Little Women: If Beth Had Lived 8

"My Beth!" Mrs. March exclaimed as she hugged her daughter. "How I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, Marmee." Beth hugged first her mother, then her father, then Jo, and then the others in turn.

"Did you enjoy your honeymoon?" Mrs. March asked.

"It was perfect!" As Beth glanced around at her family, she felt as if she were seeing them with new eyes. Older, more mature eyes. She felt as if she had left the United States a little girl and returned a grown woman. She wondered whether the others could tell.

Mr. March patted Laurie on the shoulder, congratulating him. His wife rushed to serve drinks and refreshments. John and Meg stood watching the antics of the twins, who danced around excitedly. Jo hovered like a butterfly about her favorite sister.

"You are truly my own little granddaughter at last," said old Mr. Laurence, hugging Beth as if he would never let her go.

"And you are finally my grandfather." Beth clung to him tightly, rejoicing in the warm friendship she shared with the elderly gentleman.

While Beth was otherwise occupied, Laurie stepped out onto the porch, motioning with his eyes for Jo to follow.

"Jo, dear, I want to say one thing, and then we'll put it by forever. I never shall stop loving you, but the love is altered, and I have learned to see that it is better as it is. Beth and you have changed places in my heart, that's all. It was meant to be so. You both got into your right places, and I felt sure that it was well off with the old love before it was on with the new, that I could honestly share my heart between sister Jo and wife Beth, and love them dearly. Will you believe it, and go back to the happy old times when we first knew one another?"

"I'll believe it, but Teddy, we never can be boy and girl again. We are man and woman now. I see the change in you, and you'll find it in me. I shall miss my boy, but I shall love the man as much, and admire him more, because he means to be what I hoped he would. We will be brother and sister, to love and help one another all our lives, won't we, Laurie?"

He did not say a word, but took the hand she offered him, and laid his face down on it for a minute, feeling that out of the grave of a boyish passion, there had risen a beautiful, strong friendship to bless them both.

Just then, the door swung open and Beth appeared.

"Oh, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"Not at all, sweetheart." Laurie laughed and hugged Beth closely to him. "Jo and I were just talking about how quickly time flies and how it seems only yesterday that we were children."

"I never really notice the passage of time," Beth said. "To me it always seems as if everything is simply now."

"You have a very unique perspective, darling, and to me it's most endearing," Laurie said with a smile.

"That's my Beth," Jo said proudly.

"I'd better go check on my grandfather," Laurie said, going back into the house.

"It's funny," Beth remarked. "I always assumed that you would marry before me, as you are older."

"Perhaps I shall never marry," Jo replied. "If I become an accomplished author, what would be the need?"

"But everyone has the need to be loved," Beth pointed out.

"The love of my family is the only love I will ever need," Jo told her. She smiled as she slowly shook her head. "My Beth. Now you're a woman in every sense of the word."

Beth blushed deeply.

"Did it go well for you?" Jo asked. Try as she might, she simply couldn't picture her innocent, other-worldly little sister as anyone's lover, not even that of her husband.

"The first time was a bit awkward, but Laurie was very gentle and patient. After that it was fine."

"I knew that he would be gentle and patient with you," Jo said. Suddenly Beth was dying to ask something of Jo but found that she simply didn't have the nerve.

Later, on the journey to their new home, Laurie could tell that Beth was deep in thought about something, as he made a couple of attempts to engage her in casual conversation but received minimal response. Finally he turned to her and gently traced his finger down the side of her face.

"What is it, love?"

Beth didn't quite know how to say what was on her mind without fear of making him angry. "I know that you were once in love with Jo," she finally said.

"Well, yes." Laurie frowned. "Are you concerned that I may still have that kind of feeling for her? If so, then I can assure you that you have nothing at all to worry about whatsoever."

"No, it's not that, exactly."

"Well, what is it, then?"

"Well, as Jo and I were talking earlier today, I began to wonder whether or not you and she had ever...you know..." Beth blushed furiously and hid her face in her hands.

"Whether or not we ever made love?" Laurie burst out laughing. "We never even came close!"

Beth felt dizzy with relief. "Was I the first, then?"

"Yes, Beth, you were the very first." He smiled. "Feel better now?"

"Yes. Much." She smiled shakily.

"Dear little Beth." Laurie grinned and squeezed her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder contentedly, looking forward to the first night in her new bed in her new home with her husband.