The small girl at the front desk of the post office shook her head with a sigh. Setting the last envelope atop the pile of letters she pulled from a basket under her desk.

"I'm sorry, sir, but no letter from your brother has turned up yet," she said begrudgingly. "I'll be extra sure to keep my eye out for anything from a man named Otto and send word to Sunshine Acers as soon as I see something."

"Ah... Well... Thank you very much for looking," Robin said, disappointed. He almost wished he could go back behind the counter and personally sort through the letters, just in case, but knew they would never allow him to do so, local or not.

Robin felt frustrated. He had already been at Sunshine Acres for almost a month, and couldn't help but feel like he might be overstaying his welcome with the two ladies. Not that Holly or Jo had said anything to make him feel unwelcome. It was merely his own anxieties that left him feeling like an outsider, since he had intended to only be at Sunshine Acres for a few days, not a few weeks. Although, if anything, the ladies seemed to be more hospitable each day, as if he were part of the household and not just a guest.

To Robin's surprise, he was also starting to feel that same way.

Initially, Robin's days were filled with tediously cleaning the house's decor, but now that he had painstakingly managed to finish most of it, he had found time in his day to do other things he enjoyed.

When Cookie stayed behind, he would take her on a walk in the pasture behind the house and bring books on plants from the library to identify what was growing in the wild prairie. Sometimes, he would take the Nanahound along the old roads that ran alongside Sunshine Acres, enjoying the views of the countryside and the sounds of nature. Other days, he filled his time with baking and trying new recipes, experimenting with different ingredients to suit his tastes. On those days, he especially looked forward to the ladies' return. They became candid, yet increasingly praiseworthy, judges of some of his cooking concoctions.

Truthfully, Robin wouldn't mind staying at Sunshine Acres for a bit longer. He was beginning to find a comfortable rhythm in his everyday life. Robin only wished his brother would respond.

After leaving the post office, Robin made his way over to Miss Ivy's Fashion and Jewels. As he strolled along the streets of Adel, he looked around to admire the small town as fall colors began to encroach on the old trees. 

Robin waved at the familiar faces  had began to recognize each time he came into the town of Adel. Unlike in London, the people of Adel had begun introducing themselves Robin once they realized he was staying in town, and not just passing through. This shocked Robin at first, and looking back, he realized he had been a bit rude to the first couple of strangers he met.

Another curious thing about the people of this town was that after meeting him once, they would wave at him and greet him as if he had lived there his whole life. It initially puzzled Robin, who would only give a half hearted greeting in return. But it started to make him feel at home as he walked the streets, wishing people a good morning in return as he passed. 

Robin had recognized Holly's store, as he had passed it by on his first day in town. Ivy's Fashion and Jewels  was the small shop in the corner of the square, a coral light pink color with a light green awning. Painted on the awning was the store's name in chipping gold letters, matching the scratched gold paint on the stores windows, advertising the jewelry.

Robin glanced into the shop window to see Holly and an older gentleman talking at a case near the front of the store. As Robin pushed open the glass door beside the window, a small bell rang out, causing Holly and the customer to look up at him in surprise

"Welcome— Oh, Robin! How did it go at the post office?" Holly asked, her surprise turning into a smile as he entered the store.

"No such luck, but I sent a letter to my family, so we shall see what they say," Robin said, sliding off his summer jacket to hang on the coat stand by the door.

Robin glanced around the store and found that, similarly to how her house was decorated, Miss Ivy's Jewelry Shop had walls covered in frames, displaying different types of jewelry or precious stones behind glass panes. They were arranged as if they were museum paintings instead of jewelry. In front of these walls were also large glass display cases for one to lean over and look into, filled with even more jewelry.

Robin gave the man a small nod and began to wander around the shop, looking into all of the cases to see all of the stores wares.

"This is the house guest I was talking about. Doctor Robin Prakash," Holly told the customer before her, "Robin, this is Doctor Don. He's Adel's town's doctor and an old friend of my parents." Robin lifted his head from the case where he was admiring some cufflinks and quickly walked over to shake the old man's hand.

"Nice to meet you, son." Doctor Don said cheerfully, beaming ear to ear, and meeting Robin halfway to eagerly shake his hand. "Ivy here tells me that you are a doctor as well?" 

Robin gently shook the old man's aged and withered hand. Doctor Don was a shockingly lanky man with hunched shoulders and round glasses that were too big for his face. Although seemingly in his seventies, the old doctor seemed brighter and more cheerful than most people half his age. He almost seemed to have a skip in his step as he made his way to Robin

"Yes, Sir," Robin said, returning the smile, "That's correct. I am a doctor from London, Kingsbury. I'm in town to meet with my brother, who teaches here in The Great Plains."

"My! How exciting!" Doctor Don said, clapping his hands together. "You see, Holly told me all about you a few days ago when I came in looking for a necklace for my wife. From her accounts, you seem like quite an intelligent fellow." The doctor said, stealing a knowing glance at Holly. "And, not to mention, a magician, too! With fixing magic nonetheless, my oh my! How jealous I am of that." The old man laughed and winked at Holly. Robin stole a glance at Holly as well, and saw her ears had turned pink in embarrassment.

"You see, I am very excited to talk with you, Doctor Prakash," Doctor Don continued, rifling through the bag at his side. "I would love to discuss findings from some of the new medical journals I just received from Kingsbury. I carry one of them with me on my visits these days... Let's see... Oh! Here it is!" The old man, said with a grunt as he pulled out a thick book from his old medical bag.

Robin felt a pang in his heart. He wished he got as excited as this old man about those kinds of journals. Robin had recognized the journal Doctor Don carried with him as the one written by one of Robin's old colleagues. There were a lot of amazing discoveries, but there were also many dark choices made behind the scenes. Choices that Robin had personally tried to urge his colleague not to make. However, his pleas were ignored, and Robin left the project.  The journal was published with much renown, making his colleagues famous doctors in not only in Kingsbury, but also worldwide. Robin couldn't help but feel saddened at the sight of it.

"I would enjoy discussing the findings with you. I actually was involved in making that particular journal. Maybe later this week at Deadwood Tavern? Does Thursday afternoon work for you?" Robin asked.

"Wow! Truly?! I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity!" Doctor Don said with a small chuckle. "That works just fine. I'll be sure to have a clear schedule. " Doctor Don said excitedly.

"See, Doctor? I told you he would say yes," Holly said, going behind the counter to wrap up a necklace that had been lying on the counter in front of her.  "Robin's not nearly as intimidating as he looks." She added as she glanced up at Robin, shooting him a teasing smile.

Doctor Don laughed, seeming a bit embarrassed, and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you know how my eyesight is these days, dear... It's an easy mistake," the doctor said while jokingly taking off his glasses to clean them, squinting at Robin after putting them back on. "Plus," the old doctor continued, "you never know with big city doctors. I've had more than a couple lift their noses at me."

"Who and where, doc?" Holly paused wrapping, narrowing her eyes at the old man.

"Oh no, no, no, Ivy dear," Doctor Don laughed. "It's nothing worth setting you loose on 'em for, sweetie. But an old man can't help but protect what little pride he has left. It's safer to have caution around the cool kids."

"Okay, Doc, if you insist." Holly said, sounding disappointed, and shooting the old man a caring glance.. "But just so you know, you'll always be a cool kid in my book."

The old man let out a soft chuckle and approached Holly at the counter, pulling out some money and laying it on the counter as she handed over the wrapped necklace. Holly quickly waved her hand at him in refusal of his money,  and Doctor Don sighed. He pretended to put the money back in his wallet, only to hide it out of sight when Holly had turned her back to put the wrapping away.

Robin watched the exchange with a soft chuckle, and Doctor Don gave him a wink over his shoulder.

"...But if this kid gives you trouble," Holly continued, unaware of what had just taken place, and motioning dramatically over to where Robin stood, "I know where he lives."

"Well, I wouldn't dare, Doc," Robin chimed in, turning on his heels and shooting the old man a whisper. "She knows where I live."

"Hah!" Doctor Don laughed, clapping his old hands in amusement at the two of them. "You know, last week, I saw ol' Kalavee, and he mentioned that your guest was quite fun."

"That, and much more," Holly replied with a smile, "As I'm sure you will find out soon enough."

"Yes, yes, quite so," Doctor Don said, walking over to where Robin was admiring a glass case. "I'll be looking forward to our talk on Thursday." He said with a large grin as he gave Robin a pat on the shoulder.

"Likewise, Doctor Don," Robin said with a nod, shaking the old man's wrinkled hand once more.

"Have a good day, Miss Ivy, Doctor Prakash!" Doctor Don called as he left the shop. The door jingled softly behind him.

Holly turned to Robin with a beaming smile. "You might just be a local at this point."

"Oh really?" Robin asked, walking over to her counter. "After meeting just one person?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but that's roughly a quarter of the town," Holly said with a teasing smirk. She opened the swing door next to her that lead behind the register's counter. and motioned for him to join her. Cookie, hidden under a pile of stuffed toys and blankets behind the counter, perked up from her luxurious bed and trotted over to Robin for attention. 

Holly took the small wooden stool from behind her and offered Robin a seat. Robin happily obliged, sitting on the stool and reaching down to hoist Cookie onto his lap.

"Would it be alright if I stayed here for a bit while I wait for the next tram back to Sunshine Acres?" Robin asked, glancing at the clock above the door. He had just missed the tram  when he had left the post office, and had another half hour before it made its way back to the main square.

"Sure," Holly said, making notes in her notepad beside the register. She caught sight of the money Doctor Don had hidden under the corner of the old register, and shook her head, hesitantly putting it in the register with the other money. Robin hid a small grin as he continued petting the happy nanahound on his lap who was obsessively licking his face.

Holly then absentmindedly reached for the stool no longer behind her, causing her to topple over, letting out a slight yelp before catching herself on the wall.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," Robin said, jumping up to help her. "Here, you can have your stool-"

Holly laughed at herself, and waved him off,  her face flushed in embarrassment. "Oh no, you're fine! It's my mistake; I offered it to you and completely forgot." She accepted his help back to her feet and hurried past him, too embarrassed to meet his eye. "I have another in the back. It'll be just a moment. Watch the front for me, will you?"

Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared behind the swing doors at the back of the store.

Robin stayed standing for a second before awkwardly sitting back down. He reached into his bag for a book he had borrowed from Holly's library. The Lessers and The Greats by M. Shankels. It was an interesting commentary on greed and fear. He hadn't read much, but what he had intrigued him.

He barely managed to read the first paragraph before a group of schoolboys burst through the door. They hurried to the nearest case, crowding around it and voicing their opinions.

"Look at this one," one boy said. "This one's fancy."

"It looks like something my grandma has," another boy said with a laugh.

"Look at all the diamonds on that one," the smallest boy said, amazed.

Robin cleared his throat. "Hello, boys. Anything I can help you with today?" he asked, gently putting his bookmark back in the book.

"Chris wants to buy a necklace for his girlfriend," the tallest boy said mockingly.

The other boys snickered and turned to look at Chris, who blushed.

"No, you're the one who wants to buy something for your girlfriend," Chris countered.

"No, I don't!" The boy argued.

"Well," Robin interrupted the arguing, "I can help you with that. What are some things your girlfriends like?"

"Flowers"

"Pink, probably."

"Diamonds."

"Sweets."

The boys all chimed.

"I don't know. Whatever stuff girls like," Chris said, causing the other boys to laugh.

Robin slowly nodded. "Anything else?"

"My girlfriend always wears the color purple, and her favorite animal is a chicken," the littlest boy said from behind the larger boys, looking at Robin with big eyes.

"Okay, there we go!" Robin said, smiling at the small boy. "You have a good memory. I can help you find something she might like. I'm sure we have something in purple she might like."

"Well... My girlfriend likes apples!" Chris chimed in. "And she wears a lot of red!"

Suddenly, the boys started spouting specific details about their girlfriends, vying for Robin's praise. Robin acted equally impressed with each of them, and they each seemed very proud of themselves.

As Robin led the group of boys around the shop, showing them the less expensive pieces their girlfriends might like (mainly charms or costume jewels), Holly returned from the back with the extra stool and sat to watch him, smiling as she watched Robin help the boys.

Robin managed to sell two small flower charms and a costume ring with a large purple stone in the center . As the last boy left the store, chasing after his friends who had left him behind, Holly punched Robin lightly on the arm.

"A doctor, a housekeeper, a cook, and an incredible salesman? You are full of surprises, Robin! Honestly, Is there anything you can't do?

"Well... Find my brother."

Holly let out a laugh louder than Robin anticipated, and he couldn't help but crack a smile as well.

"I'm  honestly thankful for that. Otherwise, I would never have met you," Holly said, a new light appearing behind her eyes as she sat smiling up at him.

"Well, one woman's blessing is another man's curse."

Holly let out an awkward chuckle as her smile faded.

"I guess that is often true, it seems." 

There was a moment of silence as Robin's words hung in the air. Holly was no longer looking at him, instead focusing on organizing the jewelry behind the counter, but Robin saw a flash of hurt in her eyes. Robin realized his words hadn't come out as he intended, and he quickly tried to think of a way to rephrase what he meant to say.

"Since you made such a great sale," Holly said, changing the subject, "Would you like to go with me to the Deadwood tonight? I'll buy you a drink with some of your earnings."

Holly paused without looking up at him. "Dexter's band is playing tonight, and I told him I would be there."

"Will Jo be okay having dinner on her own?" Robin asked, not  ready to run into Dexter again. A strange feeling of disgust rose in his chest at her mention of the man.

"Oh yes, if I tell her we'll be out, she'll likely go over to her friend Shia's."

"Oh... Okay then," Robin said, glancing at her as he picked up his book. Despite his reluctance, he felt a strange inkling that he shouldn't let her go alone. "I'll join you."