There was no answer. But she didn’t really need to ask.

“Then you have to adventure.”

She pulled his head close and whispered the words into his ear. Once again, there wasn’t a response right away; she didn’t expect one.

After a long moment, he asked, “…Is that so?”

“Sure is,” she responded, then, nodding, added “Definitely” for emphasis. “And to help you on your adventure, I think you should eat the food I so thoughtfully made for you and then get a good night’s sleep before you set out.”

“…Hrm,” he grunted but once again didn’t resist. She pulled the stewpot over to them, opened the lid, and shared the bread and stew with him. The stew had gone a little cold, but even so it was a labor of the heart.

It always would be.