Tales From the Cave-Little Women: Part Two

Happily Ever After

Weeks later, the family received news that both Laurie and Sara would be returning home on the exact same plane in a few days. They said in their letters that they had quite a surprise in store for them. Arty wondered what it would be. Her imagination ran ramped with ideas. Maybe they had purchased a castle in the Al Ghul family name!

The entire family, Conner included, traveled to the airport to meet their littlest one and their oldest friend, holding up big, brightly-decorated signs so that they could be found. Marmee brought the ailing Ra's, and Meg and Conner brought their newborn twins, a son and a daughter, with them.  When they finally spotted the two, they had to do a double take to make sure that it was really them.

Europe had made Sara do a lot of growing up. She wore designer, couture European fashions, and had blossomed into a mature, fully grown lady of fine breeding, ideal for polite society. Laurie had left all traces of boyhood behind, looking more like a real man than ever. But if you looked them directly in the eye, you could tell that at heart, they were still the same wonderful, loving people they had been before their voyage.

Sara embraced Marmee and Meg while Laurie fist-bumped Arty and Conner. "I missed you all sooooooo much!", Sara gushed out. "And I missed Kate most of all...I will miss her most of all. How was she?" Marmee held Sara close. "She was brave. To the very end. You would have been so proud of her." "Oh, Marmee!"

Ra's interrupted the happy reunion. "Pardon me, but, I'm anxious to know, where is this 'big surprise' you said you were bringing?" Sara and Laurie exchanged a knowing, somewhat smug glance before turning to face the family. "This."  They both raised their left hands at the exact same time, and a series of gasps rose up.  The two travelers were wearing a matching pair of gold wedding bands that glinted in the light on their left ring fingers.

"You guys got MARRIED?!"  "We did the deed in Rome.", Laurie said, beaming as he placed an arm around his young wife.  "Small private ceremony, just us, Aunt Al Ghul, and the priest."  "It was so romantic.", Sara sighed.  "Like something out of a romance novel."  They looked back, smiling broadly.  All of the family were gaping at them like a school of fish.  All of the amazing and unpredictable things in the world, no one had ever imagined Sara and Laurie would wind up together.

"How...How in Al Ghul's name..."  "We never meant for it to happen, Marmee!", Sara cried.  "It just...did."  "Something sparked between us.", Laurie said, his words sounding as if coming from a great old poem.  "A connection...that couldn't be explained."  "We never dreamed that we, of all the people in the world, would fall in love, let alone so madly.", Sara said.  "But that's what makes it all the more magical."  Laurie smiled down at his lovely little bride.  "There was no denying it.  We were meant for each other."

As Marmee and Meg led Sara away, peppering her with questions, Arty cornered Laurie.  For a moment, they were silent.  Then one of them spoke.  "You could have told us.", Arty said.  Laurie shook his head.  "There was no way to tell you in a letter or over the phone...it was one of those things that had to be done in person."  "I hope you have a plan.", Arty said.  "I love Sara, but she's pretty high maintenance."

"Don't worry.", he said.  "I have a plan.  I did a lot of thinking in Europe.  I tried to write a symphony, and at first I thought what I was writing was good.  Not brilliant, but good.  Then the truth hit me—it was trash.  Threw it all out.  I realized, Arty, that I was never meant to soar on golden wings.  Not like you.  So, I relented.  I'm taking up Grandfather's business.  Its actually not as bad as I thought it'd be.  In fact...I'm actually pretty excited for where it could lead."

Arty smiled.  "Sorry the composer dream didn't work out."  "Every cloud has a silver lining.", Laurie said.  "Writing that bad symphony is what made me realize my true feelings for Sara.  I made up the heroine to be this bold, talented artistic beauty.  But then I realized, whenever I envisioned her in my mind, she wasn't blonde.  She had hair as black as night.  And that's the first time I remember being over you."