Martin stood on the porch of Martha's home, inside he could hear the bunnies making all sort of noise as they played together. His ears ached just hearing them and he knows it will be worse once the door opens. He knocked on the door and bounced on his heels as he shoved his paws into pockets. He ate quickly at breakfast to get the chance to talk with Martha again, even though he found her strange (along with her family) he was curious.

Soon enough the door opens to reveal Martha's mother, dressed in a gold and red dress, along with hoop earrings, dangling off her ears. Her eyes went wide in surprise.

"Oh, little miracle child, what brings you here?" She asked. Immediately the loud screams of the playing bunnies went silent as they peered their heads out from the living room.

Martin scratched the back of his head. "Can Martha come out to play?"

"Martha?" Her head went down to her legs where Martin saw Martha's white face peek out like a ghost in a dark hallway. Martin was taken back by how intense her red eyes were when they stared at him. Her eyes went up to her mother and tugged at her dress.

"May I, mother?"

Her mother tapped a finger against her chin. "I-I don't know my sweet, I don't want you getting lost or hurt."

Martha's ears went down as she shyly hid her face away from Martin. He tilted his head at her in confusion. He could tell that she wanted to come with him but she didn't want to disobey her mother.

Martin looked up at her mother. "I can take care of her for ya."

Her mother hummed and glanced at Martha, who was staring at her with a pout. "I...I suppose, but be back before lunch."

Martha's ears went up and dashed by her mother and next to Martin. He shrugged when he pointed behind him. "Come on, I'll show you around the neighborhood." Martha nodded with a small smile and followed him.

Martin was kicking a stray can while he explained the ins and outs in the neighborhood, while Martha followed close behind.

"So that's old man Jerry's house, he's kinda a kook so stay away from him. Mrs. Patty lives in that red house, she makes cookies sometimes and I see her give them out to the other fox kids, 'cept me, but that's okay....they're oatmeal cookies. I don't like those. " he kicked the can harder, watching it fly off into the junk yard. "Oh! And that's my place, the other kids don't like playing there-come on, I'll show ya."

He ran towards it and squeezed in between two planks of wood from the fence. Martha was quickly behind him, it was a little hard to get through but with enough force, she was at the other side. She dusted off her dress as she watched Martin jump into the broken car and lay down on the back seats.

"This is where I nap most of the time." He said before sitting back up. "At least until dinner time....what do you think?" He asked.

Martha looked down and kicked at the dirt. "It's....nice, Martin." She said politely, even though she found the junkyard extremely dangerous and unsanitary.

Martin rolled his eyes and jumped out of the car. "Ah, I know a lie when I hear one, Cottontail." Martha's ears twitch and looked back at her tail. She wasn't sure if she should take it as a friendly joke or an insult.

"Look if you don't like it, you can tell me."

Martha pressed her lips together and took another look around the junkyard, her nose twitched before she contorted it and quietly said. "I don't like it."

Martin snorted and laughed when he saw her disgusted expression.

"Yeah sure, but that's because your're a girl, what do you do for fun?" He asked, she shrugged and glanced at a bundle of sticks. She walked over to them and picked up four.

"I like to tell fortunes." She said, showing him the sticks. He crossed his arms. "My mother taught me...but I'm just a beginner."

"So, like magic?" He asked not really believing it. She shook her head.

"No, prediction, would you want me to tell you your future?"

Martin shrugged and sat on the ground. "Sure. I'll bite."

"Okay." Martha smiled and threw the four sticks in front of him. They landed in different position, and one landed on top of the other. Martha titled her head at the two that were stacked on top of each other. She pointed to that first.

"It says, you will be meet your soulmate." Martin snorted at the thought. He wasn't really interested in girls. "And since it's pointing to the west, it means you already met her."

"I doubt that." He said aloud. He peered at the sticks. "Are you sure you're reading it right?"

"I think so....um that stick is pointing west, that means a good job and no kids."

"See? How can I marry a vixen and not have kids? Isn't that what soulmate is?"

"I'm not sure...um that other stick means that you'll have a good job, but since it's pointing north, it won't last but you'll still be happy."

"No offense but I think you need more practice." He said as he gathered the sticks. He threw them up in the air and watched as they landed randomly. "Okay now tell me what this says about you."

"Hmm, those two sticks landed on each other and they're facing north and south, that means I will meet my soulmate, who is my opposite." She scratched her head. "Oh...I don't know about that." She said with her ears low. "It's difficult for an albino to find a mate."

"Really?"

"Most albinos are sterile." She said quietly and clutched at the bottom of her dress.

"What does sterile mean?"

"That you can't have babies."

Martin's ears went down. "Oh. Are you sterile?"

She dusted her dress as she thought about it. "I don't know..."

Martin pointed to another stick, wanting to change subjects. "What does this mean?"

"Happiness mostly, but the other stick means hard times."

Martin picked up the sticks and tossed them aside. "Ah, I don't believe in this mumbo jumbo, I make my own fate!" He proclaimed loudly.

Martha frowned slightly. "I suppose having sticks decide your future is a little silly."

Martin stared at her, holding a small smile as he watched her pick up the sticks and started to build a square house with them. He noticed how her nose twitches whenever the sticks fell together, ruining her building. A sign of frustration. He also saw how bright her white coat really is when the sun shines on her. It was almost as if she was shining.

Martha sighed when her house fell for the fifth time and looked up to Martin, wondering what they should do next. She blinked when she saw his stare and immediately looked down.

"W-what is it?" She asked softly, wondering if she was boring him.

"I like hearing you talk." He said bluntly. She glanced at him in surprise and saw him lay down against the dirt. His eyes faced the sky, watching the clouds go by as he continued. "You're shy, right? And don't talk much."

Again, Martha looked back to the ground and started tracing in the dirt. "U-um...I-I guess." She meekly said.

"You should talk more." Martha tilted her head up and saw Martin holding a frown. "You're the first animal that ever talked me in this stupid neighborhood."

Martha curled her legs together and rested her chin on her knees. "Really?...why?"

Martin rubbed his right eye before letting out a sigh. "Because I have black fur, I mean, it's not red like the other foxes so, they say I'm bad luck. Sometimes, they like to start a fight with me." Martha's eyes widen slightly but was confused when Martin grinned and let out a laugh.

"But I always beat them!"

She smiled and giggle at him, making him turn his head. "That's silly."

He snorted and sat up. "I like you Cottontail." Martha blinked when he put out his paw to her. "Want to be friends?"

Martha grabbed his paw with her own. She blushed lightly by how warm it was. "Yes, Marty."

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60 years later.

She giggled when she carried the sticks into the living room where Martin was sitting. He was sitting on the couch, drinking his morning coffee until he heard her laugh. He lifted his head up at her and noticed the pile of sticks she had.

"What's this, Cottontail?"

She giggled again. "Would you like me to tell your fortune?"

He snorted when he remembered that distant memory. "That mumbo jumbo magic? Ha. I don't think the fortune you told me was right."

"Are you sure, Marty?"

"Of course." He said and took a sip of his coffee. "You said that I met my soulmate, but I'm not with a vixen but with-!" He paused and whirled at Martha who was holding a large smile.

"I didn't say it would be a vixen, Marty."

"...throw those sticks again."