Questions

„Manly?"

It was already getting dark when Laura and Almanzo had left Nellie's and now strolled down the road which led behind the schoolhouse.

"Yes?" His arm was around her waist as the first stars were visibly on the cloudless sky.

Laura hesitated for one second and bit her lip, before finishing her question. "With how many women did you go out?"

Oh no - Almanzo hated this kind of questions. No matter what he answered it somehow always was the wrong thing to say.

"Why do you ask?" he tried to push the topic away.

Laura moved her shoulders up and down. She certainly didn't want to tell him that she still felt insecure in their relationship from time to time. "Well, just for information. I figured since we're going to get married in three months, I probably should know more about you."

Almanzo sighed. Why didn't she ask how his childhood had been? He had struggled hard to make her believe that she wasn't a girl to him anymore and he still feared that talks like this could lead to something bad.

"Four, I guess."

"You guess?" Laura now looked at him questioningly and the thought of four other women in his life cut her in her heart.

"I meant I know it."

"Oh. And ... have you been in love with them?" She didn't even want to hear the answer, so why did she ask? Laura looked at the ground, cursing herself for her curiosity.

"Yes, with one."

"Oh" Laura's stomach ached. Sure, she had had crushes on some schoolboys before she met Almanzo, but she hasn't been in love until him. The thought that he had felt everything she felt towards him for another woman made her feel angry and hurt.

"You never told me that." Laura stated feeling cheated.

"I thought you'd know it."

"It was Vanessa, right?" They had stopped walking by now and Laura loosened herself out of his hold to stand in front of him.

"What?" Almanzo looked puzzled at her.

"The one you were in love with was Vanessa, right?"

"What makes you think so?"

"You kissed her"

"What? When?" The confusion was now clearly visible on his face. He didn't like where this conversation headed.

"That day when you won the sack race...you kissed her on the hand right after that" Laura looked once again at the ground. She didn't like to remember moments like that – moments when it had seemed to be so clear that she would never be Laura Wilder.

"I did?" He did remember that day but he didn't remember kissing Vanessa on the hand.

"Yes." She lifted her head again. He couldn't have really forgotten that! "You aren't trying to tell me you forgot that, are you?"

"Well", Almanzo scratched the back of his head, "I'm sorry Beth, I just don't remember. Maybe I did it because I was happy about winning or something and just did it." He shrugged.

"Oh and does that mean that all the times you kissed me before we started courting just happened so too?" her voice sounded angry by now. She just couldn't believe Almanzo played the events down like this!

"Of course not, Beth." He looked apologetically at his betrothed. "I remember every single kiss I gave you – even before we were courting."

Laura felt a little lighter inside after his words, but she still wanted to be angry with him and refused to look him into the eyes.

Almanzo made a step forward so he could touch her arms with his hands. "I remember every kiss on the forehead", he leaned in to kiss her tenderly on her forehead. "I remember every kiss on your cheek", he now moved down with his lips to kiss Laura on her cheek. A smile started to curl her lips, but she still tried to stifle it. "And every kiss on your lips..." he finished the sentence by covering her lips with his.

As he parted, Almanzo opened his eyes slowly, relieved about seeing a small smile on her lips.

"You still didn't tell me about the one you've been in love with." She remembered why she still had a reason to be angry with him.

"Oh yeah", Almanzo rubbed her arms while looking at the sky, pretending to think about the right words, "Well, she was beautiful..."

Laura couldn't believe her ears! How could he say something like that to her! Did he still love that woman and she'd just never realized that?

"She was!" Laura nearly screamed.

"Uh-huh", Almanzo nodded as if remembering her suddenly very clear, a small smile on his lips, "Yes, she had this wonderful hair you wanted to bury your face in. I remember it always smelled so good."

Laura gasped. How could he? She felt how jealousy and anger were filling her stomach inside.

"And she had these beautiful eyes. The most beautiful I've ever seen. Hazelnut-brown with green sparkles in them and this mischievous hint... " Almanzo now chuckled, "You would never believe how long it took me to realize how deep my feelings for her ran!"

"I bet I wouldn't" Laura replied hurt as she shrugged his hands off her arms and made one step back.

Almanzo didn't seem to be irritated by her. He just closed the distance between them again before continuing, "Yeah, it took some cinnamon chicken and touching hands over a handle to realize how head over heels in love I was with her."

"Wha-?" Laura suddenly stopped as it finally hit her about whom he was talking.

Almanzo started laughing as he saw her startled face.

"That's not funny, Almanzo Wilder!" Laura crossed her arms ashamed about being fooled by him.

"I think it is" he replied grinningly as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. "Aw Beth" he looked at her offended face, "don't be mad at me. I just couldn't resist. You're so cute when you're jealous." Almanzo smiled down at her still amazed of how she could create all this feelings inside of him.

"I wasn't jealous", Laura muttered, trying to pull herself together and keep being angry with him, but she really wasn't. She just felt so foolish about still being unsure of his love.

"I know" he replied with a mischievous smile. The tone of his voice made it obvious that he didn't buy her not-being-jealous "and that's a good thing too, because it would be very, very stupid to be jealous over some girls, Beth. When the only one I was ever in love with is the one I'm holding in my arms right now."

Laura smiled at him as Almanzo leaned down to capture her lips in a long, tender kiss.