*Note: I am a great fan of these books but those who have read the series know that Laura is a child at the beginning of the series. I have taken the liberty of making Laura eighteen years old so that she can tell her story of learning how to become a loving wife on the prairie. I am also using the visuals of the actors that portrayed the members of the Little House community in the television series.*
"Good morning, Half Pint. Happy birthday!"
Laura let her father hug her but found it hard to look him in the face after what she'd just seen. When she looked into his smiling face, all she could think of was the expression of joy on his face when her mother did that something special to him. "Thanks, Pa."
"Feel any different?"
"No, Pa."
"Well, you will. A whole new world opens up to you today."
"Really? Will Mary go through this?"
"Yes, before she marries Adam." Pa sat down to the table, his eyes on Caroline's backside as she bent to light the fire in the stove. "Learning how to become a loving wife is something that every woman must learn."
"I see." She paused, thinking. "Do men have to learn how to become loving husbands?"
"Oh, yes. Almanzo will be learning just as you are." Her father's eyes sparkled. "But it's the woman's job to keep her husband happy and sometimes, different things will be required of you, so that's why you'll have to learn."
"Ma, did you learn the same way."
"Oh, yes, darling." Caroline sat down on Charles' lap, grinding her hips down against him in a manner that her child could not see. "It was the best learning that I've ever done."
"When do I start?"
"This morning. I'll fix you lunch and you and I will head over to the General Store. Harriet and Nels have offered to give you your first lesson."
"Okay."