Chapter 59: The Things We Don't Say

"We don't need luck," Daisy said confidently as she and Harmony walked towards the bar on the pier. "We just need to show the Felis siblings how fabulous we are."
"And you're sure they'd said they'd come?" Harmony asked, for the third time since they left the house.
"I swear" Daisy answered, holding the door. "After you."

The warmth hit their faces as they walk inside, taking off their winter cloaks and revealing their party dresses. The singer song-writer music from the jukebox feels a bit out of place in such a rustic setting, as does the long tables that look like they're more for eating than drinking. It's as if they stepped into a diner, only it's a bar instead. There is no dancefloor to speak of, other than a little area by the bar. The place looks deserted when they first walk in and Harmony starts having second thoughts, but as they order the first drink of the night, people start filing in. More importantly, Dana walks through the door and tonight, Harmony is not wasting that chance again. She waves her over and the two start talking, even as others join in their conversation. Harmony wishes the music were louder, so they'd have to lean in towards each other, then the others wouldn't be able to but in quite so much. She wonders who the creepy guy who keeps looking at her is, but tries to shrug off the feeling as she focuses on Dana instead.




Daisy has hit the "dancefloor", but mostly she's trying to flirt with Matt, Dana's brother, with very limited luck. So when a stranger walks up to her and strikes a conversation she doesn't mind. This one seems interested at least.



His name is Ted, and he keeps asking if she feels up for a walk to look at the stars and the first snow flakes falling for the season, but Daisy just wants to dance and flirt. He's cheerful enough to agree, and at the end of the night he does ask for her number. Daisy happily agrees.

Harmony on her end, is too busy with Dana to pay attention to Daisy. She's finally been able to pull her away from the others and get some alone time with her, and things are looking good.




But of course, right then her brother comes and says he's bored and want to go home. Dana seems a bit annoyed, but it is late, and so she says good bye and leaves.

Daisy and Harmony does too, talking as they walk along the shoreline home.
"Did you see that Anne was there?" Daisy asks.
"Not really," Harmony replies.
"Well, she was. Not sure what she is doing on at a bar like that without Link."
"So? Link was working tonight, doing inventory, you know this. So why couldn't she be out having fun with her friends for a night?"
"After the way she acted at the party? All jealous because Link works with another woman? And you know she can't stand me because I live there."
"And because you are always rude to her and hate her guts, let's be fair here."
"I bet she wanted us to see her."
"Wait, what?"
"Well, think about it! Link is working, who is he with tonight as he is working? Exactly! So she wants Link to find out that she was out having fun, so that he'll be jealous of her and worry about her finding someone else. I swear that's it! Let's not tell him we saw her."
"I wasn't really intending to in the first place," Harmony says, thinking it was good that it was dark, or Daisy would see how much she was rolling her eyes at her. Seriously, for a perceptive person, Daisy was really daft when it came to herself.



The next day Daisy is humming to herself all morning. She, has just landed a date! In the land of the married and uninterested, Ted has called and asked to see him at the museum. So shortly after lunch, Daisy sets off. Interestingly enough she has never been to the museum, even after living in Brindleton Bay for years. A museum for shipping and boats, has just never struck her fancy.

But Ted does. Sort of. They greet each other outside the museum and quickly make their way inside, where they spend the time sitting and chatting rather than looking at anything at all.




Ted doesn't waste time, soon he's laying it on thick, and Daisy is starved for attention and laps it up. When he suggest they'd go up in the lighthouse and look at the view she quickly agrees.
"Wow! It's so early and the moon is already out!"




What she hadn't expected was that it would be so cold. She left her winter coat at the museum. "Let's head inside and get some warmth," Ted suggests and a little while later... well, it wasn't what she intended for a first date, but sometimes things just happen.




The next morning Daisy makes breakfast for everyone, only slightly annoyed that Link stole one of her cupcakes before breakfast was served.

After breakfast, Link is taking an annoyingly long time to get Diamond ready for his walk while Harmony pretends to read a book, but finally he is out of the house and she can ask what she has been dying to ask all morning.
"So, how did it go?"




Daisy is more than happy to share everything, and she retells the date to her friend.
"You did what?" Harmony says! Surprised, woohooing someone she met twice? It seems out of character. Daisy vehemently defends herself and Harmony has to give in.
"Hey, I give, you're right, you're old enough, and it's none of my business who you woohoo with or where. I was just surprised, I didn't realise you liked him that much, that fast."



Daisy smiles, but there is something about it that just doesn't seem entirely genuine. "I do, I think, I mean he's nice, and charming, and interested."
"Him being interested shouldn't have anything to do with how much you like him," Harmony points out.
"Well, it doesn't, of course, only it does a bit. It's been so hard, you know? Finding someone who...looks at me as if I'm someone worth being with. And he makes me feel wanted. Is that so bad?"
Harmony has to bite her tongue not to tell her that her brother has looked at her like that a thousand times over, but instead she just shrugs.
"But you like him, right? I mean his personality, who he is? Other than charming and wants you."
"Well, he's cheerful."
"Like Link," Harmony points out.
"No, not exactly, more... just more."
"That's a lot of cheer."
"It is. Probably good for me though."
"But do you like it?"
"I'm sure I will. When I get to know him better."
Harmony frowns, this doesn't sound good at all.



Right then Link rushes through the door, runs into the shower, grabs Diamond and heads off so fast both girls' wondering what is going on. Harmony calls after him.
"Anne's cat died. She's really broken up about it," he yells, rushing out the door. Daisy looks as he leaves, a sad look on her face.

Harmony sighs deeply. She knows it's none of her business, and she's been trying to not get into it, but seriously! "I honestly can't believe you're settling for dating someone, woohooing with someone, who you don't really seem to like when someone you do care about is right there."
"What? No, it's not like that."
"Of course it is not, and you only hate that he's running off to Anne because you don't like her, grow up!"
"What?" Daisy look surprised.
"Look, you know my brother, better than probably anyone, and you know his dreams, because you're the one he's shared them with. He only ever wanted three things out of life. To be a vet, to own a dog and to have a family of his own."
"I know that, of course I know that, but what do that has to do-"
"He has two out of three now, but he's turning 30 soon."
"Again, I know that, I do too, remember."
"Well, then you should have already figured out that he's thinking about it."
"About what?"
"Proposing. And I know for a fact that she's waiting for it."
"He wouldn't marry her... come on, he wouldn't marry her!"
"Why not?" Harmony looks sternly at Daisy. "The only woman he wanted more told him plain and simple that she wasn't interested. He's not the type to push you, or ask you again. You turned him down, and he respects you, so he will respect your decision and he will never do anything to jeopardise your friendship. You know this!"
"Of course I do, but just because I don't like Anne doesn't mean-"
"Of course it does! Stop being an idiot Daisy! I see how you look at him when he's with her, and how he looks at you when he knows you're not looking at him. You're both being idiots, and I've tried to stay out of it, but I can't stay silent and watch you both settle with less than what you want because you were too afraid to go after the one person you were meant to be with."
"You can't- I can't-"
"If you want to you can, I'm telling you, you can. I'm not saying it will be easy, Link is loyal to a fault, he will see it as his duty to stay with Anne, and if he marries... if they have kids... he'll never leave. So yes you can, if you truly want to, but the window is closing and it's up to you if you want to spend that time woohooing with potential good-enoughs or do something about how you feel with someone you wouldn't settle with."
"But I-"
"Look it's your life, and if you want to waste it, fine. I won't bring this up again, the ball is in your corner. It's up to you what you do with it." She gets up from the sofa and heads upstairs. She has a book to write. This one she names Leo gets a home.



Over at Anne's, Link rushes into the house, offering his deepest sympathies.
"I can't believe she just died!" Anne says.
"She was old," Link says. "It happens." And it has happened a lot to Anne lately. Out of her four pets, now only one remains, the three others all succumbing to their age. "I'll go with you and bury her," he says.




They head over to the island outside the coast. Not only is the museum there, but also the large pet cemetery. For years people have brought their pets there to be buried, and it's almost hard to find spots these days.



They manage, however, finding a place in the type of shrubs Fiona loved to prowl in.



As they head out, Link holds her, hoping he can ease her pain.



They go home to him afterwards, and Link tries his best to take care of her, offering her a massage and trying to be extra attentive.



Harmony hides upstairs sin her office. Analysing a rough draft of her story. The artwork is fantastic. Leo is really coming to live in the pages.



Daisy has left for work, so Anne stays for a while, returning home right before Daisy returns with a new promotion. Finally she's going somewhere. Or at least her career is, her personal life, she's not so sure of.



The next day the household wakes up to a sick cat. The girls watch helplessly as Leo barfs up her dinner and miau in distress.




Link, of course, knows exactly how to handle it. Back in his room, he manufactures a wellness treat. A few moments later, Leo is well again and Harmony starts cleaning up the messes she made.




Later in the day the group goes shopping for new furniture. With Daisy's promotion, Harmony's dragon fruits and increasing pay check and the vet clinic going really well, they decide they have some money to spend on the furniture of the house. For the joint living space they get a new sofa, coffee table, dining table and new chairs. Daisy has managed to get a hold on a really good deal for a new stove and fridge.




In the bedrooms both girls get better beds. For Daisy it's just an upgrade, but for Harmony it means moving off the inflatable bed and onto a real bed. She hasn't been suffering, but she can't deny that it's much more comfortable sleeping in a real bed.




Throughout the day, Daisy keeps checking her phone at weird times. It's as if she can't put it down. Finally Harmony straight out asks her what's going on.




"He hasn't called. Or texted."
"He said he would?"
Daisy isn't sure, but she think he did. Isn't that the way things like this works? She checks his simstagram, for the umpteenth time today. Full of activity. But not a word.
"Maybe he's busy," Harmony says helpfully.
"Or maybe he just doesn't want to call," Daisy says sadly. Harmony doesn't say that she kind of hopes that is the case.




Winterfest is fast approaching, and the day before, as Harmony goes into the office, Link takes it on himself to cheer Daisy up. She hasn't really spoken to him about what's bothering her, and he doesn't prod. What he does do is something utterly silly and childish. He suggest they build a snowpal.



It turns out pretty awesome he thinks.



For Daisy, it's the first time she's laughed in days, and she can't help but to think this might soon be over. If Harmony is right, and he asks Anne to marry him, there is no way he'll build snowpals with her any longer. Or make her laugh when she's feeling down. Or talk to her about what is bothering him. Right now she doesn't really know how she'll survive that. In her childhood dreams they always loved each other's partners, and their kids grew up side by side, and sometimes... well no, she always pushed sometimes to the side.

Even if Harmony and Link (and Anne) are going to San Sequoia the next morning, Link and Daisy puts up some Winterfest lights for the house, and on a whim, as she stands there holding the traditional mistletoe to be put up in front of the door, she holds it up, leans in, and gives him a quick peck on the lips.




Before he has time to react, Daisy rushes inside, leaving Link gobsmacked outside. For as long as he remembers he's wished for what just happened to happen, but he'd long since thought that wasn't possible, and he has Anne... guilt rushes up inside him. Why didn't he stop her? What has he done? A full weekend at his parents, and he just let... should he tell Anne? But if he does he knows she will demand that he never sees or speaks to Daisy again, and if that happens... By the time Harmony returns home with her own promotion, to novelist, Link has ruminated himself to a headache. He has no clue what tomorrow will bring, and what he will do, he spends the night tossing and turning, trying to sleep while his mind refuses to let him.