Kaida beamed. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. New recipes make me nervous.”

Smiling, Elkhean thanked them both for their kindness and Kaida watched as the tension visibly melted from his shoulders as he began to relax. She couldn’t help staring, wondering what was going on in his head as he sat between the two of them, watching them intently as they discussed their lives but offering very little detail into his. One of these days, she thought, I’m gonna get this dwarf to be comfortable enough around us to be himself. He just doesn’t know it yet.

Six

Eilaen stood up and began to clear the table while Kaida set the kettle on the stove so everyone could have another cup of tea. After the kettle had whistled and she had poured the water into three cups, she selected three of the pre-bagged “after dinner” tea blend and dropped one in each before placing them on the tray before carrying it into the den. Once they had all gotten settled, Elkhean pulled out the sheet of supplies and costs from his pocket, smoothing the wrinkles out as he laid it on the table. 

Kaida cleared her throat and readjusted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. She felt her nerves trying to creep in, and she tried her hardest to shut them out. Just this one conversation, she told herself. Keep it together, Kaida. Get through this one conversation and you know it’ll get better. 

She sat up in her seat, propping pillows up on her sides. These discussions could get long winded, and she didn’t want to risk getting distracted because she was uncomfortable. “What direction do you think we should go in, Elkhean?” she asked with a smile. She hoped she appeared as professional and confident as she thought she had, but she could never be sure how she appeared to other people. Her brain got in the way too much. Placing her cup and saucer on her table, she laid her hands in her lap, drumming her fingertips on her thighs as she tried to keep the rest of her body still. 

“Here’s my idea. We replace every bit o’ floor here in the kitchen. That’ll allow me an’ the crew to get in there an’ get the walls replaced where the rot has ruined it the most before layin’ down any o’ the new floorin’. Once we get that done, we can paint and then lay the floor. Then build an’ put in the counters that you have designed. After that, we can go in the lobby an’ fix whatever damage that may be hidden within the walls or floor. Mind you, that with the amount o’ damage in the kitchen, there’s a high probability it’ll show up in somewhere in the lobby, too. If not now, then in the near future. I’ve seen it in the mountains when fixin’ dwellin’s an’ buildings damaged by stone, weather, an’ water.”

He placed the cost sheet on the top of the pile of papers that rested on the table between the three of them. The amount listed was almost enough to make Kaida puke. In an attempt to hide her impending panic, she tried to do the mental math on how much more they needed for the repairs, the sum being about three times more than she had in her meager bank account. She looked at Eilaen. “Ellie, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. We can always try to find somewhere else, anywhere else. Somewhere that doesn’t need so much work if–,” she began.

Eilaen immediately cut her off. “No such thing will come from your mouth anymore, Kaida Louise. You fell in love with this property for a reason, and I have no reason to suspect that we cannot find a way to make this work.” Turning to Elkhean, she asked, “what do you think the timeline would be?”

“Dependin’ on how bad the floor an’ walls are between the rot? Two, maybe three months. If it’s worse than I think it will be, four at the most.”

Eilaen nodded and Kaida could tell she was mentally calculating the costs. Before Kaida could speak again, Eilaen addressed the dwarf in front of them. “Well, Mr. Elkhean. If you think you and your crew can get this bakery into tip-top shape, then you’re hired. How soon can we get this going?”

“Well thank you, Ms. Eilaen. Let me talk to my crew tonight, and then I’ll be gettin’ back to ya in a day or two, if that’s okay. Just need to touch base with them an’ make sure no one has any current projects.” Elkhean replied, the corners of his eyes wrinkling slightly with his smile. 

Eilaen nodded. “That’s fine. We’re not in a huge hurry, but we would like to get the bakery off the ground sooner rather than later. Especially seeing as spring is on the horizon and I won’t be able to help as much once the weather gets warmer. If you don’t already have plans made, we would love for you to come back for dinner tomorrow. We can get to know one another better, as well as continue going over Kaida’s designs and floor plans.” 

The smile on Eilaen’s face warmed Kaida’s heart, and she was incredibly thankful to have a friend with who was blessed with excellent decision-making skills. Eilaen always knew the right questions to ask and thought everything over before she would bring it to the table for discussion. Kaida turned back to Elkhean and smiled again. “I look forward to working with you and your crew over the next several months, Elkhean! I can’t wait to meet them and get this party started!”

“An’ I with you, Ms. Kaida,” Elkhean responded with a lift to one corner of his lip. The smile reached his eyes and the gesture caused them to sparkle in a way that Kaida hadn’t seen from the dwarf in the short time she’d known him. 

At the end of the meeting, Elkhean gathered his things and made his way out the door, bidding the halflings a good evening before closing it behind him. Once she knew he was out of earshot, Kaida looked at Eilaen. “What did you think of him?”

“He definitely appears to know what he’s doing, and he seems very confident in his ability to complete the jobs at hand. He had all of his facts and figures sorted out, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to charge more than the work is worth. With what we still have left from your winnings at the Autumn Festival and what I have from Grandpa in the bank, I have no doubt we’ll be able to afford the costs. It just may take more time to make it back than we thought, though, depending on how fast the bakery takes off after opening,” Eilaen responded. 

Kaida nodded in agreement. Her mind began to spin and whirl with her dream turning into reality. She got up and drifted into the kitchen, grabbing their teacups as she went so she could pour them each another cup of tea. It was time for their nightly routine involving a hot cuppa and sitting in front of the fireplace, relaxing and unwinding from their day. Eilaen cozied under her favorite blanket and nestled in her favorite chair, current book in one hand and her tea. In her own seat, Kaida began flipping through her favorite recipe catalog to see what would be best for bulk baking, and what would do better being made and brought into the bakery from home. By the time they were ready to retire for the night, she’d marked four recipes per season that she would save exclusively for the bakery with plans to look through two more of her recipe catalogs the next day to make sure there was nothing else she wanted to offer her customers. 

It didn’t take them long before both halflings were yawning so much that their watering eyes prevented them from seeing more than five seconds at a time. Sleepily, they made their way up the stairs and stumbled into their rooms. They yelled to one another from across the hall, shouting their nightly sendoffs, and slid into their beds, leaving their doors cracked so the warmth would fill them. 

Seven

Three days later, Kaida found herself standing knee-deep in the freshly fallen snow as The Gnomish Goods’ delivery gnome unloaded the two stove-oven combos that Kaida and Eilaen had ordered the previous week. Elkhean and his crew arrived almost as soon as the delivery gnome pulled off of the road, ready to get started. 

“Afternoon, Ms. Kaida,” Elkhean said with a nod. “These here are my crew. We plan to work hard until the job is done. Right, dwarves?”

A chorus of voices grunted in agreement and Kaida gave them her biggest smile. “Well, if you are ready, then let's get started, I suppose! The Gnomish Goods just delivered my stove-oven combinations and sat them in the lobby. I hope they won’t be in your way.”

“Even if they are, we can move ‘em. Shouldn’t be too heavy,” Elkhean replied with a hint of a smile. 

“Nah. Not too heavy at all,” another dwarf, this one with a bright red, wiry beard and crisp green eyes.

As they trailed into the bakery, Kaida was amazed by how similar, yet different all of the dwarves looked. Most of them looked to be either siblings or related in some other manner. They were all built in a way that seemed sturdy and strong, a visible difference between the dwarves and halflings as races. Instead of axes and swords at their hips, they each carried a large sledgehammer on one side. On the other side hung a wide variety of tools that stuck out of a worn, leather pouch that was latched onto the woven leather belt that wrapped around them. 

As Kaida looked back at Elkhean, she noticed how the corners of his eyes crinkled whenever he smiled at her–a tell-tale giveaway as to whether his smile was genuine or not. She found it endearing and hoped she would be able to see it more often. She barely knew him but felt a pull towards him in the strangest way. The more time she spent with him, the more he filled her mind. She wanted to learn everything about him. Somehow, she knew that he was meant to be in her life in some capacity and that, even when the renovations were over, she’d still have him around.

Following the dwarves, Kaida closed the door tightly behind her to hold in any remaining warmth within the bakery. Before she was able to turn around, she heard the sound of metal being shifted around the room as the dwarves moved the appliances out of the way so they would be able to move easily in and out of the kitchen. Kaida was surprised to hear the sound of something large slamming against what she was almost sure could have been either the floor or the wall, though he couldn’t be sure without going in there. She stood there for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she truly wanted to do that. No, she thought to herself. I definitely do not want to go in there.”

No, what she actually needed to do was to go home and bake. Not only to clear her mind, but also because she still had several orders of pies and cookies to bake for customers. The orders didn’t stop rolling in just because a bakery was being remodeled, and with the extra expenses it was going to bring, she knew she needed to take all of the orders she possibly could. Thankfully, with the Winter Feast and family gatherings that were coming up, she knew she’d get a decent amount of orders. On the other hand, though, she knew better to count her chickens before they hatched. Before heading home, she needed to stop by the mayor’s office and talk to Urzal and Mayor Luddie about what they would need for the Winter Feast and get the deposit for the ingredients and materials needed. 

She walked over to the kitchen door, and cracked it open without looking inside. “Hey guys, I’ve got a few errands to run and then I have to head back to the farm for a little bit. I have a few orders I have to take care of and deliver, but I’ll be back this afternoon. Don’t leave until I get back! I’m bringing back treats for everyone and I want to see your faces when you eat them,” she yelled, hoping they heard her over the banging and clattering that was going on within the room. She didn’t lock the door behind her this time, trusting Elkhean and the other dwarves to hold things down while she was gone.

🍪🍪🍪🍪

The moment Kaida arrived back at the farm, she heard Eilaen’s screams coming from behind the house. Even though she couldn’t quite understand what was going on, she was certain Eilaen was screaming “Tillard” and “meathead”m along with something about being on the center plate at the Winter Feast. She chuckled for a moment before sighing and trudging through the snow towards the backyard, listening to Eilaen’s shouts and Tillard’s squeals as she walked.

The closer she got to the barn, the louder Eilaen’s screams grew. “Tillard! Get back here before you squash more of my plants, you stupid meathead. Don’t give Jareth or me any more reasons than we already have to send you to the butcher’s block.”

“Ellie. What’s going on?” Kaida yelled. 

“Oh good. You’re home! I thought you were sticking around the bakery today to wait for your ovens to arrive?” Eilaen cried.

“I was going to. The ovens were both delivered, and they are gorgeous! I only came back because I remembered that I still have to bake four dozen apple pie cookies for Urzal and use that new recipe to make two cinnamon roll pies for that cute elderly goblin couple we booth next to,” Kaida replied, standing with her arms crossed across her chest, watching Eilaen chase her arch enemy. 

Eilaen stopped jogging for a moment and turned to look at Kaida. “You know, when you needed me to help the time Tillard ran amuck in the kitchen, you got mad when I stood there gawking,” she huffed as she tried to catch her breath. 

“That, you silly goose, was because that stupid pig had ruined an entire day’s worth of baking for a competition I was entered in for the nest day. Not to mention the fact that he ruined the kitchen!” Kaida stuck her tongue out at Eilaen as she jabbed her fists onto her hips.

Eilaen laughed. “You’re right, Kai. You’re right. Okay, I give up. C’mon, let's go inside. I’ll just leave him out. He’ll either figure out how to get back in there or he’ll freeze. Whatever. I don’t even care anymore.”

“You really think he’ll run away?” Kaida asked, a smirk on her face.

“Nah. We couldn’t get that lucky,” Eilaen responded, laughing as she linked her arms in with Kaida’s.

The two of them trudged through the thigh-deep snow to the front of the house, the snowflakes growing heavier and bigger with each step they took. By the time they reached the door, the blanket of snow was so thick, they could hardly see their hands in front of their faces. They rushed inside, quickly closing the door. Shivering, they kicked their boots into the corner and shrugged their cloaks off. Kaida went straight for the kitchen to fill the kettle so they could both have a fresh, hot cup of tea while Eilaen rebuilt the fire in the den’s fireplace. Once their tea had been drunk and the fire was blazing warmly, Eilaen snuggled up in her chair with her book while Kaida returned to the kitchen. She needed to begin collecting the ingredients for her orders, as well as the muffins for the dwarves, so she could get them baked and delivered before heading back to the bakery. 

With the ingredients floating around in the kitchen, Kada felt more comfortable within her own skin than she had all day. She allowed herself to get lost in her head as she effortlessly began to combine all of the necessary ingredients for the apple pie cookies, the dough forming as if by magic. Once the cookie dough was finished and needed to chill, she sent it over to their cold box and then turned so she could begin working on the filling for their centers. As she worked, she began humming a song her mother sang to her when she was a tot as she peeled the apples and took out their seeds. Then, she put them in a pot with water, brown sugar, and cinnamon. As the apple mixture began to heat, she quickly mixed up the ingredients needed to make a flakey pie crust for the cinnamon roll pies. It was a recipe she knew so well, she probably could have made in her sleep. By the time the dough was turned into a crust, the apple mixture on the stove had finished. Carefully, she moved it off of the stovetop and transferred the mix into a bowl and sat it in front of her on the island so that it could cool for a few moments and she had a better chance of avoiding any filling burns. While she waited, she pulled the dough out of the ice box and scooped out twelve identical scoops, dropping them onto a pan and pressing their centers into the shape of a tiny bowl, dropping spoonfuls of the apple pie filling into the center of each cookie. She repeated the steps for the second dozen of cookies, settling both trays into the oven, side by side. 

As she gave them time to bake, she crooked her fingers to bring two more lined cookie pans to the island, gently placing them where the cookies had been only moments before. On one pan, she sat the two whole pie crusts, and on the other, she placed strips of crust that would make the swirly rolls everyone knew and loved when it came to cinnamon rolls. She lined the pie crust strips side by side, coating each of them with the buttery cinnamon sugar mixture she’s created. Once the pies were assembled, she slid them to this side and waited for the cookies to finish so she could replace them with the pies. The aroma of apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and pie crust filled the room as she worked. Just moments later, the magic within her began to cause her arms to feel tingly, signaling that the cookies were done. Opening the oven with the twist of one hand, she beckoned the cookies out with the other and transferred them to a cooling rack near the sink while slowly coaxing the pie pans into the oven with the hand that opened it. 

While waiting for the cookies, she made herself a cup of tea and sat down on the stool that resided at the edge of the island. Inhaling the intermingled scents from her tea and her baking, she closed her eyes and smiled. This was her definition of peace and happiness. Before long, the tingling in her body began to stir once again. With a downward flick of her index finger, she opened the oven and removed the cookie pans, settling them on two cooling racks that had been placed next to the pies. Once the stove was closed and she was sure everything was baked, she began to tidy up her mess in the kitchen. The size of the messes she could make never failed to amuse her, seeing as she was just one halfling and always used magic to do every step of her “dirty work”. As she was sizing up the damage done, she heard the sounds of Eilaen’s footsteps making their way through the dining room. 

Kaida could practically feel Eilaen’s eyes staring into her in disbelief as she shook her head while walking through the kitchen. “Ya know, Kai. I don’t think I will ever understand how someone with baking magic can make such a mess while, well, baking. You’d think the process would be so much cleaner considering you don’t actually touch or pour out any of the ingredients. In fact, as far as I’m aware, you don’t even touch anything until it’s time to dig your hands into whatever it is that you’re making at that moment.” Eilaen leaned against the island and smiled, laughing at Kaida while Kaida stuck her tongue out at her friend.

“If you really must know, Ellie, it’s a mess because baking is messy. Regardless of how you go about the process. Flour puffs, milk spills, and butter creams. My gran used to say, ‘if you don’t make a mess, then you didn’t put enough heart and love into it’, and I’m inclined to believe her,” Kaida retorted before smiling again. 

Eilaen walked further into the kitchen and stopped in front of the sink. “Okay, Sassytrousers. Would you like help washing these dishes so you can deliver these goodies faster and get back to the bakery?” she asked. Without waiting for Kaida’s answer, she pushed her sleeves up and tied her apron strings across her back. 

“You know, Ellie? I’d love that,” Kaida replied. 

Side by side, the two halflings talked and laughed while scrubbing dishes, only stopping when they were finished. After the last of the dishes were dried and put away, Kaida took off her apron and dried her hands. She then went into the storage room and selected two disposable pie cartons and two large cartons for the two dozen cookies, as well as a basket big enough for the two dozen muffins she’d baked earlier that morning for the dwarves. After both orders were properly packaged, she waved goodbye to Eilaen, grabbed the muffins she’d baked earlier that morning, and left to head back into town.