Adeline (A Theodore Laurence Story)

24

"Yes, James. I'll call him Jim," Laurie smiled, placing a quick kiss on Adeline's head as they made the final steps to their family. 

"Hurry, you two! We've brought a cake for Marmee and she is going to cut it for us to share!" Meg scolded lightly, smiling as she placed her free hand on Daisy's shoulder. The family began to sing and smile at each other as Marmee's eyes filled with tears, so overcome with love for her ever-growing family. They may not all be March's anymore, but they certainly were her daughters. 

Adeline smiled at her Mother, knowing that this woman had brought her in well over 10 years ago and treated her nothing less than family. She slowly began to forget about her life before meeting the March family and nothing ever felt more real than her life right now. 

As Laurie guided Addy back to their estate just beside Plumfield, he began to ask a question that had been on his mind for a while. 

"Addy, my love?" He began, holding tightly onto Florence as she squirmed in his grip and tried to pull on his dark curls. 

"Yes, my Teddy?" She hummed, not really paying attention. 

"Do you ever... miss your old life? Y'know... your parents and family from before you ended up here?" He slightly regretted his question as Adeline sucked in a deep breath. 

"Well... no, not really. I know that this is always the place I have belonged, and I have no doubts that the family I have with you was always meant to be mine. I do miss my family sometimes, but I never had to miss out on any love or comfort because of the March family. I was always home," Addy smiled up at Laurie as he searched her eyes for any sadness, but he could not find any. Only love. 

"Good," he nodded, approaching their front door.

Before Adeline could step into the house, she started to feel strange. She froze in her place, grabbing her head as the world began to grow foggy. 

"Adeline?" She heard Laurie ask. 

"Laurie-" Addy felt sick to her stomach but she didn't vomit. She looked up in time to watch Laurie start to turn back to her, reaching out as he held onto their child. The world suddenly went black. 

Adeline could feel herself still breathing and she could hear voices around her, but she could not move. She urged herself to wake but she felt so exhausted just from trying. 

"I think she's moving!" Someone gasped, and she felt someone grab her hand. The voice was familiar but she felt like she hadn't heard it in so long. 

Eventually, her eyes opened to a bright light, bouncing off all of the white in the room. She felt the smell of cleaner and disinfectant flood her nose, which caused her heart to race. She started to put the pieces of the puzzle together as the room came into view. 

Her Mother, Anne, was beside her, grasping her hand with tears in her eyes. Addy could not believe what she was seeing as she noticed her Dad, Richard, standing behind her Mother. 

"Mom? Dad?" Her voice croaked out, but it was as if her vocal cords were made of sandpaper. 

"Hi sweetie, we're here," Richard choked out, tears pooling in his eyes as he placed a hand on Adeline's arm. Addy took in the rest of her surroundings, feeling that she was no longer six months pregnant and she was very much not in the 1800s anymore. Her eyes watered as she knew what this had meant; it was all fake. She had somehow concocted 10 years' worth of memories in an era and place that she had never been to before, even faking her small family. Her heart broke for Florence as she knew she would never see her again, and she even felt her lips tremble as she knew that she would never see her husband again. The man she fell in love with was not real.