The next day, Nellie found herself in her room. The sun was as bright as it was yesterday but she thought it had a little extra joy in it. She herself had extra joy because the day before, she was in the arms of her beloved Sweeney Todd.
Mrs. Lovett walked out of her room and into her kitchen. 'Too early for them to be up I suppose', she thought to herself. There it was again, another surprise waiting for her at the booth in the shop. Sweeney seemed very sleepy but the circles under his eyes showed he hadn't even shut them. He looked up at Mrs. Lovett and she gasped in shock, now holding her robe closer to her.
"Mr. T what in God's name are you doin' up so early!?" She shrieked only loud enough for him to hear.
"I couldn't sleep"
"Yes…well I can see that love. Wot's the matter?"
"You took care of Johanna all those years I was gone?" He finally murmured after a long silence.
"Well, yes…I mean I couldn't just leave 'er up there for the rest of 'er life you know…" Sweeney gave her a chilling stare.
"I meant what I said…yesterday I mean" She finally got the courage to say out loud. Now Nellie was behind the counter pounding at the dough. Flour flew everywhere, especially on her ruby red morning robe. Her hair was down with curls freely flowing across her shoulders and back. Her auburn hair made it impossible for someone to say she wasn't beautiful, this made Sweeney aggravated. "I love Johanna like me own I do." She finally said after beating the pie crust in front of her.
"I am sorry for your troubles, taking care of her I mean."
"No trouble whatsoever love, it was nice to have company around after…well…you know."
"Albert." He said blankly.
"Yes, yes me Albert. I 'ope the good Lord gave 'im what 'e deserves."
"Albert was a horrible man, Mrs. Lovett! He beat you every second he got, and you still love him enough to hope he is happy now?!" Sweeney spat, banging his hands on the table. Mrs. Lovett jumped at that notation. He was usually quiet.
"I didn't say I wanted 'im to be 'appy. I just said I 'ope that 'e got what 'e deserved." She said with a devilish grin that made Sweeney even more aggravated that she was too damn beautiful. "Besides", she continued, "Even if someone treats you like dirt, or not like you're even there, you can still love that person with all your 'eart, even if it means 'urting yourself." Her grin turned into a frown as quickly as it did the other day. She was right of course; Sweeney Todd never took the time to admire his neighbor. He never thought of it. He knew Nellie loved Benjamin but didn't notice how much she loved Sweeney.
"Mrs. Lovett, you're a bloody wonder." He glided over towards the beautiful baker.
"You as well, Mr. Todd." She smiled gingerly.
"How I've lived without you all these years I'll never know." He whispered into her ear. She could have passed out with all the excitement going on in her head but she kept her face as normal as possible. Sweeney brushed a piece of hair away from her face and looked deep into her big brown eyes. For the first time in what seemed to be years, he didn't think of his darling Lucy or his beautiful Johanna, he thought of nothing. Nothing is all he needed, because looking into Nellie's eyes, nothing else could ever matter.
"Mum? Mr. Todd?" Toby asked while walking into the kitchen with an empty bottle of gin from last night.
"Toby glad to see you up so early, we have a busy day ahead of us" she saw the gin bottle in his had. It was another empty one and another one that needed to be replaced. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Toby 'ow much as it been this week now?" She placed a hand on her hip as Sweeney was right behind her, just staring into the mesmerizing curls.
"Wot you mean mum?"
"The gin, dearie. 'ow much 'ave you 'ad this week?"
"About 3 bottles mum, I'm sorry I keep forgetting you need them for the customers…" his puppy dog eyes saddened as Mrs. Lovett took the bottle away from him.
"Just one glass tonight dearie, if I even 'ave enough for that."
"Okay mum. I'm going to set the tables outside." Toby quickly walked outside and grinned slightly at Mr. Todd who was still locked in sight at her hair.
"Oh Mr. T you gave me a fright ye did. I didn't know you were still 'ere." Nellie gasped as she turned around face to face with the barber. "It's very early for someone to be getting a shave now love so why don't you go upstairs and take a nice nap. It looks like you could use one." She gently touched his face and to her surprise, he didn't move.
"It's too bright out to sleep now."
"Well it wasn't last night." She quickly snapped back in a flirtatious manner. Sweeney took good notice of that.
"I was thinking last night."
"Oh, I understand. Well wot were you thinking about then? Lucy perhaps?" She didn't really care. It was the same answer every time.
"No. I was thinking about Johanna." Mrs. Lovett widened her eyes. Sweeney Todd not thinking about Lucy? What was this world coming to? 'Damn sun's doing wonders on all of us.' She thought to herself.
"Wot about Johanna?" She now said in complete interest.
"Just how I've missed her growing up. You know, when she was born, I promised I would walk her down the aisle when she got married… I also promised that I wouldn't let her date until she got married." He let out a small chuckle. Mrs. Lovett softly laughed with him.
"She is beautiful Mr. T… simply stunning. She 'as your smile."
"What stories did you tell her?"
"Well I told 'er about 'ow nervous you were when you got married. You were so nervous that you tried to escape out the window and I told 'er 'ow I locked all the windows and doors so you couldn't leave until the ceremony started."
"Yes…I remember…thank you for that."
"No problem Mr. T. Jus doin' wot a friend should do is all." She waited for a response but it seemed that good old Sweeney was back. He said thank you and that was all he needed to say, so after that, he silently slipped away up into his barber shop. Mrs. Lovett sighed but she wasn't surprised.
Mrs. Lovett looked out the window to see the beautiful sun shining through. Maybe next time she could get more words out to talk to him. Maybe even about going to the sea, but for now, the simple conversation of him acknowledging her was good enough.
"Maybe he's changin' after all… maybe God's finally anwserin me prayers." Mrs. Lovett said to herself with a large smile on her face, and whether it was God or not, she was right…something was changing.