Concern spread across Urial’s face. Her large copper laundry cauldron swirled and rolled with foam and bubbles. “Sapo? You okey? Where are you? The neighbour came over and-”

A small white head appeared over the rim of the cauldron, “Oh. Ugh. Hi. Urial.” Unlike Aimuzjon, Sapo was curiously rounded. His head seemed attached directly to his neck, and he had long droopy whiskers like a fish. His horns were small, rounded and branched like antlers.

“What about William’s laundry, he’s baking us a loaf of bread right now!” Urial chastised, “Is it dry?”

Aimuzjon head appeared and rested on top of Sapo’s smaller head, “Don’t worry, I dried it for you.”

There was a giggle and the two heads descended slowly into the pot in a smooth, serpentine synchronized motion.

“ugh?” William pointed in complete confusion.

“Better not to the think about it.” Urial dragged a curtain behind the counter. Normally used to hide the work from customer. This time it gave some privacy to the suspiciously foaming cauldron, “Here let me fold this.”

William sat as he watched her hands move over the fabric. Not a wasted motion and somehow. Impossibly. The heaping pile that William had brought over, practically towering over him was being reduced to a small neat stack. Urial glanced at him, “What?” The vastness of his chore reduced to a simple task by the woman.

“Never seen someone fold laundry before.”

Urial gasped, “I watched you do it with dough! You just.” And she folded it.

“Too hard.” William joked,

She groaned “Men...”

He clarified, “Hard to clean clothing when every surface is covered in flour.” Urial smiled and nodded in understanding why Will hated laundry.

He counted his clothing, and it was all there. “I will bake you three more loafs seems fair for all you done for me.”

She pointed, “Can I get two of the loafs from you in the future...”

“I need a day’s notice.”

She flashed a thumbs up and followed Will back to the bakery.

William checked the firebox which while was hot enough for frying. William retrieved his bread basket and pulled out the partially risen dough. He punched it. Kneaded it a little then let it rest.

“That quick… I thought it took a day to rise…” Urial glanced at the pile of goopy dough.

William shrugged, “Gyst is…” he lifted the old jar, removed the lid and showed it to Urial. “A bit better then the average starter.”

Urial approached hesitantly, “Is it… alive?” glancing cautiously at the vessels throbbing contents.

William shrugged, “I feed it water and flour, it gives me yeast. I think so?” He put the lid back on it. Then returned to break the dough into pieces and rolling it out into little disks. Adding flour as he needed to keep it from sticking.

Urial eyes looked heavenward as if looking for answers, “Wait, you feed it, and it grows… Is bread alive?”

“I think so. Mine is at least.” William smiled, “But I think I am crazy for thinking it.” Urial gasped as he punched the ball of dough onto the hot metal directly and pushed it flat with a loud sizzle. “Now we wait.” He lifted his hand the moment he felt heat on his knuckles. And waited for the bread to fall off the metal firebox.

Urial changed the topic dramatically. “William? Do you think you could tell if someone was flirting with you?”

“Probably not. No one ever has. I’m a common baker.” William turned flipped the bread, pushed it down and removed it from the heat dropping it on basket lid. Urial reached for it. “Not yet, it’s still too hot!” Will cautioned

Urial hands were not going for the bread. She grabbed his larger hands, “What?” Will stood in confusion as the woman held his hands. She caressed the white dusted flour, and her trimmed nails caught a piece of dough stuck to William's hands and scrapped it off. 

She stepped forwards and lifting herself up on her tip toes, kissed him gently on the cheek.

Will’s mouth fell open dumbly, “Oh.”

~~~~~

Just a Kiss.