PART 2
Asia skillfully 'caught' a plate, as Nan almost dropped it. "Oh Asia! I'm sorry," Nan exclaimed.
"That's alright Nan. Been a long day, why don't you kids go get some fresh air? I'll finish cleanin' up," Asia suggested. At first the kids protested, but, at Asia's insistence, Bess grabbed a shawl, and they went outside.
"Bess, Mrs. Jo's just kinda upset about all of us leavin', that's all. We're all real proud of you," Nat said with a half sigh.
"Yeah Bess, I mean, she was fine until Tommy left...then Emil..and now..." Nan trailed off.
"Ya gotta know that she wants us all to be successful, I guess it's just hard for her," Dan sigh.
"I know," Bess replied, "But sometimes I have to wonder if-"
"Bess, no one would be any happier if we stayed! Mrs. Jo would want us to go out and...well, be successful," Nan finished lamely.
They all nodded their heads in agreement, and a silence settled over the group.
Nat briefly said something to Nan, then turned to Bess and Dan and said, "We're gonna walk up there so we can get a better view of the stars. You two wanna come?"
Dan gave Nat an uncertain look, glanced at Bess, then looked back at Nat again. "Ah, I don't think so Nat," he said. Nat nodded, and he and Nan 'raced' off. Bess gave a rather disdainful look at Nan's running, and Dan laughed.
"Are you laughing at me?" Bess asked, blinking. Dan just grinned. "Well!" Bess humphed. Dan's grin faded a bit, but renewed itself as he offered her his arm in a "mock-gentlemen" manner. Bess herself grinned and took his arm.
They began walking in the opposite direction that Nat and Nan had gone, neither of them saying anything for a while. After a time, Dan asked, "So, what was it?"
"Hmm?"
"The picture that won the award. What was it?"
"Oh," Bess said with a small smile, accompanied by a sigh, "Plumbfield."
"Plumbfield?" Dan said skeptically, "All the wonders of the world, and the one that wins is the picture of Plumbfield??"
Bess 'turned on' her air of refinement and said, "It's not the content, rather the quality of the-"
"Well ya sure didn't win for that!" Dan said, a twinge of anger in his voice. Bess fell silent, withdrew her arm from Dan's, and walked on ahead a bit while he stopped. He and Bess stood there like that for what seemed like forever when Dan finally shook his head and walked over to Bess.
"It's so wonderful here," Bess said softly, surprising Dan who was about to apologize. "Not just the way the tree's look in the fall, but the atmosphere of Plumbfield. The warmth, the happiness...the love. I've loved growing up here. Though it seems that we've finished doing that, haven't we?" Bess' smile turned bittersweet.
"Bess," Dan said, "I didn't mean what I said. You're a talented artist, ya know that. It's just that-"
"Just what Dan?" Bess asked, turning towards him.
"Nothin'," Dan finally replied, "Nothin'." Bess looked slightly disappointed but put up a smile anyway, and took Dan's arm again.
"It's getting late, we better head back," she said quietly. Dan nodded, and they walked back to the house in such a silence that it spoke volumes.
"There it is Nan, see it?" Nat asked, pointing upwards.
"No, is it that one?" Nan, puzzled, craned her neck towards the sky in despair.
"No, it's the one right here. Here, come stand where I am," Nat pulled Nan next to him, and they were practically occupying the same space. "See," he said, standing behind Nan and extending his pointed finger up. While Nan was searching, Nat suddenly realized just how close Nan had become.
"Nat, it's no use, I just don't see it. I-" Nan stopped as she turned around, noticing herself just how close they were. Nat, although he tried to control himself, found his hand brushing Nan's hair behind her ear.
Their eyes locked for a moment, and then, before she could stop herself, Nan said, "What're you doing?"
Nat's hand snapped back and he automatically replied, "I'm sorry." Nan waged an inner battle with herself. She wanted to tell him that it was alright, perhaps even that she wanted to be that close to him. But she couldn't. She'd never told anyone anything like that before. Then again, she'd never felt like this before. 'Nat and I are *friends*,' she thought, 'That's ALL. We're best friends, and it's natural for me to like my best friend..'
"Nan? Are you okay?" Nat asked in a worried tone.
"I'm fine," she snapped, "Let's just go inside." Nat nodded and they quietly walked back to the house.
Jo sat, rocking, on the back porch, lost in her thoughts. So consumed in fact, that she didn't even notice the arrival of Nick, until he sat beside her.
"Nick," she said, barely acknowledging his presence.
"Kids said you didn't eat much," Nick replied.
"I wasn't hungry," Jo snapped. Immediately she regretted it, and said, "I'm sorry Nick, I don't mean to get upset it's just-" She paused and looked away again.
"I heard about Bess gettin' that scholarship," Nick said slowly, carefully. Jo simply nodded. "Kids gotta grow up sometime Jo. They can't stay here forever, you know that. You also know that you want the best for them. Ya want them to go out there and be successful," Nick said, resting a hand on Jo's arm.
She squeezed his hand and said, "I know, and you're right. I just...I don't know what's going to happen Nick."
"Well, no one knows the future Jo, I mean-"
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean the school. I don't know what I'm going to do. I looked into it, and I've got enough money to live comfortably here....without Plumbfield being a school. I mean, Franz is gone, and well.....I can't imagine any other children here..." Jo trailed off.
"Oh," was all Nick said.
"At least I'll have Rob. I could teach him, Daisy, and Demi. And perhaps some other children-only during the day of course. They wouldn't have to live here," Jo said more to herself than Nick.
"See, everythin' will work out," Nick said grinning. His smile was infectious, and Jo soon found herself smiling as well.
Nick got a sly look on his face and said, "You up for a race?"
"Now? The sun's already gone down!" Jo exclaimed.
"'Fraid of losin'?" Nick teased.
"Nick Riley, let me tell you the one thing about not having any younger children in the house," Jo began.
"And what's that?" Nick smiled.
"You don't always have to set the perfect example," she said, her eyes sparkling as she stood up, "There's no way you're going to beat Penny."
"We'll just see about that," Nick grinned as they headed off for the barn.
PART 3
