Returning to Brindleton Bay feels, to Maia, like stepping straight into a time capsule. She’s back in the version of her life that existed before Dub, before motherhood, when her biggest worries were paying rent, tracking down rare frogs, and dodging her father’s attempts to bring her home. The only thing missing from that picture is her old cat, Luna.
Once she moved in with Dub, the little homestead became a vacation rental for years. But when Maia reached out with an offer, the owners didn’t hesitate. Now she’s here again, and while the furniture and kitchen have been updated, the rest of the place looks almost exactly as she left it.
She steps onto the porch and lets the cold air settle around her. San Sequoia’s sunshine had its perks, but there’s something comforting about the quiet, snowy landscape stretching out before her.
Maia enters the backyard and walks over to the chicken coop, thinking about her old rooster and hen, Joni and Chachi. She can’t wait to go shopping tomorrow at the old animal exchange to purchase a new pair. She can already imagine the fresh eggs she’ll be having every morning.
Maia pulls out her phone and sends a quick text to Tami, letting her know she made it safely to Brindleton Bay. She even sends her a few pictures of the small backyard, which she knows will seem insignificant to Tami now that she owns an entire ranch. Either way, Maia is proud of her little place.
Maia enters the side yard where she once kept all of her frogs while she worked on the biggest project of her life. Now it’s empty. With the frog chapter behind her, she considers a few possible new uses for the space. She could add more gardening plots and turn the area into a flower garden, or maybe she’ll add a hot tub and some seating for small gatherings. Whatever she decides, she’ll have to wait until spring when the snow melts.
Maia steps over to the current garden and sees that her old friend Patchy is still there.
Maia: I’m glad to see you’re still hanging around. You’ll be getting a lot more use this time around.
She makes a mental list of the fruits and vegetables she’ll plant once the weather warms.
Just like her first day in Brindleton Bay all those years ago, the cold sends her inside before long. The promise of warmth is too tempting to ignore. She heads back into the house, goes straight to the fireplace, and lights the waiting logs. She turns on the TV, curls up on the couch, and lets the evening slip by while she watches the movies her father used to love.
Mom texts me, letting me know she’s settling into her new home. I glance at the pictures she sent. Mom’s new place is tiny, but I’m sure she’s happy with it. Only she would be. I reply with one word that reflects my thoughts.
Tambara’s Text: Cute
I consider sending Mom some pictures of my ranch, but right now I have something more important on my mind: money. Everyone keeps talking about income. Even Juanita mentioned it in a roundabout way. If I’m going to prove to everyone that I made the right decision in purchasing this place, I need to bring in hefty profits. That will surely shut everyone up.
My first thought is my investment account. I pull it up online and see that I’ve basically made pennies. That will not do. If I want to make real money, I need to be a little more aggressive. I increase my deposit to an amount I am not afraid to lose, but should give me good gains if everything goes right. Now I can sit back and see how it grows.
Maj is hanging out around my feet, mewing for attention again. She seems lonely, and I realize I might have to consider getting a second cat. In the meantime, I have something to show her. I take her to the guest room, to the space I designated just for her. There’s a cat tower with plenty of levels for her to climb on and even a place where she can sleep.
Tambara: You can hang out in here anytime you want to. This room is all yours until we have company. Got it?
Maj purrs in response. I can only hope she’ll actually use the space.
I leave Maj in the guest room and head back outside to look at the rest of the property. My money tree, passed down to me from Daddy, stands in the backyard. I’m glad to see the transplant from our backyard in San Sequoia was successful. I can count that as another source of income.
But there’s another potential source I’m curious about. Juanita mentioned nectar-producing. I know there’s a cellar on the property, and earlier I saw a staircase leading underground. I head to where I remembered seeing it and descend the stairs. There is a picture of a nectar bottle, which leads me to believe I’ve found what I’m looking for.
There’s an entire nectar operation set up through a door at the bottom of the stairs. I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot as I look around. Shelves, cubbies, and empty nectar bottles stacked in crates line the walls. There’s one of those tubs people step in to squish grapes with their feet. I always thought that part was pretty gross, but if it makes me money, I’ll do it.
I know absolutely nothing about producing nectar, but I’m sure everything I need is here. I can see it becoming a third source of income if I can learn the process, which I’m determined to do. I’m already counting the millions in my head that I’m hoping my ranch will make.
Seeing the nectar cellar renewed my energy for a moment. But now that I realize how late it is, that burst of energy melts away. I haven’t even started ranching, and I’m exhausted. I know it’s because of the move, but I can already see that Juanita is probably right. I will definitely need some help. There’s no need to admit that right now, because I’m in desperate need of a shower and my bed.
As soon as I’ve cleaned up and changed into my pajamas, Maj comes over again with the mewing. Maybe she’s just trying to fill the quiet with some sound. I’m actually glad to hear it, especially now that I’ll be spending my first night alone on this big ranch in the middle of nowhere.
I’m usually not afraid of much, but I’m suddenly welcoming a visit from Daddy. I know he’ll insist on making sure my security alarm is working, and maybe he can help me install a few security cameras around the place.
I try not to worry too much about being alone as I lie down in bed. I’m too tired to deal with any of it right now. Any fresh worries will have to wait until tomorrow.
(Generation 5 Chapter Summaries)
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