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

Marmee Confronts Jo

Marmee Confronts Jo

Jo woke up the next morning feeling uneasy. Although she was glad to have finally replied to Niles, even though she had nothing to show, something still felt wrong. Nothing felt the same without Laurie, even when Meg lost her baby Jo just wanted to talk to him. There wasn't much a conversation with her Teddy couldn't fix. Marmee knocked on her bedroom door, "May I come in?"

"Sure," Jo yawned.

Marmee quietly entered the room, "How are you doing, dear?"

"Marmee, you know I am not a morning person."

"I know that Jo. I was talking about that letter you received from Niles."

Jo was confused, "How did you know?"

"Josephine, envelopes have return addresses."

"Oh,' Jo paused, 'You probably would have figured it out anyway."

"You don't sound too enthused..."

Jo sighed, "Marmee, he was asking about my book."

"And? Have you come up with anything yet?" Marmee asked, excited to hear Jo's idea.

Jo's eyes watered, "Nothing, Marmee. I have nothing." Jo thrust her head into her pillow.

Marmee went beside her daughter and stroked her head, "My dear, it's alright."

Jo sat up, "Marmee, it's not. I could never write something as spectacular!"

Marmee tried to mimic Beth's soothing presence that always comforted Jo, "Who are you writing for?"

"No one. Nothing. I have no passion anymore," Jo wailed as she stood up from her bed and started to pace the room anxiously.

Marmee sat down on the bed and faced her anxious daughter while she crossed her arms, "Josephine March. I may have raised you to be a stubborn boyish girl, but I never raised you to not have passion!"

"I can't write, Marmee! I absolutely can't. I wrote Little Women for Beth, but now what do I write? Who do I write for? Teddy is gone, Amy is getting married, Meg lives with John, and I am here. Alone. With no one to hold me, no one to inspire me, and I hate it. I hate it, Marmee!" She continued pacing and started to play with her hair.

Marmee couldn't help but pity Jo, she hated that her daughter was lonely. Yet, she knew it was all her own doing, she had rejected Laurie, "Oh, Jo..." Marmee stood up from the bed to give Jo a hug.

Jo sobbed as her mother embraced her, "Marmee, I can't think. How can I not write? It's like a human not breathing, or a bird not singing, writing is what I do."

Marmee didn't know what to do, she just remained hugging her daughter. This didn't seem to phase Jo who continued to ramble on, "You said something would come and it never did, Marmee. It just–it isn't fair. My life is so unbalanced. Nothing seems right. I wish everything in my book could have just come true."

"Jo, I don't think you truly wish that," Marmee rubbed her daughter's back.

"Everyone would have been happier that way, I know it. Meg would have had her babies, Amy would have been rich, and Teddy..."

"Would have been married to someone else besides you. Is that what really would have made you happy?"

Jo was silent, "It doesn't matter."

"Hm. I don't know if I believe that's sincere." Marmee questioned. Jo broke away from her hug and retreated back to pacing the room, "Just because I am lonely doesn't mean I can't be happy by myself, I think I can be."

"Josephine,' Marmee stared at her daughter, 'It's not a matter of how happy you are by yourself. I know you could be happy, but I know you do not want to live without Laurie."

"Marmee..."

"Well, could you live without him?"

"No... no–I couldn't."

"Do you think I could live without your father? Or Meg without John? Or Amy without Dario?"

"I mean you could, but your lives would be–"

"Absolutely miserable. Just like yours is without Laurie."

Jo didn't say a word, she knew her mother was right. All those nights thinking about his eyes, all those times wishing he was here, "So what if you're right? Do you really think he still could even consider loving me? I rejected his kiss and his marriage proposal; then he ran away to New York just to get me out of his life!  I wouldn't be surprised if he was over me already, and if he isn't, well he will be! European women are always the most beautiful and refined, everyone knows that."

"If he truly loves you, nothing and no one will stop him from doing so," Marmee finally got Jo to crack, she was overjoyed!

"There's nothing I can do, Marmee. I've spoiled it," Jo plopped down on the ground and sat in her sorrow.

Marmee realized that this was not the case, that Laurie would still love her no matter the circumstance, "Josephine, if it's God's will it will happen."

Jo looked up at her kind mother, "Marmee, I love him."

Marmee replied, "I know."