Jo approaches the old house with excited apprehension. She laughs to herself as she passes the patch of small Douglas firs, only about four years old, where she had planted the seeds after chopping down Mr. Laurence's beloved tree.
Laurie sees her approaching the house and calls for his wife as he runs out of the door, as much an excited child today as years before. "Amy! Your sister is here for a visit!" he yells. He cannot help but turn into his old, foolish self when he sees Jo.
He runs down the path and skids to a halt as he clumsily wraps his arms around her. "Jo! It has been too long," he exhales quickly.
"It has, Laurie," she laughs. "My, you have not changed one bit," she says, ruffling his hair. He pats his long locks back into place and throws an arm over her shoulder. She is still taller than him– she even wins that contest. They walk toward the house. Amy is standing at the door, waving at her sister, baby on her hip.
"Jo!" she exclaims as she greets her older sister. Jo bends down for a hug and Amy passes her niece to her.
"Little Beth," Jo sighs. "She has grown so much in a month!"
"Has it been that long?" Amy asks.
"It has. How is she?" Jo's tone grows somber. She kept her distance because Marmee had told her about Beth's health issues. She is not a healthy child, and her illness has taken a toll on Jo's young sister. Amy's usual properness has all but disappeared. Worry and fatigue weigh on her face, Jo notices.
"She's fine. She had a spell the other day, but she is tip-top now," Amy says convincingly, as if she believes it.
Jo cradles the baby and walks to the living room. They sit on the regal furniture and chatter about Laurie's work and the weather for a while. Beth starts to fuss, and Amy brings her up to her crib.
"I have something very important to tell you," Jo whispers to Laurie while Amy is away.
"What is it?" he answers excitedly.
"I should wait until Amy returns," Jo admits. She imagined telling Laurie by himself, but she needs her sister's help as well if she wishes to surprise Marmee and the rest of the family.
"Here she is," Laurie says happily as Amy descends the stairs, wiping her tired brow. Will I look this way? Jo thinks to herself.
"What is it?" Amy asks.
"Jo has news for us," he smiles.
Jo takes each of them by the hands and says quietly, but very hurried, "As you know, my plan was to never marry, and to travel, and to write as much as possible, to capture the world." They nod, unsure of her direction. "But even to my surprise, I am very happy with Fritz." They smile– glad to hear that their dear Jo is happy being a wife. "And now," she says slowly, "I am going to do something I never dared!" Laurie shakes his head, not understanding. Amy covers her mouth, having understood immediately. She stomps her feet in excitement, afraid to scream and wake the baby.
"What is it?" Laurie asks, perplexed by the women's excitement.
"She's having a baby!" Amy finally exclaims.
"Jo, is that true?" She just nods in agreement and they all jump up and hug each other.
"But you must keep it a secret!" She divulges her idea to them and they begin to plan the details immediately.
…
She returns home in the late afternoon, exhausted from the excitement and not sleeping the night before.
"How was the visit?" Fritz asks as she walks into the house.
"It was nice," she says as she slowly shuts the door behind her. She leans on it, and he notices how tired his darling wife is.
"You should rest," he suggests.
Without answering his concern, she tells him, "It is difficult to see young Beth. She is so sick for a baby, and poor Amy has lost so much of her usual expressiveness."
Fritz sighs and removes his glasses. "I'm sorry, darling."
"I feel I should write, but I think my eyes are too heavy to see the pages right now."
"You should rest," he repeats.
"Are you coming to bed soon?"
"You will be asleep before I am there," he tells her, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "Good night, mein Jo."
"Good night." She walks slowly to the bedroom, yawning and stretching as she goes.
Mein Jo, he thinks to himself, how wonderful that I can call her mein Jo.