Chapter 3
Scarlett
“I want to buy a farm.” The words leave my mouth before I even register what I’m saying.
A quiet giggle escapes my lips, which I’m assuming is the result of the ultra strong punch that Kenzie made for the Halloween party.
This year’s theme is movie characters and I’m sitting in a room surrounded by my best friends, letting out my deepest secret, dressed as Hermoine. You know what, actually this tracks.
A round of laughter sounds from around the room but it stops quickly when they see that, despite my giggle, I mean it. Both Lydia and Mia ask if I’m serious. The bravery I had when I first said it dissipates a little and I just nod my head.
“You feeling alright?” Lydia asks.
“No,” I say confidently. “I feel downright awful. My job is killing me. I’m up all hours of the day and night researching or writing or editing or getting calls from my boss about how I should be doing any of those things. This is the first night I’ve had off since I went to the Blossom Festival.”
Pitying looks cross their faces and they ask a few questions about what I would do for work, and am I sure I’ve thought this through.
“Well I, for one, think it’s amazing! Have you looked for any places yet?” Dennis asks. Dennis is Andee’s boyfriend and I appreciate his enthusiasm. We may have gotten off to a rocky start but watching her smile at him tonight is the happiest I’ve seen my friend in a decade.
“I’ve looked all over the state while dreaming on Zillow but no, I haven’t narrowed anything down.
” If I were with anyone other than my best friends, I’d be worried that everyone would think I’m crazy but I’m not sure there’s a normal one in this bunch.
Andee moved to Silverthorne after finding her husband cheating and opened a bakery.
It’s already successful and I know it’s only going to get better from here.
Lydia is an online gamer who literally gets paid to play her favorite game and stream it online.
Both Kenzie and Mia have known what they wanted to be since they were five years old and they made it happen.
Mia in the medical field and Kenzie, a teacher.
That was me at one point. I thought I was one of the lucky ones, getting to do the job I dreamed of as a kid.
And maybe this farm thing is a pipedream but I yearn for a life that’s more simple.
Surrounded by quiet instead of honking car horns and sirens.
A slower paced life where your biggest responsibility is nurturing the life that in turn nurtures you.
Sure, I could be romanticizing it a bit but my life has become so predictable but in the least predictable way.
For instance, I know every day that I will go into work forty-five minutes early and be told I’m running late.
Without a doubt a problem will arise before I’ve had my coffee.
Valerie will criticize my writing sometime around lunch and then right before I’m about to leave for the day she will have either a new project for me that “must be completed immediately” or she’ll say something like “do you have that (insert project name I’ve never heard before) for me?
” I will obviously answer no, because this is the first time I’m hearing about it.
She will huff and swear she told me that it was due today by the end of the day.
I will argue but then inevitably give in and tell her I’ll get it to her before eight o’clock that night.
Then I will proceed to either stay in the office and finish the project or go home and spend my time at home doing work that I’m not even technically getting paid for.
I know how every day is going to go, even if the small details are slightly different. I am exhausted.
“I would definitely try the Valentine area.” Dennis and I have gone into the kitchen to refill drinks.
“The Valentine area, really? Why is that?” I’ve looked all over the state but since it had simply been a dream up until now, I haven’t paid close attention to where the farms are.
“We get a lot of our produce for the store there. It’s probably the closest town with plenty of farmland.
Which would mean you could still be close to Andee.
” He isn’t looking at me when he says it and I marvel at the fact that this man cares for my best friend so much that he wants me to consider land close to her.
“You probably wouldn’t be much, if any, farther away than you are now.
And I’ve been told it’s the most affordable farmland in the state.
” He finally turns to me and I can see there is no ulterior motive.
He’s being genuine and wanting to help me, even though when we first met I may or may not have threatened him.
I was right to push him back to Andee though because he’s good for her.
“Valentine.” I confirm. “I appreciate it, thank you.”
“No problem,” he says, “I’ll let you know if I hear of anything up for sale.
Without warning butterflies swarm in my stomach.
It’s a mixture of excitement and nervous energy.
I can’t remember the last time I had butterflies about something.
Is this a sign that I’m really meant to do this?
When I blurted it out earlier I was half expecting someone to talk me out of it with some reasoning.
Instead, I got blind faith, support, and a starting point.
This feels more real than any time I’ve scrolled property and daydreamed about this becoming a reality.
I’m actually going to do this. I’m going to quit my job and start a farm. I might be crazy.