A knock on the door roused Patience from her craftsman’s trance. She stuck the sewing needle into the upholstered arm of the sofa, gingerly laying the beginnings of a miniature dress over the hump. Getting an early morning start, she was determined to finish the little gown before bed and grumbled on her way to see to the disruption.

On the front step, away from the reach of the door swing, were two bottles of milk. When she lived alone, Patience had the milk delivered once a month. She had little use for milk outside of baking, and any dearth of dairy products in her pantry could be redressed with a trip to Ned Wells’ general store. Now that another shared her home again, the delivery was increased to a weekly schedule. It was particularly needed as Schuler enjoyed milk with his tea and coffee.

Since she was up, Patience did not bring the bottles inside just yet. Instead she tailed the milkman treading up the path leading to the road. While he clambered into his wagon, Patience emptied the mailbox.

Among the few letters was a particularly battered envelope. It had foreign stamps and hailed from Kanata. Patience’s eyes widened. It was from Schuler’s brother, Albert. Patience quickly flipped through the rest of the mail. Her hands stopped at a piece coming from St. Phocas. A smile spread over her lips. The miniature dress would have to wait.

Patience rushed back to the house, taking the milk bottles to the icebox. Clutching her afternoon delight, she laid the rest of the mail atop the kitchen table before whisking away to the bedroom.

The sharp crease of the letter pressed into her fingers as she read. It was from Tandy Lusine, the witch who had identified the curse that had struck Schuler during the spring. After Schuler’s recovery, Patience had penned her gratitude and sent it to the witch in Carolus. Tandy responded with a letter in kind, and so the two became pen pals.

Lounging atop the bed, Patience imagined herself on the sand by the sea. Memories of her trip to the shore painted the atmosphere for Tandy’s words. The witch wrote of her daily existence, mundane to the writer, but fascinating to Patience. Few texts about witches were available in Haverston’s library, so to have access to a primary source of knowledge was a treat. Anax had also taken to reading Tandy’s letters to expand his education. Patience felt a measure of guilt as she withheld the true nature of the skull she wore when she first met the witch, but she surmised Tandy had her own secrets.

Finished reading the account of how Tandy’s fathers had overseen the trial of a young heritage whaler over the summer, Patience left the bed for the small writing desk in the corner. She pulled forth paper and pen to begin a reply. However, the blank pages only mirrored her thoughts. She had nothing of note to impart. Patience sighed and pushed the letter and implements for a response into a wooden cubby.

Despite the nature of one of her partners, Patience led an ordinary existence. The great events of her life had already passed and were documented in letters months ago: the wedding, the consolidation of households. Little else would befall a human aside from career landmarks and children, and she had no interest in advancing either proposition at the moment. She enjoyed her present life and she wished to savor it before any future disruptions.

Marriage was a curious phenomenon. While she now prepared food for two and regularly washed a double load, they were tasks already ingrained into her existence. In many ways, Patience’s life changed little from when she was unwed. What she appreciated the most now was the regular companionship. Yet there was an immense sense of duty and societal expectation weighing on her shoulders imparted by the remarks of Schuler’s bandmates and her own examination of the rest of the world.

Described from her old picture books to the current magazines and catalogs she perused on the toilet, the paragon of a good wife encompassed many things. Patience was certain she met a few of those standards when it came to cooking, sewing, and cleaning. But some of the other requirements evaded her. Perhaps the milestone of marriage was a call for her to advance her abilities and duties. However, sorting the list between what she was willing to do and what elicited apprehension could jeopardize her standing with Schuler. Though he had yet to ask much of her, Patience steeled herself for a day when he would.