“No. We have plenty of ‘em over in the shop. Thought I’d leave it here so I don’t have to haul one around when you need one. Besides, I think I may be ready and willin’ to stop workin’ with the rest o’ the crew,” he admitted, looking at the floor.

“Stop working with the crew? Why? Did something happen? Is everything alright?” Kaida asked. Her heart started to race and her mind began to churn frantically. 

“No, no. Nothin’ happened. Nothin’s wrong. I just see my life movin’ in a diff’rent direction. That’s all it is. I promise,” he assured her, lacing his fingers through hers the best that he could.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

“Well, it seems real likely that you’ll be busy with the bakery an’ you’re likely to be bitin’ off more than you can chew workin’ alone and such. I was thinkin’ that, if you wanted me to, I’d help you run this place. After all, I know how to run a business an’ manage orders an’ invoices an’ such. Lighten your load so you can focus your heart on the parts that I know you love the most,” he replied.

Yet again, this dwarf standing in front of her left her speechless. She was utterly stunned by his offer and the changes it would mean for him. He was willing to give everything up under the mountain so he could work here with her? Not just willing, she said to herself. But he actually wanted to. He was offering to. She found herself being surprised more and more every day by this beautiful, wonderful soul standing in front of her.  She could feel herself falling more in love with him at the very idea of working together, side by side like she had been dreaming of since the night of her birthday. Three months ago, she never would have thought that they would have been standing where they were now. But now? Now she could see it as if it were already happening.

“Are... Are you sure? You don’t- don’t have to,” she began, stumbling over her words. She hoped he was about to shut her up because she knew once she started rambling, it would be very difficult to stop.

Elkhean stepped closer to her, wrapping her within his arms and resting his bearded chin on the top of her head. “I know I don’t have to. You should know by now that there’s nothin’ I do that I don’t want to do. I want to do this. I want to spend every day with you, in whatev’r way I can. I don’t know if you noticed this or not, Kaida. But I am really fond of ya, whether you think I am or not. An’ I can easily see myself spendin’ the rest of my life with ya, if you’d want me to,” he said without moving.

“You- you want to- to spend the rest of your life with me?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes.

“Aye. I do,” he replied, pulling back to look at her face. 

“And y-you really want t-to spend your days h-here, working with me?” she sputtered, trying to keep herself from dissolving into a puddle on the floor.

“I really, truly do. More than anythin’ else in the world,” he promised. His eyes had yet to leave hers and she could see the emotions he wasn’t saying within them.

“I…” she started slowly. “I think I would like that, too. Because, I have also become increasingly fond of you, Elkhean. In fact, I might even be so bold as to say that I’ve fallen in love with you.” Standing on her tiptoes, she placed another light kiss on his cheek, the realization washing over her. “Wait a moment. Elkhean. Did... Did you just... Propose? To me?” 

“Not officially, I don’t think. Only ‘cus I haven’t given you this yet.” From his pocket, he pulled out a small, black box. Opening it, she saw a ring unlike any she’d seen before. Handcrafted from iridium, it had three glittering amethyst stones sitting on top. The sides both had an engraved flower, their stems woven together as they wrapped around the length of the band. 

As he dropped to his knees, he held it out for her. “Kaida, will you do me the honor of marryin’ me and makin’ me the happiest dwarf in the world? I promise to love an’ cherish you for the rest o’ our days. We can bake cakes and cookies and whatev’r else it is that your heart desires. Jareth an’ Eilaen an’ Ms. Kaida can come ov’r for dinner as often as they want, as long as you don’t cook. We both know that Eilaen done told me all the tales o’ your cookin’ I ever need to know. Kaida Love, I just can’t see myself with anyone else other than you. Not since the day we stood side by side in the snow an’ you introduced yourself to me. I think I fell in love with you right then an’ there.”

With a squeal, Kaida leapt into the air and screamed yes, wasting no time in tackling him to the ground as she jumped toward him and pulled him into a tight embrace. With her hands on either side of his cheeks, she pulled him in and nuzzled his nose with hers, smiling the largest smile she’d ever smiled. ‘

This was the very definition of happiness, she realized. This is what happiness should have always looked like for her–being loved and adored by someone who looked at her like she hung the moon. Hand in hand, Elkhean and Kaida locked up the bakery and left for the farmhouse to give her family the news.

Thirteen

A month after Elkhean’s proposal, the bakery was finally stocked and ready to make its grand opening. Kaida refused to plan a wedding before it was opened, holding firm to the idea that it would be too much for her sanity to plan two large events at the same time, especially right before the Winter Feast was held. Elkhean and Eilaen agreed with her, especially after watching her stress over the details of planning the bakery’s grand opening. 

The night before, she’d stayed up way too late to make sure she had enough cookies, cakes, pies, and bread baked. The new ovens within the bakery were kept hot and she put them to the test with steady use. The scents of freshly baked bread, peppermint, and chocolate filled the lobby where Eilaen was busy with preparing the tables for customers the next day. Jareth and Elkhean were kept running back and forth from the farm to the bakery as Kaida would discover things she’d left behind after she’d moved all of her favorite baking supplies over the day before. 

It was well into the night before Kaida was comfortable enough with her work to head home. Before locking up for the night, she ran through the inventory one final time. The glass cases each held three dozen donuts, four loaves of freshly baked bread, and two cakes with pre-cut slices already made. The cake domes on either side of the register each contained two dozen cookies with more stashed away to refill as necessary. Elkhean had encouraged her to allow him to build two large shelves to place on the wall next to the glass cases to place muffins, tartlettes, and cookies on for easy access for customers. Looking at them with their baskets empty and ready to be filled in the morning, she was glad she agreed. 

She took a deep breath before walking through the door, the bell chiming its goodbye. With the door locked and faerie lights switched off, she and Eilaen made their way to the wagon and left for home, exhausted and feet aching from standing and moving around so much. They barely spoke as they shuffled through the door, the frigid wind blowing hard enough to almost knock them over. Working in silence, the halflings made sandwiches and tea for two, taking their meager meal into the den to sit in their chairs and eat while allowing the fire to warm them. It didn’t take long to scarf their food down and decide to turn in for the night, the dishes they’d dirtied being placed in the sink for the next morning.

After climbing into her bed, Kaida knew that she’d be hard pressed to actually fall asleep, equal parts of nervousness and excitement flowing through her body. When she did fall asleep, it never lasted long, and by the time she woke the next morning, she was certain she’d been awake and tossing more than she’d actually slept. She quickly jumped out of bed and headed down the stairs to the kitchen, pleased to find that Eilaen had been awake and out of bed long enough to make them both their morning tea. 

After they’d cleaned up the messes created from the night and breakfast, the two halflings got dressed and Eilaen went outside to quickly tend the animals, as well as the garden. When she had finished, they both bundled themselves up in their cloaks with their hats and gloves tugged onto their heads and hands, and then strode out the door and situated themselves in the wagon. Both Jareth and Ms. Kestrel had decided they would make their own way to the grand opening, neither of them wanting to interfere with Kaida’s ability to come and go as she pleased or to have to wait on them. Even though she was sad that they wouldn’t be arriving with her, she understood their reasoning and thanked them for caring so much. They had been such an integral part to her success, even before today, and she knew she’d never be able to thank them enough. 

As they made the trip into town, Kaida’s nerves were lit up with excitement. Everyone had worked so hard for so long to get the bakery up and going, not even including the time she and Eilaen had spent saving up and looking for the perfect location. Kaida’s Place was her pride and joy, even more so than Kaida’s Bakery had been in Galbassi. She couldn’t believe how much love and dedication had gone into remodeling and renovating her Smallburrow bakery. 

It was the venture that she and her kindred spirit had decided to embark upon together, an experience she would never forget for as long as she lived. Ms. Kestrel, being the adopted grandmother that Kaida had always wanted but never had, had even gone through all of the tablecloths and cloth napkins, embroidering them with a dark chocolate colored thread with the initials “K.P” for Kaida’s Place. Jareth had procured her hot cocoa machine. Her fiance had fallen in love with her there, and she had fallen for him. Not a single ounce of anything that had gone into this had happened without being touched by love of some sort. 

Without turning to look at Eilaen, she took her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “Thank you, Ellie. For all of it,” Kaida said, trying to keep the tears that had formed from falling. “I couldn’t have done this without you. By making your dream come true, you helped me do the same for mine. I will never forget this. Ever. For as long as I live, you will always be my kindred sister, my platonic fated mate. I love you.”

She heard the effect of her words on her friend before she turned to see the tears that began to fill her eyes. Eilaen squeezed Kaida’s hand in return before responding. “I love you, Kai. This adventure never would have happened without you pushing us into it. We both know that. Now look at us. We’re living our dreams. Both of us. Together. Just like we’d always planned. I love you, too.”

When they had almost reached the bakery, Kaida was filled with pride and something else that was unfamiliar to her. All she could see was the line of people waiting for her, Jareth and Ms. Kestrel heading up the front of the line with Urzal and Mayor Luddie standing right behind them. Eilaen dropped Kaida off in the front of the bakery and promised to be back after boarding Sorrel and Mable. With everyone cheering and waving at her, she felt like a star. From somewhere in the middle of the line, Kaida heard her favorite group of dwarves as they hollered her name and began to chant it, the rest of the crowd following suit. 

Scanning the line to look for them, her heart soared when she spotted Elkhean and noticed his green eyes shining. Even from where she stood, she could see the love and pride he had for her within them. If she wasn’t on her way into the bakery for the most nerve-wracking experience of her life, she may have melted on the spot simply from the way he looked at her. Waving back to everyone and hollering “hey” as she walked by, she took a deep breath before unlocking the door of the bakery and closing it behind her. The first thing she did before going into the kitchen was lighting the fireplace to kick the chill out of the air that had settled during the night.

Before she could open for everyone to come in for the first time, she needed to finish filling baskets and cases, as well as setting out the plates, cups, and cutlery for those who chose to eat in the lobby. By the time the fire had done its job and the room was no longer cold, the items she’d baked for the shelves were warmed up and arranged in their specific baskets, the mugs that Elkhean had made for her were out on the hot cocoa table, and there was a small stack of linen napkins on each table. She had even decided to place disposable plates and napkins beside each of the baked treats and breads, just in case they were bought by a customer who was on the go. 

Finally, she took a step back and was more than pleased by what she saw in front of her. Everything was perfect. Once Jareth, Ms. Kestrel, Eilaen, and Elkhean had made it inside to stand by her, she smiled. “It’s showtime, you guys! But before we open for business, I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your love, help, and support. You have all been so incredibly important in getting Kaida’s Place to where we are today, and I couldn’t have done it without you. So to show you my thanks, I want you guys to all have these.”

She pulled four small boxes out of her apron pocket. Each box contained a silver chain with a charm attached with Kaida’s Place on one side and the owner’s name on the other. She handed them out and held her breath as she waited for them to open their gifts. She had contacted Nadles weeks ago, and the hard-to-find gnome managed to find someone Kaida could contact who would be able to craft them. She had worried they wouldn’t arrive on time, but then they’d come in a week early–a fact that stressed Kaida out even more because she hated sitting on gifts instead of giving them out immediately.

After everyone had thanked her and hugged one another, there was not a dry eye in the room. Kaida wiped her face and dried her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. “Let’s do this!” she squealed. 

Kaida and her friends walked out the door where Elkhean cleared his throat to quiet the crowd down before motioning to Kaida. 

“Ladies and Gents, Orcs and Trolls. Thank you so much for coming out today to celebrate the grand opening of Kaida’s Place! We have worked so hard to bring this to you so that I can serve my favorite community all in one place.” She stopped to get the large scissors from Mayor Luddie. “Thank you, Mayor Luddie. Phew!  Eilaen, can you grab one of these handles? These are a lot heavier than I thought they would be and I honestly might drop them.” She laughed and Eilaen took hold of the top half of the scissors.

“And now, we present to you–,” Eilaen began.

“Kaida’s Place!” the two of them shouted together as the scissors sliced through the large, thick red ribbon in front of them. 

The crowd began to cheer again, and the crowd soon followed after Kaida opened the door and quickly made her way to the register. Within moments, the dining area was full of townsfolk as the line trickled in, anxious to get out of the cold and excited to see what Kaida’s Place had for them. The murmurs of the customers soon filled the room, the voices mixing together and buzzing in Kaida’s ear where she stood at the register with Eilaen on her right side and Elkhean on her left. 

The afternoon was a whirlwind as people continued to come and go in waves, the outpouring of love and support for her showing in their smiles, as well as their words of encouragement. Though Kaida had stocked the shelves to maximum capacity, she soon found herself in the kitchen, baking more chocolate peppermint mocha cookies. They were selling faster than almost anything else, the second most popular option being apple pie tartlets that she’d decided to make at the last minute the night before. 

By the time evening came and the bakery had closed, Kaida found herself blissfully exhausted. Every moment leading up to this day, as well as every moment since the bakery had opened, had been more than worth it. As she closed her eyes and soaked in her victory, a large and familiar hand grasped hers. 

She didn’t have to open them to know who it was. Smiling, she leaned her head to the side, finding and resting on the chestplate of Elkhean’s shirt. He stroked her hair for a moment with his free hand before placing it on her shoulder. “You did amazin’ today, Kaida Love. I am so proud o’ you for the hard work you put in this place,” he praised. 

She opened her eyes and turned to look at him. “It wouldn’t have been possible without you. If you wouldn’t have taken a chance on this project with all of its faults and issues, then this never would have happened.” She rested her hand on his cheek. “Thank you for the hard work that you put into it. Words will never be enough to show my gratitude.”

Leaning over just slightly, he pressed a light kiss on her forehead. “Let’s go find Eilaen and Ms. Kestrel an’ see how prosperous you were today, eh?” he asked with a smile.

She nodded before lacing her fingers in his. Hand in hand, they walked into the kitchen where Ms. Kestrel and Eilaen sat at the counter, taking count of the coins and paper bills that had rested within the register just an hour earlier. 

“If my calculations are correct,” she heard the elderly gnome say. “Kaida has made a grand total of four hundred and twenty-five coins, as well as three hundred paper bills.”

Eilaen asked, “how much are those paper bills worth in coins, Ms. Kestrel? I’ve only ever seen the coins.”

The elderly gnome paused for a moment as she tried to convert the Trollish currency into coins. “One paper bill is worth ten coins. So, three hundred times ten is three thousand. Kaida is a rich halfling.”

“Are- are you serious? I made that much today? Are you sure?” Kaida asked, lost for words. 

Surely Ms. Kestrel had miscounted somewhere, someway. There was no way she’d made so much in one day. She could feel her heart pounding in excitement at the knowledge of what that much money could do for Eilaen and herself, as well as the community as a whole.