Changes
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.
Charles and
Caroline had just finished moving Carrie up to the loft. Now, only Baby Grace would be downstairs with
them.
“Would you
like some coffee?” Caroline asked Charles.
“Sounds
good,” he replied, glancing up at the loft.
Caroline’s
knowing smile told him she knew what he was thinking. “It seems strange without
her, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it
does.” Charles walked over to the kitchen window and looked out, as if he
expected Laura to walk down the road at any minute. “We already went through
this with Mary. You think it would be easier this time.”
Caroline shrugged.
“It never gets easier, no matter how many times it happens. It’s just not the
same when one of your children leaves the nest.”
She brought
Charles his cup of coffee and motioned for him to sit down with her at the
table. Caroline brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “She married a
good man.”
“I know,”
he said with a nod.
Caroline
reached over and put her small, white hand on top of Charles’s much larger and
darker one. “Once again, we know how our parents felt when we packed up and
left the Big Woods. We’ll get by it…just like we did when we left Mary in
Winoka.”
After drinking
his coffee, Charles stood. “I need to do some work out in the barn.
His feet shuffled along the floor before
he opened the door and walked outside. He only stayed there for a few minutes before
he strolled down to the creek.
***
From the kitchen window, Caroline saw
him cross the yard. She spied him as he sat down in Laura’s favorite thinking
place. Her heart ached for him. Laura and he had always been so close. She
prayed God would help him accept the changes life had brought.
***
Charles sat
along the creek bed for about twenty minutes. It was no accident he sat in
Laura’s special thinking place. He would often join her when she was younger
and share fatherly advice. Now, he was replaced by Almanzo Wilder. She would go
to him for the advice she needed. He admitted he felt sorry for himself.
He knew he
was being silly. It was natural for a young girl to grow up, fall in love, get
married, and cleave to her husband. But somehow, he had hoped Laura, his
Half-pint, would wait a little longer.
Charles looked
up at the sky searching for guidance. “You know, Lord, it was hard for me to
admit Mary had become a woman who could survive on her own without her Ma and
me. But after a while, I accepted it.”
He felt
tears forming in the corners of his eyes but blinked them away.
“With
Half-pint, I fought the battle against her growing up every day. I always
wished I could keep her a little girl forever. But before I knew it, she was a
young woman and a teacher. An older man courted her.”
Charles
stopped praying to let the tears flow. When the last tear fell, he stood and grabbed
a smooth, flat stone from the ground. He skimmed it across the creek. Laura loved
to do that when she was younger, he thought.
“Lord, I
feel like I’ve lost my little girl. We have always been kindred spirits. I
always understood how she felt…and she understood me, too. I am going to miss those
picnic lunches and fishing trips. Lord, please help me to accept these changes
in my life and help me learn to appreciate the grown Laura as much as I love
the young one. Amen.”
Charles sat
back down and looked out over the cold flowing water. A few moments later he
felt a small, familiar hand on his shoulder.
“Hi, Half-pint.”
Charles turned his head to look back at her.
“Hi, Pa.” Laura
pulled up her skirt and sat down next to her father. “What are you doing out
here?”
“Thinking.”
“About
what?”
“How grown
up you are?”
Laura
smiled wide. “I never thought I would hear you say that.”
Charles cupped
her chin in his hand. “As much as I hate to admit it Half-pint, you’re a woman
now.” He gazed at the ground to hide his tears.
Once he
recovered from his emotions he looked up and said, “What are you doing here? I
thought you and Almanzo would be busy at the house.”
“We just
finished getting Eliza Jane’s things together. She’ll send for them once she’s
settled in St. Louis.” Charles
nodded. “Almanzo
had to go into town, so I figured I would come out here and spend some time
with you. Almanzo will pick me up on the way back.” Laura paused. “Pa, can I ask you something?”
“Of
course.”
“How long
did it take you and Ma to get used to being married?”
Charles
smiled. He had thought his days of passing out fatherly advice to Half-pint
were over, but here she was once again looking for him to share his wisdom. “Quite
a while. It’s a big change going from being your own person to being a couple.
You’re not having problems already, are you?”
“No, it’s
just that Almanzo and I have different opinions on things and sometimes I feel
I have to give in so we don’t argue.”
Charles let
a laugh escape from his lips. “I know you have strong opinions Half-pint, but
there’s nothing wrong in giving in occasionally. Marriage means a lot of
compromises...if you want it to work.”
Laura
reached over and hugged him. “I’ll try to remember that. Thanks, Pa.” She reached for a smooth, flat stone and
stood. She tossed it toward the creek and watched it skim the water.
Charles had
been so preoccupied with all the changes in his own life, he had forgotten how
many changes his daughter was going through. And he found even though she was a
grown, married woman, she still needed him. Charles glanced skyward and
silently thanked God for answering his prayers.
***
Caroline watched
them from the kitchen window. “Thank you, Lord,” she said as she wiped away
tears of joy.
Copyright Cheryl C. Malandrinos – All Rights Reserved.
