Silver Tears
Farmer Mackenzie! Portrait done on Jazzybee.
tw: shitty mom
Chapter one
“What are you doing? This isn’t who I raised you to be! You could be doing anything with your life right now, but you’re choosing to waste it at some corporation. I raised you to be better than this, Mackenzie.” Mom was going on one of her rants again.
You didn’t raise me at all! You forgot about me the minute Dad died! I bit my lip to keep from crying out all the words I wanted to say. Instead, I stared mutely at the woman who stopped caring the moment I entered this world.
“You’re a smart girl. I know you could be doing so much more with your life. Why are you spending it behind a desk? You could be a doctor or a lawyer, making more money than you know what to do with.” Mom continued. I longed to bury my head under the covers and pretend I was anywhere else. “I just don’t understand where I went wrong with you honey.” I hung my head, not daring to speak, not daring to drag this argument out further.
She tsked and fluffed out her hair. “I have a date and I’m going to be late. Please just clean the house before you go to sleep. I don’t make you pay rent, it’s the least you could do.” I nodded at her words, going still as she pressed a kiss to my cheek. She merrily waved as she flounced out the door.
In the dead silence, I let out a hoarse sob. Silent tears tracked down my cheeks as I began tidying the already clean house. As soon as I was finished, I barricaded myself in my room and gazed around. Everything that was special to me after twenty-four years was contained within this small area. Mom wasn’t wrong. I had higher ambitions than coding behind a desk for Joja Corporation.
My thoughts drifted to my dad, of playing on Grandpa’s farm with him as a kid before he got sick. Stiffly, I walked across my room to my memory box hidden on a shelf behind my stuffed animals. I opened the creaking lid to reveal pictures of Dad, Grandpa, and me smiling at the camera, the farm animals in the background. My heart ached as I flipped through them, digging deeper into the box. Stacks of paper lined the bottom, given to me by Dad’s lawyer and eventually Grandpa’s lawyer too, once he passed away.
As I pulled them from the box, a sealed envelope fell out and smacked off my foot. Curiously, I tore into it, revealing a letter.
Dear Mackenzie, If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong. I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Silvermoss Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life. This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck. Love, Grandpa.
I clutched the letter to my chest and took a deep breath. Grandpa had left the farm to me! Could I even handle life as a farmer? I scanned my bedroom, seeing the pale yellow walls bare of anything, the few shelves containing more childhood mementos than current ones. I thought of my dead-end office job, chained to my desk more often than not, my coworkers all typing furiously with haunted looks in their eyes.
I had enough gold saved to send most of my stuff ahead and I was pretty confident I could take the bus the entire way to Stardew Valley. Maybe Mom would be happier if I left, if she was free to live her life without my shadow looming around her. Joja would replace me within minutes if I quit. There was nothing left for me here.
My mind made up, I dug several boxes out of the recycling and began to pack everything I owned. I wouldn’t waste this chance to start over. I was determined to make Grandpa proud of me.
