about how hard life is. Most of them grew out of it but a little compassion never hurt. I had to brush out the petals again when we got back to the shop so I sent Jer in to start the fire.

When I got in, he was just sitting there, staring into the flames. I pulled up my own chair and started to work on the honey roasted chesnuts. He was quiet for a while but then the sweetness started to work its magic. He told me he snapped at one of his siblings earlier. "He just wanted to play. And I told him to bug off," he said. I nodded my head very sagely (but actually my mouth was too full to say anything). His little brother looked so heartbroken he instantly felt bad, but you cant put words back in your mouth. I turned the situation on him and asked if anyone's been short with him. He said yes, of course. I prompted for how he felt and what happened next. He said he felt bad for a bit but they made up for it and they moved on. I offered that he also learned some boundaries about when people are too busy to be bothered. Then I asked him about this brother and he had a fond smile on his face as he told me story after story about their antics. The sound of the wind was great accompaniment with our laughs. Towards the end my cheeks were aching nicely. I let him take the last few chesnuts home for an apology. Then I spent the last bit of light left removing the leaves and petals once again.

Coins:298 Books:420