𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 (EDITING)

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘺, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥

Early Christmas morning I heard a creak of our bedroom door opening, I didn't pay any mind to it until I heard Marmee whisper. "Merry Christmas, Jo." Then she walked over to my bed. I opened my eyes to see her putting a book under my pillow, "Merry Christmas, Eliza." Marmee smiled as she kissed me on the cheek. I closed my eyes gently as I tried to go back to sleep.

I tossed and turned for another fifteen minutes, then accepted defeat and got out of bed to help Hannah with breakfast. I stood up and remembered that Marmee had slipped something under my pillow earlier. I lifted my pillow to see a purple copy of 'Pilgrim's Progress'. A smile spread across my face. I placed it on my shelf and then walked to get my shawl on the chair. 

I quietly stepped down the stairs to see Marmee about to go out the front door. She looked at me and said, "A little boy came to the door asking for help, I'm leaving to see what I can do. " 

I offered, "I can come with you if you want, I can help. " 

She smiled at me and said, "No, you should stay here. I'll be back soon. " And with that, she shut the door and walked down the sidewalk with firewood in hand. I sighed and went to the back porch to retrieve some wood for the fireplace. 

Hannah gasped in shock, "Eliza! You nearly gave me a heart attack, what are you doing up so early?" Hannah said as she picked up some wood. 

"I couldn't sleep so I decided that I would get some logs for the fireplace. I assume you're getting some for the stove?" I asked.

"Yes, you would be correct. " 

I grabbed some logs and held the door open for Hannah as she walked towards the kitchen. The logs crackled as I lit them in the fireplace.

I stepped into the kitchen and asked, "Can I help? " 

Hannah looked up at me and said, "Sure! Can you start with kneading that bread dough and placing it in the bread pan?" I nodded and walked over to the basin to wash my hands.

I had pulled the baked bread out of the oven and began to take the muffins out of the baking tin while Hannah was starting to butter the skillet. Jo and Amy walked into the kitchen and asked, "Hannah, Eliza, do you know where our mother is? She isn't in her room. " 

"Well, she wouldn't be, because we had some shoeless little lad come wailing and hammering on the door, saying his mother was starving and sickly and like to die, and all her children like to die with her. " I giggled as I saw Jo and Amy taste the syrup, Hannah saw this and exclaimed. "Kindly get your fingers out the syrup! " They both said sorry and Hannah continued. "So your mother went running off after him to see what she could do, and she took a great pile of firing from next to my stove. " 

After Hannah was done I added, "She told me she would be back soon. " 

"As long as we have enough to cook the bacon. " Amy said as Jo and I laughed. 

"It's truly torture! My stomach is growling at the sight of it! " I wined as Meg and Beth ran into the room.  

"Merry Christmas, Hannah!" Meg said with a sing-song voice. 

"If you don't unleash me, you young rapscallions, there'll be no pancakes!" Hannah said loudly, we all laughed. Meg walked over to where I was sitting at the table and hugged me from behind while I was placing the muffins on a plate. "Merry Christmas, Eliza." She said with a kiss on the cheek. 

"Merry Christmas, Meg." I said as I leaned into her.

The side door opened to reveal a serious-faced Marmee. "Girls," She began as she shut the door. "-I've just come from the most deprived and wretched home I have ever seen. There was a mother with a newborn and five other little ones huddled under rags for warmth. I took firewood but it was not enough. "