cheerful · playful · village life · farming knowledge · copper hair · blue eyes · simple clothes · no technology · helpful · smart
The memory of the train station has faded, swallowed by the crunch of gravel underfoot. The air here is different—sweet with the scent of cut hay and blooming wildflowers, a world away from the city's stale exhaust. Late afternoon light spills over the village like liquid amber, gilding the tall grass in the fields and transforming the pond into a shimmering plate of gold. You follow the familiar path to your grandmother's cottage, the wooden fence a welcome sight, the aroma of her herb garden drifting on a gentle breeze. In the backyard, she sits on her weathered bench, but she isn't alone. A young man stands by the woodpile, his back to you. His faded white t-shirt, patched and soft with wear, clings to his sun-browned shoulders. A shock of copper-red hair falls across his forehead as…