~ It's been a long while but this story has been rattling around in many forms over the past 15 years. This story is somewhat a continuation of "The Best Thing" but it's not necessary to sit through that one. It is definitely a character piece for Jo and Nick so I apologize to anyone looking for more on the kids.
The excerpt that Jo reads is from Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth". I have seen several translations so the exact wording may not be exact to the original text. As well, "Softly Now the Light of Day" was a hymn written by George W Doane in 1824. Just want to give credit where it's due.
Enjoy! ~
The sunset had turned the sky into a delicate canvas for nature's blush pinks, oranges and reds. The few clouds that spotted the horizon defused the colors until they were all muted with white. There was a soft breeze that held the slightest hint of icy air - a sign of the impending change of season in Massachusetts. The trees would soon shed their leaves but only after painting them in the warmest of hues.
An impressive Victorian house with green shutters and a large porch stood in the middle of an expansive section of property. Forest lined each side of the estate, creating a type of hidden island; the front gate the only indication of the secluded home.
Inside the gate and down the road, the voices of children could be heard in amongst the usual bird and bug songs. This was Josephine's favourite moment whenever she returned home; the melody of the children, her children, lost in their adventures, exploring the world. She led her horse through the gates, the sounds following her down the path.
Plumfield came into view, her home and the school Jo had run since the passing of her first husband. It was an ambitious dream and one she refused to give up on after Fritz's death. Her persistence paid off and Plumfield now had students, both boys and girls, from all walks of life. Some of which had been there since the beginning and were soon ready to head off into the world on their own.
As she approached, Jo noticed Nick on the front porch, fixing one of the railings. Nick was originally Plumfield's caretaker and was now Jo's new husband. After only a couple of years, he had become such a fundamental part of her life. They had been through so much together in such a short amount of time. Courting had strengthened their bond and now that they were married, they had moved into a loving although sometimes hectic relationship.
As she steered the horse and buggy to the front of the house, Nick took notice and flashed her his warm smile. He abandoned his tools and strolled down the stairs to meet the carriage.
"Did ya get everything?" he asked as he took hold of the horse's bridle and stopped the animal.
Jo smiled. "Almost," she replied, handing Nick a box of dry goods. "Mr. Gerson is still having problems with a few of his suppliers. It looks like we'll have to make do with the school primers we already have."
Nick placed the box onto the porch stairs and then extended his hand to help Jo from the buggy. As she jumped down, he caught her in his arms and held onto her for a quick hug. He could feel her muscles tighten at his touch for just a moment even as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Are we still on for our picnic Sunday afternoon?" Nick asked, holding her close, trying to understand her anxiousness.
"Of course," Jo nodded and gently broke the embrace so she could look Nick in the eyes. "I've been looking forward to it all week."
Nick smiled, getting lost in Jo's eyes for a few brief moments while she smiled shyly and looked away. Nick was studying her, confused and a bit hurt when they were suddenly interrupted by the shouts of children running from the woods.
"I win, Nat!" Emil declared as the boys rushed into the clearing.
"No fair!" Nat responded, "You got a head start, Emil!" The other boys yelled their agreement but before the situation could erupt into an argument, Nick stepped away from Jo.
"It don't matter who won," he declared, picking up another box from the carriage and handing it to Emil. "Everybody grab something and take it into the house."
The boys all let out a collective "Awww…" before resigning and picking up the groceries. Jo smiled at Nick, pleased at how easy it was for him to step into the father role now. He no longer hesitated to teach, discipline or guide the children. It had taken some time but it was like running Plumfield with Fritz again. Sort of. Maybe if Fritz had been less academic and more - woodsy. Jo did the majority of the school lessons, allowing Nat to take over a few from time to time. And, of course, she still managed most of the household responsibilities. But when it came to the kids, there was no question of Nick's authority and Jo coached only when necessary. The mutual respect between both Nick and the children made things so much easier and Jo enjoyed watching their interactions. Nick's pride was unmistakable.
Jo followed Nick and the boys into the house - the smells of their favourite chicken dinner hit them as they walked through the door. The groceries promptly found their way into the kitchen where everyone found Asia hard at work. After the boys dropped their cargo, they took off running out the back door.
"Supper will be ready in a half hour," the housekeeper called as the door slammed shut. She shook her head and smiled at Jo, "How did things go in town? Did you get to Orchard House?"
"Yes," Jo sighed as she removed her hat, setting it on the table. She moved to empty one of the boxes. "Father is still suffering some pain but his doctor believes it's from the flu he had a few weeks ago." Jo took out a few jars and placed them in the pantry. "He was in good spirits and Marmee seems to think that he's on the mend."
Nick handed her a few more jars and then moved in to sneak a peek at what Asia had cooking on the stove. "That's good," he said, grabbing a bit out of the pot. "He'll have to get better soon. Thanksgiving is coming up and he won't want to miss Asia's stuffing."
Asia shooed him away. "You get outta here before I stuff you."
Nick smiled and gave Jo a quick kiss on the cheek before heading towards the front door. "I'll be back after I finish fixin' that railing."
Jo chuckled as she watched him leave. "I better get the rest of this put away - and then I can help you feed this group."
Asia smiled. "I'm guessing they'll be a hungry bunch tonight!"
XXXXX
Nick made his way up the stairs, extinguishing a few of the lamps on his way to bed. Sleeping in the house was still strange to him and it had taken some getting used to. After being on the merchant ships, having a real bedroom and an actual bed was so odd; Nick had been accustomed to just sleeping wherever he could. Jo had tried her best to make the transition easier and was thrilled when Nick had offered to make a brand new bed for the both of them. It wasn't anything fancy, just something sturdy and carefully crafted. But it had been made by Nick. Fritz still lived in so many parts of Plumfield and the idea of Nick putting his own mark in the house was a great way to open up the new chapter of their lives.
Nick peeked into the master bedroom and found Jo already in bed, papers covering the sheets. It was a nightly occurrence. Nick was used to having to force Jo to go to sleep and he just shook his head as he entered the room.
"What are you working on tonight?" Nick asked as took off his shirt and sat on the edge of the bed, removing his boots.
Jo sighed and gave him a half smile. "Just some history projects. The children were supposed to give an account of a civil war battle and some are a bit more interesting than others." Jo held up one with detailed drawings. "Emil seems to think that the battle at Gettysburg somehow involved a few naval ships - at least by his illustrations."
Nick chuckled and slipped under the covers. He eyed Jo carefully. He had noticed her nervous behaviour ever since she had returned from town. The way she avoided eye contact with him and how she seemed to be a million miles away during dinner; it may have gone overlooked by others but Nick knew something was up.
"You okay?" he asked gently, rolling over onto his side. "Did you see Dr. Pierce in town today?"
Jo took in Nick's hopeful gaze. She shook her head as she put down her marking pencil. Her shoulders slumped and she stared at the bed. "There's no need," she whispered as tears filled her eyes. Nick sat up as she turned to him. "I'm sorry, Nick. I'm not pregnant."
Nick gave Jo a small smile, trying to hide his disappointment. "It's okay, Jo," he said, taking her hand. She nodded slowly. "It'll be soon," he replied.
She rolled her eyes, her frustration rising. "We don't know that for sure," she huffed. "It might not happen at all."
"Jo," Nick eased, "you're talking nonsense."
Jo grabbed her hand back and scoffed, the look in her eyes becoming intense. "Nonsense? It's not nonsense Nick." Now it was Nick's shoulders that slumped forward; he knew what this was turning into. "It's been a long time since Rob. Who knows? Maybe I'm not able to have any more children."
Nick shook his head. "Now you're just being unreasonable…" Nick trailed off, knowing he shouldn't have opened his mouth.
"Unreasonable? Really?" Jo scoffed, grabbing the papers and pencil from off the bed. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," she stated, throwing the items onto the bedside table and turning down the lamp. "Obviously, I'm being too unreasonable to have a conversation with you." She punched her pillow a few times and laid down, facing away from her husband. "Good night, Nick."
Nick sat on the bed, deflated, trying to understand what had just happened. He sighed in the darkness and laid his head down. What exactly had he said to set things off? Sometimes Jo's fiery temper was still a mystery to him. It was going to be a long night.
XXXXX
The next morning, Jo woke to the smells of baking biscuits and fresh coffee. She rolled over and reached out, finding the other side of the bed empty. She sighed, knowing that she had overreacted the previous night. She had been unreasonable and she felt horrible about it.
Jo was just frustrated with the whole situation. Earlier in the week she had felt different; tired and somewhat nauseous and had immediately thought that she was finally pregnant. After excitedly telling Nick, she promised to visit the doctor in town when she was there. Unfortunately, that previous morning, it seemed obvious that the doctor wasn't needed and she was angry with herself for getting their hopes up.
Jo sat up and noticed something lying on Nick's pillow. She took a closer look and found a small bouquet of purple and yellow flowers laying there. Jo smiled at the peace offering, feeling even more ashamed of the way she had acted. Nick was always doing things like this - he was always the first to call a truce even when she was still cross. That wasn't to say that he didn't have his own temper but he could never stay angry with Jo and was the first to see beyond their differences.
Jo grabbed the flowers and got ready for the day, taking them downstairs to set in a vase before they wilted. "Morning, Mrs. Jo," Nat said as she walked into kitchen. The young man was gathering napkins and cutlery for breakfast while Asia was busy trying to get everyone else organized.
"Good morning, Nat," Jo replied, over the commotion. She grabbed a vase from one of the shelves and took it over to the basin.
As usual, the chaos started early and Jo had barely filled the vase before she heard a crash from the dining room. Jo sighed as she and Nat ran into the room to find Tommy with several pieces from one of the bowls.
"It was only one this time, Mrs. Jo," Tommy offered, handing her the broken dish.
She smiled softly, not able to get angry at this regular accident. "It's fine, Tommy," she said, "Just go and grab another one from the cupboard. Carefully!" she suggested as the boy ran off.
"Nat?" she inquired, "Have you seen Nick this morning?"
Nat was starting to place the napkins at each of the settings. "Yeah. He left pretty early. He said he had a few things he needed to get done early today."
Jo nodded sadly and wandered back into the kitchen. She threw away the ruined dish and started to help Asia cut up vegetables for the evening's stew supper. The housekeeper studied Jo, watching her wage some sort of battle in her mind.
"Everythin' okay?" Asia asked, mixing some of the vegetables into a pot on the stove.
Jo looked up, a little sheepish. "I'm fine," she said, "Just a little tired."
Asia shook her head. "Must be goin' through the house - Nick said the same thing before he left this morning."
Jo frowned, knowing this was all her fault. "Did he say when he'd be back?" she asked.
Asia thought for a moment and grinned as the back door opened. "Right about now," she replied as Nick made his way through the door. He smiled gently at Jo as he went over to the sink to wash his hands.
Asia lead the remaining children from the kitchen, taking plates of toast and eggs out with her. "You're just in time," she said to Nick, winking at Jo as she joined the children in the dining room.
Jo looked hopefully at Nick as he wiped his hands on towel. "Thank you for the flowers," she said quietly. "They're beautiful."
Nick shrugged. "Found 'em by the creek when I went to get more firewood. I thought they looked kind of pretty."
Jo closed the distance between them. "They're lovely," she replied. She kissed Nick lightly on the cheek. "I'm sorry about last night," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I shouldn't have been so… so…" She struggled to find the words.
"Unreasonable?" Nick offered, a smile playing on his lips.
Jo glared at him but a grin soon appeared. "Ill-tempered," she corrected.
Nick drew her into a hug. Jo held onto him tightly. "I shouldn't have let my frustration get the best of me," she tried to explain. "It's just that…"
Suddenly, breaking glass could be heard from the dining room and Jo sighed, burying her face into Nick's chest. After a few moments, she lifted her head to see Nick smiling down at her. "We can talk about this later," he said. "Let's go eat."