𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 -𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚎 '𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚎' 𝙻𝚊𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎

Chapter 36

        A bird whistled in the trees next to my room. A strange reminder that the world keeps spinning. I wake up with no one next to me. I look around the room for Jo, but she wasn't there. I hear laughter and chattering downstairs. A unusual sound to hear in this house nowadays.
       I get up and dressed while looking out at Laurie's house. As if I were still a 15 year old girl, I sit and stare at it. I had always been in awe of their big house with only the two of them there. I had always dream to have a quiet house, not that I would trade my sisters for it. But now, actually having a quiet house, the thought flows away with my nativity.
       My house had always been filled and always loud. There were always vibrant summers and cozy winters to fill my childhood. It seems that growing up took more than my immaturity. I think about Laurie again. The one thing that has kept me laughing through the pain. It's nice to know that as I get older, Laurie will never let me forget my sense of humor. I don't want to be old and bitter, not like my aunt March.
Oh, Aunt March. A reminder to go and check on her rings in my head. The reason I came back in the first place was because she was ill. A new worry profounds me. One that I push out of my head as I continue to stare out the window.
         "Mary!" I hear Marmee call for me.
          Finishing up my hair, I walk downstairs with a small smile. I see Dore, talking to John. He notices me and smiles. Seeing him reminds me of Beth's words, 'even if i die, you must get married'.
        She had known. She knew how I would react to her death and I couldn't be more grateful to her. Even in death, Beth will always be the best of us. Laurie kisses my head, continuing his conversation with John as I just stand with him. It must be funny for John to see the boy he once tutored with his fiancé. Must be even weirder now that they are family.
        "Amy is here." Laurie tells me in my ear, while John is talking to Meg.
        "YOU DIDNT TELL ME SOONER?" I whisper-yell and hit Laurie in the arm, like I had done at the theater with Jo.
        "You didn't ask." Laurie exclaims, chuckling.
         I give him a glare as I run off to find my sister. We had become so much closer to each other during their trip. Being away from
each other for a month, even, was too unbearable.
       "MARI!" Amy cheers, joyfully.
       I see my sister and John, "AMY! JOHN!"
        "Mary!" John smiles, pleasantly.
         I wrap them both in a hug. It had been too long. We had been together for a year on vacation and I had grown attached to them all.
         "Is James here?" I  ask.
         Amy shakes her head, "No, he had stayed. A little lady by the name of Lilian Vaughn had caught his eye."
         "Fred Vaughn's sister?" I question, shocked.
        John sighs and scratches his neck, "Listen, Mary. I'm sorry for what my brother did-"
         "John, stop it. You're forgiven. It's okay. It wasn't you. Besides, you were always my favorite" I hug him again.
           Amy pulls me off of John and drags me away, "John, we will be right back. Just some sister catching up."
           John nods with a smirk. He knows something I don't. We pass by Laurie, who gives me a look. I shrug my shoulders, not knowing where Amy is taking me. We stop outside of the house, near the field Meg and John had gotten married in.
         "You didn't tell?" Amy starts out.
          "Tell you what?" I question, avoiding her eye contact.
            "Laurie and you."
          "Amy, I didn't tell anyone. No one had known until, well, the day before Beth had died." I explain.
          That causes her to look down, "I just thought you would have told me first. I just- We had spent years together on that trip and we were each other's safe place-"
          I take Amy's hand, "Amy, we are close. We always have been. We have been close in age for all our lives. Thats why we fought the most. Amy, you would've been the first to know, under any other circumstance, but with Beth, we needed good news."
          Amy looks up, her eyes almost tearing, "I miss her."
           "I know," I hug her tightly, "I miss her too."
          I can feel a tear slip from my eye. I pull away from Amy and wipe my eyes, as she does the same. I try to smile a bit.
          "Bess wouldn't want us sad." Amy nods.
           I shake my head and smile at her, "You're right. I am so proud of you, you know."
            "I know. I love you, Mari." Amy sighs and she looks up, "And I love you, queen Beth."
             A laugh through my tears comes out, "Our Beth."
I sigh, looking at my younger sister. How she had grown up so much. Amy looks out at the landscape.
"It's good to be home." Amy smiles.
"Does Father and Marmee know about you and John?"
Amy nods, "They know. A bit of shock but they know."
"I better not be interrogated for keeping it a secret." I rolls my eyes, jokingly. "I hated getting in trouble when you would get in trouble."
Amy laughs, "I hardly got in trouble."
I shake her head, "That's not the way I remember it."
I grab Amy's hand. It's comforting to have my sister here. As much as Laurie had been my rock, my sisters will always be my best friends. It's nice we are all back together.
——————————
Third Person PoV-
The silence settles among them after the news comes out. The men had turned to the sisters, pondering their reactions. Everyone knew Mary would've been the most upset. Even her father knew that Mary had been closest with Aunt March than anyone.
Mary walks out, but wanting to deal with anyone's stares. The inheritance, as everyone had suspected, had gone to her. But is it sad to say that she just wanted her aunt back. No matter how much time she had prepared for Aunt March to die, she forgot how it feels to grieve, especially a person who had been bitter all her life.
Amy tries to stop Laurie and Jo from going after Mary, but they don't falter. Amy knows better than anyone that Mary needs a minute alone, before being comforted. John and Amy knew better, due to the time they spent with her. She is strong, but she always wants to be alone when she's sad, not to show anyone what she thinks is weakness.
Jo and Laurie take seats in the parlor, where Mary had run to. She takes a deep breath and shakes off her sadness before turning to them. The silence from the other room seemed to follow them here. Jo is the first to speak up.
"Mary, I am so sorry." Jo tries to comfort.
"No, no." Mary keeps a smile on her face and gets up from the chair, "I am okay. I had expected it."
Laurie looks at her with sorrow, "Lyn, you should sit down."
"I am fine. There is so much to do now. I have so much to plan out and of course, the will, And oh the garden. And I must go and pack the things up. and-" Mary takes a deep breath.
She digs her nails into her hands, a nasty habit she hadn't quit since she was a kid. Laurie takes notice of the habit he had seen when Amy had fallen into the river. He knows that she does that when she is keeping herself proper. He grabs her hands and lets her lean into him. He looks at Jo and nods to her as if to say, 'I got this.' She leaves.
"Lyn, you don't have to be strong. It's okay to be upset." Laurie whispers to her.
"My whole life, Aunt March had been wicked and old, but not to me. I loved her. I only ever wanted her approval in the world and I got it and now..." Mary looks up at Laurie, "Now I can't even invite her to my wedding."
Laurie kisses Mary, softly, "I know. I know. I am so sorry, but, in the end, I know how proud she is of you. You can just hope she's looking up at you, hoping and wishing the best."
Mary sighs with a small smile, "I know what you meant, Mr. Laurence."
Laurie's face scrunches up, "You know I don't like being called that."
"Then I shall only call you that when I'm cross with you." Mary stares up at him.
"Another nickname. Just what we needed." Laurie says, sarcastically.
"Would you rather me call you Theodore?" Mary jokes.
"No, no. Dore is just fine." He says as he kisses her forehead.
———————-
sorry for the changing of the povs i hadn't even realized id done it but we will keep it ig