Chapter 1.2 - The Best Medicine

Ophelia had just gotten home from work one day when she got an unexpected call.

"Hello?"

"Yes, of course I remember you."

"Well, maybe not, but you certainly weren't forgettable."

"Alright. Where?"

"That's not exactly what I was thinking, but okay."

And that's how Ophelia found herself headed to the Riverview Fish Hatchery that Monday evening.

When she got there, it was fairly easy to find the sim who'd invited her. "So, Luke. Is there any particular reason you invited me here?"

She'd seen Luke McDermott around town a few times since that awkward picnic dinner, but she'd never really had a significant conversation with him.

"Well... mostly I just felt like I needed to talk to someone. Ginny and I... well, we've been having problems lately, and I don't really have anybody I can talk about them with. I've always been a pretty private person, but that means that when I can't talk to Ginny, I don't really have anyone I can talk to. I know we don't know each other too well, and I know I made a pretty bad first impression, but... you're new in town. You don't have any reason to tell me anything but your honest opinion. And I'd really like to make a new friend." He shook his head, looking a little surprised. "And now I'm rambling at you. The second impression probably isn't going too well, either."

"I don't mind a little rambling. You said you needed a friend, and honestly, so do I. So as long as you don't mind hearing about my problems every so often, I don't see how I could object to hearing about yours."

Then she paused. "I do have one question though: why the fish hatchery?"

"Oh, it was just where I was going anyways. I spend a lot of time out fishing nowadays."

They talked for what felt like hours, about his marital problems and her job frustrations.

It had already gotten completely dark when Ophelia's phone rang.

She could see from the caller ID that it was Jon, and she felt a pang of regret as she hit the "decline call" button. But it was horrifically rude to answer the phone in the middle of a conversation, especially when the person you were talking to obviously needed genuine human connection like he needed food.

Still, it wasn't too long before she left. It was getting late, and she had work in the morning.

But as she walked away, she looked back at the man still standing in the middle of the fish hatchery. She hoped he'd be alright in the end.

When she got home, Ophelia dialed a number that was becoming quite familiar to her.

"Hey, Jon. I'm really sorry about earlier, I was in the middle of a conversation."

"Luke McDermott."

"Yes, I know he's married. What do you think he wanted to talk about?"

"I was thinking that I wanted to try to make him smile. That man needs more laughter in his life."

"After all, they say laughter is the best medicine."

"Why are you so hung up on this? I'm telling you, it wasn't a date. We went to the fish hatchery! No one who wanted to romance a girl would take her to the fish hatchery."

"No, Jon, I can't meet you somewhere right now. It's the middle of the night and I have work in the morning. I guess this is prime time for you stars, though."

"No, Jon. I'm not a star."

Author's Note: What? Another chapter done already? I have at least two more chapters worth of material that I've promised myself I'll publish before I can play again, so these will be coming out pretty quickly. Also just slightly dramatizing what happens in game still leads to insane amounts of drama. I swear this stuff writes itself.