My Funny Valentine
LHOP inspired fan fiction by Cheryl C. Malandrinos
Disclaimer: I do not own the Little House on the Prairie television series, book series, or any of the characters. I used some dialogue from “Laura Ingalls Wilder, Part 1.”
Laura was so glad that Almanzo had gone off to Mankato this morning. That would give her enough time to bake and decorate the special cake she planned for Valentine’s Day. Though she knew it was just another day filled with chores, she hoped this day would be nice.
Sometimes it felt like they had spent more of their time arguing than agreeing. Their relationship had more than its share of rocky moments. Losing the land they planned to build a house on. Breaking off their engagement. That embarrassing misunderstanding about Brenda Sue. The chaos caused by Myron and Rupert’s visit.
As Laura creamed the butter, she had to smile as she recalled the day Almanzo proposed. Her shy, quiet husband had invited her out to the lake to tell her something important. Then, he didn’t say anything at all.
When she questioned him, he said, “Sometimes it’s hard to say things.”
So, she suggested he write her a note. Seemed like a good plan… until the pencil tip broke. He fell silent again. Laura grabbed the pad from him and read, “Dearest Laura, I love you, and I want to…”
“You want to what?” she asked.
When he tried to say he wanted to sharpen the pencil, she pressed him. “Manly, look at me.” Lifting his chin, his blue eyes appeared troubled but determined. “You want to what?”
“I want you to be my wife,” he said.
At that moment, she realized what she had dreamed of since the first day they met was coming true. Almanzo loved her, and he wanted them to spend their lives together.
Blending in the sugar, Laura thought back to how much had happened since then. She felt blessed that God’s plan unfolded for the two of them just as she had hoped. There were days she wasn’t sure. Like the day she left on the train for Radner, leaving Walnut Grove and Manly behind. She couldn’t see God’s plan that morning. It seemed as far away as the Atlantic is from the Pacific. Only the resolve to start a new life for herself kept her moving forward.
Thankfully, Almanzo raced after the stagecoach, declaring his love for her. They were married that day at the blind school in Sleepy Eye. Her life as Laura Ingalls ended, and her life as Laura Ingalls Wilder had begun.
Adding baking soda, almond extract, and lemon extract to the milk, she beat that into the butter and sugar mixture. Then came the hard part: beating the salted egg whites until they were stiff.
Ugh! After ten minutes, Laura’s arm felt like it would drop off. But the stiffened egg whites didn’t slip off the platter when she tilted it. Ma had taught her well.
Laura took a bowl of flour sifted with cream of tartar and folded it into the wet mixture, alternating spoonfuls of egg whites. Then she divided the batter into two greased cake pans before sliding them into the cookstove.
“I wonder if Manly will remember this is our wedding cake. Of course, I’m not sure if it will come out as good as Ma’s.”
Laura cleaned the kitchen, preserving the yolks for Almanzo’s breakfast tomorrow morning. The rest of the day, she did her chores and waited for the cake layers to cool. Almanzo wouldn’t be back until late, so she had a small supper before making the frosting. She stirred beet juice into the white frosting to turn it pink. Then she added a few canned blueberries in sauce from her pantry in the middle to decorate the top layer. The rest of the blueberries would be yummy over pancakes.
“Pretty good, if I say so myself.” She smiled. “A bit lopsided.” Like her sister, Mary, Laura usually baked lopsided cakes.
She brewed tea and sat in the chair next to the fireplace to read until Almanzo came home.
*
Almanzo rubbed his gloved hands together. His muffler wrapped around his face, he could just see puffs of breath from Barnum and Skip’s nostrils float into the air. He never felt so happy to see the Walnut Grove sign in the center of town. Soon, he would be home.
He tapped his coat pocket and felt the bottle of perfume he bought for Laura as a Valentine’s Day gift. She would probably scold him for spending so much money on her, but Beth was worth every penny.
The beginning days of their marriage had been tense at times. He was sure that watching his nephews had spoiled any thought of her wanting children soon. He had never met two such mischief makers. Even his youngest brother, Perley Day, hadn’t been that bad.
Gosh! I haven’t thought of Perley Day in a long time. Almanzo shook his head. He wondered where Perley Day was these days. After he left Walnut Grove, he hadn’t heard from him. If his sister had, Eliza Jane didn’t mention it in any of her letters. And in thinking about Eliza Jane, he couldn’t help but think of Harve Miller. What happened between them? One day she was moving to Minneapolis to get married to Harve, and then months later, Almanzo received an odd letter saying it didn’t work out between them. Good thing that Harve Miller wasn’t still around. He would have a thing or two to say to him. But Almanzo couldn’t help but be thankful that Eliza Jane leaving meant Beth and he could live in the house he used to share with his sister.
As he pulled into the front yard, he saw the lantern burning on the table in front of the window. He was sure Beth waited up for him. She should have gone to bed. She had school to teach in the morning.
A yellow sliver of light crawled across the front porch when Laura opened the front door. “Hi, Manly!” she said, waving from the doorway.
“Howdy, Beth!” He pulled his horses to a stop. “You best get inside. It’s colder than a day-old dumpling. I’ll be in just as soon as I am done unhitching the team.”
After tending to Barnum and Skip, Almanzo brought packages from his trip into the house. Laura raced to him and threw her arms around his neck.
She shivered. “You are cold.” She pulled away his muffler and pecked his cheek. “I have tea brewing for you.”
“Thank you, Beth. I can’t remember a night so cold. I almost thought about staying in Mankato and coming home in the morning.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I couldn’t have my best girl worrying about me.”
*
Manly had been calling her his best girl for years. Not always in a good way. Because of the difference in their ages, it had taken time for him to see her as a young woman. It didn’t seem to matter anymore. They had been married for over a year.
Almanzo disappeared into the kitchen while Laura put another small log on the fire. Though it was late, she would wait until he had defrosted from his journey before heading up to bed.
She heard something drop followed by Almanzo saying, “Dagburnit!”
When she raced into the kitchen, she found a half empty bottle on the table and Manly wiping up a puddle.
“What happened?”
Almanzo sighed. “I dropped half of your Valentine’s Day gift all over the place. I thought I should smell it before I gave it to you, but my fingers were still a bit numb. Slipped right out of hand.” He pointed to the plate in the center of the table. “That cake is going to smell real pretty.”
Laura’s hands flew up to her cheeks. “Oh, no! That was your Valentine’s Day gift. I thought I would recreate our wedding cake.” Tears swam in her eyes. I wanted my gift to be so special.
Almanzo opened his arms and embraced her. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t mean to ruin it. Still looks nice anyway.” He lifted her chin and gazed into her face with his blue eyes. “You’re the only gift I’ll ever need. “I love you, Beth.”
He kissed her, and Laura’s disappointment melted away.
She smiled. “I love you, too, Manly.” Laura glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t think the perfume spilled on all of it. How about a piece of wedding cake with your tea?”
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.”
She laughed. “You are always starving.”
Laura grabbed the perfume bottle and dabbed the flowery perfume behind her ears and on her wrists. Then she cut two slices of cake from the far side of the top layer that mostly escaped the flood of perfume.
As they sat at the table together, enjoying their gifts and conversation, Laura felt truly blessed. She knew there would be many more Valentine’s Days in the future. There would be more chances to find or make the perfect gift. In the years to come, they could laugh about this funny Valentine’s Day fiasco and cherish the memories.
Copyright Cheryl C. Malandrinos - All Rights Reserved
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