I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away 9/10

Charles and Caroline arrive at the school and it only takes a moment for Ma to find her daughter and give her a hug. After a few moments of Mother/Daughter bonding, Pa says "What about me?" Grimaces, like smiles, aren't audible, Charles. Mary walks over for a hug. Mary then introduces Adam to her folks. After some handshakes are exchanged Mary offers a guided tour of the school. Charles and Caroline are floored by this. I think they got their money's worth out of the tuition.

We rejoin the family and Adam as they finish the lunch that Mary has prepared. She offers dessert, but Adam has to step out. Mary brings over a lopsided cake, telling her parents that her cakes were always lopsided. That's not surprising. Mary sits down and asks Ma what she thinks of the whole situation. Caroline is amazed, as if Mary was always this capable and that things will be just like normal back home. Mary drops a bomb that things do change. Before the bomb explodes, she thanks her parents for sending her to the school since she probably would have just holed up and died after a pity party of doom. Now for the boom: Mary is going to join Adam in Winoka. Adam lined up a teaching job for Mary and they will be leaving in a couple of weeks. Ma starts to cry, half in sadness that her daughter is leaving and half in the joy that Mary is going to realize her dream of being a teacher. Pa smiles proudly.

Later on, Ma and Pa get back on their coach and head to their hotel. Mary and Adam, holding hands, stand on the porch and say they will meet again in the morning. Caroline is still sobbing in joy. Back at the hotel, Charles is pacing as the rain is pouring outside. He looks like he has decided on something and wakes up Caroline. He recaps all the hardships currently facing Walnut Grove and Caroline tries to say that they have been through difficulties before and have survived. Charles has decided that they should pull up stakes and move out to Winoka. Caroline asks if that means they will sell the farm, but given the market the way it is Charles doesn't believe there would be any buyers. In other words, the Ingalls would be starting from scratch in a new city. Caroline paces about for a bit, puts on her game face and says "let's do it." The two of them decide to head back to the school to tell Mary the news.