ÅE FARM:

Gunnhild of Dalen had better luck than Birgit with flatbread, but then, she had ten years' more practice. Last year she had done the fall flatbread-baking for her father's cousin, the widower Tall Såmund at Åe.

Now she had just finished his spring baking. Såmund couldn't afford to pay her much for her work. When he offered to give her an heirloom chest inherited from his great-grandmother, she shook her head. "Far would sell it, then spend the money on drink. This old treasure deserves to be cherished, not thrown away. It should go to one of your girls." She smiled at Såmund's youngest, Bibbi, nearly four, busily wiping flour off the bread board – her clothes getting dustier by the moment.

Tall Såmund followed her glance. "Ja, you're right," he said. He sighed. "Bibbi truly enjoys your visits. All winter she talked about helping with the baking. It was kind of you to involve her, even if it was only sprinkling water on the baking rounds."

"Oh, she did much more than that. She tended the fire, raked the coals, even learned how to use the peels to shift the rounds off the griddle. Didn't drop a one. She's careful, and steady of hand."

Tall Såmund felt around in his pockets as if searching for something. "My wife's death left such a hole in our lives here. For me. For Bibbi and the older children. Even Laki, though with his stubborn twelve-year-old pride he would never say anything." He paused a moment, then looked up. "Would you consider—" His voice trailed off.

Gunnhild beamed at him. "I would love to come once or twice a month, give the girls a hand at tidying up, cook you a good meal."

Tall Såmund's mouth hung open as he shook his head. "Nei, nei," he finally got out. "What I mean to say is, well, would you come and – stay?"

She blinked at him.

"Would you marry me, Gunnhild?"

Now it was her turn to gape and stutter.

Bibbi's big sister Åsne scampered through the room and called out the door to her brothers. "Guess what Far just asked Gunnhild!"

"Marry?" cried Bibbi. "Oh Gunna, please do! You can be my new Mor!"

Two of her brothers crowded into the doorway, eyes sparkling with glee.

"But Bibbi," Gunnhild said, looking only briefly at the girl. "Getting married is more than replacing what's missing. It's more than just filling a hole."

"Marriage is building something new," Såmund said. "Marriage is—" He stood there with hands opened, as if they held what he wanted to say, though he couldn't find the words.

"Marriage is like a team of oxen in the fields," Gunnhild murmured. "It doesn't matter what they look like, as long as they pull together."

"Marriage is like a two-wheeled cart," Såmund said, brightening. "It might bump around a lot, but if it has strong wheels, it gets where it's going."

"Marriage is like baking flatbread!" Bibbi cried. "Yummy!"

Everyone broke out laughing. Åsne swooped up the two wooden bread paddles. "You're right, Bibbi. Marriage is like baking flatbread. Sometimes you need a little peel, and sometimes you need a big one. If one won't work, the other one does."

Laki stomped into the room and scowled. "You're all done with the baking, and didn't call me to share one hot off the griddle?"

Gunnhild glanced at Såmund, a smile tweaking her lips, then whirled on Laki with wide eyes and arms raised. "That's because I'm turning into an evil stepmother. I'm going to beat you and make you go hungry!" She cackled and took one step closer.

Laki backed off, wrinkling his nose in distaste and alarm.

Gunnhild dropped arms back to her sides and smiled. "I have a sweet, kind stepmother, so don't believe the old stories. But marriage," she said, turning back to Tall Såmund, "that's something to think over. To think long and deep."

"I have," he murmured.

"What?" demanded Laki. "What are you talking about?"

"I could never replace your mother, Laki, but your father is very lonely. He wants to know if I'll marry him."

"Marry?" Laki scowled at his father.

"Nothing is decided," Gunnhild told the young man, "but I promise you: If I marry your father, I will never, ever forget to call you as soon as the flatbread is finished."