Who Am I, Mr Laurence? -Theodore Laurence

SCENE NINETEEN

Eva, Laurie, and Amy were lounging on the couch when Jo came rushing down. 

"Oh, I'm famished!" 

"I believe Marmee just has set up food," Eva told her. 

"Jo you might want to wait," Marmee said. 

Jo pouted. "But I'm starving!" 

Marmee shook her head. "Jo, dear, you have a guest."

Eva turned to Amy. "She has a guest?"

Amy just shrugged at her best friend. "No one's ever come visited Jo on purpose before," she joked snickering. 

Eva laughed, her head falling on Laurie's shoulder. 

"I don't know anyone, Marmee," Jo answered. 

"I'm so sorry to intrude," a male's voice said. 

Eva, Amy, and Laurie's head all turned to the man, tilting their head in confusion.

But Jo burst out laughing. "It's you!"

"Jo, I hope it's all right. I got your address from Mrs Kirke-" the man started before Laurie interrupted him. 

"Who are you?" He turned to Eva. "Who is he?"

"I'm so sorry to intrude, I was close by and thought I'd-I'll be going..." he trailed off. 

"Please stay! We have more than enough room," Amy said. 

Eva and Laurie all looked at her. "It's our house!" Eva said. 

Amy rolled her eyes. "But do you care?"

"No, not really," Eva said. 

"Will someone tell me who he is?!" Laurie exclaimed. 

"I don't want to be a burden," Friedrich said. 

"It's no burden at all," Meg responded. 

Jo, still stunned, agreed. "Yes, of course, please."

Next to Eva, Laurie huffed and stood up. "I'm Laurie. And who are you?" he asked. 

Eva pulled him down. "Don't be rude, Theodore."

Amy nodded mockingly. "Yes, Theodore." 

"I am Friedrich Bhaer."

"We were in the same boarding house together in New York," Jo explained. 

"Oh Jo, he is very handsome," Hannah said. 

Amy and Eva cracked up laughing as Jo blushed. 

Eva looked from Friedrich to Jo and Jo to Friedrich and smirked. "Laurie," she whispered, nudging him. 

Laurie turned to his wife. "Yes, Eva?"

"Jo and Friedrich," she whispered. 

Laurie cocked his head. "What are you-Oh. Oh!" 

"...stay in New York?" Mr March asked, making Eva look at Friedrich in interest. 

"No, I've been offered aprofessorship in California - andas I have nothing keeping me here,I thought I might go West. It isnew there, and they are lessparticular about immigrants," he answered. 

No one but Amy and Eva noticed Jo take a sharp intake of breath. 

"You heard, right?" Amy asked the older girl. 

Eva grinned. "Jo? Yes, I did."

"Perhaps I should go West," Mr March pondered. 

Marmee clicked her tongue. "You aren't an immigrant, so perhaps you should stay home."

Everyone burst out laughing at Mr March and Marmee. 

"Oh I'm going," Mr March said. 

Eva was sitting on the floor, under Laurie, her head in his lap to he could brush through her curls, Amy was laying in Eva's lap, and Eva's dog-Duke- was in Amy's lap in the lounge room. 

"This is a beautiful instrument. Which one of you plays?" Friedrich asked, eyeing the Laurence household piano. 

Eva coughed awkwardly as there was a silence before Jo spoke. 

"It was my sister's."

"We all play a little, but Eva is the best here," Amy added. 

"But none so well as Beth," Meg said, making Eva nod. 

"Do you play?"

"Yes."

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"Jo, if you ever come to California, I would love to see you," Friedrich said as he went out. 

Jo shook her head. "I don't know that I will, but thank you."

Eva and Amy looked at Jo in annoyance. 

"Well, yes...goodbye," Friedrich said as he opened his umbrella and trudged out. 

"Goodbye."

Jo turned to suddenly face her whole family staring at her. 

"What?! Why are you all looking atme like that?" she asked. 

"What a wonderful man. I hope hecomes again, he would be a terrificfriend for me," Mr March said smiling. 

"Oh, Mr March, not to be rude, but he wasn't here for you!" Eva exclaimed, looking at Jo. 

"No?"

Eva and Amy looked at Jo with smirks. "Jo, you love him!"  they said in unison. 

Jo looked offended. "I do not!"

Eva rolled her grey eyes. "You do too! I may be half as smartas you are but I can see it soplainly, you love him. I have neverseen you happier. What else islove? Doesn't she love him Mr.Laurence?" she asked, turning to Mr Laurence. 

Mr Laurence nodded. "That's a good instinct, you lovehim."

Eva turned to Laurie. "Go get him. Laurie prepare thehorses. We can catch him before hegets to the train."

Amy and Meg stood. "We're coming too."

Jo gasped. "I'm not going!"

"No, Amy is right. You're going."

Laurie grinned, going to kiss Eva's lips but she turned her head and made him kiss her cheek. "I never thought I'd prepare acarriage to help Jo March go aftera man, but I like it," he joked. 

"But he's moving to California!" Jo complained. 

Amy rolled her eyes. "That's a fiction. He waspractically begging for a reason tostay. Right, Eva?"

Eva nodded frantically. "On his knees. Now up you go!"

Jo groaned. "But it's raining outside!"

"It doesn't matter! Put on a betterdress. Follow me," Amy said, leading her sister up the stairs with Meg and Eva behind her. 

Eva looked down at Laurie with an exasperated look. "THEODORE! STOP STANDING THERE AND GET THE HORSES READY! I AM NOT A DRAWING!" 

Laurie jumped, making his grandfather chuckle. "Yes, my love," he called, getting his coat and jumping into action. 

Amy, Meg, Eva, and Jo arrived at the train station, the girls pushing Jo out. 

"Go find him!" Eva called as Jo rushed into the station. 

And the girls watch as she kisses him; all three of them screaming in delight inside the carriage. 

Because for the first time in a long time, everything was perfect.