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

Gift Giving

Laurie quietly tip-toed into his house after leaving the Marches' house so late, he fell asleep as he and Jo were thinking about her newest book. Mr. Laurence was never fooled by Laurie, he knew him as he knew himself. Laurie quietly shut the door, gladly stepping into the warmth of the home.

Mr. Laurence was sitting on the steps, sipping a cup of tea, "Theodore, why were you over there so late?"

"Why, wouldn't you like to know?" Laurie replied snarkily.

"Young man, it is not permissible for you to be over there so late. You know that." Mr. Laurence looked at Laurie, admiring his spirit. He too had that spirit once, before life engulfed what passion and ambition he once had.

"I know, I am a sorry grandfather. You will have to forgive me, Jo and I were discussing something very important."

"Ah, I see." Mr. Laurence was anxiously waiting for Jo to change her mind, he knew Jo just as much as he did Laurie. Jo reminded him of his own wife, and he knew Jo would come around to his grandson just as his wife did with him.

"No, grandfather. I know what you are thinking, but we agreed to leave that in the past. Let bygones be bygones, rather."

"Only time will tell. God has a plan that no one can stop."

"You haven't met Josephine March, have you?"

Mr. Laurence chuckled, but he chose to leave the conversation at that. He knew how hard Laurie had taken Jo's rejection and did not want to bring up old scars again, especially because he was home for only a few more weeks.

After laughing off his dismissal, Mr. Laurence asked his grandson"What are you planning on getting Josephine for Christmas?"

"Haven't thought of it really, still have some time to think about it."

"I was thinking of buying the Marches a Christmas tree and getting some stockings with oranges. I believe they will enjoy that very much."

"Me too, but I believe they will enjoy our company more than any gift could surmount to."

"You're probably right, Theodore. What good people they are."

"The best. I am awfully strained, I must go to bed. Goodnight, grandfather."

"Goodnight, Theodore."

Laurie pranced up the stairs as he was eager to get to his room. In truth, he had known what he wanted to get Jo for months now. Even in his anger, he still thought about her. He tried to ignore her as much as he could, but her face was always in the back of his mind. Laurie opened up his drawer and found the beautiful wooden box he had engraved for Jo, opening it he felt the beautiful quill he had gotten for her a few months back. He thought about all the words she would write with this quill and how each time her fingers laced with its center she would be reminded of him.

No matter what he had agreed to, he couldn't stop loving her. It was impossible. There was nothing that could separate Laurie from her.

Laurie delicately placed the quill back in its box, put it in his drawer, and got ready for bed. As he closed his eyes to sleep, he thought of Jo holding the quill and him standing beside her, running his hands through her fingers and kissing her cheek as she embarked upon her new creative journey.