She packed her things to meet Caroline. They had arranged to talk over coffee, which must have felt strange to them both. This was their first time meeting as adults. Adeline pondered on how they had changed.

Were they still the adventurous duo that would hunt down the river for perceived danger? The ones that hunted frogs while still finding it gross?

Adeline saw Caroline, stepping outside of her home and almost immediately sitting down. Her hands rested in her lap before she noticed the other woman, waving her over.

"Carrie," Adeline greeted with a gleeful smile. She almost went in for a hug, but avoided it as Caroline answered her with a hacking cough.

She apologized right after, brushing her fingers through her hair and saying, "Apologies. I'm a bit under the weather right now. But I did make some rolls."

Adeline reached out to the fine china before her, a still warm and radiating bun calling her name. She took in the scent of fresh baked goods... with a little honey? She grinned more, "You remembered honeybread."

"Honey-glazed rolls," Caroline giggled to herself, "The only way you eat them."

"But it's so expensive nowadays..." Adeline looked down at the bread, guilt in her expression before she ate the roll in two whole bites.

Caroline shook her head, murmuring, "My brother made a fine salary serving as an army doctor. This was my present before he returned home." Adeline blushed at her genuine, sweet smile.

She felt like she could melt. Caroline was still angelic.

"Is there any reason you came to visit?" she asked.

Adeline paused in between bites, swallowing down a clump of sweetened bread before turning back to her friend. "I don't know exactly," she answered, "I wanted to get my mind off of recent events."

"I've heard. Sorry about your loss," Caroline said.

They didn't share any more words about Adeline's father, consuming more of the food while awkwardness hung in the air.

"Oh!" Caroline exclaimed, standing up suddenly, "I forgot to get the coffee." She went inside the house, unsteady steps taking her to the coffeepot to pour her and her guest some of the brew.

"Here you go, ma'am," she jokingly said as she handed Adeline a small mug. Adeline reached for the sugar, going ahead and dumping an amount into her coffee.

Caroline sipped at hers plain, silence again washing over them.

"It's been some time..." Adeline admitted, then asking, "Are you insured?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and showed her blank hand, "No ring yet for this lonely hand."

"Ah. I'm in quite the same situation," Adeline said.

"I'm sure for longer than me. Your mother always wanted you to marry gold, nothing less," Caroline stated with an amused tone.

Adeline shakes her head, "She wants me married so I quit my job. She hates factory work, she thinks it's going to ruin my hands."

Caroline glanced down at some bandages that covered Adeline's thumbs. Smiling still, she murmured, "Your mother's only concerned about your health. She might be anxious for a new family too..." She bumped shoulders with her friend.

Adeline flared red in the face, shuddering, "Not yet, absolutely not now."

"Do you know who I might be interested in dating?" Caroline looked off to the side, whispering, "Alois."

Adeline burst out laughing while Caroline tried to explain, "He's such a sweetheart! I see him everyday in the fields, playing football with the kids. I'd like to... introduce myself."

"Oh no..." Adeline sighed, "You haven't even met him?"

Caroline shook her head, both of the girls now completely flushed in the face, "Not officially, no."

"Because I'm your dearest friend," Adeline reached out her hand without thinking, holding Caroline's, "I will introduce you to this man, and you'll go on a beautiful amount of dates, and then you'll wed him and bed him."

"Well, if you're going to be making comments like that, then you better start dating too!" Caroline mused, "We're not pretty young ladies forever..."

Adeline chuckled, narrowing her eyes, "As soon as there's a mug that isn't drunk every night and listens, I'll consider."

The two women laughed again. Daylight turned into evening night, discussing anything from men to war to memories.

And then it was time for Adeline to leave. She smiled as she did so, going down the porch stairs. Her chest felt warm. She put her hand over it, sighing.

Meeting Caroline again was the best decision she had made that year.