Oh, Charles

She was hanging wet sheets on a line so they could dry in the warm sunlight.

"Caroline!"

She turned around at the sound of her husband's voice calling to her. "What is it, Charles?" Caroline asked cautiously, knowing that look on her husband's face all too well.

"Almanzo and I were just talking to Jonathan about his new freighting business." Charles began to explain.

"Oh. I hope the business is doing well." She commented, continuing to hang the last of the sheets.

Charles smiled. "Well, business has never been better for him. Jonathan is so busy with orders and shipments, he might have to stop servicing Walnut Grove. So, when he asked Almanzo and I if we wanted to get into the freighting business with him, how could we say no?"

Caroline stopped her work and faced her husband. "Charles, what are you telling me?"

He was confused. The annoyed and concerned look on his wife's face was not the one he was expecting. "I'm telling you I got a job in the freighting business alongside my friend and son-in-law."

"Charles." Caroline turned away and began to walk back inside the little house. "How could you do this?"

Charles was quick to keep up with her. "What are you talking about? Caroline, I told you I was going to look around for more work with things at the mill being so slow. I admit I should have asked you first, but-"

"That's not why I'm upset." Caroline stopped Charles mid-sentence. "If it was any other job, I won't care; but freighting. Freighting means traveling. The last time you took a freighting job with Jonathan you were gone for months, away from your family." She could feel herself begin to chock up. Was she about to break down in tears? She did not want to be in this all too familiar position again.

Charles put his hands on his wife's shoulders, wanting to calm her down. "Caroline, it's not going to be like that again. I'll only be servicing towns within a day's ride from Sleepy Eye. I won't dare think of leaving my family for months on end like I did last time. I learned my lesson." He tried to ease Caroline's worries.

Caroline could feel her face heating up and her eyes glossing over. "Oh, Charles. I just hate being here without you. It's scary and lonely. It can be so hard to manage the farm. And I don't like waking up in the morning and not seeing you."

Charles leaned in and kissed his wife. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. If taking that freighting job meant putting his wife in this much pain, he would not do it no matter how much Jonathan was offering. "It's alright, Caroline. I won't take the job."

"Oh." Caroline tried to collect herself. "But you need to work. If you're only going to be gone just overnight or maybe two days, I'll be okay." She did not want to sound hypocritical, but they really did need the money.

And besides, Caroline felt somewhat selfish to always want Charles by her side. If only there was a way to make sure the situation would not escalate to what it did the last time.

"Are you sure?" Charles asked for confirmation.

Caroline nodded. "As long as you come home at the end of the day."

Charles smiled. "Only as long as you welcome me home with that beautiful smile of yours."

The two of them both started laughing. "And a hot, home-cooked meal." Caroline added to make Charles laugh even more.

"Oh Caroline, I love you."

"And I love you, Charles Ingalls."