New chapter is ready so enjoy.

Zelda had thought that winter would last forever, but the mud, sucking at her boots, gave lie to that myth. Spring was upon them, and the snow was melting fast and furiously. Flowers were already working their way out of the ground, and Zelda had only to close her eyes to envision how lovely they were going to be.

Her attitude at the moment could have used some of that same loveliness. The soggy ground was getting to her. She looked down at her skirt to see that she had spattered mud on the front of herself. She was going to have to go to work like this, and the thought make her want to explode with anger. She heard a wagon slogging its way along, but she didn't even look up. In her irritation she missed a step and fell down. By the time the wagon drew abreast of her, she was struggling up from the hands and knees were literally black with mud.

She had just gained her footing when she realized the wagon had stopped. Zelda looked up, straight into the eyes of her sister.

"Malon," she whispered and then screamed, "Malon!"

Malon laughed and Ralph joined her. Zelda nearly did a dance in her exasperation.

"You didn't tell anyone, and look at me- I can't even touch you!"

"Climb in the back, and we'll take you home," Malon told her, a huge smile still in place. "We're going to surprise Mother."

"All right," Zelda agreed, "but just let me clean up quickly so I can see her face. Take the wagon around the back," she instructed Ralph. "I'll let you in that way and she'll faint."

Malon turned on the seat to talk to her filthy sister as Zelda climbed in. She turned a beaming face to her.

"You look wonderful, Malon."

"You do too. I think."

They both laughed hilariously at that until Ralph reminded them they were going to alert Blossom if they didn't quiet down. They tried to be calm, but it was like being 10 and 12 all over again and both just wanted to giggle for the fun of it.

"How have you been?" Malon asked in a soft voice.

Zelda gave her a mock frown. "You'd know that, Malon Langley, if you wrote more often."

Malon looked very contrite, but her eyes were still shining.

"Don't be too long," Malon admonisher Zelda when the team halted around back.

"I won't," Zelda promised, climbing down in an undignified fashion.

Ralph had left the wagon as well, and leaning from the great h\eight, dropped a kiss on her forehead. He managed to do this and not get anywhere near that mud. Zelda smiled up at him with loving eyes and darted into the back door.

"It's just me, Mother," she called from the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Blossom was dusting the front room and remained there.

"I fell in the mud. I'm going to change and head back out."

"All right. Be certain to leave your things in the kitchen."

Normally Zelda would have undressed without a thought, but with Ralph in the backyard, she was careful to stay away from the window. She made quick work of her muddy face and hands and then dashed up the stairs for fresh clothing. She dressed in record time, and when she got back down, Ralph and Malon were waiting right outside the kitchen door. She let them in silently, hugged them both, and then strolled nonchalantly to the living room to see her mother.

"All clean now, dear?" Blossom only glanced at her.

"Yes, Mother. I'll get going pretty soon, but I wanted to ask you something."

"That's fine with me, dear, but your father will be looking for you." Blossom's cloth attacked a small vase.

"Well, I'll hurry. Mother, do you think I could make my bedroom in the small room off the kitchen?"

"Whatever for?" Blossom's face was still bent over her work.

"Well, I think it would be a nice change."

"I don't think so, Zelda." She set the vase down and positioned it on the shelf, her back to her daughter. "I mean it's so much smaller than your room, and I really don't think you'll be as comfortable."

"Well, couldn't I just try if for a week?"

"I don't know, dear." Blossom shook her head still not looking at Zelda as she reached for the tiny china doll. "I don't really see the point."

"But if she can't take that room, Mother," Malon now stepped into the room, "where well Ralph and I sleep for the next week?"

"Malon." Her mother breathed the word as she spun around. The doll and dust cloth landed on a chair as Blossom swiftly navigated through furniture to get to her daughter. Malon met her halfway across the room. By the time they touched, the tears were flowing unchecked. Her precious Malon had been Mrs. Ralph Langley for more than a year. It was like a wonderful present from the Lord to be able to hold her again.

"Oh, Ralph," Blossom said, moving to hug her son-in-law. She then held him at arm's length and looked him over.

"You look wonderful, Ralph. Married life must agree with you."

"Indeed, it does. If the girl is anything like my Malon, I highly recommend it."

Husband and wife shared a smile, and Blossom urged them into chairs.

"Have you been to the store? Have you seen Bipin?"

"Yes," Malon answered. "He gave us the wagon and said he hoped Zelda would still be home."

Ralph grinned. "She was the welcome party out on the road.

"Oh, no." Blossom was swift to catch on. "You fell in the mud in front of them."

Zelda shrugged, but she was not upset. Suddenly the mud didn't matter at all. Only last week she'd written Link and admitted that she was almost angry that Ralph and Malon had never come to visit, but now here they were, and she felt guilty for not trusting God for this.

"We saw Ruto and Sari, but where's Romani?" Malon wished to know.

"She's in bed. She's had a touch of something for a week now, and all she wants to do is sleep. I should go and see if she wants to get up." Blossom went out, and Zelda looked over to see Ralph smiling at her.

"We got a letter from Link last week."

"Did you?" Zelda smiled and tried not to blush at the sound of his name.

"Yes. He says that you correspond quite regularly."

Zelda did blush then, but only nodded in return if the truth be told, they wrote to each other at least twice a week. It was still amazing to Zelda that they never ran out of things to say. And Link's letters had just gotten kinder and kinder with every passing month. He always admonished Zelda to take good care of herself. In turn, Zelda told him not to overdo on his studies, and that he wouldn't be fit to teach if he burned out during college. His plan right now was to take some summer courses as well, but Zelda wondered if he wasn't going overboard. He wanted to finish in tow years, and he said this was the only way.

"I think we've lost her." Malon's voice floated though the air.

"Yes," Ralph agreed. "I think we lost her the moment I mentioned Link's name."

Again Zelda lit up like a candle, and Malon apologized.

"Forgive us, Zelda; we shouldn't tease."

"It's all right. I've always blushed easily when it comes to Link."

"Does he know how you feel?" Ralph asked the question so gently that Zelda wasn't offended.

"No, he doesn't, but that's all right. It's just fun to share letters with him."

Ralph's head turned to his wife. "That's how I fell in love with Malon."

"Oh, Ralph, don't say that," Zelda begged him. "It hurts too much to raise my hopes."

Ralph looked at her. "Why can't you hope for it?"

Zelda shrugged. "I just don't think it's going to be like that, and that's okay. I can live with it."

My, but she's done a lot of growing up, both Malon and Ralph were thinking. Nothing could ever dim her physical beauty, but she was now starting to be beautiful on the inside as well.

Ralph didn't comment again, but he didn't think the idea of the two of them getting together was so hopeless. Link hadn't actually come right out with it, but Ralph had gained an impression from his letter that Zelda was pretty special.

"Hi, Malon."

"Oh, Romani." Malon stood as soon as she saw her, her heat breaking a little. She was so think and pale, and her hair was all over her head. Malon took the sofa so they could be close. Once Romani was snuggled against her side, the little girl looked across the room at Ralph.

"Hello, Romani."

"Hi, Ralph."

"I'm not sure you should be out of bed out of bed," he said gently.

"I had to," she answered in a tired voice.

"Why is that?"

"I have to ask you a question. How is Richard Buchanan?"

Ralph smiled hugely. "Doing well. As handsome as ever, I would say."

Romani smiled and sighed and then laid her head against Malon. Not a minute later, she was asleep. Everyone in the room was forced to hold in their laughter.

(&)

"Still not expecting?" Blossom questioned Malon gently when they wee alone.

"No," Malon sighed, but she was smiling. "I know it has to be in God's time, but I do wish for it."

"There's noting wrong with that," Blossom replied. "Even the Bible talks about the way children are a woman's pride and joy. I don't think we're in any way imperfect if we can't have children, but if we can, we should."

Malon nodded. "I know you would feel that way."

Both women were in Blossom's and Bipin's bedroom and silence fell until Blossom asked, "How does Ralph feel about it, Malon?"

"Oh, Mother, he's so wonderful. He keeps reminding me how long he waited to find me. He says that if we never have children, he'll still live the rest of his life in contentment with me at his side."

Blossom smiled. "He's very special."

"Yes. I only hope that all my sisters find men with half the love and tenderness Ralph possesses."

"I think they will. After all, Romani has clamed Richard Buchanan, but only when Ruto's not looking."

They laughed, but then Malon turned serious, her mind going to her sister.

"She's still head-over-hells, isn't she, Mother?"

Blossom sighed. "Yes. I think I wrote to you about the way she looked when Link left last year."

Malon nodded.

"She scared me to death, Malon. She simply couldn't eat, and I didn't think she would ever get over it."

"What happened?"
"He wrote her a letter. In fact, he wrote two letters. She had made a deal with him that if he wrote, she would reply. So she wrote back, and lo and behold, letters from him just kept coming.

"She's been so excited at times that she's read a few to me. I don't know if this will go anywhere, Malon, but he has far more care for her feeling than he did when he lived here. I know why he didn't get that close to her; I mean, Zelda was impossible, but now," Blossom shrugged, "she's utterly smitten."

"I can see it in her face when his name is mentioned."

Someone knocked at eh door, and a moment later Ralph stuck his head in.

"I wondered where you'd wandered off to."

"Why, Ralph." Malon was surprised. "I thought you were having lunch with Father."

"I was, but he cut it short when I told him in no uncertain terms that we're not moving to Kakariko Village and starting up a branch office to my bank."

The women could only stare at him. Malon looked crushed, but her mother looked furious. Ralph didn't know what else to say and was a little sorry he'd interrupted them, so he quietly left.

"After all this time, Mother, he still doesn't accept this change."

"I know," Blossom replied tiredly. "He usually discusses tings with me, but this time he must have just been lying in wait."

The image so amused Malon that she suddenly smiled. He was like that at times; he would rehearse his words and spring on someone, sure of what that person's answerer was going to be. Right now it seemed quiet laughable to her. Blossom suddenly looked over and saw Malon's smile.

"It's not funny, Malon." The older woman was still frowning.

"I'm sorry, Mother, but it is. Father is just too outrageous for words. Not a word out of him when we arrive. He greets us like everything is fine and then he pounces on Ralph as soon as our backs are turned." A giggle escaped her. "We might as well laugh as cry."

Blossom shook her head. She was not angry, but neither was she amused. Oh, Bipin, her heat sighed. What am I going to do with you?

Want to find out what happens next? Well I'm sorry but you will have to wait until I update.