Jo wandered around the house, looking for something to do. She was staying with Beth while her mother and sisters were out running errands. Suddenly, she heard loud, frustrated notes being played on their small piano. She went down the stairs to investigate. She found Beth sitting at the piano, struggling to play a sensible tune.
"Beth, what's wrong?" she asked, even though she knew the answer. Beth looked up at her sadly.
"I can't play anymore…" she said quietly. The poor girl no longer had scarlet fever, but she was left weaker than she had been before she got sick. Jo rested a gentle hand on her sister's small shoulder.
"Don't worry, Bethie. You'll be able to play soon. I know it."
"Promise?"
"I promise." Jo smiled softly. There was a silent but sweet moment between the two sisters. Seconds later, the moment was broken by a knock at the door. Jo ran to open it. Marmee and Amy came inside. Meg was waiting outside for Jo, who put on her boots. Before she went outside, she went back to Beth.
"I gotta go with Meg for a little while. I'll bring you something back, okay?" she said quickly. Beth nodded as Jo darted out the door, wondering what could possibly make her leave in such a great hurry.
Jo came back an hour or so later, carrying a medium sized box that had a few holes in it. Right before she entered the room, she told the contents inside the box to be quiet.
"Beth, I'm back!" she called into the room. Beth was sitting in a chair, sewing something. She put down her work as Jo came over with the box. She placed the box on Beth's lap.
"Go on. Open it." Jo said. Although her face had a neutral expression, the twinkle in her eyes made it clear she was trying not to giggle. Beth carefully opened the box. As soon as she caught a glimpse of what was in the box, her face brightened. She gently lifted a small kitten out of the box.
"Oh Jo! She's adorable!" Beth giggled. Jo grinned, seeing the frustration and worry disappear from her sister's face. Jo watched as her sister played with the small kitten.
"So, what are you going to name her?" she asked. "She is yours, after all."
"All mine? Really?" Beth asked excitedly.
"We all know how much you love cats, so Meg, Amy, and I added up some of our money and bought you the kitten. I picked her out, of course." Jo said as her sister played with the kitten's paws.
"I think I'll call her… Missy." the younger of the two sisters decided.
"It suits her perfectly!" Jo giggled. And she was right. The little ball of grey fur was quite energetic and playful. The two girls played with the kitten for the rest of the afternoon. Marmee announced that dinner was ready and the two girls ran to show her the kitten.
"Marmee! Look what Jo brought me!" Beth held up the kitten happily. The rest of the evening continued in this fashion. Every time someone came into the room, Beth would get up and show them her new kitten, now dubbed Missy.
Due to the excitement of the day, Beth went to bed early. The events of that afternoon had worn her out. Jo sat in the parlor with Meg and Amy, lying across the floor as she so often did.
"I've never seen her like that before, even when she was well." Meg said softly. Jo looked up.
"Who, Beth?"
"Yes. What a great idea you had, getting her that kitten. I've never seen her with such energy." Meg commented.
"I'm so glad I had that idea. It cheered her up immensely." Jo replied, scribbling notes on her paper. Amy looked over to see what she was writing.
"What are you writing now?"
"Just about today. I write anything and everything. Really, Amy, I thought you'd have learned that by now." Jo smiled teasingly. They sat in silence for a while, each working on her own small project.
"Jo…?" Meg asked after several minutes.
"Yeah?"
"What exactly are you writing? Read it out loud, won't you?"
Jo flipped back to the first page and sat up, clearing her throat dramatically. This earned a giggle from Amy. Jo began to read aloud.
"My dear Beth,
What joy it brought me to see you as you were today. When you were slamming your fingers uselessly on the poor old piano, I felt I must do something to cheer you up. You love to play piano so much and needed a way to distract yourself from it. If there is one thing you love more than music, it is kittens. Oh how splendid was the look on your face when you opened the box today! Never will I forget that moment. To see you so happy and carefree was something I was not sure I'd ever see again. Yet, at the same time, I had a feeling it was quite possible. Oh, my dear Bethie, I am so glad I got to see the brightness return to your eyes and the color return to your cheeks.
Yours always,
Jo"
The three sisters looked at each other in silence, Jo's words ringing in their minds. She had perfectly captured what they all were feeling. A smile passed between all of them for a moment. They knew, in their hearts, that all they could do for Beth was to keep her as happy and comfortable as possible. And Jo had done just that. Because she and Beth were the closest of all the sisters. And they loved each other very much. Always and forever.