Jo and Laurie: A Re-telling of the Re-telling

Welcome Home

It was three days before Christmas, and Laurie was on his way back to Concord. Jo anxiously awaited the arrival of her dearest friend. She stayed in her attic and moved her desk closer to the window, to make it seem as if she was working and not just sitting idly by waiting for his carriage to appear. She got her quill and a piece of paper and was nervously writing. Anything that came to her mind she put on that paper, she found it helped to alleviate the crippling tension she was feeling. Oh what she and Laurie would do upon his return! She would show him her book, he would talk about Harvard and all the wonderful works of literature he had read. They would go to the frozen river and skate splendidly with each other, it would just be like old times.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shadow of a carriage. He was here! Jo ran down the stairs and opened the front door and ran to approach Laurie. What would she say? Her loneliness would be alleviated now that he was here!

Laurie stepped out of the carriage with a different air about him, his face was more defined. His shoulders broader, his posture more upright, and his eyes looked tired but still twinkled.

Jo hardly noticed any of these changes, of course, and was so happy to see him that she sprinted out to the opened door of the carriage with such boldness, so much that it startled the horses.

"Sir Theodore Laurence! Is it truly you?"

Laurie was shocked at Jo's invasive entrance, not because it was out of character but because he felt as if she might have felt the same awkwardness he did. He should have known Jo would not have cared about the rejection he felt, he knew she wanted their relationship to go back to normal. She had to know it wouldn't.

"Jo, you really shouldn't startle the horses like that; you could have gotten hurt."

Jo was baffled at his lack of excitement, wasn't he glad to see her in the slightest?

"I was just excited to see you! How are you doing?"

" Just fine."

Jo could feel the tension in his words, she knew at that moment that Marmee was right, some reparations were due.

"You must be exhausted from your travels--"

"Yes, I should probably get some rest."

"Right, okay. If you need anything you know where I'll be."

Laurie looked at Jo, she really was beautiful. He couldn't stare at her for too long, he felt the rejection start to bubble up inside him once more. It was even more hurtful that Jo didn't seem to take it as seriously as he did. He picked up his bag and headed inside.

Jo's eyes started to fill with tears, she ran to Meg's house and brutally knocked on the door. Meg opened the entranceway and saw her sister with swollen eyes and wet cheeks, bawling as she entered.

"Meg, he hates me!"

"Who?"

"Who else? Laurie, of course," Jo let out a huge sob as she soaked in her sorrow.

Meg felt sorry for the poor girl. She knew how lonely she was and how she craved for a fraction of what her life used to be before love, death, and novels came into the picture.

"Jo, he just needs a little time to warm up to things, that's all. Be patient."

"How much time do I need to give him?"

"Just wait until he comes to you, give him room to breathe."

"I don't want to wait, Meg! I have waited long enough."

"I know dear, but you must."