𝕄𝕪 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖, 𝕄𝕪 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖 - Theodore Laurence ✅

24

Laurie lazily rolls on the grass of the beautiful estate, while Amy sketches him. A feeling of peace has settled over them, they're friends again. It was always something between him and her, always seen bickering or communicating like a long-lost friend. Never in between.

Amy gives him a hard time, playful to bother the male: "Laurie, when are you going back to your grandfather?" – "Very soon." Laurie was unbothered with his answers or how uncaring he was about returning home, upon laying lazily that his mind had wandered off to what Catherine would be doing now, his mind reminding him about Wayne being by her side which put a hideous frown on his expression.

"He expects you, so why don't you do it?" Amy chooses to overlook the expression, being long friends with Laurie, she could read him like a book. Amy might have a crush on him at first, but it was puppy love and she grew to find the perfect and right man for her. "Natural depravity, I suppose- "

"Natural indolence, you mean." Amy cut him off with a scoff. Laurie glanced at her, his playful demeanor appearing, "I'll only plague him if I go, so I might as well stay and plague you a little longer." He jumps up and plays fights with her, making her laugh. He captures her, and holds her, "You can bear it. In fact, I think it agrees with you."

Amy despite loving to play around with Laurie like in old times, she can get tired of Laurie's overbearing energy too. The only one that seems to handle him was Jo or Cathy. And as much as Amy doesn't want to pick between her sister and who suits Laurie the best, she can't help but see that Cathy was the better.

Despite Jo and Laurie having a stronger relationship, they fought almost every day, and Laurie always came back to apologize. Jo would even complain nonstop about how too much Laurie could be or his snappy thoughts on falling in love and getting married. That was the contrast between them that broke them, everything. Laurie changed and grew new hobbies just to be on the same page with Jo and sadly, the girl doesn't notice.

While with Catherine. Amy always caught those looks Laurie had around the girl that he, himself doesn't understand back then. The two easily blend when there are around each other. Never raised a voice or any taunting look, when they are around, it almost seem that both were at peace. Cathy was able to unwind and be her age, while Laurie wouldn't mind taking some of her burdens and would be the first to notice the difference in Catherine.

They were the perfect match.

"What do you intend to do with life?" Amy suddenly brought up a serious question, sitting up straight and back to her painting. Laurie was confused about the change. Amy wanted to be sure that Laurie could care for her beloved Cathy regardless of wanting them together.

"I've been writing an opera; I'd be the central figure..." Laurie mumbles, he wasn't even convinced by his words. It was more of a pursuit that he grew over time because of Jo, he wanted something to relate him to her but even in writing, they had different tastes.

Amy knows that too, "That's a waste of time." Laurie scoffed at that, coming from someone younger and she didn't have a stable job, didn't sit right with him. But played along, "What would you have me do?" Playfully he replied formally, like towards a parent.

"Go back and work for your grandfather and make something of yourself." She watches him and he watches her. Both had their ego and pride. One wanted him to mature faster, while the other never liked being told around without good reasons. "Here," Laurie comes around to look at the sketch that Amy had pushed closer to him and sees another sketch beside it.

It was him from years ago, young and full of happiness. But that wasn't what caught his attention. Beside the sketch of him, he was staring far off and in the corner of the paper.

There stood a young Catherine, smiling brightly. Like always, she was in between Beth and Amy as she entertained the youngest two with her dramatic action that seems to bring laughter out. But this sketch showed a hidden detail, it shows her glimpsing at Laurie with a genuine smile Laurie hadn't seen in a while.

"She always had her eyes on you," Amy pointed out, "That smile, so radiant and precious." Amy glanced at Laurie who was locked on the sketch, he reaches out to graze the paper over Cathy's figure. "You too. Just that you were slow to notice."

Laurie sighs, giving back the sketch to Amy. He didn't want to ruin a happy moment that reminded him of how stupid he was to not notice and pick things on quicker. And Amy seems keen on poking his button until he owes up and confesses properly, "She has been second to Jo. And never the first in her whole life in everything but me and Beth."

Laurie opened his mouth, wanting to stop Amy from continuing but the girl insisted, "She knew that day on the beach," This caught his curiosity, "Knew what?" Amy let out a broken breath, "That she was to be engaged to Wayne that day. Aunt March had settled everything and told no one." Laurie halts at that as Amy continues, "She also knew that it won't be long to leave everyone behind. I only knew when I came here. I confronted her, yelled at her."

She remembers the memory so well. Catherine didn't fight back when she cried and screamed at her for leaving her and Beth, and Marmee. Everyone hated her for leaving behind and pursuing a lavish life, but once Marmee comforted Aunt March through a letter, was when they found out she was engaged. "She took it all." Amy glowered, remembering how Catherine smiled and apologized every time her mouth opened, never denying anything.

"I knew later since I chased after her. Fred told me everything. She did it with no choice. She wanted us to be well off and happy that she forgot her own happiness. Being married off to a sick man but she accepted him still."

Laurie didn't say anything, the last memory he had with Catherine was the worst. He knew the girl had always suffered alone, keeping things for herself to bear with the intention to keep her family safe. It wasn't a surprise that she would sacrifice herself for her family. But it still did hurt.

"We're going back home in a day." Amy responds, "You're coming too."