𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱; 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘺𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯.

𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘐, 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘐𝘐𝘐; '𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵.

"Nurse, where's my daughter? Tell her to come to me." Lady Capulet ordered. 

"I swear to you by my virginity at age twelve, I already told her to come. Come on!" Nurse frowned, "Where is she? What is she doing? What, Juliet!"

Hearing them, I walked towards the noise before seeing them and approaching them. 

"What is it? Who's calling me?" I asked.

"Your mother." Nurse nodded.

"Madam, I'm here. What do you want?" I turned to my mother. 

"I'll tell you what's the matter—Nurse, leave us alone for a little while. We must talk privately-" Lady Capulet said. Nurse walked off, and that's when my mother realised she really didn't know how to talk to me these days, "Nurse, come back here. I just remembered, you can listen to our secrets. You know how young my daughter is." 

Nurse returned as ordered with a smile and said, "Yes, I know her age down to the hour." It was true, Nurse had been more a mother to me than my actual mother ever had been. She had even breastfed me, because my mother had refused. 

"She's not even fourteen." Lady Capulet scoffed. 

"I'd bet fourteen of my own teeth—but, I'm sorry to say, I only have four teeth—she's not fourteen. How long is it until Lammastide?" Nurse asked. 

"Two weeks and a few odd days." Lady Capulet replied. 

"Whether it's even or odd, of all the days in the year, on the night of Lammas Eve, she'll be fourteen. She and Susan—God rest her and all Christian souls—were born on the same day. Well, Susan died and is with God. She was too good for me." Nurse bit her lip, "It's been eleven years since the earthquake. She stopped nursing from my breast on that very day. I'll never forget it."

"Enough of this. Please be quiet." Lady Capulet said as politely as she was able to manage. 

"Yes, madam. But I can't help laughing to think that the baby stopped crying and said-" Nurse continued. 

"Now you stop too, Nurse, please." I smiled.

"Peace. I'm done talking. May God choose you to receive his grace. You were the prettiest baby I ever nursed. If I live to see you get married someday, all my wishes will come true." She grinned.

"Well, marriage is exactly what we have to discuss. Tell me, my daughter Juliet, what is your attitude about getting married?" Lady Capulet asked.

"It is an honor that I do not dream of." I shrugged.

"Well, start thinking about marriage now. Here in Verona there are girls younger than you—girls from noble families—who have already become mothers." Lady Capulet said, "By my count, I was already your mother at just about your age, while you remain a virgin. Well then, I'll say this quickly: the valiant Griffin wants you as his bride."

"What a man, young lady. He's as great a man as any in the whole world. He's as perfect as if he were sculpted from wax." Nurse sighed, dreamily. 

"What do you say? Can you love this gentleman? Tonight you'll see him at our feast. Study Griffin's face and find pleasure in his beauty." Lady Capulet smiled, "This man is single, and he lacks only a bride to make him perfect and complete. Many people think he's handsome, and whoever becomes his bride will be just as admired."

"In fact, you'd get bigger. Men make women bigger by getting them pregnant." Nurse pointed out. 

"Give us a quick answer. Can you accept Griffin's love?" Lady Capulet asked. 

"I'll look at him and try to like him, at least if what I see is likable. But I won't let myself fall for him any more than your permission allows." I told her.

Thomas walked in.

"Madam, the guests are here, dinner is served, people are calling for you, people have asked for Juliet, and in the pantry, people are cursing the Nurse." He said, "Everything's out of control. I must go and serve the guests. Please, follow straight after me."

"We'll follow you." Lady Capulet nodded, "Juliet, the count is waiting for you."

"Go, girl, look for a man who'll give you happy nights at the end of happy days." Nurse grinned. 

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵　　‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦.
𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘓.