𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞- 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

ELEVEN

"No, I haven't seen her." Amy shook her head.

Marmee whispered worriedly under her breath as Mr. Laurence and Laurie entered the franticly busy house, "I can't miss the last train."

"What can I do?" Laurie's hand brushed Charlotte's as she passed by with a pile of clean clothes for her uncle. Beth trailed behind Charlotte like a shadow with a trembling lip and watery eyes. The earlier glee that her face held after their race had vanished and was replaced by fear. Laurie wrapped one of his arms around Beth and hugged her close.

"Just being here is enough." Charlotte sighed, trying to calm her nerves. Laurie extended his hand to Charlotte, who intertwined her fingers with his for a moment.

"I'll always be here, Lottie." He said softly. Her heart fluttered in her chest as Laurie squeezed her hand. She noticed her heart did that often. The faintest touch of Laurie's hand or the brush of his arm against hers sent a tingle of electricity up from her toes and made her mind fuzzy. 

Their hands broke apart as Amy hurried towards them and took the clean clothes from Charlotte's grasp. She said nothing to either of them, but Charlotte caught the mischievous gleam in her eyes as she smiled at their joined hands.

"If I may be of any more assistance, please tell me. I will look in on the girls every day, without fail." Mr. Laurence spoke to Marmee once she stopped rushing around the parlor.

Marmee thanked him politely, trying to stop the onslaught of tears welling up in her eyes.

"I have always admired your husband, and I pray for a quick recovery." Mr. Laurence spoke with a nod, before settling in the corner of the room by the window.

Meg rushed through the hallway in a distraught mess of nerves and bumped directly into Mr. Brooke. She blushed and recoiled, taking a few clumsy steps backward as she uttered a quiet apology.

Mr. Brooke spoke hurriedly, hoping Meg wouldn't disapprove of his presence at such a chaotic time, "I came to offer myself as escort to your mother. Mr. Laurence has commissions for me in Washington, and it will give me real satisfaction to be of service to her there."

Meg certainly did not disapprove, and fueled by the chaos and turmoil of the house and her heart, she planted a soft kiss against his cheek. As she stepped away, her grateful eyes met his, devoid of any embarrassment or regret.

"Thank you." She said barely above a whisper.

Mr. Brooke swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, pressing himself against the doorway as he slipped into the parlor to speak with Marmee and Mr. Laurence.

"Ahem." Charlotte paused in the hallway and she couldn't fight the merry smile on her face. "I saw that Miss March."

Meg turned and froze in embarrassment of being found out. She gaped and struggled to form words as Charlotte chuckled and passed her and found Marmee in the chaos of the room.

"Marmee," Charlotte approached her panicked aunt and pulled her coin purse from her pocket. She took the last of the money from inside and handed it to Marmee. Her allowance was gone after a summer of good times and merriment, and all that remained was the money she had saved for train fare back home, but it didn't seem like she would be going home anytime soon. Her mother had yet to send such a frightening letter and instead kept her correspondences simple and short—  which Charlotte believed terrified her more. But she couldn't in good faith hold onto the measly few bills when someone needed them much more than her. "I'd like to give you this. It's not much, but it should help with medicine and all that."

Marmee tried to hand the money back to her. "Charlie, no. You'll need this when you mother is better, which I'm sure will be any day now."

"Take it. I insist." Charlotte shook her head and folded Marmee's hand over the bills. "My mother will understand and she'd want you to take it."

"Thank you." Tears gathered in Marmee's eyes and she quickly brushed them away. She closed the latches on her suitcase and turned to face her family. "While I'm gone, Hannah is in charge— and please remember to check on the Hummel's. It will be a difficult winter for everyone."

The front door swung open and interrupted Marmee's gentle reminders. Jo bolted inside, tugging her woolen hat over her ears as far down as she could. "Will this be enough for the train?" Jo rushed forward, handing a large stack of bills over to Marmee. She held her head up assertively as she counted the bills.

"Twenty five dollars! That isn't like Aunt March to be so generous." Marmee's hands trembled with astonishment as her eyes widened.

"I didn't go to Aunt March. Couldn't bear to." Jo shook her head defiantly. The old woman would have made such a fuss, huffing and scolding Jo until she was out of breath and Marmee missed the first train, speaking in jumbled criticisms of her father's service or her family's status. Until eventually she'd contribute just a few measly dollars that could barely take Marmee to New York, much less all the way to the capital. So no, Jo couldn't bear to go to Aunt March, not when she wanted to be of so much more help than shaking down an old woman for pocket change.

"Where did you get the money?" Marmee asked incredulously, still holding the bills in her outstretched hand.

Jo slowly removed her cap. "I only sold what was my own."

Her once long hair was cut short, with curls collecting on her forehead and around her ears. She seemed unfazed by it as her family let out shocked gasps. She even held her chin high in the air as Meg cried out and Laurie burst into laughter.

"Your one beauty!" Amy cried, clasping her hands over her gaping mouth as if Jo had done something horrendous.

"It doesn't affect the fate of the nation, so don't wail." Jo brushed off their surprise stoically.

"I am so proud that you are my daughter." Marmee stroked Jo's cheek lovingly, before pulling her into a brief hug.

Amy tapped Beth's shoulder and gave her a commanding look. "Don't you ever do that."

Jo buried her face in Marmee's coat. "I was crazy to do something for Father. It'll be good for my vanity, anyway."

Jo broke away from her mother and beamed as Laurie chuckled at her. "Teddy!" She laughed as he wrapped her in a hug and ruffled her short hair endearingly.

"I think it suits you." Charlotte grinned once Laurie had let Jo go and ruffled her hair once more for good measure.

Jo smiled back, running her hands through her cropped hair. "Think so?"

Marmee stood before them as she pulled on her coat and the last suitcase locked closed. "My girls: I love you more than words can say. Be good to each other. Pray for Father's recovery. I will come back as soon as I can."

The light-hearted feeling caused by Jo's reveal turned cold as Marmee and Mr. Brooke gathered her things and left the house. It turned into a deathly quiet evening as the girls trudged to bed with minds amuck with worry and fear.

Amy clutched Charlotte's hand after the last candle was blown out and their bedroom was enveloped in the darkness. "Father will be alright, won't he?" She whispered with a trembling voice. "Marmee will take care of him, and he will get better. He has to."

Charlotte squeezed her little cousin's hand affectionately. Her mind was swimming with what to say. Her own mother was laying alone, very sick and very far away, and her heart ached to be with her everyday. She felt as helpless and confused as Amy did, but her mouth couldn't form the words she wanted to say. She wished she could tell her that everything would alright and her father would be with them before they knew it, but illness and the war had made everything so uncertain. "I'm sure we will know more soon. Mr. Brooke and Marmee will write as soon as they get to Washington."

After Amy slipped out of bed to console Jo, who was sniffling in the hallway and pulling at her short hair, Charlotte stared at the ceiling with uncertainty. Her head was swirled with worry and dread for what was to come. She tossed and turned, until the sheets had tangled around her legs and her mind pulsed with trepidation. Eventually she succumbed to sleep, and drifted off to the memory of hot tea and her mother's eyes.

A/N: I live for soft Laurie and Charlotte moments 🥺