Romance That Remains Forever

by bellechat

Alternate version of "From Romance to Friendship" that I've been wanting to do. What would've happened if the girl The Once-ler loved had gone with him to Truffula Valley? Certain things that he might've missed they get to endure! How bad can it be? ;) Pairing is Once-lerxOC (well developed!) MariexOnce for you who know! Review! Rated T to be safe. GOING THROUGH EDITS AT THE MOMENT

30. Broken Hearts of Love

(I forgot to say this last time! (Arabella and her baby are related to someone from the future. See if you can guess who and I named her kid Peggy Marnie in honor of two people Seuss knew. Peggy is named after his niece who was like a surrogate daughter to him and Marnie was the name of his sister. When she passed away, he was so upset about her passing, he never spoke about it. Also the teachers: Miss Chrysanthemum and Miss Pearl are after a pretend child Seuss dedicated a book of his to.) Writer's Block 420 thanks for the fave! I hope nobody is too mad at me for what happens here and heads up for some real sadness and losses in this part!

(The Lorax, and The Once-ler do not belong to me. They're Dr. Seuss' and Illumination's. Same goes for his family shown in the film. Marie and her growing girls are mine! P.S. Any names I use from other Seuss books aren't mine either; they'll always belong to Dr. Seuss.) Posted on June 1st because it would be Marie and Once-ler's anniversary!

Chapter 30

Broken Hearts of Love

Negative.

Two blue lines. Negative.

What little hope Marie had suddenly of a third child was scrapped. Sure she had accepted what she had, but with being sick that morning…there was a possibility she could be expecting. It was official though; no baby.

"Miss Marie? Miss Finnegan?" called Arabella. "Are you alright?" She knocked on the restroom door softly.

Marie wiped her eyes and sighed. She wrapped the test up in a paper towel and crammed it to the bottom of the wastebasket. Then she stuffed the box of pregnancy tests in her purse which she had with her. Then she slipped out with a meek smile.

"I'm fine," she said. "It's just a flu bug."

Arabella eyed the box that was sticking out of the purse, but didn't question it. Marie went back to work behind a cash register, but her near encounter of being a mother for a second time didn't leave. She felt empty. Life seemed to grow slower. Her thoughts were dimmed as the registers dinged, the front door jingled, bags crackled and customers rushed.

Marie left the shop to find snowflakes falling. The pavement was sprinkled with white and the lampposts turned on earlier. When she arrived at Thneedville's Nursery School, the teachers were bringing out lines of their pupils. Miss Pearl, the twins' teacher, led them out and they were singing. Of all things, they were singing the Thneed jingle. The children lined patiently and each mother came to pick up her baby. In Marie's case, two babies. When Chloe saw her mother she raced over and hug so tightly Marie's broken heart began to heal.

"Mommy, look what I made for you," she said. She held up a painting of a snowman. "We're learning about weather and now its winter so I made-I made a snowperson!"

"It's beautiful," chuckled Marie. She looked up to see Natalie plod over. "What's wrong Sweetie?"

"I hate boys!" said Natalie.

"Oh you need a hug!" said Marie and pulled her in. "You can tell me what happened when we get to the car."

"Boys are goofy," grumbled Natalie.

Marie led them safely down the sidewalk to where other cars were temporarily parked. Into the cold car they went and Marie turned the heat up. Soon it was cozy. Chloe watched in fascination as the snow gently fell. It reminded her of powdered sugar from a sifter to put over brownies. Natalie brooded as she sat in her car seat. She didn't speak yet and Marie knew that Natalie didn't like to be pushed into talking.

"Boys are yucky," said Natalie and began to ramble. "Rosy's cousin is in our class. He's mean and pushy. He pushed me on the playground and laughed at me. So I pinched him back and we got in timeout."

"Natalie," said Marie firmly. She made a turn at the corner and past some charity collectors. "What have I told you about pinching?" She watched Natalie grunt and cross her legs. "Natalie!"

"To not do it," mumbled Natalie.

"Did you say sorry to him?" said Marie.

"Yeah, but he didn't say sorry to me!"

"Sometimes people won't say sorry. Even if they don't, you have to be nice back."

"That's not fair!" Natalie twisted in her seat and huffed.

"Life's not always Natty," said Marie with empathy.

"Do you want to come skating me?" asked Chloe who was trying to make her sister feel better.

"I don't like skating," said Natalie who had never gotten over that her sister was better at it.

"How about while Chloe skates we get some hot chocolate and you can help me write out a list?" said Marie.

Natalie's gloom ended and she perked up. She loved helping Marie write out lists because Marie would let her take charge.

Half an hour later, Chloe was at a practice and learning a new jump. Natalie cheered up with her marshmallow free hot chocolate. Marie took out her notepad and prepared for a list.

"Now what do we need?" she asked. "Do we need…carrots?"

"Yes!" said Natalie. "And we need pancake stuff!"

"Do we need some milk?" continued Marie.

"Yeah!" said Natalie and she nodded her head with vigor.

Marie's pain no longer felt raw. As she wrote out a list with Natalie and watched Chloe skate, she knew she was happy with two girls. Wanting another kid had been from Arabella's new baby and thinking it would help bring him back. She knew though, it wouldn't change. Deep down, she knew. He would be working harder and it wouldn't be like the first time when he was with her every minute. Another baby wasn't necessary and it had only made her hide something from him and Marie didn't feel good about that.

"What he doesn't know can't hurt him for now," thought Marie when her conscience battled her about telling him.

He came to bed late that night again. She was sleeping then and stirred when she felt his impact. She saw he was still clothed and not under the blankets. She crawled to the bed's edge and pulled the cuddle blanket up to him. Then she lay close to him and sighed. It was as loving as she could get with him for the night or find comfort from him after her day.

"Once-ler," she sighed sadly before she slept. "What has the world done to you?"

Whatever the world did to him, it wouldn't stop yet as the seasons changed. It seemed that winter in Truffula Valley was nearly bothersome to The Once-ler. When it was winter the trees seemed to freeze. The tufts would be stiff and the bark needed an extra chop to bring it down. It was tiring. The Once-ler had to come up new ideas to improve like adding a thicker bit to the axes or a different fuel. The Lorax didn't stop with his visits and he was getting more tired of it.

"I am The Lorax who speaks for the trees!" he shouted that day while Waterfall had made her sad discovery.

"Now what?" The Once-ler growled. "How did you get in here?"

"Now what?" mimicked The Lorax. "It's none of your business of how I got in! You…" He pointed out the large windows. "Fix it! Now!"

"Why don't you?" exhaled the Once-ler. He rolled up a blueprint. "You have "powers," why haven't you used them yet?"

"I don't do it that way," said The Lorax. "That's not how it works!"

"Some guardian of the forest you are," scoffed The Once-ler. "You can't even stop me!"

"You don't get it," said The Lorax. "You humans will never get it!"

"Brett, Chet," shouted The Once-ler. "Weed him out!"

The brothers came in and obeyed. They lifted The Lorax up and shoved him outside. They slammed the doors and The Lorax pounded on them in fury.

"I'll be at a meeting," said The Once-ler to his older siblings. "Make sure he doesn't come in!"

"Yes sir," they said in unison. That was pretty much all the conversation they had with their little brother.

Isabella typed away on the typewriter in the hall. She and The Once-ler barely acknowledged each other. Every time he passed that space, The Once-ler only wished Marie was there. He adjusted his blueprints tucked under his arm and went down to the garage for his sacred Ferrari.

Marie was not surprised to find him gone. It was so predictable. It was back to lonely nights as well. With Christmas coming, Marie wasn't sure what was going to happen save for one shopping event. Since joining The Little Ladies Brigade the girls were required to spend to get new presents for orphans. Bright and early, on December 15th Marie bundled up to take her girls shopping. They were dressed in little Thneed scarfs, designer trench coats, sunglasses perched on their button noses and polished boots.

"Now remember this isn't for you," said Marie when they entered the first store. "You're shopping for a little girl who doesn't have many toys like you."

"I can still pick right?" asked Natalie. "I can pick whatever to give to her."

That's how it started, but minutes within arrival things went amuck. The new toy store was huge and bursting with excitement. Chloe was speechless and ran around each aisle in wonder. Natalie grabbed whatever she could reach and balanced boxes in her grasp. Marie was breathless as she chased after them. She had to catch boxes that Natalie spilled and put back the stuffed animals Chloe had hugged.

Then the shop became true chaos. Brett and Chet came in dressed in burly coats and read over lists. Then a lanky figure followed behind, using a scarf to cover his face. He was covered in a black coat as well and kept his distance from the public.

"I want to get them some trick handcuffs," said Brett to the figure. "Remember when I put you in those when you were four?"

"No trick hand cuffs," said The Once-ler sternly. "Keep it down. This is the only free day I've got to shop."

"What are you going to do if they ask you why you're buying girly toys?" asked Chet.

"That I'm donating," said his brother who was losing his patience. "They won't know where so it doesn't matter. Brett, give me the list."

The three brothers pushed around their carts and filled them with board games and dolls. The Once-ler kept ducking under shelves and his cart to avoid people seeing his face. He had gone as far as to ditch the gloves and wedding ring to not be suspected. Brett and Chet liked to stop and play with some samples. Every time that happened The Once-ler had to yank them by the sleeve and give the eye. Shopping for Christmas presents stressed him out more than ever.

The event also included avoiding the girls when he saw Marie. She gasped seeing him and gestured for him to go to another side. Hastily he did and hoped the girls hadn't seen their gifts. It wouldn't have mattered since both were too fascinated by a Ferris wheel toy. Brett and Chet kept debating about who wanted what.

"Which one does Monkey want?" asked Brett in one aisle.

"The yellow one you idiot," said Chet and he reached up to grab a fish with a star on its stomach.

"Hurry up," said The Once-ler who was half dead from shopping. Two hours of it and he was ready to go home.

"Oh! Mr. Once-ler" came a squeal.

The three men jumped and saw Liz Billing, one of the charity leaders. She clasped her frostbitten hands over her heart and began gushing.

"Oh how sweet of you! You're buying presents for needy children!"

"I-yes," The Once-ler recovered. "It's all for a good cause from Thneeds Inc.!" He gave a pleasant smile, but inside he was fuming.

"Oh how lovely," said Ms. Billing. "We'll see you at the toy drive tonight then! You're going to make some little girls so happy!"

"I thought that we were shopping for the twins." whispered Chet when she was gone.

"Don't remind me," said The Once-ler with a tired sigh and rubbed his face. "Now that she's seen all this stuff she's going to expect it all there! Great! Now we have to do more shopping!"

"Why can't Marie do it?" asked Brett.

"She can't get them all. They wouldn't be coming from me then!"

Nobody else stopped him as another set of hours went on. Before the charity idea came up going incognito to get presents was easy. At the end of it both parents were exhausted. Marie had gotten a workout from chasing the girls around the store and The Once-ler got pulled into the toy drive and had to shop for double. Chloe and Natalie weren't tired from shopping and spent the rest of the day playing in the snow covered park. They were proud of themselves for getting some dolls that had pull strings in their backs for their group's good deed. Simon, Rosy, Jerry and Yolanda Alderman were there with their mothers. Abigail Blogg, Hilda Drew and Vera Alderman sat with Marie and watched their kids play together like every Saturday.

"So what are you ladies doing for Christmas this year?" asked Vera. "We're going out of town."

"Oh Christmas is going to be a thrill this year," said Hilda as she brushed her fingers over her red hair. "Rosy and my nephew Jedd are going to help me make a gingerbread house this year."

Marie ignored the fact that this Jedd was the boy who bothered Natalie and she had pinched him in revenge.

"The in-laws are coming over and I am calm about it," laughed Abigail. "Simon's excited to see his grandparents."

"What about you Marie?" asked Vera.

"Oh me?" asked Marie who felt off guard. "I'm still working out our plans."

"What do traditions do you have?" asked Abigail. She adjusted her hat over her brown hair.

"The girls cuddle in my bed on Christmas Eve and I read to them," said Marie. "I've done that since they were babies."

"You know," said Hilda slowly after a pause. "We've never seen you husband."

"And you don't talk about him much," added Abigail.

"He's not at home because he's far away," said Marie slowly.

"What is he in the army or something?" asked Vera.

"You could say that," said Marie.

She hoped they wouldn't dig deeper on the subject. She watched Natalie and Chloe slide down as a train. Then behind them came Yolanda who was a year older than them. It reminded her of how lonely her childhood was. Having to attend the dinner parties, art galleries and have some children ask her how she lived were not good memories. Life became better when she met her best friend and she knew he was still there underneath the fancy clothes and hiding in the factory. She couldn't give up on him no matter what life threw at her.

There was a little bit of suspicion among Abigail, Vera and Hilda. They had never seen Marie's husband and wonder if she was telling the truth. She could've been lying about it. Maybe he was dead and she didn't want to talk about his death. Maybe she didn't have a husband and the girls were illegitimate. It had puzzled them for years and had left them to gossip among themselves when she wasn't there and would be in competition with Isabella about diving into personal lives.

"Now Oncie you know what we're doing that day," said Isabella after the toy drive was over. "We're going to Mr. DeSalvo's for Christmas dinner and that huge party with other entrepreneurs who admire you."

"I'm only staying for half of it," said The Once-ler who was already wrapping up gifts in his office. "I can't miss this Christmas."

"Oncie it won't scar my grandbabies if you're gone for one Christmas," said Isabella. "Besides, we've got lots of traveling to do next year."

"What traveling?" asked The Once-ler with his heart freezing.

"I told all the companies in the country that you'd visit. You'll be going to countless cities and meet people almost as good as you."

"I'm not traveling," said The Once-ler indignantly. "I have a factory to run!"

"It won't be every day," said Isabella. "Oncie this will be good for your company's image and your mama. You'll make your little girls so proud of you if you do!"

She had him. She knew that whenever she brought up the twins in a situation he would obey. They were his weakness; anything to not fail them.

Two days before Christmas, Arabella invited Marie over to a party at her parent's house. It was an annual event and Arabella thought that Marie and her girls should come. Marie would never forget how Arabella had asked; a little note with a candy cane taped to it. After helping her that year it was the least she could do to thank her. It had been a nice party. Marie had lived in the factory for so long it felt strange to be in an actual house. The wooden stairs, wide, clear windows and backyard in snow were mystical. The huge aluminum tree was decked out with tinsel and bulbs of red and gold. Marie felt reminiscent of those old days back in Palmer at her parents' holiday parties. Chloe and Natalie were welcome to decorate miniature gingerbread houses for themselves and play in a huge pile of snow outside. Arabella had Peggy in a poufy red dress and Marie held her often.

With holding Peggy the longing wasn't strong. She had accepted it. For now, Marie could only hope that Peggy would grow up to be a wonderful young lady and Arabella would never give up on her dreams. It'd be a special morning when all the children would hurry to open their gifts and Arabella, Marie and all mothers would know they already had the best gifts in the world.

It had become a tradition since they were babies that the girls would snuggle with their parents on Christmas Eve and they'd all be awaken together on Christmas morning. For a babies' first Christmas, at nine months old, the young couple had taken them in their rickety bed and read a couple of Christmas stories from a book Marie bought. That was one of Marie's favorite memories. That Christmas though, with the girls in their warm jammies and cuddled up with her, it wasn't the same. He wasn't there because he attended a Christmas party at Mr. Dake's penthouse.

"The end," said Marie softly and she shut the book carefully to wrap up their reading.

"When's Dad going to come?" asked Natalie. She pushed Kitten nearer to her chin.

"I don't know Cutie," sighed Marie. "We have to be patient."

Natalie said nothing and inched closer to her mother. Chloe was already asleep and flung her arm from under the covers. Marie felt Edwin jump onto the bed and he rested on her chest. She lifted a hand to rub his ears.

"At least you're here," she whispered to him and listened to his purring.

When morning came, Marie awoke and heard a brisk sound. She sat up to hear spitting and knew he was there. It was barely dawn.

"Morning," The Once-ler said tiredly when he left the bathroom. "Merry Christmas and all."

"Merry Christmas," said Marie half-heartedly. "We kept waiting for you."

"I know," The Once-ler said apologetically. "I'll be back later on. Tell the girls I'll be home tonight."

"You don't have to listen to your Mom," said Marie as she watched him fix his tie.

"If I don't go then they'll…"

"It's fine Once." Marie interrupted in defeat and turned over to sleep again.

"Marie? Quit acting like that."

Marie ignored him and shut her eyes. Natalie continued to snore and Chloe kicked her leg out from the cover. The Once-ler tucked it back into the warmth of the bed and kissed just the two children for goodbyes.

"You idiot," his good side thought as he left. "You'll break their hearts."

"I'll be back tonight," his greed lashed out. "I'll still see them on Christmas. They'll be too busy playing with their toys all day anyway."

He was right. It was mid-morning when the girls got up and they tore open the wrapping paper. Oh, the huge box of designer candy, a baby carriage for Natalie and that little plush fish with a star on its belly for Chloe! A tiny Ferris wheel, velveteen dresses of green, board games, four dolls with curly hair and little books! Natalie's delight beamed when she got a huge drawing kit with fifty colored pencils. After Chloe named her new fish Shish-ka-bob she sorted through her new special edition comic book.

Marie found she had more jewelry. Pretty, but she didn't care for it. Her jewelry box was crammed with bracelets, necklaces, and rings that she didn't want and were too elegant for work. She had hoped The Once-ler would give her some flowers or a new watercolor set for her. She did find some handy napkin rings from Betsy and bottle of perfume with the scent of strawberries from Rufus. All things sent to her were sent to Grizelda's apartment and then she'd drag them begrudgingly to the factory. Same with whatever The Once-ler anonymously purchased.

After the whole day of playing inside and out, the girls were settling in front of the television with Christmas specials. Snow swirled outside and The Once-ler returned looking more forward to seeing them instead. He heard Marie trying to bake in the kitchen and decided to see his girls first. He crawled down and slowly inched behind them while their eyes were glued to the screen.

"Have you been good for Mommy all year Bunnies?" said The Once-ler who had snuck behind them and was kneeling with four boxes.

Smiling, little girls turned around to attack him with hugs. Natalie immediately searched for the box with her name on the tag. Giggling madly Natalie tore apart the shiny red paper.

"Oh thank you Dad," said Natalie quickly and kissing his cheek before she completely demolished the wrapping to find a little teacup of blue china.

"No problem Cutie," he laughed. "How was Christmas morning?"

"Perfect!" cried Chloe while Natalie got too wrapped up with admiring her present. "I played in the snow all day and went sledding!"

"Did you skate?"

"No. Not today."

"You should go tomorrow," said The Once-ler. "And you should take these with you." He pushed a box into her arms.

Chloe slowly opened the box and began to shake. Then she screamed an ecstatic scream at what was inside. Two beautiful, white skates, never used and smelling clean. The blades were sharp and shining like silver.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" screamed Chloe. "I've got skates! My own skates!"

Marie had been in the pantry searching for spices to make a pumpkin pie. She heard the scream and raced out with her apron covered in flour.

"What happened I-oh." She was relieved to see it was only a giddy Chloe.

"Hey," said The Once-ler seeing her and giving a small smile.

"You kept your word," chuckled Marie in astonishment. She felt a little ashamed she hadn't realized he would be true.

"I said I would." The Once-ler got up with one small box and held it out. "I've been waiting to give this to you."

Marie found inside was a new watercolor set in a tin so bright and shimmering. Engraved were roses and violets in the cover. All the many colors and fine brushes of bristles! It wasn't jewelry. It was something she actually liked.

"It's…Once-ler it's amazing," she choked.

"Like you," he said coolly.

Marie yanked him into a hug and squeezed him tightly. She trembled and then gave him a kiss to his jaw.

"I love you," she said and was pleased to see the nice side of her husband.

Before he could say anything Chloe and Natalie had crawled their way to hug Marie's waist and press between them. So it had been a good Christmas after a rough start. Marie was beginning to feel life was starting to improve for Her Once and she didn't have to rope in another child to try converting him.

A new year rolled in. Marie was relieved that January was slow. January was said to be a depressing month and it almost felt like that with the slushy rain. With slow days The Once-ler was home an hour earlier and took up making dinners. Partly because he knew that once traveling began in February he wouldn't be around that often again. Of course Marie had hated hearing that, but when The Once-ler promised he'd call every night she settled down.

With a new year, came a tougher schedule. Mondays were busy. Wednesdays were busy. Fridays were busy. Mondays were about ice skating and a pottery class. Wednesdays had ballet and Little Ladies Brigade meetings. Fridays involved drawing lessons, piano lessons and ice skating again. This also included visits to the park on Saturdays and free trips to the ice rink. Not to mention preschool every day led by Miss Pearl with lessons on colors, shapes, and silly songs. The piano lessons were against the will of Chloe who wanted to play the guitar, but she was told it was best to learn piano first.

Natalie wanted to learn how to make her own pottery and was in a beginner's class. She had also shown an interest in drawing. A community center in Thneedville had classes for all ages and certain prodigies. It was led by Miss Chrysanthemum, whose brother just so happened to work at Thneeds Inc. and Natalie was proud that only she could pronounce her name right. All the classes ended when summer approached and there was excitement in that knowledge.

Having their father away for days on trips wasn't easy, especially when Chloe would weep. Natalie wasn't too emotional and looked forward to when he'd come back with souvenirs. Anywhere he went The Once-ler brought a little teacup and stuffed animal for the girls. Soon he spent a free afternoon building a new shelf to put up for Natalie's pottery. Chloe's only question was if she could go with him and finally one summer she got her wish.

Isabella announced they were all going to a shore which had a convention for The Once-ler to attend in its town. That would be the first summer vacation for the girls. Like she had before Marie followed the Ferrari of The Once-ler's to the place and after nearly a whole day of driving. She took her girls to her hotel room which she booked under her name. Three floors up were the many suits for the "official" Once-lers. The Once-ler already was working out what he had to do the next day. He reviewed the list of people he would meet and what he would say in a speech. He always looked over his itinerary for the next day. There wasn't guilt of his wife and daughters missing him. They had much to do for the next two days.

That was true. It became true when he had left early in the morning and the girls asked Marie what they would do.

"We're going outside," said Marie with that feeling she had as a child back in Thrush Towne.

"Are there stumps?" asked Natalie. It had been so late when they came to the hotel they couldn't see in the dark.

"You'll see," said Marie.

The girls followed her outside, still in their skirts and Mary Jane's. Their collars were stiff from being ironed and their hair still tangled from sleeping. Then what a sight they saw, when they turned the corner of the building and saw past a parking lot, left them with loose jaws.

No stumps or hills. An ocean view under a sky as blue as their eyes! The waves crashed on the beach with foam and rolled back in a dance. The little boardwalk led to the beach of pale sand that glistened under the sun. There was the sound of some birds cawing and the air smelled salty but fresh.

"It's a beach," said Marie. "Your first ocean to see."

The little girls who were now five-years-old had never seen such a place in real life. They stared for a long moment and then an adrenaline rush came over.

"Are we going to play here?" asked Natalie distantly."

"All day," said Marie. "After we get breakfast and- Girls!"

She couldn't stop them for Natalie and Chloe ran down the boardwalk. Their shoes clacked against the chipped, painted wood. They were laughing and screaming. They ran, quite wobbly on the sand, into the waves. As they did, Natalie stopped to pry her shoes and socks off. Chloe kept running until she was in the waves. With little regard for her nice and expensive clothes, she jumped and landed as a wave tumbled in. She was soaked to the skin, but didn't care. She splashed with her arms and kicked her legs.

"Wait up!" yelled Natalie. Then of all children who hated nature, she joined her twin. She ran around and twirled.

The saltwater was cold and brisk compared to the blackened river at home. Not a stump in sight or city. The sand meshed and dissolved their footmarks. Chloe kept jumping around like a whale and landing on her rump. Natalie hopped as a wave came in and she ran away to escape it for fun.

"Natalie! Chloe! Hold on!"

Marie ran after them as she collected Natalie's cast aside clothes. She had kicked off her flats at the boardwalk and hurried on the sand. She sighed to see her girls at bliss. She giggled when she saw Chloe leap up and chase after Natalie. They never got such an experience from the little pool at home.

"Girls you're clothes!" cried Marie. "I should've gotten you in swimsuits first if I knew you'd do that."

"I'm okay Mommy," chortled Chloe as she kicked her legs in the soaked sand.

"I'm never leaving this place!" yelled Natalie. "Never! Never ever!"

"I know you're having fun, but let's get your suits out and then you can spend all day out here," said Marie.

Obediently to their mother, the girls gathered themselves. Marie had managed to pry the girls away to the little carnival inland. If anything Chloe kept asking if they could go back to the water. It was a huge deal to them for the water had never looked so blue or clean before. Especially to someone who loved being outside and wanted to swim, Chloe loved it. She could've lived there if she had the choice. While they stayed a safe distance in water, Marie painted on three small canvases the deep blue sights.

At nightfall on their first night, Natalie and Chloe were crashed out from playing. Chet and Brett had stopped by to Marie's room very late with saltwater taffy and gumdrops for the girls. Also they had been sent to see if Marie had a moment for a certain someone. Of course she knew who.

"What does he want?" she asked Brett before going.

"I don't know," he said. "He just said he wanted to see you."

The uncles sat back to watch television as their nieces slept. Marie cautiously went up the elevator and out. Nobody was around. Quickly she went down the hall and hoped nobody would see her through the door's peepholes. She knocked on the door of golden numbers where her spouse was staying.

"What?" The Once-ler called out.

"Room service," said Marie.

Immediately the door opened and she was pulled in. The suite was huge with all beautiful exteriors. Marie couldn't stare because quite suddenly The Once-ler pulled her into a kiss. He was glad to spare some time with her.

"Evening Babe," he said when they broke apart.

"So you called?" asked Marie who felt light after the kiss.

"I didn't want to be alone tonight," he said. "I hate being alone in hotel rooms."

Marie smiled and sat on the huge bed with him. She saw on the night table there was a little teacup with seashells painted on and a stuffed sea lion.

"So Natalie and Chloe are getting presents tomorrow," she observed.

"Nothing unmanly with buy cute things to support your girls' interest," he said with a slick smile. "No sir!"

"Did your day go well?" she asked.

"It was good. Mom bragged about me and everyone liked the speech. I'm just glad to be here."

"Me too," said Marie and she smoothed out his bangs. "The girls love it too. They were playing at the beach all day."

"I was hoping they would," said The Once-ler and he lay back.

Marie inched further in to be comfortable. Then The Once-ler suddenly crawled up and rested against her. Seeing him lie down, head against her knee, Marie felt peaceful. She could live with it if her husband could be awake to see her and they could have a night or two from the trips just to communicate. The Once-ler sighed and caressed her other knee. For a moment he wasn't thinking about Thneeds Inc. and other pressures. He wished he could've stayed there with Marie forever. An hour had passed and Marie looked at the time. She shuffled up and awoke a half asleep Once-ler.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Oh," said Marie. "I thought I should go back to my room where our twins are."

"Oh no you're not," said The Once-ler and he pulled her back down. "I sent Brett and Chet down on purpose. I thought we'd spend some alone time. I even got some of your favorite cookies in the fridge."

"Really?" said Marie. "I like the sound of that."

She kissed him hard and then cuddled against him, feeling the silkiness of his dress shirt and striped tie. She could definitely live the way they were. It was a nice vacation with quality time and being in a more serene landscape.

Then it all ended when autumn came back and work was stressful again. The principles of business came back and fought its usual battle with the principalities of nature. A week before school began, something worse than The Once-ler's tactics and The Lorax's intruding happened.

Marie had finished dusting the shelves when she heard the phone in the back ring. Seventeen-year old Carol was the one who answered it with her ponytail bouncing madly.

"Hey Miss Marie Finnegan?" she hollered. "Somebody's calling for you! They said it's an emergency!"

"Thanks Carol," sighed Marie who worried it was something going on at one of her friends' houses who took the twins on summer days to play if she didn't bring them with her. "Hello who is this?" she asked.

"Baby Doll?" It was Betsy. "Can you come to Palmer please? It's Rufus!"

"What's wrong?" asked Marie and felt her heartbeat rise.

"Marie," sniffed Betsy. "Rufus was in a car accident on his way to work and he…he got hit very badly."

"What?" Marie whimpered. Her employees peaked into the room with concern.

"He didn't survive..."

There was a pause and then a sob from Marie. She dropped the telephone and sunk down. Then she hurried up and switched the closed sign for the door.

"Where are you going?" came a chorus of questions from the girls.

"Something's come up," Marie managed to say. "I have to leave! Just go home for now!"

She ran out with her purse, drove to pick up the twins and then back to the secret entrance of the factory to quickly pack. Chloe and Natalie didn't seem to understand what was going on. Irrationally, Marie scribbled a note out for The Once-ler and sped off down the road for her old home.

"Are we meeting Daddy later?" asked Chloe.

"No," said Marie who stopped her tears when she picked them up. "This is just for us. We're going to where I used to live."

"Why?" asked Natalie who didn't like being in cars for too long.

"I tell you when we get there," said her stressed out mother. Then on she drove until she found the familiar dusty roads.

They passed the old farmhouse The Once-lers lived in and she remembered the honeymooning she and her husband had experienced. The last time she had seen the place was under a blanket in the hot summer weather. Marie felt like a foreigner in Palmer. The city didn't feel like home. The only person who recognized her was Annie Lloyd who said she and her friends thought Marie had divorced The Once-ler and that was why he was successful. Marie didn't bother to correct her. She had to say goodbye to Rufus.

When Marie pulled up to the house on Knox Lane she grew up in, she felt bitterness at seeing the trees and flowers. Betsy ran out with a tear streaked face.

"Oh you're here!" she cried and hugged Marie tightly. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"I left so fast," said Marie with a lump in her throat.

"What's wrong?" asked Chloe when she tugged on Betsy's skirt.

"Oh," said Betsy gently. "I'm sad of what happened. Don't worry about me Chloe. It's alright to be sad sometimes."

The positive side was when Betsy took them in, smothered the twins with hugs, said how much they had grown and gave out cupcakes for them. While the girls kept themselves entertained outside, Betsy told Marie what had happened.

"He was driving out for here," she said tearfully. "A driver wasn't paying attention and slammed into him. By the time paramedics had arrived, Rufus was barely breathing. Marie…he was crushed so badly. They couldn't do anything. He's gone."

"When is the funeral?" asked Marie. "Where's it at?"

"There isn't one," said Betsy and she sounded near anger. "The moment Clarisse and Dashiell heard about it, they had him…you know. They put his ashes in a hole in the graveyard on their own. They're not doing anything else. When I was grieving I ordered for a headstone. They'll put it in later today."

"They wouldn't do anything?" yelled Marie. "Nothing?"

"No and you'd think after how he worked for them half of his life they would! I'm going when they put the headstone in to pay my respects. I'll put flowers down. We'll give him a nice goodbye on our own."

"I don't understand!" Marie put her head in her hands and fell deeper in the sofa she was seated in. "I don't understand why he's gone or my parents' insensitivity!"

"He was an old man no matter what," said Betsy. "I didn't want him to go that way though. Your parents still need me so I'm still staying here."

"I don't know what to tell the girls," said Marie sadly. "I've never explained the concept of death to them. School's starting soon and nothing's going my way!"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Betsy. "I haven't heard from you all in a long time or seen any articles about you with Once-ler. Oh then again, you did call me about keeping the twins safe."

"I don't want to hear anything about him right now," muttered Marie. She wasn't happy that things were going back to the way they were. "I don't want to see any more of his mother's smothering of him especially! It's annoying!"

Betsy noticed there was a certain look in Marie's eyes and she thought she saw some green in her sapphire colored irises...

Marie didn't plan on staying for long. It took all day to drive to Palmer and back. So later that afternoon, she marched her way out to the grave where Rufus was. On a headstone in slate, nothing decorative, was his full name; Rufus Donald Ponce. His birthdate starting in on the 12th of January and having ended on September 6th was engraved down below. Marie stared at it for a long time before she put down the daisies.

Natalie and Chloe were still and didn't cry. They seemed confused, but they knew something sad had happened. All they knew of death was that Rufus wasn't there. They didn't understand that he wouldn't come back.

"I'll always love you," Marie thought to him. She didn't want to speak aloud or the girls would see her cry. "You were a wonderful man. You were always kind, loving and helped me grow. I can't thank you enough for being there in my life. I don't deserve someone like you to help raise me, but you were there. Thank you for everything and always supporting me."

She and Betsy put daisies of white, a flower that always reminded him of his late wife, over his name. While the girls quietly left, Marie wandered to the one grave in beautiful marble. The one that held her stillborn sibling was covered with leaves already falling. She knelt down to brush them off. She reached in the deep pocket of her coat and pulled out a pink carnation. She laid it nicely down under his name. Nathan would've been thirty-one if he had lived. Marie wished she could talk to him and hear some sort of older brother advice from him.

"Why did Rufus go?" asked Chloe when she met up with Betsy. "Wasn't he happy here?"

Betsy didn't know what to say at that moment. Explaining life wasn't easy, let alone explaining it to a child. She knelt down to Chloe and took her hands and looked kindly into her eyes. Chloe waited patiently for her to start.

"Of course he was happy," she said. "He loved being with us, but when you get really, really old you have to leave and you aren't able to come back. That's not always a bad thing. It's just another part of living and no matter what you'll always have Rufus in your memories. That's where he will always live. Do you understand Chloe?"

Chloe nodded in response even if she didn't totally understand. Natalie in the meantime was standing still and watching her mother. She didn't know that the grave was of an uncle she never knew. Also more importantly, though Marie never said it aloud to anyone, was named not only in honor of a special Christmas, but also in memory of him. Had one of her daughters been a son, she would've considered Nathan for them.

If Marie was sad enough about Rufus's sudden passing and angered enough that her parents refused to see her, then she would've been more furious to learn how The Once-ler handled it. He had come home around midnight and read the note. He had felt sad to read that Marie was going to a funeral for Rufus, but he wasn't sad for long. He had progress to do and he didn't even cry about it. He spent the next couple of days alone and drew out the next ideas to show the PR team. Also he was trying to ignore The Lorax when he was trying to work.

Then to his sad confusing he realized his little girls were going into Kindergarten. The only one who seemed excited was Natalie who loved school. To Chloe school meant starting over with learning and making friends. The day Kindergarten started was a day The Once-ler didn't hurry to his office so fast. Marie was surprised to find him at the kitchen table and looking at the black and white tiled floor.

"Why aren't you at your office yet?" she said.

"No one's there yet," he said gloomily.

"It's almost eight, people should be here by now," said Marie as she poured some coffee.

The Once-ler shrugged and hoped she wouldn't notice the sound of grinding gears when she left or she'd know how he really felt. While Marie got out the new lunchboxes made of tin the girls had gotten for their birthday he dawdled in kitchen with a mug of tea when he heard Natalie come in all dressed up and with her satchel.

"I'm ready for Kindergarten!" she cheered.

"You've been ready for weeks," laughed Marie and twirled her daughter around. "You look lovely! Doesn't she look lovely Honey?"

"Very," said The Once-ler with a small smile.

"Chloe are you ready?" called Marie.

Chloe slowly waddled into the kitchen with a frown on her face. Her hair was decorated with little bobby pins and she had on a cute red jumper. She dragged her satchel to the ground. In her mouth she had the thermometer.

"I'm sick," she moaned.

"Nice try," said Marie when she took it out to see it was at ninety-seven degrees. "You're not sick Sweetie and you're going to school. You'll like it."

Marie gave Chloe a hug and went to get their little Thneeds. The Once-ler had made special edition ones temporarily that were in different colors. Both of them red while their little ones of pink and purple were stored away.

"Mom! Hurry up," hollered Natalie. "I don't want to be late!" She then turned to The Once-ler and hugged him. "See you later Dad!"

"I'm going to miss you," he said when she let go, but he held on.

"I'm not," said Natalie cheerfully. "I'm a little lady, not a baby anymore."

"You'll always be my little baby," said The Once-ler who didn't mean to say it aloud.

"Well I'm not," said Natalie indignantly and pulled away. She folded her arms. "You and Mom always treat me like I'm a baby, but I'm not. I'm five now! I'm a little grown-up. Dad, are you listening?"

The Once-ler didn't answer for as Natalie gave her monologue he went back in time to when she had been a baby and reliant on him. Then of course Chloe who was moping on her footstool made him think the same for her. It couldn't have been five years since they were only a couple of pounds, little bits of blonde hair growing and capable of only crawling!

"Dad?" asked Natalie.

"Huh?" The Once-ler mumbled out of his stupor.

"I'm a grown-up," said Natalie. "Not a baby."

"Let's go you two," said Marie who came back with the coats. "It's chilly outside so get bundled up."

Natalie snatched her coat and eagerly waited by the door. Chloe sulkily obeyed and then hugged her father. The Once-ler could tell she wasn't happy and he didn't blame her. Kindergarten for him had been boring because he had such a stickler for a teacher.

"I'll see you when you come home," he promised.

"Can't I go to work with you?" whimpered Chloe.

"Can you drive a Super-Axe-Hacker?" asked The Once-ler.

"Yes," said Chloe desperately.

"You'll be fine," said The Once-ler. "Natalie's going with you." He tried putting her down, but Chloe clung to his neck. "Chloe, let go. Sweetheart let go!"

Marie giggled to herself at the adorable sight of Chloe hanging off of her very tall daddy.

"Okay we need to go," she said gently. She pried Chloe off and carried her to the door where Natalie was tapping a foot like an impatient rabbit. "Chloe I won't leave until you feel alright," added Marie.

"Will you stay all day?" asked Chloe pitifully.

"We'll see how you feel," said Marie.

The Once-ler collected his hat from the coat rack and kissed Chloe's head.

"I love you," he said.

"If you love me you won't let me go," said Chloe.

"Come on," growled Natalie. "We're late!"

"We're on time," reassured Marie.

"I love you too," said The Once-ler who knelt down to kiss Natalie goodbye.

She shrugged off to wipe her lightly freckled cheekbone and huffed. She felt too old for hugs and kisses. Marie was surprised by her husband who kissed her real quick. Then they all departed. The Once-ler actually felt sad that he couldn't take the girls with him, but he knew what would happen if he did. Besides, Marie was better at letting the girls become independent and had encouraged both of them to try new things.

Chloe looked like she was on her way to her death with how miserable she was. Marie watched empathetically in the mirror. Kindergarten had been exciting for her because she felt similar to Natalie; wanting to be a big girl and learn new things. When she pulled up Chloe frowned again.

"Kindergarten will be fun," reassured Marie.

"You sure I can't watch television to be smart?" asked Chloe.

"You're not going to learn much from television," said Marie. "You'll have a nice teacher and Natalie will be in the same class with you."

"School's hard," whined Chloe. "Making friends is hard." She held her breath when the car stopped.

"Come on come on," said Natalie before she ran up the pathway lined with yellow flowers. "I want to see my classroom!"

Chloe clasped onto Marie's hand and her mother wondered if she'd really be staying all day. At some point, Chloe had to calm down and like something out of the day. The classroom was welcoming with a painted tree on the wall and windows with checkered curtains. Well, it was welcoming to all except to Chloe and a couple of other students. Two other kids were clinging to their mothers, both who worked at Thneeds Inc. and were running late.

"Isn't this a pretty room?" asked Marie trying to gain Chloe's interest. "You've got blocks, books, little cars, and crayons to play with!"

"This is like getting a sticker before a shot," thought Chloe.

"Do you want to play with some toys right now?" asked Marie who got down to her daughter's level.

"No," said Chloe who blinked tears and hugged her mother.

Before Marie could do anything to reassure again that things would be fine, a little hero jumped in.

"Chloe do you want to see the water table?" asked Natalie.

"What table?" asked Chloe who balled her fist to shove tears back.

"It's over here," said Natalie excitedly.

Then she took her sister's hand and led her over to the deep tub for a table that had about ten inches of water and little boats and sea creatures.

"It's just like the beach we played at," said Natalie. She cupped her hands together and made a stream pour at her hands and squeezed a little toy fish and it squirted water from its lips. "Do you want to play? We can make waves and you can have one of the fish!"

Chloe had begun to smile as her sister showed her the water table. She nodded and took a little fish toy. Marie couldn't help but grin at how Natalie had stepped in. There were times Natalie didn't want to play with Chloe and bossed her around. Today though, she had shepherded her sister into liking something. Soon Chloe's hands were wetter than her eyes. Marie got up to see the water table and it only reminded her how the water in the tub was cleaner than the river. She shook it off though and focused back to her timid child.

"Do you want me to stay?" Marie asked to Chloe.

"I'm okay," said Chloe. "Can we make all the tables at home like this?"

Marie laughed and hugged her one more time. She hugged Natalie too and felt so proud of how she had helped her sister.

"I'm proud of you for helping Chloe," she said.

"Why are you still here?" asked Natalie with a cocked eyebrow. "Go to work Mom! You'll be late!"

Marie left feeling confident that Chloe would like Kindergarten and that Natalie's wanna-be-adult-attitude had been handy. She did felt that little pang in her when she arrived to Little Saplings. Her girls were getting bigger and wouldn't stop growing. Then off in his factory and filling out orders and drawing blueprints to make the Super-Axe-Hackers' engines go faster, The Once-ler was thinking the same thing.

Chloe didn't have any more problems with going to class and looked forward to going with Natalie. Kindergarten was no small feat for the twins. Instead of having sweet and middle-aged Miss Pearl from preschool the girls got a very young and peppy environmentalist named Miss Thorndike. She wore her long red hair down and had it flat. She wore necklaces of beads and her dresses were always pretty with flowers. It turned out she was related to Arabella's brother-in-law and if Marie had really met her she would've understood a little of why Arabella didn't like that side of the family.

"So why do we love nature so dang much?" said Miss Thorndike one morning.

"Because it's good!" shouted her students, except Natalie.

"That's right! So we talked about flowers and water so today we are talking about trees!" she said. She had a Truffula Tree scribbled out on the chalkboard and wrote down in her best cursive "Trees." She rocked on her toes and prepared for her lesson. "Now what's something we know about trees?"

"They're tall," said Chloe quietly when she raised her hand.

"What was that Chloe?" asked Miss Thorndike. "Speak loud and strong like the wind!"

"They're tall," repeated Chloe.

"Good one," said Miss Thorndike and wrote it on the chalkboard. She called on the next student, a boy who sat next to Chloe at their table.

"Why do we need trees?" asked Sean Spring.

"We need trees to give us a thing called oxygen," said Miss Thorndike. "Oxygen is what we breathe to live. It's air! It's all around us!" She twirled around with her arms up and reminding Natalie of the opening of a movie she had seen. "But, we must breathe good air and that's why some people don't like The Once-ler's business because it hurts the air."

Natalie put her hand up with a huge question she had for adults.

"Yes Natalie," said Miss Thorndike. At her permission she watched the little girl stand with her hands behind her back.

"I have a question," said Natalie who wasn't hesitant like the other students. "If people don't like the way Mr. Once-ler makes the Thneeds, then why do they buy them?"

The students looked confused and Chloe looked a little embarrassed by her sister's attention. Miss Thorndike's face turned pink and her mouth puckered as she tried finding an answer. Not bothering for one, Natalie pressed on.

"If you don't like how something is made then why would you get it? Buying one would be sup-supor-supporting."

"That's-because-what was your question?" stuttered Miss Thorndike.

"I said why do people not like the way Thneeds are made, but they still get them?" Natalie asked very loudly.

"It's time to move on to story time," said Miss Thorndike quickly and grabbed a book from the story corner.

"It's not story time yet," said Natalie to herself.

She didn't object though and sat on the rug to listen with the rest of the children. Natalie had asked a deep question about trees. She had wondered for a long time about these people who carried around signs saying they didn't like her dad, but she noticed they wore Thneeds. If they didn't like him, then why did they wear them? Natalie didn't like the environmentalists anyway. They were nothing but, as she heard The Once-ler once mutter to himself "maniacs."

Everyone had their opinion of The Once-ler so it wasn't unusual for him to hear remarks about himself. Businessmen liked him and always invited him to social events. His workers seemed alright with him despite complaints of work hours. Teen girls still fawned over him and boys thought he was cool. People who had views like The Lorax hated him, but they did like the use of Thneeds. Of course, his mother loved him now and that felt like a huge achievement.

As for Marie she still loved him like always, but with him going on the long trips she felt that things were drifting back to square one. Not only that, every time she asked him if he'd think of ways to make work less hard on the valley he shrugged it off and said he was trying. All Marie could do was hope for the best and she didn't want to fight like the year before. Fighting would only make things worse.

Anyway Marie knew she couldn't bring up all issues to The Once-ler. There were some beyond his control. There was nothing he could do to stop her employees from having crushes on him. Marie could barely stomach it once when she had to listen to either it was Elizabeth or Lilly who talked about a fantasy they had of him and Marie gritted her teeth. It was her husband they were talking about!

At least Arabella didn't say much and if she did like, like him she kept it private. Private was better. That is until one very early morning when it was around holiday shopping again and they were getting ready for a flood of customers. Arabella seemed forlorn when she came to work and wanted to get something off of her chest.

"I can ask you something Miss Marie?" she asked. "What do you think of The Once-ler?"

"He's a busy man," said Marie casually. "I think he has a lot of ambition too."

"Do you think he'd like a girl like me?" Arabella said softly.

"Pardon?" asked Marie awkwardly.

"I mean he's like the perfect guy so do you think he'd like a…not so perfect person like me?"

Marie stopped putting up a display and bit her lip. She went to the backroom to get some more garlands and Arabella followed her.

"So what do you think?" she asked again.

"Well," coughed Marie from a dust bunny coated box. "It sounds like you have a crush." She didn't know what else to say.

"I know it's stupid," said Arabella abruptly. She spluttered little sobs as her stress released. "I know he's too old for me, I just… He was so nice to me and I've dreamed that he'd feel the same and maybe marry me. He's so nicer and even cuter than my boyfriend was! I hate it that my family hates him! How can someone be bad after what he did to help me?"

Marie felt stunned to see one of her employees cry. She fetched some tissues for her and Arabella took them generously. Then Marie sat down and realized she had quite a lot in common with the young lady than she realized. She saw before her a person who had a low self-esteem thanks to her favorite picking parents and overachieving sibling. Someone who was very lonely, someone who didn't have any real companionship and that made her feel awful. At least Marie had been blessed to have Betsy, Rufus (dear old Rufus whom she still missed,) and The Once-ler.

"Well," Marie cleared her throat and used her kindest tone. "It was very gracious of him to help you like that. I remember the novels I read in high school when women got kicked out of work if they had a baby out of wedlock. It's not as serious now, but to me it sounds like you have a boss who considers things for his workers. However, he'd probably look for a woman who's closer to his age, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care for you. He gave you a chance and stood up for your little accident. It's just not meant to be romantic."

"He's still better than my two-faced jerk ex-boyfriend," said Arabella.

"He doesn't want to see you?" said Marie.

"Yeah," said Arabella. "I know a baby's hard work, but I thought he'd at least visit. Now I have to look for Mr. Right again!"

"He's out there," said Marie. She sat next to her with a cup of coffee. "You'll find him someday and he'll find you."

"You think the right guy is out there for me?" asked Arabella. Her eyes seemed watery. "I'm-I'm scared there isn't anyone for me."

"It's alright to be afraid sometimes," said Marie. "Now take it from personal experience; the right guy may take a while to find, but that wait is worth it. Same for Peggy."

"Personal experience? It took you a long time to find Mr. Right?"

"Longer than you realize. It turns out he was before me the whole time. Maybe instead of looking for a boyfriend, you look for a young man who can just be your friend."

"Just as my friend?" Arabella twirled one of her blonde locks around a finger. "How would that help?"

"Well I think if you have a friend who's a guy you'll have more than one friend in this world. You said you have only one right?"

"Yeah."

"A male friend can be that one guy who you can easily talk to and if he cares for you he won't let other guys hurt you. It's almost like having a brotherly figure in a way."

"That sounds nice," admitted Arabella. "Really though Miss Marie, I want a boyfriend."

"A friend who's a boy, just may end up as your boyfriend if you have mutual feelings for each other," said Marie and she took a sip of her drink. "Maybe he'll become something more."

"You think so?"

"You don't know until you try," said Marie warmly.

"Well, I do have a next door neighbor I could try getting to know better," said Arabella thoughtfully. "I don't want to look like some boyfriend digger though."

"Even if there's no romance there it's better to have a friend than nothing right?" Marie got up and gave Arabella a side hug. "What I'm trying to say Arabella is, don't try growing up so fast. All your dreams and hopes can happen, but don't rush them. For now, make a friend and worry about romance later. If I had considered that sooner as a pre-teen my love life would've been saved from unnecessary heartbreaks."

Heartbreak. It was a word Marie didn't like. She had experienced it before and didn't want to cause to anyone. It was often she wrote down in her diary how she felt and how…he had made her feel better even just as her friend. Then deep in the pages in the small printing she wrote down her longing from nearly a year before.

Well it so happened that Isabella caused more damage to the couple who were happier before she came. She came in one morning to rouse The Once-ler when he overslept for a meeting.

"Oncie!" she ordered and smacked his arm. "Get up! Chop-chop!"

"It's five right now," The Once-ler mumbled who had gotten only four hours of sleep.

"Doesn't matter," said Isabella. "You're running late! A businessman should never, ever be late!"

The Once-ler growled and fumbled his way to the wardrobe to get a fresh coat and brush his hair. While waiting for him, Isabella spied Marie's diary, splayed on her chest from late writing. With a gleam in her eye she strutted over and cautiously picked it up. She flipped through the pages until that one secret caught her eye. She read Marie's confession thoroughly and then smiled to herself. She had found another way to keep Oncie at work instead of being around them.

Later that night, Marie creeped in to see The Once-ler hunched in his desk with a shocked look. His eyes flared when he saw her come in.

"Do you want me to iron some clothes of yours before you leave tomorrow?" she asked. "I'm doing Natalie's blouse and other outfits right now so-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said in a sharp whisper.

"Tell you what?" asked Marie.

"What you were planning," he said with bitterness.

"I don't know what you're talking about Honey."

"Another baby Marie! Another baby!" The Once-ler bolted up and smacked his hands to the desk.

Marie froze and when she didn't speak The Once-ler fired again.

"Mom told me all about it! How you tried having another without talking about it with me! She read your diary and I'm glad she did!"

"She read it?" yelled Marie. "It's-it's none of her business!"

"Why didn't you tell me this? Why?!"

Marie felt shame and she swallowed. She opened her mouth, but couldn't talk.

"No words!" he scoffed.

"You didn't tell me about the tree chopping that one day!" protested Marie.

"This is more personal!" he snapped. The Once-ler crawled over his desk and Marie felt intimidated by his extended height thanks to his hat, but she wasn't afraid for a war of words.

"It's no different!" she retorted. "Besides, I can make my own decisions without you and it doesn't matter now anyway! I've let it go! I let it go when I took a pregnancy test and it came back negative!"

Then she thought for sure she saw a glint of betrayal in The Once-ler's eyes and his mouth twisted into a pained frown. Then with his breath heavy he poured out his feelings.

"How could you do this to me? I-I don't know what to say! You tried changing this family without telling me! We both agreed that twins were enough! Now you want another? Well I don't! I never even dreamed of having two kids, let alone one and now you want to change it? You gave me a hard time about changing anything!"

"Not anything," said Marie softly.

"I am so glad I'm going away for two weeks," The Once-ler muttered and brushed past her. "There better not be another switch in this factory when I get back," he said aloud and slammed the glass door.

Marie huffed and sat in his desk chair. She sat there long enough with dark thoughts and then slowly they deceased into shame. Her secret, her lie had hurt him. All because of some little phase and hope, but it wouldn't have made things better completely. It would've made things worse. Now she had lost his trust. Hadn't she learned by now that secrets like that had gotten her in trouble before? She still didn't understand though why The Once-ler would not want another.

As for The Once-ler he had stormed out to the half empty valley and sat on a stump to cool off. The cloudy sky seemed ominous than usual, but he didn't care. The sky could shoot off fireworks of their own and he wouldn't care as long as he got progress going. He couldn't imagine any more family members including meeting the father he never knew. Two lives counting on him was enough and he was worn out from it. He had to change the business back then to help them and how would what Marie wanted help them? He didn't understand why Marie wouldn't tell him or try to discuss it at least. All the while it happened; Isabella leaned against the two doors and listened with glee.

The Once-ler left without saying goodbye to Marie and did his usual calling at night to the twins, but if asked if he wanted to speak to their mother he refused. When he got back they didn't talk. For him it was out of feeling hurt and for her it was because she felt guilty. Only Isabella was happy that her driving them apart made The Once-ler work more to avoid Marie. The Lorax was on Marie's side and didn't like it when she admitted to him while she sulked on the balcony about what happened.

"What's the big idea?" he demanded when The Once-ler came back from his trip. "Waterfall's mopin' and writin' in that book of hers! You got her upset!"

"She upset me," said The Once-ler as he threw a paper aside with a scratched idea. "She's none of your business."

"Maybe," said The Lorax. Then he shouted out in his bossiest voice. "But the trees are my business!"

The Once-ler threw his hands up in frustration and slumped back in his seat. The Lorax hopped onto his desk.

"There are not many trees left! The Lorax pressed on. "Thanks to you it's gettin' worse and the animals are barely survivin'!"

"Look here," The Once-ler sassed. "If you hate what I've been doing then use your powers! I won't stop you! If fact Mustache…"-here his eyes burned with a challenge- "I dare you to! Go ahead! Use them!"

"I've told you before! That's not how it works! I didn't think you were that bad with memory!"

"So you just basically said that you have no powers!"

"No! That's not the point!"

"If you did have powers then you'd use them against me! If that could save your forest then you'd save your quote-unquote precious trees from wilting."

"Wilt?! Some could die out there!" The Lorax shouted in anger.

"Who cares if some things are dying?" hissed The Once-ler and shoved his face at The Lorax so hard that the poor thing fell off.

Then The Once-ler felt an idea spark off! He smiled wickedly as it stretched across his face. With a quick dive he dug into a desk drawer. He threw the Thneed at The Lorax who caught it and before he could blink The Once-ler snapped a Polaroid shot at him.

"What? What was that?" snapped The Lorax as he flung the Thneed away.

"Just something I like to call business," said The Once-ler as he watched the camera slide the tiny photo out. "Thanks for participating." Then with a laugh he put the photo on his desk and started dialing for one of the PR people.

"I'm still speakin' for the trees!" shouted The Lorax.

"Shut up," hissed The Once-ler. "I'm busy-hello? Hey it's me. Guess what I've got for our next advertisement." The little photo became clear through the grey view and a full picture of The Lorax with the Thneed appeared right one cue with his scheme.

The Once-ler scribbled out a sketch based off of the picture and presented it. The following week, much to The Lorax's horror the billboard had him on it! "Lorax Approved" was the caption and it was a hit! People, who didn't know The Lorax was real, liked the use of a mythological character. Only the Once-ler and his family knew and they never brought him up. Environmentalists had used him as their example for saving nature, but he was a myth to them too.

"That'll shut them up once and for all!" thought The Once-ler when he first saw it up.

Parents applauded the billboard because they thought it'd get their children interested in reading if it used a creature only found in books. The part about kids digging into books because of the billboard did work because Chloe spent her hefty allowance buying books with words she couldn't read yet about strange creatures. Natalie was disturbed to see pictures of half human things and twisted monsters. Chloe liked taking her big book and showed if off for show'n'tell to Rosy and Yolanda which only made them scream.

Marie and The Once-ler were more distant than ever. The routine of coming home late and leaving early was more common than ever! The girls barely saw their daddy. They got up early in the mornings just to see him. The Once-ler always came in at night to kiss their little heads. Every night, no matter how late it was, he remained loyal to that. He couldn't escape to go to parent night at school or attend dance recitals. If he hadn't had them it wouldn't be so hard on him deep down. If he was alone he would've been more than happy to work all the time and bask in his own glory.

That's how it went all year. The only bright spot had been The Once-ler's birthday when he got himself a two-necked guitar, had a thick marshmallow shake and he got tickets to send the six-year-old girls to the circus. Marie was disappointed to find a box with a name plate necklace for herself on her birthday. Another piece of jewelry! Natalie and Chloe had ones too and adored them.

Marie stayed on task with her work instead of fussing with The Once-ler. She did fight in some ways. She left little drawings of Truffula Trees on napkins that he'd use in the morning at breakfast. That only ticked him off more and made his conscience confront him.

In early August, the day that Marie and The Once-ler had confessed to each other their true feelings long ago in that little grove they had called Fin-ler, something blew up between them. Marie came home early and left the girls in their playroom. She sat in the kitchen with some tea. She didn't like this avoidance and felt it had gone too long. That was quite the understatement! At one point she looked out one of the windows and saw Chloe had snuck outside.

The little girl had spent all of her summer outside at a camp with Natalie and going to sleepovers. She wanted to spend the last month in the valley which was nothing but a sea of stumps. She was sitting at one stump like it was a table and playing with Bunny and her new white swan that she named Marshmallow. Seeing Bunny, Marie's old toy reminded her of the blue pajamas The Once-ler had and didn't wear anymore. Seeing Marshmallow reminded her of the Swomee-Swans and all the poor Bar-ba-loots and Humming-Fish who were suffering.

She got up and went to her closet. She pulled out one of the many drawers and found stuffed way underneath some old baby clothes were a vest, cotton shirt and jeans. Marie pulled out the old striped trousers of The Once-ler and smoothed a hand over the hem. She gathered the clothes and hugged them to herself. She smelled potpourri on them and heaved a sigh. Thinking of her youngest playing outside in such a dreary land and feeling her husband's old clothes made something hit her like a thunderclap.

She thrashed out and not caring if she went down the hallway. The only ones who saw her was Isabella, Chet and Brett. They looked so blank seeing her come out. Marie stood before the painting of The Once-ler and stared at her brother-in-laws.

"You want to see him?" asked Brett.

"Cause you can't," added Chet. "You'll need an appointment to see him."

"I don't need an appointment!" said Marie briskly.

"The Once-ler says so," they said in unison.

Isabella smirked at Marie's fail, but that woman wasn't giving up. Marie grabbed the door handles herself and swung them open. She slammed them and saw him at his desk with a smile and bags under his eyes.

"I've had enough of this!" said Marie. "Since when do I need an appointment to meet with you?"

"Since I made it a rule," said The Once-ler easily and he examined a building on a model he had made.

"Quit playing with that model!" Marie planted herself at his desk and felt an urge to knock the model of Thneedville over.

"I'm not playing with it," growled The Once-ler.

"Sure looks like it! That's probably all you do now isn't it? Playing make-believe with your future city!"

"I designed it!" defended The Once-ler.

"I don't care if your mother designed it or not!" stated Marie and she crossed her arms.

"Well what do you want?" he asked after a pause.

"I want this to end!"

"End?"

"All of this! I don't want you to work here anymore! I want things the way they were! I'm tired of living this way!"

"The way things were?" said The Once-ler. "Oh right! You want me to go back to being a big nobody and a joke to my family?"

"If that gets you to change, then yes! I'm tired of going to sleep by myself, not seeing you often and the girls miss you! Why can't you divide time for them?"

"Working gives them what they need!"

"No it doesn't! They need you! For real and you'll listen to me about this!" Marie wasn't near pleading. She was demanding.

"I'm going to listen to you about this?" The Once-ler snarled and he stood up. "Why should I listen to you? I know what's best for me!"

"Sure you do," said Marie sarcastically. "You've made so many good ones for the past four years! I'm starting to wish you had never made the Thneed!"

The Once-ler's eyes blazed and his teeth gritted. His fists clenched and he leaned far over his desk to loom at her. Marie didn't budge and copied him.

"I have more than I had because of the Thneed," said The Once-ler coldly.

"No you don't," smirked Marie. "You had a lot more when it was just us four in that little cottage! You had so much more!"

"You don't know the half of what I've had to live with!" The Once-ler spat and Marie jumped back. "I had nothing! You never had to live with nothing! You don't understand what it's like to live poor and be a laughing stock!"

"Oh you think you had it bad?" retorted Marie. "Don't get me started!"

The Once-ler came around and then stood right in front of her. He glared at her and Marie realized she was aligned with him. If she had been a foot taller her nose would've been touching his.

"I don't care what you say," said The Once-ler. "I deserve all of this and I swore I would make my girls lives better than what I had!"

"It'd be better if you didn't work all the time and destroy everything," hissed Marie. "All the trees are dying while your Super-Axe-Hackers roll over like machines of war!"

"And it's all so gratifying!" shouted The Once-ler in a disturbing delight. He raised a fist dramatically and smiled wickedly. What had started as innocence in business had become a goal to bring out the best for himself.

"This is not the Once-ler I grew up with," said Marie firmly while her heart felt shattered. "This is especially not the Once-ler I fell in love with!"

"If you have a problem with what I've done or have become then too bad," said The Once-ler.

"I have no problem," said Marie. "You do!" She marched for the door to win her fight when The Once-ler shot out another remark.

"You're jealous," he smirked.

Marie halted and her arms stiffened. As her fists clenched The Once-ler grinned in satisfactory. He had gotten her!

"Jealous?!" screeched Marie. She turned on her heel. "Why would I be jealous of you?!"

"You tell me," scoffed The Once-ler. "You can't stand it that my mom loves me and yours never has or will!"

Marie got back up in his face with her eyes boring and nostrils flared. How dare he accuse her! She rocked up to her tiptoes and to no avail was still small next to him.

"I'm not jealous of you!" she hissed. "I ought to smack you for that! I am not envious of you and I don't need you to tell me how to do anything!" She raised a fist up, but it barely moved.

"Just keep in mind," said The Once-ler and he seized her wrist. His hot breath wafted against her hair. "You wouldn't have come this far if it weren't for me! You'd be a poor, lonely woman raising the girls alone!"

"That actually sounds like what I've been doing the whole time," snapped Marie and she freed herself from his grip.

"You have not!"

"Yes I have! Ugh! I can't believe you are this stupid! I wish I had never, ever encouraged you-in fact-in fact! Then Marie screamed out with true venom. "I wish you were back to failing under that garden th-thing in Greenville with tomato juice dripping off of you and coming home all miserable!"

She whirled away and before she was an inch away from being outside The Once-ler yelled one more insult to injury.

"I should've never let you come with me in the first place!" Then he slammed his two doors on his own with his brothers looking bewildered at what had happened.

Marie went outside with her purse underarm. She went past The Lorax as he walked sadly to the factory.

"Waterfall?" he said when he saw her. "What's goin' on?"

"I hate that man!" yelled Marie. "I can't stand to be around him!"

"Wait-Waterfall!" The Lorax called and tried keeping up. "What did Beanpole do?"

Marie ran and the poor forest guardian couldn't keep up. She didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't going home yet. She hurried past the stumps and was in Thneedville. She didn't want to be there either. The highways were beginning to stand and buildings were growing taller. It was more of a metropolis than it was five years before. Then seeing those billboards, those condemned billboards! Marie's stress couldn't stand it and she sat on the park bench. Then a peal of thunder hit. Marie didn't care if the rain was sprinkling on her. While the civilians got out umbrellas or used newspapers for shelter she sat and allowed tears to mix with the rain. The Once-ler probably thought she deserved to be out in the wet weather. He'd be upset the tufts were wet and they'd have to be dried. That's all that mattered!

"That idiot," muttered Marie. "That idiot!"

"Marie?" called a voice. A warm and feminine voice was beckoning her. "Baby Doll!"

Marie craned her neck to see in the greyness a familiar figure. Then she was dry from Betsy under an umbrella.

"Marie what are you doing out here?" said Betsy in a motherly tone.

"Betsy?" whispered Marie.

"Come along, let's get you warm." Betsy pried her up and took her hand so she could lead her to a familiar car. "We were just about to go to your house."

"Don't bother," said Marie grimly.

She slid into the leather seats and saw her mother and father up front. Marie scoffed and braced herself for what they'd say.

"Oh my darling!" cried Clarisse as she twisted in her seat. "We've been so worried about you!"

Now that was something Marie had not braced herself to hear that! Since when did her mother, the one who wished they'd gotten rid of her due to not being a son, called her "my darling?" Marie's arched brows furrowed.

"What do you want?" she scoffed. "Are you here to pour more salt on the wound?"

"Oh no," said Clarisse. "Not so!"

"We'll go to Thneedville Plaza first," said Dashiell. "We'll get you dried off."

Betsy gave Marie a side hug and smoothed out her now unruly curls. Marie didn't mind going with Betsy, it was the other two passengers she didn't want to communicate with. At least they weren't taking her home and Marie wasn't ready for that. She listened to the rain pitter against the tinted windows and knew the girls would stay inside if it rained. They followed her rules.

They pulled up to Thneedville Plaza and gave the car to a valet. Marie didn't take the time to admire the chandelier in the lobby or the deep red carpet. She was guided up the alabaster stairway and to the third floor where Betsy was staying. Inside it was cozy and homely. Betsy got a towel for Marie and wrapped it around her. A worse storm would be brewing very soon when thunder and lightning mixed in.

"What were you doing out in the rain?" asked Betsy. "We wouldn't have stopped had I not had spotted you in the park! We would've gone right past you and left you to catch a cold Baby Doll. You have no raincoat or umbrella! I thought I raised you better than that. Remember how you got sick that one time when you-"

"I hate him!" shouted Marie as her feelings burst out. "I can't stand him! The nerve he had to say that to me!""

"Once-ler?" asked Betsy in puzzlement. "Did something happen?"

"I can't stand him!"

"What happened Baby Doll?"

"We fought!" snapped Marie. "We fought! We got into a stupid fight and now I hate him!"

"You don't mean that," said Betsy gently. "It's just a fight."

"No! He's-I can't take it!"

Marie flung herself on the bed and hyperventilated. Betsy looked afraid. She had never seen Marie so stressed before. She patted Marie's back and shushed her. It didn't calm her and Betsy put a blanket of hers over her and left her alone to tell her parents that something had to be wrong. It was a mistake though when she went back up and The Finnegans smiled two devious smiles. Their wish was happening!

"Marie, Baby Doll," came Betsy's voice again. "Tell me what happened. Please. I made sure your patents won't disturb you. Tell me what's wrong."

Marie lifted her head and frowned. She was ready to spit her words and get Betsy on her side. She paced around the room with mixtures of sobs and shouts. She told all about the fight and how the past couple of months and years had gone. Everything Isabella had said to her during that time and how she had felt.

"And finally," Marie retorted. "He has the nerve to say I'm jealous of him! I am not!"

Betsy said nothing. She sat patiently and listened carefully. Then she patted the bed for Marie to sit. Marie plopped down with arms crossed and a tight mouth.

"Marie," she said. "I know you well enough after all these years and I want you to be honest. Why would Once-ler think you're jealous of him?"

"Because he has a better bond with his mother now and he's popular!" hissed Marie. "He probably thinks that I wish I was as famous with my parents' company! I can't believe he'd say that!"

"Are you?" said Betsy. "If you were I wouldn't blame you. It's hard to watch someone get a hug and kiss from their mother when yours barely gave you any. Or see them sitting pretty with the world adoring them."

"I am not," said Marie indignantly.

"I'm not sure, but it sounds like you are not just angry about the accusation. It sounds like your hurt by more than that."

"Well of course I am! He hurt me!"

"Sometimes what hurts is the truth and it's a terrible blow when a loved one says it. I remember you were complaining about something when you came for Rufus' funeral. It sounds like you didn't like it and there was more than one reason."

Marie softened and then she felt horror. Betsy had broken her inner secret. It was true. She couldn't lie that she had that jealousy.

"Fine," she cried. "I am! I am jealous of him! I don't understand why, but I've been upset about it and…ohhhh. I can't believe he was right!"

"You're jealous because of what I just said aren't you?" Betsy stroked her arm. When Marie nodded she hugged her.

"Oh, Betsy!" whimpered Marie. "I-I lost it! I never fought like that before. It was the worst ever! I didn't mean it!"

"I knew you'd come around," said Betsy. "You always get mad and then cry when you realize the truth. I know you didn't mean to get mad either Baby Doll. I'm sure the same goes for him."

"He still shouldn't have yelled at me though," defended Marie.

"Both of you shouldn't have," said Betsy. "From what you said, you're both at fault for the fight. It takes two to argue. Also it takes two to apologize."

"It'd be nice if he apologized first," said Marie sulkily. "He yelled first."

"I've never seen you act this badly," said Betsy.

Marie huffed and crossed a leg. She felt that Betsy needed to go talk to The Once-ler first about what he did. He had been acting worse.

"Marie," said Betsy. "I want to tell you a story. It's about something I did when I was a little younger than you. I've learned much in my lifetime and this was one lesson I had to learn the hard way. When I was your age I was very reckless back then. That's a quality that never brought good things. First off though, some family history."

"My husband and I were raised differently like you and Once-ler. Neither of us was rich, but we had different lives from each other. Charles was raised in a huge family. He was the only boy and third oldest of eight children. His family worked in markets and they were very clever when it came to cooking. With a large family they all had to be. Charles had to learn how to cook when there was an outbreak of fever 'n' ague when he was a young boy. Only he and his older sister were healthy and made all the meals. He was more responsible than I ever was. That was one of the things I loved about him."

"Now I on the other hand had a more carefree life. I lived on the tracks. Sometimes I was the on wrong side than the right. I didn't have that many siblings, goodness my older sister was nearly thirteen when I came along. By the time I was five I was an only child. I lived with my aging grandmother and parents. My father was a railroad worker and my mother was at home. My grandmother sat in her rocking chair telling old stories. I played outside and would come home all muddy and with leaves in my hair. My life had no worries or responsibilities."

"Betsy what exactly are you saying?" asked Marie.

"Marie," said Betsy firmly. "Never interrupt an elder when they're telling a story, especially one where it can teach you something."

"Sorry," sighed Marie.

"Now," continued Betsy after she gave a friendly tap to Marie's nose. "My mother and grandmother were more independent than women back then and didn't want me to learn household work. My father who hoped for a son on both times of my mother's pregnancies was more than happy to teach me chores that a woman didn't do back then. You could say the Fitzsimmons family was ahead of their time and I perhaps went a step backwards with my career as a housekeeper. I learned how to hitch up the buggy for our Sunday socials, help him with the coal and tend the garden. Not once was I in the kitchen. I was outside and was considered too rebellious to play with other little girls. So I played with the engineers' sons and nephews." Betsy chuckled to herself. "I was the best when it came to climbing trees! Dress, pinafore and all!"

"That all changed when I met Charles and we were courting. We were different, but we shared the same ideas. Not only that, our favorite food was apple pie. The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but my mother was the one who won him with that. I suppose he figured having a mother-in-law who was great at cooking as much as his was like special treatment. Strangely my mother was a good cook for someone who didn't want me to do so. We were nineteen when we tied the knot. The first three months of our lives was perfect…and then the fight."

"What fight?" asked Marie when Betsy didn't continue.

Betsy, who was seventy-nine-years of age, looked older than she already appeared. Her green-brown eyes watered and she rubbed them. She heaved a sigh and cleared her throat.

"I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone," she said after another pause. "Not Rufus, not Clarisse, not Dashiell, nobody!"

"Nobody?" Marie felt nervous for she had never seen Betsy so down hearted.

"I know you've always loved my food Baby Doll, but the truth is because I never learned from my already modern thinking mother, I didn't know how to cook. The best I could make was ice or brew tea. Charles still worked in the market, but he made our dinners. Due to the fact we were in a lower class, we didn't have a housekeeper or butlers like you. So Charles would try teaching me and so did his mother. All his sisters tried too. I liked learning, but I didn't have the patience back then. I got a fiery temper sometimes when corrected. That was my pride. I felt so mollycoddled and jealous. I felt a little envious when Charles whipped up an elegant meal and mine was all burnt and poorly seasoned."

"Then one day I decided I would cook all by myself and I thought that Charles would be so proud of me and he'd love it. I was…wrong."

Marie sat upright. Betsy? Not a good cook? Unbelievable! All her life Betsy had made the best things for her and had helped her get interested in baking. Betsy knew everything about cooking from how to make icing to stuffing a turkey!

"I made a roasted chicken with all the potatoes and vegetables. I put my own spices on the food and I hadn't even tasted it yet. I felt too proud of my hard work and was looking forward to what Charles would say. He came home, tired from work, and tested it out. He didn't like it. He said I used too many spices. So I blew a fit and yelled at him. He had told me nicely, but I was too upset. Then we got into a fight. Our first fight as a couple. After yelling at each other all over something as silly as a chicken, Charles got his coat and hat. Then he said to me 'That chicken better be gone by the time I'm home.' Then he left."

"While I cooled down I took a taste of the chicken and I realized he was right. It was too spicy and I realized a little thing like just a sprinkle of salt or pepper would've been enough. I felt terrible for fighting and I decided I would apologize. Charles had more experience with cooking and I should've trusted him. I waited for him to return from his walk. After two hours I was afraid something had happened. I was right."

"What?" asked Marie in soft of disbelief.

"The police showed up at our house and asked if I was Charles Winston's wife. When I said I was, they told me that Charles and seven other civilians had drowned. They were all on a rickety bridge and the bridge broke. People back then didn't have swimming lessons like I had been fortunate to learn. Ever since then…I've regretted that the last time I spoke to my husband was in anger. I shouldn't had been so furious over a dinner and his opinion. I loved Charles and he loved me, but even we get mad at loved ones. It hurts most when we yell at them. I let the sun go down on my anger and I've lived with that memory for the rest of my life."

Marie was silent with her head bowed. She never imagined Betsy could be so easily frustrated. She knew her husband had passed away, but the fight never came to exist to her knowledge. Betsy sighed and held Marie at her shoulders.

"Marie," she said solemnly. "Don't let any fight come between you and Once-ler like this. You've been married longer than I was and it's not time to throw that commitment away. You've gone through more than I have with someone and you both know how to work things out. From what I'm hearing he needs to apologize for his words and you need to apologize too. You both got mad and lost your temper. It doesn't matter who started it."

"What if he doesn't want to?" asked Marie who felt shame wash over her.

"If I know that young man well enough, he will. Doesn't this sound like that silly fight you had as teenagers that prevented you from talking for a month? Don't let it go that long. Don't let it be too late to make things right. In fact, I'll go down with you tomorrow and talk to him about this. I won't go until you're both alright."

"Really?" asked Marie. "You'd do that?"

"Of course," said Betsy. "I care for you both. It'll be fine."

Marie felt a sob deep in her body as she looked into Betsy's eyes. Never would've she had imagined her motherly figure had gone through so much. The loss had to have been great. She didn't understand why it had to happen to her.

"I never knew you went through that," said Marie with a lump in her throat.

"I never told anybody, not my family or his. I always felt it was my fault that he left and even worse that the last words we said were in anger. So as for you, you both need to let your defenses down."

Marie bit her trembling lip. The fight came back and she saw how terrible she had been. The yelling right in his face, screaming she wished he was back in his previous state, and storming out. No matter how angry she was, she shouldn't have lost control.

"Baby Doll, it's okay to get angry sometimes," said Betsy gently. "We all do, but we need to try to not let that anger get the best of us and hurt those we love."

"Should I call him?" asked Marie.

"You could, but I think face-to-face will mean more. Goodness, you look tired too."

It was nine at night and Marie was surprised to see the clock's hour. She had been gone for a long time. When did she leave again? It was sunset or maybe five or six? Four hours or three, she was exhausted. Marie's eyes drooped and Betsy stroked her cheek.

"I'll call Once-ler to tell you where you are," she said. "I'll even walk you home."

Marie lay on the bed and slipped off to sleep when Betsy dialed. She tried calling again and was forced to leave a message. Then she pulled the cover over Marie and sat in one of the comfy chairs to watch television. She tried ignoring the migraine that was coming back.

In the morning, Marie felt better and hungry. She realized she hadn't eaten the night before. It was very late in the morning for her to be up, another hour and it would be noon. She found Betsy hunched over in her chair and holding her gray covered head.

"Betsy?" asked Marie in concern.

"Just a headache," said Betsy. She sat up slowly and got up to find some medication in her bag. "You want some breakfast Baby Doll?"

"I'm starving," chuckled Marie. Her stomach rumbled in response.

"Let's go," said Betsy and linked her arm with hers.

They carefully went down the staircase to the appeasing smell of eggs benedict down below. Marie's mouth watered. Suddenly Betsy went still and put a hand back to her head.

"Betsy?" Marie said again.

"Ohh," she answered. "My head still hurts." She clamped her eyes down.

"Do you want to go back to your room?" suggested Marie.

"Just let me sit," panted Betsy. "Get me some water please."

Marie got a tall glass of water and shoveled eggs on two plates. As the dining room grew fuller with people, Betsy seemed more in pain. She rubbed her head and breathed heavily. Marie slowly ate and watched her. Finally, after watching long enough she decided something had to be done.

"Why don't we take you to a doctor before going back home?" Marie held Betsy's hand as she spoke.

"Marie I've had migraines before," said Betsy. "It'll go away. The pill will work."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. We'll go up, get our purses and then go."

Marie led her up and watched Betsy grow weaker up the steps. Betsy bit her lip every other moment. When in her room, she sat on the bed. She moaned and Marie couldn't take it anymore.

"Betsy I'm taking you to the doctor. Something's wrong."

Betsy didn't answer. She nodded to reply. By the time they were back on the first floor, Marie realized she had forgotten their purses! The whole reason they went back upstairs!

"I'll be back," she said hastily.

Marie ran and ran up the stairs. She scrambled to open the door with the key from Betsy's pocket and back down with the purses. When she did she saw a small crowd in the lobby and the concierge on the telephone in panic. Marie pushed her way in to the crowd and found Betsy passed out against the wall.

"Betsy!" she cried. She knelt beside her and took her wrist to feel her pulse. It was fast.

Then before Marie could blink an ambulance arrived and Betsy was taken on a stretcher. Before the doors closed Marie jumped in shouting.

"Wait! I'm her family! I have to come!"

"Are you her daughter?" asked the male paramedic.

"Close enough," replied Marie.

She stood next to Betsy and held her hand. Betsy's eyes were closed and she faintly breathed. Marie never felt so worried for her in all her life. Betsy never seemed physically weak to her; she was always in good health. It was the image of perfection she had imagined and then believed her to be since her youth. At the hospital Marie called the factory and hoped more than ever that The Once-ler would pick up.

"Hey," she started. "Um, I'm at the hospital right now and Betsy's not feeling good. I'll call you back."

When Marie had hung up she was surprised to find Clarisse and Dashiell rush into the waiting room. They, out of all the emotions they could have, looked worried.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Well we get to the hotel and find people talking about some old lady who passed out and a curly haired girl following her," said Clarisse haughtily. "Why else would we come?"

"How's she doing?" asked Dashiell.

"They're examining her right now," said Marie. "I don't know what could be wrong."

"She better not be too sick," said Dashiell as he sat. "We need to her still. Who'll mop those floors or cook our suppers?"

"Taking care of the house has been so much harder since Rufus died," said Clarisse casually.

"Why can't you try doing some of the work?" asked Marie suspiciously.

"Marie, Marie, Marie," said Clarisse with pity. "Why haven't you accepted the fact that you don't have to work to keep your house? Why not let someone else do it? That's why we hired Betsy twenty years ago."

"Thirty-three years," corrected Marie. "She went to work for you when you were twenty-four and she was forty-five. Back when you were newlyweds, remember?"

"It's been that long?" said Clarisse to herself. "Doesn't feel as long. I don't remember her being there in those early years. Dashiell didn't we hire her after Marie came along?"

"She was in the hospital when I was born and Rufus was there too," added Marie who crossed her arms in disappointment at her mother's remembrance.

"I don't remember that," said Dashiell who still stared at the newspaper he had recently picked up.

"You had Nathan at twenty-six; I came along when you were thirty-one," said Marie bluntly. "Betsy was at Nathan's funeral; she has pictures of it. She stayed extra hours to take care of me."

"Don't say his name," hissed Clarisse.

"I'll say my brother's name all I want," thought Marie bitterly and moved to the far corner of the room.

The hours seemed painfully slow. The hospital seemed slow too. Many patients were coming in complaining of breathing problems and Marie didn't want to think about that. She called twice again to The Once-ler, but he didn't come to the phone. She wondered why he hadn't picked up for surely he had to be in his office.

"He's not avoiding you," Marie told herself. "He's just not in the office, that's all."

Every now and then a nurse came out to give an update…which never felt like an update. It seemed more of repeating. They said Betsy was getting checked over and that was all. They were taking tests and that was all. Betsy's eyes hadn't opened yet and that was all. Finally it was almost four in the evening and Marie had called five times to The Once-ler. The last one she had sounded near tears.

"Well," said Dashiell when the nurse came out for the fourth time. "What does she have?"

"We've taken some scans of her brain and there's no easy way of saying this," said Nurse Lynn. "Ms. Winston had a stroke."

"A stroke?" Marie trembled and tried to remember what she had learned about it in biology during high school.

"I'm sorry," said Nurse Lynn. "We're sorry it's taken so long to diagnose this, but we're also taking care of children who have breathing problems too and elderly folk. Ms. Winston's symptoms have gotten worse."

"Worse?" echoed Clarisse and her brown eyes got large.

"Ms. Winston's left side is paralyzed and her speech is slipping. Doctors think there's a chance she'll survive if she has surgery, but there's little hope. Scans have shown us that she's affected in the right hemisphere of her brain; she has a huge clot growing there." The nurse took her clipboard and checked a page.

"Now Marie is it? Marie you said she was suffering from a migraine this morning? Did she show any other symptoms?"

"All I noticed was that her head was really hurting. She kept rubbing it and moaning. That's all I really know Ma'am." Marie felt her hopes sink as she gave the information.

"Did she have any migraines earlier on?"

"She was complaining of one three days ago," said Clarisse. "She said it was nothing to worry about. Then she had another one the next day."

"Two migraines in two days?" said Nurse Lynn. "Why didn't she go to the doctor?"

"She's stubborn," said Dashiell.

"No," snapped Marie. "I bet its because you wouldn't let her go because you had a stupid dinner at your house and wouldn't let her rest!"

"No matter what happened she didn't go," said Nurse Lynn who was surprised by Marie's fury. "Did she have pain yesterday?"

"Yes," said Marie. "She took a medicine. You can help her right?"

"We'll do all that we can," promised Nurse Lynn. "You can come back and see her off before surgery."

"She'll be fine," brushed off Clarisse. "She'll be back in work before we know it. This is her summer break."

Marie wanted to slap her mother for the remark! Determined to not be frantic over Betsy's health she went to see her. Poor, old Betsy! She was lying in the hospital bed and hooked to machines. Her heart beat was slowly moving and her chest heaved to breathe. Marie came close to her head and stroked her head.

"Betsy," she whispered. "Can you hear me? They're going to have surgery to help you. I'll be here when you wake up and I'll bring the girls to see you. When you're out I'll have Once-ler see you too. You'll be alright."

Marie swallowed and pulled a chair. She held Betsy's left hand which she had to uncurl to hold. Marie wasn't going to say good-bye yet. She was going to talk as if they would see each other again.

"Did I ever tell you my first memory?" said Marie. "My first memory is my third birthday. I remember I got up really early. The sun wasn't out yet and I crawled out of my little bed. I played with one of my toys-Kitten. Remember that toy cat of mine? Natalie has her now. I got out of my room and came to the stairs. The door opened and it was you. You came in with a big pink present with a silver bow. You looked right up at me and said 'Good morning Baby Doll!'"

"You came right up the stairs and hugged me. Then you took me to the kitchen and gave me a cupcake for breakfast. That present you gave me was a box of finger paints and after the party Mother and Father threw for me with their friends (to show they were good parents) you put out newspaper for me and you finger painted with me. I wanted you to know that so you can dream of that while you're under. Maybe memories will help you out. I hope they do."

Marie was sure Betsy could hear her because her heartbeat went a little faster. Marie knew Betsy wouldn't want her to worry, so she wouldn't. She'd be optimistic. Irrationally optimistic. Betsy always encouraged her to look for the bright side.

Minutes later Marie was back in the waiting room. Her eyes were glued to the clock. Six, seven, eight and more passed. Marie called home the office again and again. She called the house too on its separate line and found no answer.

"Honey," she said on borderline of pleading when the night clouds rolled in. "Please pick up. Betsy's in surgery and I need to talk to you. I'll call back. Bye."

"This is the longest night ever," mumbled Dashiell. "I could've brought some work with me."

"Don't blame me," said Clarisse. "Blame Betsy; she had the stroke."

Marie slammed the payphone down. She felt aggressive with all of Clarisse's comments as if it was Betsy's fault. She couldn't control it if she had a stroke or if there was a chance they ran in her family. She'd hold her tongue for now and picture how Betsy would smile when she awoke from the operation.

Six hours had passed since Marie had chatted to Betsy and the young woman questioned how long surgery could be. Though it was shorter than her time of giving birth, it felt so long! The waiting was the hardest part. When the clock struck she heard footsteps. Eagerly she hurried to the doorway to see the same nurse.

"How is she?" asked Clarisse desperately with her hands folded to her chin. "She can work right away again right?"

The woman looked serious and almost sad. She sighed and cleared her throat and Marie felt a pinch of anxiety.

"Well," said Dashiell impatiently.

"I'm sorry," she said. "We did all we could, but…the clot in her brain was huge and her heartbeat got strained. She's gone."

…

"No!" screamed Marie and she fell back in the chair. "She's not gone!"

"What?" gasped Clarisse. "Why couldn't you do more for a housekeeper?"

"We did everything we could do in this case like we would with other patients Ma'am," assured Nurse Lynn. "She was also very old and considering that factor it was sadly her time. The chance of her surviving was small, but we tried."

"She's not gone!" screamed Marie. "Betsy! She's not gone! No! It's not true! No!"

"Marie," said Dashiell who stood her up to shake her. "Marie! Pull yourself together!"

Marie clung to her father and sobbed. Dashiell hesitantly held her. Marie kept wailing over her loss. Dashiell dragged her out to their car and back to the hotel and put her in Betsy's room.

"Stay here," he said. "We'll take care of the funeral arrangements right now. Don't fret over them."

Marie sat on the bed's edge and hugged herself. She shook and stared at the wall before her. She felt so lonely and every memory of Betsy flashed in her head. Marie found herself wishing she could've done more. Something could've prevented Betsy's passing. One of the three people who made her childhood a little less sad was gone. It only reminded her that Rufus had been gone for almost a year in September.

Fresh tears spilled and Marie crawled into the center of the bed to cry. She saw on the nightstand the picture frames of her and Charles with Betsy. Marie thought of how many times Betsy must've looked at each photo. Thinking of how the little girl in the picture would grow up and how the young woman with the gentleman was once happy. It was strange to see Betsy in her late teens and in the wedding dress of her time. An oval face with pouty lips and dark hair pulled up with flowers adorn. No wrinkles, grey hair, or age spots on her arms.

Marie took the frames and hugged them to her chest. She wept again wanting to hear her voice again or any kind voice. Marie's grief subsided when she fell asleep. She woke up every other hour and she'd weep some more until drowsiness came back. Marie finally slept without pain when it was early in the morning. When she blinked her eyes, her face was tearstained and her hair greasy. The frames were imprinted into her arms.

Marie saw faint light through the curtains, but she didn't bother to open them. She tangled her fingers in her hair and looked around. It was a new day. She crawled off the bed's edge and checked her face in the bathroom. Red and puffy; no surprise after crying so hard. She wasn't ready to go out just yet. Instead Marie shed out of her clothes and took a long shower.

"It's no one's fault," she thought. "She was old you know. She lived a good life and loved you so much. She did what she had to do." Thinking of that sounded like something The Once-ler would say to her before his greedy days.

It was difficult to put back on two day old clothes after getting clean, but Marie didn't want to put on Betsy's clothes knowing they wouldn't fit anyway. Her sleeping habits were askew after the two previous nights, but it wasn't a huge issue. Marie packed up Betsy's things and took the suitcase with her. She felt more than ready to go home.

"Oh Marie!" cried Clarisse when Marie came in to the lobby. She hugged her daughter. "We've gone over everything for Betsy's funeral and as painful as this event is we wish to speak to you about another important matter."

"It can wait," said Marie glumly.

"There's plenty of time to grieve," said Clarisse as she pushed her daughter for the dining room. "It's not now though. We have something very serious to discuss with you!"

The dining hall was serving lunch, but Marie's appetite was patient while her heart felt impatient to go home. She didn't want to be gone for so long. Dashiell put away his cigarette in the ashtray when he saw his daughter and wife come in.

"Oh Marie we have something to discuss," he said. "Sit down my dear."

"My dear?" thought Marie. Her guard went up for what she'd hear.

"Have some bisque," said Dashiell as he pushed a bowl to her. "We don't want you to starve."

"I'd like to leave so say you what you want," said Marie sharply.

"Marie, we originally came here to make an offer and after hearing what happened to you and that fool we've decided we must help you," said Clarisse.

"Help me with what?" asked Marie.

"Your problem," said Dashiell. "Betsy, may she be in peace, said that you were miserable last year. We have thought it over on how to help you and we've come to the decision."

"We wouldn't make this decision if you and he had kept your promise of marriage," said Clarisse. "Since you're here though we want what's best for you."

"Since when have you felt like this?" questioned Marie.

"We would like to make the huge choice to take this burden off of your shoulders," said Dashiell who brushed off her question.

"We want to buy Thneeds Inc. and make it our own," said Clarisse.

"Buy it?!" Marie grabbed the table's corner. "What do you know about Thneeds? All you know is wine!"

"A company is a company isn't it?" said Dashiell. "We can help you and him live a more simple life like you always wanted."

"He has a name," said their daughter coldly. "You don't want to make me feel better! You think I learned nothing from your business? I know more than you realize. I heard you both, ten years ago, on the phone trying to buy another company in another town. When you hung up you both spoke of how richer you'd be. As if you didn't have enough!"

"That's not true" lied Clarisse.

"It is true! You've done it before! Betsy's told me! You tried doing it after Nathan's birth!"

"Don't ever say that name!" yelled Clarisse.

"That old biddy is a liar," said Dashiell. "She's always been a liar."

"If you knew your own housekeeper you would know that she never lied! As for Nnnnathan, I will say that name all I want! You know what? It is so beyond petty with how you are acting. You two and Isabella; whining how you never got the child you wanted! Be happy with what you have for crying out loud! I'm sorry I couldn't replace Nathan, but I wasn't meant to and that has been out of my control! He would be horrified by how you've thought of me!"

"You fool!" hissed Dashiell and he grab hold of Marie's wrists. "It is your fault! We put all our hopes into a son and you failed us! We have every right to change our past and make sure we prevented you!"

Marie yanked away from him and stood solid. At that moment the whole room of people were starting at them. Many mouths were agape and glaring at Dashiell and Clarisse. They didn't realize the argument was attached to the famed entrepreneur.

"I can't believe I envied him for getting affection from his mother and that I never got it from you!" yelled Marie. "You're not worth my time! I should've remembered that! That's the whole reason I left home in the first place!"

"And how are you living now?" said Clarisse. "Working at a shop with loony girls!"

"I'd rather have that than your jobs," said Marie harshly. "Now you are both going to leave Thneedville and never, ever come back." She lowered her voice to a whisper so nobody could hear again. "You know he can make that happen."

Then no longer feeling burdened, Marie took Betsy's bag and a pastry off the table and left a stunned Clarisse and Dashiell. Never would she see them again.

Marie paced her way out of the hotel and down the street. There was a sunset and she knew she was going home. It would be alright. Betsy reassured her things would be, but she had to go on her own. Betsy Winston and Rufus Ponce had done enough in her life, now she had to go alone. She thought of the pictures and stopped at a bench to pull it out. She looked back at the young woman.

"I'll make things right," she said to herself. "I promise."

She kissed the frame and made her way out of the city and didn't notice the changes. She was too focused on her future. She was going to let down her walls and forgive. The hardest part though was that she had to tell what happened. That part was hard.

"It's a new dawn," thought Marie. "Or at least tomorrow will be."

The last part of the city faded from her view and she was back in the gloomy landscape. The only beauty was the pinkish glow and long shadows across the dry grass. As she walked, Marie heard in her head the song of traveling madness that her husband had sang seven years before and she began to smile.

Author's Note: 49 pages! All corrected in less than 24 hours! Sorry if this made you sad! It's not how I hoped it would be. To make it extra emotional, I listened to "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts. It sounded like something Betsy would think for Marie and even Will for his three sons… I took some liberty with the lorax board. I think the lorax wouldn't just show himself up to people; he'd be more private and only focus on the one person who cut a tree. Aslo Thneedville would be too wrapped up in their lives to believe in "fairy tales" and think he's a myth. So I preferred it best that The Once-ler interacts with him and his family is trying to forget him. So letting The Once-ler do the picture would just be another low for him and being hands on.