A Wedding, an Escape, and a Reunion

It was the beginning of March before Thumbelina found out about Mrs. Fieldmouse's plans. "Marry the mole?" "Yes! Think about it dear, it really isn't going to work with these other boys; Mr. Mole likes you and he would take very good care of you. I'd marry him myself if I could." Thumbelina wrung her hands as she paced around the little kitchen. "But how could I possibly marry Mr. Mole? I don't love him! Yes, he is very kind and a good friend, but I can't marry someone I don't love!" Mrs. Fieldmouse turned from stirring the pot and waved her spoon at the girl. "Doesn't my opinion matter? I saved you and took care of you all winter. You have your future to think about. Now, take my advice and marry Mr. Mole."

Thumbelina was starting to think maybe Mrs. Fieldmouse wasn't quite as good a friend as she'd thought. But what if the mouse was right, and she never found her home or saw Cornelius again? She didn't even know how she felt about the fairy man anymore. Jim. Thumbelina blinked back tears. It would never work with him anyway. She technically was still lost, and Mrs. Fieldmouse had been very helpful—she couldn't impose on her forever. Maybe she should marry the mole.

Thumbelina stood in the entryway, listening to the music for her cue to walk down the aisle past the rows of spectators, which included Mrs. Fieldmouse. After several weeks of preparation, the tiny girl was going to marry Mr. Mole. Having locked away her emotions, she saw this as a rational decision to procure a livelihood for herself which, while far from ideal, was better than marrying that toad or wandering in the wilderness on her own.

But as she walked down the aisle in her poufy white dress, all Lina could hear was Jim's voice in her mind. How proud he was the first time he introduced her to his friends, telling her tall tales about pirates and treasure, asking her which flowers she loved most (he later planted them), cracking jokes, telling her what life was like before she came, discussing their dreams.

As Lina reached the priest and Mr. Mole, the ache in her heart grew overwhelming. Maybe Jim would never marry her; maybe he would go on a trip and meet some girl, as she feared. But he'd always been there for her; and right now—as she was dimly aware of the priest asking if she would marry Mr. Mole—Lina wanted to see Jim again more than anything. She had to see him. And she couldn't do that if she was married to the mole. "No." The audience gasped, and the priest leaned forward anxiously. "I beg your pardon?" "No." Thumbelina said again. "I am very sorry, but I can't marry Mr. Mole. I don't love him." The crowd was in an uproar, over which Lina could hear Mr. Mole's confused protests and Mrs. Fieldmouse's angry objections. Overwhelmed, the tiny girl gathered up her skirts and ran, with the mouse and the mole charging after her.

With no idea where she was going or what she would do, Lina dashed through the maze of tunnels, shouts not far behind her. Was that sunlight? Stopping abruptly, she looked again at the upwardly slanting tunnel of one of Mr. Mole's treasure caverns that contained enormous piles of jewels and gold. A small hole at the top was letting in a shaft of beautiful sunlight, and the girl wasted no time scrambling up. Her feet dislodged some of the treasure, sending it flying down the slope towards the crowd; who had nearly caught her. While Lina hoped no one was hurt, she didn't dare stop, tearing her dress as she finally pulled herself out of the tunnel and into the light.

Jim walked slowly through the forest, hardly noticing the melting ice or blades of grass poking through the rotting snow to signal spring. He was returning home from the city half a day's walk away, where he'd filed an application to crew on a ship later that summer. Mother had finally persuaded him to follow his dream of exploring the world; the boy having been reluctant to leave her alone, especially with Thumbelina still missing. It had been five months since he'd seen his beloved Lina, and Jim felt as though all the joy had been sucked out of his world. Now he was battling himself about moving on with his life—well, trying to—and holding out for her. But even Jim could hardly make himself believe that she was alive after months of snow; and he increasingly listened to the part of him that whispered she was gone forever.

A warbling sound interrupted his thoughts, and briefly Jim's heart lifted. Lina. No, it'll only be a bird, it's just another damn bird, he thought bitterly. But as he rounded the bottom of a small hill he heard it again, clearer this time. "Lina!" Heart beating wildly, he moved as fast as he dared, plunging through scraggly bushes and looking behind trees as he followed the sound of that beautiful voice he thought he'd never hear again.

She was standing in front of a little hollow and wearing a ragged dress; eyes closed as she poured out her song, hands spread towards the sun. Jim halted a little ways away, too overwhelmed to speak. The tiny girl must have heard his footsteps though, because her eyes flew open and she gasped. "Jim! Oh Jim, it's you!" The brown-haired boy fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he gathered up the beautiful girl. "Lina! What happened? I missed you—I was so worried, we thought—how did you survive?" Jim beamed as she hugged his thumb fiercely, her cheeks wet as well. "The toads kidnapped me, I ran away and got lost and then Mrs. Fieldmouse took me in, but then everyone wanted me to marry Mr. Mole and I couldn't so I ran out here!" Thumbelina decided not to mention Cornelius; that seemed so long ago, Jim was what was important now. Putting aside her frustrations with the size difference and worries about his feelings, she focused on her joy of finally seeing him again. "I missed you—and Mother, I wanted to go home so badly, but I couldn't find the way. I am so glad you found me Jim, I've missed you so much!"

Overjoyed at having his Lina back, Jim wished fervently that he could put his arms around her. Instead, he lifted the girl and gently cupped her against his cheek, closing his eyes and sighing with relief. Jim felt her spread her tiny arms against his face, and could have sworn she pressed her minute lips to his skin. Jim pulled away, still holding her. "I'd better get you home, you're totally freezing." Unbuttoning the top of his coat, he carefully placed Lina in his shirt pocket. "Mother is going to be so excited," he smiled, not wanting to take his eyes off her for fear she'd vanish again. Nestling gratefully in the warm cloth, Lina smiled back as she looked up at her huge boy beginning their journey home, happy.

Homecoming and a Letter

When Jim returned home shouting that he'd found Lina, Mother burst into tears and the whole household had erupted in a joyful reunion. The old woman fussed over the petite girl, feeding her soup and tucking her into a new bed. Lina came down with a cold for a little while, during which Mother could scarcely focus on anything else. And if Jim had been protective of Lina before her disappearance it was nothing compared to now. He put locks on all the windows, and insisted on keeping the girl's bed in his room so he could ensure her safety. After the whole ordeal Lina was more than happy to stay in Jim's or Mother's sight at all times; preferably in Jim's shirt pocket.

Though relieved to be home with her family, the tiny girl's joy was tainted slightly. The glimmers of feelings for Jim that she'd had before and during her prolonged absence grew steadily; and she struggled to hide her sadness about the impracticality of her love. She told herself that it was better to focus on the wonderful things and enjoy the ways she could be with Jim. But then her thoughts would wander to when Jim found her in the forest, and she had tried to kiss his cheek. She hadn't been red only from the cold—as Jim had assumed—rather, she'd been wondering how it would feel to have his lips against her own. As the spring went by, Lina was unaware that her darling Jim was having the same struggle.

The blue-eyed young man was so glad to have Thumbelina home that for awhile he was concerned just with spending time together as they always had—though with a lot more caution. He took her to town, they explored the woods, and talked in the garden. The little family also resumed their nightly reading, to everyone's delight. Soon however, those unsettling feelings started to come back, and Jim didn't know what to think. It was hard to know if Lina's joy stemmed solely from being home, or if she smiled at him that way for another reason. It did not escape his attention that she no longer asked about fairy people or even looked at the book. For his part, Jim found himself looking at her more than was strictly necessary, and thinking things that most definitely were not. He tried to ignore his feelings by paying more attention to other girls; but he was always, unintentionally, comparing them to Lina, and they never made his heart sing with a simple smile.

It was mid-June, and the little family was very busy on their farm when a letter addressed to Jim arrived from the city. The young man stared at it for a long moment before remembering to thank the delivery boy, making his way inside slowly. In the excitement of finding Lina and bringing her home he had briefly forgotten about his application; and when he'd remembered it he wasn't sure how he felt. It was his big dream, and right now—as his hands were shaking and he searched for Mother—he really hoped it was an acceptance letter; but he also didn't want to leave Lina. They had, of course, explained to her about his application and she'd seemed supportive, besides, it was intangible and unknown. At least, it was then. But now…

Mother was outside tending the garden with Thumbelina when Jim found them, and the old woman knit her brows at the young man's expression. "Jim, is something wrong?" Wordlessly, Jim sat down and handed her the envelope. The old woman smiled upon seeing the address. "Oh Jim! They've finally gotten back to you!" She took a hairpin and quickly slit the envelope, then handed the letter to Jim; who read it carefully. "Well? What did they say?" Mother asked. Lina too, was searching Jim's face for a verdict. She wanted him to be happy, and so she fervently hoped he'd been accepted, even though she'd miss him terribly. Jim looked up with a smile, "I get to go. I've been accepted as a crew member, we're sailing at the end of July."

Amid Mother's cheering and being pulled into a tight hug, the boy's eyes briefly met Lina's, making her breath catch. He seems torn, but he should be happy! He's wanted to do this for so long. Unless… The tiny girl's thoughts were scattered by the old woman's flurry of questions, which Jim used the letter to answer before Mother insisted on reading it for herself. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lina made her way over to Jim and squeezed his thumb tightly when he picked her up. "Congratulations Jim!" she smiled at him, but he saw the traces of sadness on her face and wondered for the millionth time if her reasons were the same as his.