PART 4
Jo followed the length of the train, back and forth with her head, searching. Nick stood next to her with a small grin, as though he had a secret-which in fact, he did. To those around her that did not know her well enough, Jo looked utterly composed. Yet Nick noticed how her hand shook a bit, and how she clenched her jaw just a tad.
He also shared her excitement...which was an odd thing, for Rob wasn't his son. 'Still,' thought Nick, 'Can't help feelin' happy when he comes home.' As Nick gazed thoughtfully at Jo, and she in turn searched, a voice emerged above all the others.
"Mother! Mother!"
Jo suddenly began to show more outward signs of excitement. "Rob?" she said softly, searching even more. And then, as if by magic, the crowds almost seemed to part, and Rob was standing there, a grin on his face - that same grin that reminded her of Fritz.
He practically ran into her arms, and she squeezed him so tightly that Nick almost told her to ease up. She closed her eyes, trying to savor this wonderful moment, and kissed him several times. "Hi sweetie! How was your trip?" she asked, her voice nearly brimming with happiness.
"Wonderful! I got you all presents, and I saw the city that you said Papa used to talk about, and Aunt Meg has the greatest surprise for-" Edward put his hand over Rob's mouth and gave Jo a smile.
"Hello Jo! Nick! I think Meg would like to...er...tell Jo herself Rob," he said smiling. Rob nodded, and the hand was taken away.
"And I saw where you said Dickens was from, and I saw..." Rob continued on and on, and Jo listened with such a look on her face...that she didn't even notice Meg until she stood right in front of them.
Jo's happy gaze fell on Meg's face first....and then turned to shock as she took in the rest of Meg. Something was different.....Meg looked rather.....plump.
"Oh Meg!" Jo breathed softly, her voice shaking slightly, "You're-" Meg nodded, tears also in her eyes, and she embraced her sister.
"The doctor we saw in England said that it might not have been a good idea to go on a sea voyage, but I told him that there was no way this baby was going to be born anywhere but at home, with the people I love," Meg said smiling.
"And you should have seen her too Jo!" Edward exclaimed, coming up behind his wife, "She would have made you proud!"
Jo smiled and asked, "Where are the children?"
"Oh," Meg said, "They were feeling tired, so we arranged for them to go straight home. Besides, I knew you'd want us to come over first thing."
Jo smiled and sigh, "Well, let's go home!" Nick grinned and rustled Rob's hair. Rob looked up at Nick, that same hero-like adoration still there, and grinning, took his hand in his own. Then he took his mother's hand, and the three of them lead the way to the wagon.
"I don't know Dan, sometimes," Bess smiled as she continued to watch where she stepped. She daintily picked up her pastel dress as she made her way through the woods. Dan, who had gone on a walk with her, was walking...somewhere...Bess couldn't really see him.
"I mean, goin' off for more schoolin' kinda sounds boring," his voice came from somewhere to the left...or right, Bess couldn't really tell.
"Well, I enjoy art," Bess said, with an edge of annoyance in her voice.
"I know it's just...I mean, well don't you ever wonder what you'd do if you didn't go?" Dan asked.
"What do you mean Dan?" Bess asked, only half listening.
"Well I mean you and me, if you weren't gonna go, would we-" suddenly Dan popped out from behind a tree, and stood right in front of Bess. She gave a start when he suddenly appeared, but her initial shock changed into a quiet sort of...apprehension.
"We'd what Dan?" she said softly.
"Nothin'," Dan said, averting his gaze. Yet he didn't move from where he was standing.
Bess glanced around, and then did something that her mother would have probably had a heart attack over. She brought up a hand to Dan's face, and turned it slowly towards her's. Dan's shocked eyes looked back at Bess right as she slowly brushed her lips against his.
Dan basically froze in shock, and Bess pulled back, a small triumphant smile on her face. When Dan had finally figured out what happened, all he could think of to say was, "I love you Bess." Bess almost gasped, and it was her turn to look at him in shock.
'Way to go! THAT was a smart thing to say,' Dan mentally chastised himself, 'Now she's gonna run off, and probably never come near you again, and...'
"What did you say Bess?" Dan asked, barely listening and almost completely lost in his thoughts.
"I said," Bess replied slowly, and turning her head up a bit, almost as if she was proud, "That I love you too." Dan had been listening that time, and just nodded his head a little, his mouth hanging open.
"Well aren't you going to say anything?" Bess asked, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.
Again, Dan felt tongue tied...and the only thing that came out this time was, "Marry me?" 'Oh GEEZ! What's wrong with you? Can't you do nothin' right???' Dan thought with a grimace.
Bess had a million thoughts running through her mind...school, home, her parents...she paused for a moment, and then said, "Yes Dan, I will."
"I thought you'd say that Bess, really, no hard feelin's, I understand, I-" Dan paused, "What did you say?" Bess only looked at him with a smile. "Did you say yes?" Dan ran a hand through his hair and took a few deep breaths.
"Yes....ye...yes," he kept on muttering. Then, with a huge grin, he grabbed Bess and began to twirl her around.
"Dan!" she exclaimed, giggling.
When Dan finally put her down, he kissed her and said, "But what about school? The scholarship?"
"I don't have to go," Bess said truthfully, "And I'd give it up...to marry you." She felt a little odd saying those words...but still, they made her so happy.
Dan just sigh and gazed at her with a happy expression on his face. Bess blushed slightly and said, "Let's wait, and not tell anyone until I've told my parents okay?" Dan nodded, and they began to walk back together, making plans.
"Best....Christmas?" Nat asked.
"Oh, that's easy. Remember that first year I was here? And you guys found Sara in the woods," Nan said.
'How could I possibly forget?' thought Nat, 'I remember everything about you.'
"Hmm, oh yeah. Your turn," Nat said.
"Hmmm," Nan said thoughtfully, "How 'bout your favorite experience in the barn? Like mine was the time that Tommy took the..." But Nat was no longer listening. He had been transported back to a chilly day...he'd been wearing his green sweater. And he and Nan had retreated to the barn after their final attempt at matchmaking had failed....
"Nat!" Nan said again.
"Oh, uh, say, do you remember that day in the barn?" Nat asked. At Nan's "what? are you crazy?" look, he went on, "After we tried to get Bess and Dan together?"
Nan's face suddenly turned from happy and free, into guarded and cautious. "Yep," was all she said.
Nat was finding it hard to interpret her reaction. He took a deep breath and said, "That was one of the best days of my life."
Nan was almost torturing herself on the inside. She wanted so badly to tell Nat that it had been the best day of her life too....but she couldn't. She only mumbled, "Wonder where Bess and Dan are..."
Nat nodded his head self consciously and said, "Yeah, it's gettin' kinda late." As Nat began to get up, Nan stopped him and pulled him back down.
"Nat, there's somethin' I wanted to tell ya," she said slowly, unsure of herself, "I applied to a medical college a while back...and well...they accepted me." Nat just looked at her in utter surprise. "I didn't say anythin' to Mrs. Jo because she was already upset about everyone else leavin', and then Bess..." Nan trailed off.
"Wh- where's it at?" Nat asked, his voice wavering a bit.
"Pennsylvania...actually, Philadelphia," Nan said quietly.
Nat looked as if....well...as if someone had just killed his puppy. (*Liz shakes her head* sorry! It was the only way I could explain=) "When do you leave?" he asked, his voice slightly horse.
"Well, see, that's the thing, I gotta leave in a month, same as Bess," Nan said, "And I'm worried about tellin' Mrs. Jo." The two friends sat in silence for some time.
"Nan, she'll be happy for you," Nat finally said.
Nan nodded, and the silence returned until she said, "Are....you happy for me?"
Nat tried to restrain the look he gave her as he said, "If it makes you happy Nan, it will always make me happy." Nan ducked her head and said no more. They were saved from the uncomfortable silence by the arrival of Bess and Dan.
"Hey you two! Ready to go?" Dan's voice seemed happy.....too happy.
"Yeah," Nat said, not really paying attention. Nan only gave them a curious look as they started to clean up the picnic.
"Yes, well you know that it is getting to be the time for school again," Jo said, hinting to Meg.
"Yes..." Meg hesitated and glanced to Edward, "Jo, I wanted to talk to you about that. Well, actually about Daisy, Demi, and Rob. You see I-"
"Presents!" Rob called as he entered the room with a small bag. Jo forgot all about what Meg had been saying, and gave him a huge grin.
"Oooh, my favorite!" she said with a laugh. Asia smiled too, as she stood next to Meg's chair. Edward hurriedly got her another one, and then stood between the two ladies.
Rob plopped himself down on the sofa next to Jo and, patting the spot on the other side of him said, "Here Nick! You can sit here." Nick had an indescribable look on his face; a mix of surprise, honor, and joy. Jo gave him such a look that he almost forgot for a moment where.....and maybe even who he was.
"What, uh...sure Rob," he said with a grin, sitting down. Jo went back to looking excited about Rob's presents. (Most likely things Meg and Edward had purchased....but they all pretended for Rob's sake.)
"First.....Asia, close your eyes!!" Rob said with a grin. Asia obeyed and Rob hopped off the sofa and stood next to Asia. He placed a rather large book in her hands and she opened her eyes.
Asia's mouth almost dropped open and she muttered, "What in the world..."
"It's a cook book Asia!" Rob explained, "Aunt Meg and Uncle Edward helped me find it. This way, you can make food for Mother just like what we ate." Asia hugged the boy and praised the book over and over.
Rob soon returned to the couch and reached into his bag once again, "Mother, close your eyes," he said with a huge smile. Jo did as told, andresisted the urge to peek. Rob placed another book into Jo's lap, and a wrapped parcel as well.
"Well, let's see, what do we have here?" Jo asked, opening her eyes. She made a half-sigh, half-gasp noise and ran her hands over the cover.
"It's by Mr. Dickens! And look inside!" Rob opened the book for Jo, "See, he wrote in it!"
"Where on earth did you?!" Jo was almost speechless.
"Edward has a signed copy, as I told you once, and well, he's got some friends over in London.....they were only two happy Jo," Meg said smiling.
"Thank you sweetheart! This is the best present I've ever gotten!" Jo said, hugging Rob tightly again.
"Wait! There's another one," Rob said, pulling the wrapped package out from under the book.
"Well what do we have here?" Jo said softly, unwrapping the package carefully. She gave a start as the paper fell away, and she was left staring at a beautiful painting….not unfamiliar….
"Mother! Do you know what it is?" Rob said, excitement in his voice. Jo couldn't think for a moment; she only gazed at the painting.
"It's…..it's not - no, it couldn't be-" Jo couldn't finish her sentence.
"Yep! It's the town you said Papa always used to describe! You described it well too! And now look, you can hang it up!" Rob said, taking the picture from Jo's hands and holding it up to the wall. Jo simply smiled and nodded, too touched to speak.
Jo broke the silence by finally saying, "Well, these are some of the best gifts we've ever gotten! Who's hungry? You all must be starving, I'm sure that…"
"Mother!" Rob interrupted, giving Jo an exasperated look. Jo just gave him a look of surprise and waited for him to go on.
"I'm not finished," Rob said with a grin.
"Well who…." Jo trailed off as realization swept over her.
"I've got a present for Nick!" Rob grinned as he pulled yet another package out of his bag. He didn't even bother telling Nick to close his eyes, for the package was wrapped. Nick gave a look of total shock to both Jo and Rob, yet he opened the package.
Inside was yet another book, and Nick colored at his small trouble with the words. "See, here! It says 'A Ship's Voyage,'" Rob said proudly.
Nick gave a small nod, and still rather flushed said, "It's a nice gift and all Rob, but you know I still can't read so well."
Rob only smiled and said, "I know, but it has pictures….and I thought we could read it together!" Nick's eyes were filled with so much emotion that he made himself look away for a moment. This was something new. When Dan or Nat or any of the other boys had looked up to him as a father figure when they were younger, Nick had been pleased beyond words, and had always felt rather unworthy. But to have Rob, Jo's son, look up to him…..that was something entirely different. And while Nick knew why this moved him, he also knew why things had stayed the same for all that time.
"That'd be real nice," Nick said with a smile, trying to convey to Rob just how much this gift meant. He patted the boy's shoulder, and was greatly surprised to receive a hug in return. All this while, Jo had been watching, her emotions slightly guarded yet still readable. As much as Rob's gift touched Nick, it touched her as well. The fact that Rob looked to Nick as a father figure - and probably always had - stuck in her mind. And yet, she had to wonder, yet again as she so often did, why she and Nick had remained "friends" for all this time……
"Well everyone, I think that now it's time to eat," Asia said with a grin.
"Oh Asia, I have missed your cooking," Meg said with a sigh and a smile. They all trampled off towards the kitchen, Jo and Nick hanging back. Nick gave a fond look at his book and carefully placed it on the table.
"He's a great kid Jo," was all that Nick could say.
"I'm not the only one that raised him," Jo said, the corner of her mouth turning upwards and a twinkle in her eye. With that she turned on her heel and followed the happy party to the kitchen, leaving Nick to gaze after her with an incredulous look.
PART 5
