A Good Farmer

     Daniel was not a farmer.

     That had been obvious since he was a child, raised within the limits of a city that prioritized concrete over any sort of flora. To his young mind, the idea of living out in the countryside sounded like a perfect little dream, filled with dirt, hard work, and the reward that paid through effort, and a passion for the craft. For his eighth birthday, he had begged and begged for his parents to take him out on a weekend to a nearby dairy farm, and give him the life he had fantasized about through the images he’d seen on shows and movies. All the way through the car ride, dressed up in a pair of overalls and a little straw hat, Daniel kept thinking about the adventure he had just been set out on doing, and the animal friends he would make along the way.

     Turns out that everyday activity, dirt, and hard work were not as amazing as he had thought it was.

     He hadn’t lasted more than twenty minutes picking apples on the orchard, before feeling his arms tired and legs wobble. His sleeve had been caught in a plant with thorns, skin scratched, and clothes muddied. Not even the cows had been kind to him, smelling in such a horrendous way that Daniel didn’t even think was possible from a living being, their moos too loud and aggressive for the child to find friendly. By the fourth hour of his former life, Daniel was begging his parents to take him back home. The weekend was cut short, and with it, any dreams Daniel had of becoming a farmer.

     Life in the countryside was not his deal, and that was okay. As he grew up, most comfortable in clean clothes and far away from barn animals, he had convinced himself that farming would never be part of his agenda once again.

     And then, he met Cotton.

     Such a sweet, gentle girl, that had taken the hardships of rural life and overcome them the way that little Daniel had dreamt of, and his adult self thought impossible of– well, anyone, let alone a girl that had to tiptoe to meet his eye. But she was the most hard-working person he had ever met, and that passion for her craft was as infectious as it was a testament that anything was possible. Just one of the countless things that Daniel loved about her.

     In return, from the gift that was such a refreshing take on his capabilities, Daniel tried his best to help around the farm. Cotton, of course, was whoever decided a day’s course of action, and Daniel did his best to accommodate her requests. Some, the ones like cleaning or organizing, were easy. Relaxing, even, when putting some music in the background and letting his mind drift to the sound. Others…

     “I’m sweating like hell over here,” Daniel whined, trying to figure out the best way to wipe the sweat away from his face without dirtying it. His sleeves were filled with dirt and mud, and his hands were gloved up to protect his fingers—the mark of a true farmer, but a curse for working out in the son.

     Cotton giggled, looking up from her spot out on the field. They were far enough away that they could focus on a different row of crops, yet close enough that talking didn’t come to a yell. Even comparing the two individuals by height and strength, Cotton had already finished more than half of her row, while it was a miracle Daniel would be reaching the midpoint before lunchtime.

     “It would be easier if you took that hoodie off,” she commented, voice soft to try and hide the sharpness of a tease.

     It was true, and Daniel knew that. But wearing something else other than a hoodie was out of the question,

     “Not a chance,” he groaned. “It’s this or that one plaid shirt, and it’s way too stiff. I hate that type of fabric.”

     “It’s tough for a workload,” Cotton explained, “So it won’t rip or dirty that easy.”

     Another good point. Better change the subject.

     “How are you doing?” He asked, turning away to face his partner. She didn’t even look half as tired as he did, and he wasn’t sure if that was because of experience or his lack thereof. “Do you wanna break for some water?”

     “Soon,” she admitted, walking towards him, “But just for a bit. If we get these rows done in an hour, we can probably use the harvest for dinner tonight.”

     Daniel nodded, already picturing their labor bearing their fruit– or, in this case, vegetables. It wasn’t just what they had collected that day, rows upon rows of carrots of different colors and sizes, but what they had been slowly accumulating through the week:

     Cotton’s farm harvested, planted, and produced carrots in its majority, but it had smaller patches of crops for the farmers to enjoy: Potatoes, fresh out of the ground, ready to be peeled, cut, or baked. Zucchini, to be sliced and fried. Lettuce, crisp and crunchy, to be washed and mixed in, the best base for a salad anyone could ever hope for. And of course, any other fresh ingredient he could think of, they were able to access: they had chickens for fresh, organic eggs, and cows for still-warm milk to use in their cooking. In a farther spot from the property there was even a small orchard, with a select number of fruit trees that were not necessarily in season, but had produced apples, plums, and peaches that today lay preserved and ready to consume.

     Daniel was no chef, but he had found himself excited by the possibilities that such an array of ingredients provided him with. Just last night, he had taught himself a recipe for a pasta sauce he’d made with fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes. Today, those potatoes really were calling his name…

     “In an hour,” Cotton reminded him, playfully nudging his shoe with the rake she carried around, “Can we do that?”

     “Can I?” He corrected, already knowing that the answer was questionable. Not that she had to know, “Totally. Will get this done in less than an hour, you’ll see.”

     “Half?” She raised her eyebrows, nodding, “Alright, then, you have half an hour. Then, we can go make some food.”

     “Say what now?” Daniel croaked out, but before he could complain about his time cut short, she was already walking back towards her row.

     “Good luck!” Cotton cooed from her spot, already back to work.

     Daniel took a deep breath, facing the row that was staring him down, mocking his city-boy self. He’d show it whose boss, right?

     “It was technically half an hour,” Daniel tried, speaking loud so Cotton could hear him over the sound of the sink.

     “Because I helped you,” She argued with a smile. “You need to drink more water, Danny. And eat more, in the mornings. Otherwise, you…”

     “I what?”

     “Do that,” Cotton pointed at him with a giggle.

     After the entire morning of work, Daniel was subjected to a kitchen chair, slumped against it like some sort of oversized ragdoll. Work had come and gone, they had selected what they wanted as ingredients from dinner, then changed out of workovers and into more comfortable clothes. Cotton had taken it upon herself to manually wash the vegetables, and prepare them for the cooking process. She seemed as refreshed as the harvest herself, ears relaxed and body swaying as she did, singing to herself.

     On the other hand, Daniel felt like all the energy had been drained out of him hours ago, and he was just starting to catch up on exhaustion. He was nursing a cup of water, slowly recharging so he could help with dinner.

     “Is that a new dress?” He asked, sheepish as he did so. The outfit Cotton had exchanged from her work clothes was a yellow sundress, with a flower pattern lightly sprinkled around the fabric. Cotton looked really cute, and yet “The dress looks cute,” he said instead.

     Cotton turned around with a gentle smile, “You think so?”

     Daniel nodded, her expression infecting him with a smile of his own, “I do. Where did you get that?”

     “Last weekend, actually,” she said, “Remember when we went out to the mall?”

     “Oh, you got it there?” He couldn’t recall her picking it out.

     “I did! When you were checking out that costume store, and I was looking around!”

     Right, he vaguely remembered that. Going with Cotton out to the city, though not frequent, was still loads of fun. For once, he was able to take her out to places he was familiar with, like a shopping mall or the movies, where he felt the most comfortable in his own skin. While Cotton was an expert in maneuvering matters of vegetables and dirt, he prided himself in being the king of the concrete jungle– Daniel was a walking encyclopedia of places to eat, parks to hang out, and the best shop for anything tech or scary, which was his one main passion.

     That last time the pair had made their way to the city, Daniel had introduced Cotton to his favorite seasonal shop, a Halloween pop-up that sold anything labeled spooky or supernatural. From what Cotton had told him, she’d never done trick-or-treating as a child, and that had set Daniel out on a mission; Even when they were both adults, he was already planning ways to give her the excessive candy, cheap spooks experience. Maybe a good horror game and silly Halloween movie could do the trick?

     So he had lost himself in between planning and browsing, making a list of every purchase he’d make once Halloween wasn’t more than a month away. Cotton, on the other hand, had left Daniel to go browse through the less holiday-centered shops. Guess she had found herself a dress.

     “It is really pretty,” he admitted, rubbing his face to try and destroy any evidence of crimson.

     Cotton’s own cheeks were lightly brushed over, “Thank you, Danny.”

     “Uh, I think I can help now,” he said, nodding slowly as if convincing himself. “Don’t want you doing all the cooking on your own!”

     “Oh, thank you! Are you sure?’

     Daniel nodded, “... and maybe we can eat outside? You know, have a little picnic? The weather is pretty nice today, right?”

     “It sure is,” Cotton let out a dreamy sigh, eyes getting lost outside the window. Daniel followed her gaze, admiring what Fall had in store for the couple:

     Late enough for the sun not to be a bother, but early enough that they could choose wherever to wear a sweater or not. They had been harvesting all morning, so slowly come afternoon, the weather had found a perfect sweet spot to stay outdoors. Now that they weren’t working their bones away, Daniel found it a very comfortable view to admire. The farm truly was beautiful, and with such a gorgeous sight as their entertainment, being outside was as exciting as the food they were about to have.

     Cotton finished washing the vegetables just as Daniel had risen from the kitchen chair, and together they created a balanced, delicious dinner. Pasta salad with bits of carrot and peas, baked potatoes with butter, bacon, and cheese, and a couple of boiled eggs to bring that protein needed for such an active lifestyle. Cotton packed an extra little basket, covered it with a cloth, and would not allow Daniel to see what was inside.

     “It’s a surprise,” she winked, bringing a finger to her lips like a childish secret. Curiosity was strong, but Daniel would allow her to indulge in the mystery.

     They laid down an old bedsheet, patterned with red and white. Another benefit of fall came through the grass, dry and soft enough that a cotton sheet was just enough to provide a comfortable seat. As they both sat down, distributed the food between two plates, and started eating, Daniel found himself as comfortable as he would on top of a mattress, or a recently-made bed.

     “Oh, this,” Daniel said, without bothering to swallow his bite. “This is heaven. How cool is it, to be able to have this kind of picnic whenever we want?”

     “Daniel,” Cotton rolled her eyes, “You’re not supposed to speak with your mouth full!”

     The man gasped, a hint of theatrics to try and make his girlfriend laugh, “Where are my manners? My lady, I am so sorry.”

     “Daniel, chew your food!” She said in between giggles. His masterful plan had worked, “You’re so silly!”

     “Oh?” He played the mouthful sound up a bit, mimicking the act of chewing with his mouth open, “Why should I? I’m eating my food just fine!”

     Cotton didn’t say a word, still letting out a small chuckle after another. Instead, her eyes pointed at the mystery basket that lay silent a couple of feet from them, the contents still a complete mystery to Daniel.

     “Blackmail,” Daniel declared, but finally swallowed his bite, “You know I can’t say no to a good mystery.”

     “Then finish eating,” she said sweetly, the tone of her voice tasted like honey, “And after, you get to know what’s inside.”

     Well, he couldn’t fight against that.

     By the time he was done with his last bite, he felt full enough to not eat until next winter. An exaggeration, of course, but the feeling was still quite pleasant: the more he reflected on it, the more he was glad to have worked his morning on the farm. Being in the city, working for the customer in a low-energy job certainly felt easier (at least, of course, in a physical sense), but it had never brought him the same sense of fulfillment as he had right now. A good day of work, healthy, filling food that he had harvested himself, and a sense of earning what he had now through effort that paid off tenfold.

     “You know,” Daniel started, looking away at the horizon, and the fields of carrots that stood between it and the pair. There, he could spot the shovels and tools they had been using a couple of hours earlier, still in the fields, ready for tomorrow, “I’m actually starting to enjoy this kind of work.”

     “You are getting so much better,” Cotton chirped up, as she reached out for the mystery basket. Daniel didn’t pay it much mind, focusing on her words instead, “I am so very proud of you.”

     “You are?” Daniel asked, almost in a whisper. The words felt nice within his chest, the idea of his hard work actually paying off, slowly having shown results and making him a better person. Because he wanted to get better at farming, he wanted to keep building a life next to the person she loved, in such a wonderful environment.

     Daniel liked the city, but he had found that he liked the sounds of the countryside even more. Being woken up by birds instead of cars, walking or biking in open fields, and playing with dogs out in the grass. It was fun. And it made Cotton the happiest, which in turn made him happy too.

     “Can you close your eyes for a moment?” She asked, still busy grabbing and arranging something at his side. Daniel tried to look at her, but she quickly shrieked, “Close your eyes, please!”

     “Right, right,” he quickly did as he was told– Confused, but admittedly pretty excited. Surprises like these were thrilling, and he was so close to finding out the answer to this little question.

     In the background, Daniel focused on what he could hear: Cotton taking something out of the basket, some cloth, and then a bag being unzipped… and then a smell, of deep, potent chocolate. Daniel must have made a face of poor joy because he heard Cotton giggle at his expression.

     “What is that?” He started, fighting the urge to turn around, as well as the urge to throw his head back towards the source of the scent and eat whatever it was in one fell swoop. Man, it smelled amazing. “Hot cocoa? A lava cake? Oh– a chocolate fountain?”

     “How could I bring a chocolate fountain here,” Cotton snorted, “Don’t you need to be around an outlet for those to work?”

     “Maybe it’s battery powered,” he proposed, “Or maybe– uh. It’s magical?”

     Cotton fished out something made out of metal, then zipped the bag once again. “When you mage a magical chocolate fountain, you should let me know!”

     “Oh, trust me. You’d be the first one to know.”

     There was the sound of spoons and glass, Cotton serving something up for the both of them to eat. It wasn’t hard for Daniel to guess dessert, but he had not seen any shopping bags from the bakery closest to the farm. Had she made anything herself, maybe last night, or early morning?

     “If you don’t sow me soon, I might start drooling,” Daniel warned, clearly teasing.

     “Just a second,” she cooed. Meanwhile, Daniel valiantly held his ground, despite the curiosity and his craving eating him alive, but his patience paid off. After a couple of minutes that felt like hours, Cotton placed a cold plate on his lap, “You can open them now.”

     Plated up in a crystal clear bowl, with a faux gold spoon and a bunch of sprinkles, was an ice cream sundae. The chocolate, of course, was storebought, as well as any toppings and decorations, but everything else Daniel knew to be homemade. From the ice cream itself, fresh milk Daniel had been getting himself to the cherry on top, glazed by months in the farm’s storage. A treat, made by and just for them.

     “Is this heaven?” Daniel cried, staring at the ice cream like it was saving his life.

     “How about you give it a try?” Cotton urged, as excited as he was.

     And so he did, bringing the biggest spoonful he could muster to his mouth, and delighting in the taste of summer. When he looked back at Cotton, she was making space next to him, her own bowl of ice cream in hand, and laying her head on his shoulders. He melted onto the touch, wanting to keep her even closer.

     “Cotton, this is delicious,” He couldn’t wait to eat the whole thing.
     
     Cotton let out a content little sigh, clearly proud her surprise had gone so well, “You’ve been working so hard,” she stated, “I wanted to treat you. As I said, I’m proud of you.”

     “You flatter me,” Daniel mumbled with a chuckle, trying his best to act humble.

     But she shook her head, “I mean it,” Cotton declared. “You are a farmer. And a good one, at that.”

     Daniel knew he had much to learn. Months, if not years, to be as hard-working, resilient, and overall amazing as Cotton herself when it came to farm work. But her voice sounded so sincere, that he started believing that there was truth in what she said. Wrapping one arm around her, holding her even close, he placed a kiss on her forehead.

     “Thank you, Cotton,” he whispered. “You’re a good farmer too.”