When She Was
Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd or the associated characters.
He remembered Nellie. Lovett now, but faintly he recalled when she was young, as was he. They were close friends and he was not blind to the way she looked at him.
That Nellie, she was somewhat proper. She loved to listen, not to speak, because that was polite. She sat straight up at the dining table and learned to sew like a good wife should. Well, something had to happen to shape her into the bent form she was now.
Never as perfect as Lucy, he reminded himself. Of course, for a very short time before he met the blonde beauty, he too, had taken an interest in his friend. Eleanor slowly started to wither away as Lucy and himself, Benjamin Barker, were almost never split. He had no time for her anymore.
But he had learned, she was drinking as well. Maybe her downfall had to do with the fact she forgot what to do in her young life, or just didn't care. The latter was most likely the case. He had been so caught up with his own life he didn't realize hers was slowly dying. Her smiles were fake, her eyes were always red from crying, she stopped trying.
She had to watch their lives progress as hers stayed the same. No man came to court her, no marriages arranged. Well, he reasoned, one of those had to happen, because she had Albert. Nellie saw the happy family, after Johanna was born, so incredibly hoping that one day she would shake her feelings for Mr. Barker and begin a life like his, with a husband to care and to love her, even a child.
As far as Sweeney knew, she had no family left, only her aunt Nettie, who had not been in contact with her for years. It was hard, he imagined, working alone for hours, then finally meeting the man who was going to be her fiancé.
He briefly wondered why in the world she would have no children. She always had that caring, motherly spirit. When Toby had come along, Nellie had been so excited. Too much, thought Mr. Todd. Over enthusiastic.
He never realized it, but it was he who broke her, unknowingly. Eleanor was not a lady now, simply because she didn't have enough interactions from the public world to guide her through. No adults to keep her in line, only the occasional customer who would chat shortly. She had no boundaries, because no one had ever set them for her- and if they had, it had been over ten long years ago.
Fifteen years ago, when she was... Perfect...
Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! Sorry I published so late. As always, feel free to leave a review/ favorite. Hope you liked it!