Stardew Valley

10th of Winter

Jenna's happy greeting died on her lips as she turned from the door towards her husband after hanging up her coat. His back was poker straight and his hands were fisted at his sides, before she could ask what was wrong he spoke. " So I heard you secretly gave Sebastian a gift today. Do I have to be suspicious of you?" his voice was almost unrecognizable in it's coldness. Jenna's face showed her shock. She often gives people gifts and had for a while, it was nothing new. The only thing new was the person. Quickly Jenna's mind raced as she tried to figure out what had caused this. "You gave Shane a gift two days ago and I let it go, but today I got word you gave Sebastian sashimi." The way he spat out Sebastian's name made Jenna narrow her eyes. Her shock was quickly giving way to anger. "There was nothing secret about it. Abigail and Sam were there, as was Robin, since it is Sebastian's birthday today. Shane was at home with Marnie and Jas when I gave him the poppers. Just what are you accusing me of Elliot?" her voice shook in her anger. " I give people gifts all the time. Why is giving Sebastian or Shane a gift any different?" He let out a huge sigh like he was impatient she asked. "You have never given Shane or Sebastian a gift before and all of a sudden you are. Why? What are you after?" Jenna crossed her arms and practically hissed "I am trying to be their friend. They are the two most closed off people in the town and I'm trying to draw them out. I am friends with everyone, save those two. If you're suspicious of anything that's your own problem. I haven't done any more then try to befriend them and if you think I have, then you don't know me like you think you do." With that Jenna stormed out of the house, not even stopping to grab her coat.

Elliott stood in his spot frozen. What had he just done? Had his jealousy really made him lash out at his wife? He ran a hand through his hair and gripped it in a fist at the back of his head. He let out another harsh sigh before releasing his hair to run his hands down his face. "I'm an idiot!" he said out loud to the empty house. Even the dog didn't want to be near him right now. He didn't know why her giving Sebastian a gift rubbed him wrong. He quickly backtracked on that thought. He knew why. Sebastian was attractive and his opposite, dark, antisocial, rebellious. He knew Jenna's ex-boyfriend in the city had been very similar to Sebastian and the thought of her giving Sebastian a gift had filled him doubt and insecurity. He knew Jenna was a very friendly person and that she had a very giving heart. It was one of the things he fell in love with first when he met her. Now it seemed it was one of the things filling him with doubt and jealousy. He raised his head and took in the sight of Jenna's coat hanging on the coat rack. "Damn!" he isn't one to usually curse, but seeing her coat and knowing she was out in the cold without it filled him with guilt and dread. While it was still light out, Elliott glanced out the window and estimated that there was an hour, at most, of daylight left and with nightfall the temperatures would drop drastically. He had to find her, apologize for being a jealous idiot, and bring her home.

Jenna walked and hoped she wouldn't run into anyone. She refused to let the tears filling her eyes fall. She didn't want to have to explain her marital fight to anyone. She'd been so happy to get home. Dr. Harvey had confirmed her suspicions and she had been so excited to tell Elliott. The gift she gave to Sebastian had been the last thing on her mind after her appointment at the clinic. Her shoulders slumped even more as she trudged through the snow. She was aware of the cold seeping through her jeans and flannel shirt; her winter work boots doing what they could to hold the cold out. She berated herself for walking out of the house without her coat.

She walked with no destination in mind and just let her feet take her where they would. Soon Jenna found herself on the outskirts of the Secret Woods. She entered apprehensively, well aware that her safety wasn't just about her anymore and that she didn't even have her pocket knife. Luckily for her all of the slime monsters had taken refuge from the cold and were not around. She walked until she was standing by the little pond, half frozen over, and settled on it's bank. Her knees pulled up to her chest and her head buried on her arms, she let the tears flow. Elliott, her sweet Elliott, what had gotten into him? His accusations washed over her mind and her tears flowed harder down her face to soak into her flannel covered arms. She didn't understand where they were coming from. What had she done to make him doubt her and her love for him? Whatever it was she hoped they'd be able to figure it out. Sebastian was somehow the trigger for whatever this was. Elliott hadn't even mention the poppers she had given to Shane, but giving a gift, even a birthday gift, to Sebastian had caused him to accuse her of..of what? Cheating? Being unfaithful? With a sigh she lifted her tear stained face and stared off across the water.

Elliott jogged into town, getting there in half the time it normally took him. Mayor Lewis was sitting on a bench right inside the town. He looked up, took in Elliott's frantic face, disheveled hair and the coat hanging from his hand. "Afternoon Elliott. How goes it?" he asked finally. "H-have you seen Jenna?" Elliot asked struggling to catch his breath. "Jenna?" Lewis' brow furrowed as he thought. "No, can't say that I have and I've been sitting here for about an hour. She could have come down from The Mountain, or from the Cindersap trail, but I haven't seen anyone walking the town at all. Perhaps she's at the Saloon?" Elliott had been scanning the town square and absently thanked Lewis as he took off toward the Stardrop. Poking his head in, he half hoped to see Jenna sitting at the bar nursing a beer, but as he scanned the room he didn't see her. Turning quickly he jogged down to the beach and checked the piers, and even his old cabin. The dust inside was undisturbed and he knew she hadn't been there. Closing the door to the cabin he leaned against it. Given the nature of their fight, he didn't see her going past the carpenter shop and discounted that path fast. He turned and ran back across the bridge and down the path to Cindersap forest. When he neared the turn off towards their farm from Marnie's Ranch, he saw footprints in the snow heading west from the ranch. He followed them and came to the Secret Woods. Of course, she had often said she loved the Secret Woods. Elliott walked in cautiously and quietly, not wanting to disturb any of the creatures living there. As he neared the pond he saw her, sitting staring over the water. He walked over and sat behind her sliding his hands down her arms to wrap her in his arms and pull her back into him.

Jenna jumped when she felt hands sliding over her arms and then settled when she recognized the feel of Elliott behind her. She let her back relax into his chest as he pulled her close. "Jenna, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me, I let my insecurities and jealousy lash out and I said things I shouldn't have." Elliott said quietly into her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder. Jenna shuddered as his warm breath flowed over her cold cheek. " I don't really understand Elliott. What caused this? I know that it has something to do with giving a gift to Sebastian, but what is it about him that makes you feel so uncertain of me?" Jenna felt her eyes well up again and took a deep breath to calm her emotions. She felt Elliott's chest rise and fall in a deep sigh. "He makes me very insecure and nervous with you. He's everything I'm not, my complete opposite really, and I remember that your ex-boyfriend was very similar to him. What if you decide that he's more of the type of man you want? What if you realize that I'm everything you don't want?" at Elliott's confession of his insecurities, Jenna relaxed a bit more. "Elliott, my dear sweet, silly man." she sighed. " Sebastian can't hold a candle to you and my ex-boyfriend isn't even in my mind anymore. A big reason we didn't work out was that after a while his emo personality became too much for me to handle. After a while I realized he wasn't the kind of man I wanted and after I moved here and found you I feel like I found the missing part of me that I'd lost in that relationship. You don't have anything to worry about with Sebastian. I love you, and only you Elliott."

Jenna felt him tighten his hold on her and his tense shoulders relaxed. He kissed her cold cheek and let go of her arms to wrap his arms around her torso. He trailed kisses over her cheek as his hand stroked her stomach. When his hand brushed her abdomen Jenna laid her hand over his and stilled it there. "Elliott, the reason I went to the Mountain was to ask Robin to expand the house. After I left the carpenter shop I went to the clinic and Dr. Harvey confirmed what I had suspected for a few weeks." Elliott's breath hitched in his chest. "W..What do you mean, Jenna?" She turned in his arms to face him all while keeping their hands rested on her abdomen. "Elliott, my love, we're having a baby." At her words Elliott felt his heart begin to race and he reached to cup her face in his shaking hands and kissed her, before pulling back and staring into her eyes. "A baby? Jenna, a baby?" His smile was radiant as she nodded with a smile of her own. He laughed and pulled her into a hug. For a while they just sat and held each other. After awhile he felt her shiver and belatedly remembered her coat he had set down when he found her. He reached over and grabbed it to set over her shoulders. "Let's get you home and into a hot bath." he said helping her up off the ground. Hand in hand they walked back to the farm.