Little Women: If Beth Had Lived 9

Together, Beth and Laurie soon transformed their new house into a home. Laurie went to work in his grandfather's business, and Beth kept their cozy home neat and tidy, lending her own special flair to its contents. In the evenings, when Laurie came home, Beth would serve dinner, and afterwards they would play duets on the piano and sing, or one would play and the other sing. Many happy hours were passed this way.

One rainy afternoon there was a knock on the door, and Laurie opened it to reveal Jo standing there with Fritz Bhaer. They were both somewhat wet but looked jubilant.

"Come on inside before you catch your death of cold!" Laurie exclaimed.

"I just had to tell my Beth first," Jo said excitedly, when they had stepped inside. "Fritz and I are going to be married!"

"Oh, Jo!" Beth cried happily, hugging her sister tightly. "I'm so happy for you! When did he ask you?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Jo told her. "I had gone out to run an errand for Marmee. She warned me to take an umbrella because it looked like it was going to rain, but I was preoccupied and forgot. I lingered in town longer than necessary. I wouldn't admit it to myself, but I was secretly hoping to run into Fritz. I hadn't seen him in several days and missed him."

Beth and Laurie gave one another knowing looks and laughed. Fritz grinned and blushed.

"Well, needless to say, it did start raining. Annoyed at myself for forgetting to bring an umbrella, I was determined not to ask for one but to tough it out and finish my errands anyway. Then I noticed that a particular blue umbrella seemed to linger over my head, and I turned and saw that it was being held by Fritz."

"I couldn't just let her drown, could I?" Fritz laughed.

"I was very happy to see him, but too proud to let it show. He offered to accompany me on my errands, and as I didn't have an umbrella, how could I refuse?"

"After we had finished our shopping, he saw that I was crying and asked me why. I told him the truth, that I was sad that he was leaving soon."

"That was when I realized that she loved me as more than just a friend," Fritz added. "That made me very happy."

"So, when will the wedding be?" asked Beth.

"I still have to go west to work for a year and save up my money so that I can provide for her when I return," Fritz told her.

"In the meantime, I'll be right here waiting for him," Jo added.

"Isn't it sweet how that worked out?" Laurie asked after Jo and Fritz had left.

"I think it's beautiful," Beth replied. "I've know for a long time that she truly cared for him. Probably before she herself realized it, even."

"I know they'll be happy together," Laurie continued. "He seems quite unflappable, in contrast to Jo's high-spiritedness. I think they balance one another out very nicely, just as you and I do."

"I never really thought of it that way before," said Beth.

"My darling, I don't know what I'd do without the calming influence you have on me," Laurie said. "Every time my feathers get ruffled, you always know exactly how to smooth them back down again."

Beth smiled shyly and looked down. She couldn't think of a thing to say.

"I've seen some pretty big changes in you as well, Mrs. Lawrence." Laurie grinned at his wife. "You've come so far out of your shell that you seem almost a new person. You contribute much more to conversations than you used to, and you even initiate them sometimes. You've developed an air of sophistication that you never had before, while still maintaining your sweet, child-like innocence. I'm truly proud of you, Beth."

By now Beth was blushing furiously. "I couldn't have done it without you." Her voice was so faint that Laurie could barely make out her words. He put his arms around her and held her close, and she cuddled up to him. They sat like that on the sofa for a long time, just enjoying one another's presence.