Just Breathe

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About the Image

Serena’s casual autumn look features the Greer Shirt, a new release from JUSTICE for the current round of FaMESHed. This stylish layered top is perfect for a warm autumn afternoon, with a fully customizable HUD that lets you mix and match colors for the inner and outer shirts and the buttons. Stop by FaMESHed to pick up a demo and find your favorite color combination.

Adding a gorgeous splash of autumn color to Serena’s yard is the Red Acer Tree, a new release from The Little Branch for the current round of The Order. This beautifully animated tree features four seasonal options, allowing you to enjoy its beauty all year long. It also includes falling leaves to bring a little extra autumn magic to your landscape. The large version makes quite a statement and comes in at 20 LI, but you can resize it if you need something smaller for your space.

And finally, there are a few freebies for your stable! Nutmeg has some lovely decorative items to help complete your equestrian setting, including the wheelbarrow, horse feed bag, and bucket pictured near Maisie’s stable. These little details add a wonderful touch of realism to any stable or farm scene. Visit the Nutmeg Stableyard to grab these freebies for your own stable.

As an aside, Nutmeg opened a new store earlier this week on the Evergarden Equestrian Community sim. You’ll find several more adorable freebies there, along with a lovely selection of furnishings and decor for your estate home and stable. Be sure to stop by and have a look!

Complete credits are below the story. Store and event SLurls are available on the Store & Event Links page.

The Story

Serena leaned against the wooden fence and let out a long, satisfied sigh. She had spent most of the afternoon cleaning Maisie’s stable, and although she loved her horse dearly, she was beginning to suspect that Maisie considered making a mess her full-time occupation.

“Honestly, Maisie,” Serena had said earlier, surveying the mountain of dirty bedding she’d hauled out, “how does one horse manage to create so much work?”

Maisie had responded with an innocent blink and a gentle nudge against Serena’s shoulder, apparently confident that a little affection would excuse everything.

Now, with the stable freshly cleaned, Maisie was happily settled inside, munching on hay without a care in the world. Serena, on the other hand, still had a wheelbarrow to empty, tools to put away, and a few other chores she’d rather not think about just yet.

But those could wait.

It was one of those unusually warm autumn afternoons when summer seemed reluctant to surrender its hold on the world. The sun hung low in a golden sky, casting long shadows across the stableyard. A gentle breeze stirred the branches overhead, sending a handful of crimson and amber leaves dancing through the air.

Serena rested her chin on her hand and watched them drift toward the ground. Somewhere nearby, a squirrel rustled through the fallen leaves, busily preparing for winter. Beyond the fence, the last sunflowers of the season stood tall among the golden grasses, their heavy heads nodding in the breeze.

She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. The air carried the familiar scents of hay, warm earth, and fallen leaves, with just a hint of woodsmoke drifting from somewhere in the distance. For the first time all afternoon, she wasn’t thinking about the next thing she needed to do.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a message from Gavin.

How’s the stable cleaning going? Need me to come rescue you?

Serena smiled and typed a reply.

Maisie’s living in luxury. I’m considering moving into the stable myself. It’s cleaner than my house.

A moment later, his response appeared.

Should I bring dinner for two or three?

Four, obviously. You can’t forget Maisie and Fiona!

Carrots for Maisie, a special treat for Fiona, and something delicious for us. I’ll be there as soon as I finish at the clinic.

Serena slipped her phone back into her pocket, still smiling. She could almost picture Gavin arriving in his pickup truck, shaking his head at the wheelbarrow she’d undoubtedly still have sitting in the middle of the yard.

A soft whinny came from the stable behind her.

“I know, sweetheart,” Serena called over her shoulder. “I’m almost finished.” But she made no move to leave the fence.

Instead, she watched another gust of wind lift the fallen leaves into a swirling little dance. The sunlight caught their edges, turning them briefly into flecks of gold before they settled back to earth.

There was always another chore waiting. Another errand to run, another project to finish, another place she needed to be. Even the things she loved could sometimes become just another item on an endless to-do list.

Yet here she was, surrounded by everything that made this place special. Her beloved horse was content, the stable was clean, the autumn sunshine felt wonderful on her face, and someone she loved would be joining her for dinner.

What more could she possibly need?

Serena straightened up, stretched her tired shoulders, and glanced at the wheelbarrow. “Five more minutes,” she decided.

Then she leaned against the fence again, tilted her face toward the warm afternoon sun, and took another long, peaceful breath. The work would still be there when she was ready.

And for now, that was perfectly fine.

CREDITS

Serena

TRUTH Cinder
Glam Affair Lybra
IKON Bliss Eyes
AvaWay Letter Earrings
AvaWay My Love Necklaces
Ysoral Luxe Bridgette Engagement Ring
JUSTICE Greer Sweater (NEW @ FaMESHed)
JUSTICE Blair Jeans
Ohemo Daisy Sneakers

Pose

Luane’s Poses For The Countryside (includes fence prop)

SCENE

The Little Branch Red Acer Tree (NEW @ The Order)
Botanical Sunflowers
Dust Bunny Harvest Jug of Sunflowers
Dust Bunny Gravel Path Kit
Dust Bunny Harvest Lumberjack Stump
FNY Designs Clematis Viticella Autumn
Fundati Coleogyne Bushes
HPMD Sweet Garden Grass 09
LOVE Autumn Dove Grass
LOVE Essential Autumn Leaves
Nutmeg Estate Run-In Shed Double
Nutmeg Stable Yard Horse Feed (free gift)
Nutmeg Estate Stable Storage Tin
Nutmeg Estate Stable Shovel
Nutmeg Stable Corner Set
Nutmeg Stable Yard Metal Bucket (free gift)
Nutmeg Stable Yard Wheelbarrow (free gift)
Studio Skye Enchanted Woods
Teegle “Shakti” the Marwari Horse