Alwy does not expect

“Well, Gunnie, I don’t know but I guess your fire’s getting low,” Alwy said. “You want me to stir it up some?”

Gunnilda did not answer.

“All right, I guess I will.”

Gunnilda was lying on her bed, still in her nightgown, though it was close to noon.

“I sure been having a busy day today, Gunnie. There’s so much work that didn’t get done ’cause it was covered by the snow and we didn’t know. But it’s a real pretty day out there today, except it’s muddy. Maybe you will come sit a while in the kitchen and we can open the door so you can smell the air. I guess it smells almost like spring. Or maybe that’s just the mud.”

After Alwy had finished with the fire, he pulled a chair up to the bed and sat beside her.

“How do you feel now, Gunnie? I haven’t heard you cough in a while, I guess. Is your cough better?”

Gunnilda did not answer.

“Well, that’s real good, then. I seen Aylmer and he said that Aelfie’s better too. Maybe she’ll come up in a day or two and you can have a chat. And what else? I seen Githa and Ethelmund, too. I had to go see about that yoke. But she said their baby is doing real good. I guess that’s a good news, isn’t it? Maybe Githa will bring him up one of these days and you can see him. He’s that cute. And Colburga says to give you a kiss from her. And to Wynnie too.”

Alwy leaned closer and took one of her small hands.

“Githa said she thought you ought to be feeling your baby move about now,” he said softly, “but I said if you did, you never told me. Did you?”

Gunnilda did not answer.

“She said some ladies like to keep that secret to yourselves a while, but I guess you always told me right away, didn’t you? I guess I got to wait a while before I can feel him move. But I don’t mind.”

Alwy watched her face anxiously. She almost did not seem to have heard. Mother Duna had told him he should try to keep her mind on her coming baby so that she wouldn’t think so much about young Egelric. But July seemed a long way off.

“I been wondering what we should name him if he’s a girl. I mean if she is. You know what I think is a real pretty name for a girl baby?”

“There won’t be any baby, Alwy,” she muttered.

“What?”

Gunnilda did not answer.

“What do you mean, Gunnie?”

Gunnilda did not answer.

“Gunnie?” he said, alarmed. “But I thought…”

“Not anymore.”

“Oh!” he cried, his hand to his mouth.

He hadn’t thought of this at all. He had wanted the baby of course – he could never have too many kids around. But mostly he had wanted this baby for her. He didn’t know how else he would be able to get his wife back now. July would never come.