"These are my other three children - Jonas, Henry, and Lily. Children, this is Mrs. March from Concord and her daughters, Jo and Beth," said Sarah.

All three children had honey blond hair and blue eyes. The two boys wore jean shorts and t-shirts. Jonas's was white, and Henry's was yellow. Lily wore pink shorts and a matching green-and-pink shirt. Freckles dotted her cheeks. Her hair was wavy and shoulder-length, and just a tad darker than that of her brothers.

"It's so nice to meet you all," said Mrs. March.

Jonas looked right at Beth. "Karl?"

"Yes," his mother told him.

Beth looked as if she wanted to crawl underneath the sofa.

"It's OK, Bethy," said Jo.

"Why did they come?" Jo could hear the edge of bitterness in Henry's voice.

"They came to offer us their gratitude, Henry, and to show us how well Beth is doing now." Sarah's voice was firm.

Henry and Lily exchanged glances, then moved into the hallway and out of sight. Jonas sat on the sofa at the opposite end from the Marches.

"I'm sorry about Henry's attitude," said Sarah. "The loss of his brother was very hard on him."

"That's perfectly all right," said Mrs. March. "I understand completely."

"I want to go home, Mom," Beth begged. "We shouldn't have come."

"I'm glad you came," said Jonas. "I was so curious about what you were like." Beth moved over on the sofa, closer to her sister. "Please don't be scared."

"She's terribly shy," said Jo.

"I think, perhaps, this situation is overwhelming for Beth," said Mrs. March. "I hate to seem rude, but perhaps we should be on our way now."

Just then, a calico cat padded into the room.

"What a beautiful cat!" cried Beth. "What's his, or her, name?"

"Her name is Mitzi," said Jonas. "She was Karl's cat. She's mine now."

Mitzi walked up to Beth and rubbed her body against Beth's leg.

"Does she bite?" asked Beth.

"Only if she gets startled," said Jonas. He picked Mitzi up and held her and, her shyness forgotten, Beth began to pet her. She purred.

Beth looked into Jonas's eyes and smiled.

"Would you like to hold her?" asked Jonas. Beth nodded, and he placed the cat into her arms. "Do you have any cats at home?"

"I had kittens, but they got sick and died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Jonas.

"But your loss was the greater one," Beth pointed out. "You lost your brother."

Jonas nodded, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Oh, please don't cry!" said Beth. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's all right," said Jonas. "I start crying every time I think about him."

"And I just reminded you."

"It isn't your fault."

"We should be going," said Mrs. March. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"It was no problem at all," Sarah replied. "Come again any time."

The Marches returned to the car and headed back home.

"That's the most words I've ever heard you say to a boy, not counting Teddy," Jo told her sister as they rode along.

Deep in thought, Beth didn't reply.

A couple of days later, she was doing needlework in her rocker by the window when her cell phone rang. She saw it was him and picked up.

"I'm here in Concord," he said. "is it - is it all right if I come by to say hello?"

"Of course it is. You don't have to ask first."

"Thanks."

He arrived dressed in beige cargo shorts and a dark green polo shirt. His hair was slightly damp and had been slicked back.

"Come on in," said Mrs. March. "Beth's right here."

"Hi." He shuffled his feet, unable to meet her eyes.

"Hi." She wasn't sure what to do. It was the first time she'd met someone who seemed as shy as herself.

"Have a seat," said Mrs. March.

Jonas and Beth sat on the sofa together.

"Um, actually, I was thinking of heading over to Walden Pond and wondered if you'd like to come with me."

Beth's heart began to pound madly in her chest. She'd never been alone with a young man before.

Mrs. March nodded her encouragement. "Why don't you go on, dear."

Beth gulped. "All right." She walked with Jonas out to his battered Kia Rio. It was a short ride to Walden Pond, and soon they were walking together along the nature trail. The path was bordered by a low wooden fence, and tall trees in rows reached high up into the sky on either side of them.

"They make me feel as tiny as an ant!" Beth remarked.

Jonas nodded. "I have to talk to you."

Beth felt her heart beginning to pound again. "Is something wrong?"

Jonas shook his head. "I knew who you were as soon as I saw you. Nobody had to tell me you were the girl who got Karl's heart."

Beth turned fearful eyes toward him.

"The bond I shared with Karl didn't end when he died. I felt the connection right away. It was always there with Karl, and now it's there between you and me." He stopped walking and turned to her with a smile. She dropped her eyes. "Don't worry, it doesn't mean we have to get married or anything like that. It just means that, no matter what happens, your heart and mine are joined, forever."

Beth tried to smile.

"You haven't dated much, have you?" asked Jonas.

Beth shook her head. She'd never even been asked out.

"Neither have I." Jonas gave a nervous chuckle. "When it came to that, Karl and I were exact opposites. He just oozed self confidence. He had the smoothest pick-up lines - he could get any girl he wanted. I used to be so jealous."

A light breeze blew, lifting Beth's hair from her shoulders. "I've never had a boyfriend."

"And I've never had a girlfriend. You might not believe that, but it's true. Every time I'd get up the nerve to ask someone out, it was like my tongue was frozen."

Beth smiled. "I know the feeling."

Jonas gulped, blinking. "Perhaps I'd better get you back home. I don't want your mother to be worried."