𝕄𝕪 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖, 𝕄𝕪 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖 - Theodore Laurence ✅

5

Catherine giggled, as she watches Amy and Meg chase each other down in the snowy field, helping Beth we the snowman where she offered her scarf for decoration. "Jo! Aren't you up yet!" Catherine yelled for her second older sister, her eyes located at the attic window, knowing her call would have woken the girl up by now.

Hard tipping can be heard before Jo presented herself to her sister yelling, "Merry Christmas!" All siblings look up delighted at her, Catherine's smile would be seen reaching up to her ears.

All five sisters played in the snow, playing as if this might be their last childhood memory together. "You know what?" Catherine asked them, "I bet this will be our best snowman yet." She said, eyes glinting in sparkles at Beth who couldn't agree more.

The sisters giggled together, all of them being playful. It was going to be a wonderful time for them. There was nothing better than being around your sisters. It was the essence of happiness, Catherine thought. These moments were to be treasured. There would be no fighting, only the joy of being together.

"Come on, now," Catherine yelled after hours and hours of fun. Guiding her sister back into the house with the help of Meg, "Amy, you're going to catch a cold! That's your 15th snow angel!" Amy chuckled, rushing into Catherine's arms as they both tangle inside without breaking their embrace, Beth following behind them while Meg was in charge of Jo.

Catherine made sure to warm up the two youngsters first with the help of Hannah who batches up some good warm chocolate milk. Jo and Meg come joining before the fireplace to heat their body.

"What have you been writing?" Beth questioned Jo. "That's right, you've been up in the attic most mornings!" Amy voiced out her displeasure with Jo's late entry to the morning snow fun.

Jo clomps down a single seat, pages of the play in her hand, "I got carried away with our delicious revenge play last night. POISON!" Immediately voices of disapproval of the chosen play were being spoken.

Catherine watches around, standing beside Hannah as they both fondly stare at the siblings, "Do you think this all would last, Hannah?" Hannah the housemaid was shocked at Catherine, a now 15-year-old, with sudden seriousness and depressing question. She could not bear the idea of their childhood play coming to an end.

"I'm not positive, Cathy." She carefully wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder, bringing her closer to her as she placed a chin above her head, "But, why worry about things so far? It's better to enjoy what's right before you."

Catherine wasn't able to thank the older lady when she was brought into the sister's conversation by Jo, "What about you, Cathy? What do you wish?" Hannah had pushed Catherine slightly, leaving the sisters to bond. Catherine carefully walked her way between Amy and Beth on the couch. She taught about her answer but reply with a question, "What did you all wish?"

"I wish I had heaps of money and plenty of servants, so I'd never need to work again," Meg replied first, placing her sewing down. "I have lots of wishes, but my favourite one is to be an artist and go to Paris and do fine pictures and be the best painter in the world." Amy beam her bright teeth at Catherine which got a chuckle.

"I'm shall wish to become a writer, of course!" Jo stood up proudly as she hit her chest, only to groan in pain later as she slowly sat back down.

Catherine turned to Beth, the last to speak of her wish. "My wish is to have us all to be together with Father and Mother in this house... That's what I want." Catherine heard Amy muttering under her breath at how perfect Beth is, Catherine playfully fumble Amy's hair for fun before whispering, "You're perfect too."

"What about your music, Queen Bess," Jo asked the youngest, Catherine took interest in that too. Beth had been obsessing with her music, piano particularly. "I only do that for us, I don't need anyone else to hear it," Beth spoke, blushing was a clear sight on her cheek. Catherine giggled, loving Beth's cuteness that she just had to embrace the girl tightly, which Beth accepted.

Suddenly, Meg stood up. Coughing her throat to receive attention to her, "Mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas because our men are suffering in the army. We can't do much, but we should make our little sacrifices and do it gladly."

"Don't play mother just because she's not home." Jo throws a pillow at Meg, it hits her squarely in the face. "Gosh, Jo. It's so boyish." Jo merely rolled her eyes at Amy's words, "That's why I do it."

Amy had disdainfully replied, not letting Jo have the last word, "I detest rude, unlady-like girls." A scoff can be heard, " And I hate affected little chits!" Jo tackles Amy which resulted in Catherine and Beth being in the commotion also, Jo even pulled in Meg.

They commence play fighting, and giggles and chuckles spread like wildfire. In the tussle, Amy shouts out, "Watch my nose! My nose! It's already no good!"

"I know you don't care what I think, but you don't want your mother to find you like this, do you?" The girls untangle frozen in stop as they glance at Hannah who reenters the room, Catherine grew a wide smirk before whispering to Amy's ears who spread them to Beth, then Jo and Meg. Hannah, she's a good-natured woman old enough to be their grandmother and she needs to know how appreciated she is. The girls untangle and run to Hannah. Everyone squeezes the woman with their love.

"You're more family than!" Amy yelled directly beside Hannah's ear. "Of course, we care what you think," Meg placed a kiss on Hannah's cheek. "You're more a family than the wicked old Aunt March." Jo chortled as Hannah gave her an unapproved look.

"Jo! Don't!" Beth seems to be thinking the same when she began scolding Jo. Catherine squeezed Hannah's hand, and spoke honestly, "You're like a mother to us, you're the best gift we can ask for. We love you so much, we're so fortunate to have you." They broke the chummy embrace when Hannah has difficulty with all their love at once, Amy glancing around looking for someone, "Where's Marmee?"

"Goodness only knows. Some poor creature came a-beggin', and your ma went straight off to see what was needed." Hannah shook her head, "She's been gone for hours!" Seeing the mood going down slightly, due to the zero presence of their mother. Catherine spoke up, changing the subject, "Jo, re-written the climax and we need to set it to memory. Amy, get the costumes. Chop! Chop!"

Amy squealed excitedly, "I've made a DIVINE hat and painted those old shoes blue, so Jo truly looks like a princess!" Jo had a disgusted look, ready to oppose but Amy had shot off to the costumes.

"I think the melancholy piece I've figured out is pretty good. Cathy, I need your ears." Beth goes to the piano, dragging Catherine with her and Jo hands out the new pages to Meg.

As Meg has begun mesmerizing her lines, Amy has set about sorting out the costumes and props, and Jo has tried to get Hannah in her play also. Beth and Catherine have brought in their conversation.

"You've not yet told us your wish," Beth's fingers gently played the piano like a true professional. Catherine's eyes never left the sheet of music notes, "I wish that all my love's wishes come true."

Beth stopped her finger, moving her eyes to Catherine, making the girl do the same, "Cathy, I see you at night in pace when you think no one's watching. You're always reaching for something, and I'm not sure what."

Catherine is genuinely surprised hearing this from Beth, if she was caught by what Beth spoke of, she would have hoped it was their mother or Meg, rather than her younger sister, whose strong image of herself she hopes to maintain.

"What is it you wish for, Cathy?"

Catherine swallowed, "I don't know." She broke their contact, staring down at the piano where she played a soft melody, wishing to drown their conversation. "I worry about most things. I worry about my mother and father. About the future and the past. I worry about the sisters."

She smiled despite her concerns, "I worry about everything." She whispered, "I wish, for us to be together, even for just a little while. Just for now." She looked at her sisters, "For forevermore, stay like this... But I learnt, nothing last."