[Author Note: In the story Laurie heads to be where Amy is at this point but here he stays home instead because he has Fiona to lean on and their true friendship begins]

Dedication: julieczyras

Chapter 7, Lazy Laurie

I was missing my family. Jo had left a few days after Amy. The house was quiet. I wrote by night and learned how to cook with Hannah. Then my aunt helped me out by teaching me prayer.

Helping me with my grief. Aunt March would just tell me to pray and bide my time. I kept it all in most of the time. I never really had anyone to share with. I was grateful to be able to power through and get into life once again. I had not saw Laurie since the party.

He had promised me we would be good friends. A good friend called upon one another. But he had not. It made my heart sink. I guess Jo broke his heart. He could not handle it that she was gone. How would one get him over her? Make him see there were other girls out there in the world. Ones who might be better suited for him? 

Ones such as me? Or Amy? Just to get over Jo.

I never really had a broken heart. Well all but the time when I lost my beloved family. That gave me a broken heart. And a broken spirit. I learned a lot about a broken heart.

I was yet to learn how to mend one. Maybe it would mend in time. Day by day. My aunt talked a lot about her beloved Beth. I loved to hear stories about Beth. She seemed so kind and so gentle. I would have loved to get to spend time with her.

Someone knock's on our front door.

•✿︎︎•

"Could you go get that Fiona?" asks Hannah.

"Certainly" I tell her. I go to answer the door. And there was Laurie.

I was surprised. He grins at me.

"You never replied to my message. I was wondering if you cared to join me for a walk into town?" he requests with a smile.

"What message? I never got a letter" I say as I looked confused. "there was nothing in the mail"

"Come this way please! I thought Meg would have showed you this" he chuckles.

"Showed me what?" I stutter.

"Hannah I will be back soon" I call out. I go out the door with Laurie. He shows me a little box on a pole down the road.

"This was a box I would leave gifts or letters in for Jo and the other girls to let them know when I was around" he informs me showing me how to open the old wooden house on a pole.

Inside was his letter. He hands it to me. "Since you are a March you have a right to check for gifts" he adds. "from me to you or you to me"

"Oh, how lovely, a thing a brother might do" I chuckle. "I never had a brother before"

"Well, I am like a brother to the girls." he says puffing out his chest a bit. I read his letter. It did ask me the day before about going on a walk. "will you walk with me? It is a nice day for one?" 

"Alright, and what shall we do?" I wonder. 

"We could visit dear Beth" he points out.

"I would love to" I say.

He offers me his arm to take. Then we head into town. The day was bright and sunny one. No clouds in the Concord sky at all that day. 

•✿︎︎•

"Are you at all home sick these days?" he asks me.

"I am some. My aunt has helped me deal with my grief over my family" I explain. "you know I moved here with the March's because my family died" I remind him.

"Yes, I know this. Jo had told me. You do know my parents passed away as well over in France" he mentions to me. "I was a young boy. I did not know them well. And then they sent me home here to be with grandfather"

"Oh, I did not know I am sorry Laurie" I softly say. "we do have much in common"

"I often wonder how different I would have been if I had been in France. But I would not have known grandfather or you" he adds as he smiles at me.

"True" I say with a smile. He was so handsome when he smiled my way.

"My grandfather had not wanted my mother to marry young but she was in love she went to France to be with my father. And she used to act in plays then she stopped once she found she was having me. She died having me. I wish I had known her. Then later on father grew ill. And grandfather had to take me in. We got to know one another. I grew on him" he chuckles.

"I am sure your grandfather can see your mother in you" I point out.

"He says that all the time in fact" says Laurie.

We arrive to the flower field first. Laurie shows me what flowers were Beth's favorite ones. Then we go to the Sleepy Hallow Grave site. We add flowers to Beth's little grave. 

"Dear Beth, I think of you often. When I hear a song played. Or if I see a kitten in need of milk. Or a doll dress in the store. You are missed dear Beth. I hope your cousin can know you through us. Then one day in heaven we all shall meet again" he reflects beautifully out loud. I nearly have tears in my eyes.

"I am sorry I got here so late Beth" I softly add.

"Let's go some place a bit more cheerfully shall we?" he asks me softly. I nod.

Then I take his arm again. It felt right to slide my gloved hand into his arm. So warm. He looked so proud almost to have me walking beside him. Or was I reading into things that I wanted to? 

He takes me to the local park. There was a gazebo there with flowers all around it. I wondered how many weddings had been here.

And right across was the local church. The school. It was so peaceful. Kids were playing and running about. Trying to fly kites in the windy sky. I sit with Laurie in the grass. 

•✿︎︎•

"This is a lovely day today?" I ask him. "Isn't it?"

"Certainly is" he agrees with me.

"If you could do anything, what might it be?" I wonder.

"I want to play music. But father thinks I waist time" says Laurie.

"That is not fair" I point out.

"What about you? What would you do or be?' he asks me.

"I wish to be a poet. Be known for my gift. A poetess" I say. "not a writer like Jo as you say. I am not that type. I write my feelings in words. Songs to"

"We should write a song together" he tells me. "maybe one day we shall"

"I would like that very much" I pipe up.

He smiles at me.

"You have beautiful eyes" he says as he had been staring into mine. I feel myself blush now.

"Thank you. We better be getting back before dinner" I nervously say. He could be on the rebound from Jo.

I did not want to ruin what we had.

Friendship!

•✿︎︎•

"Fine. Let's do this again? What do you say?" he asks me.

I nod. "Anytime you wish. We could have a lunch out here" I point out.

Laurie picks a little flower then hands it to me. 

"For you" he softly says sweetly.

"Thank you" I tell him.

Then I take his arm and he walks me back home. I get back in time for dinner and Meg was there.

"Where were you?" she wonders.

"Out on a walk with Laurie. We had the best day" I sigh as I look at my flower.

"What has that lazy boy been up to?" asks Meg.

"Not much" I giggle.

"Get ready for dinner. We shall eat soon" Meg tells me.

I nod then head upstairs to put my flower from Laurie in my room. I wanted to keep it. I decided to press it and it would last forever.

I get a book. Then press the flower firmly into the book. Then later I could place it in a diary. And write about this day. I knew I would never forget it.

Bonus Craft:

Everyone has old books lying around the house, so why not put them to use?

Materials:

• Flowers
• Heavy book
• Absorbent paper (parchment paper, coffee filters, thin cardboard)
•Weight (can just be more books)
Directions:

Step 1:

Begin by preparing your flower. Remove any unwanted leaves and lay flat on parchment paper.

Step 2:

Open the book and place absorbent paper on the book's pages. Large books like dictionaries and phone books work best for this because they are heavy and have many pages you can use. Make sure you choose a book that you don't mind getting damaged. There is a chance that the water from the flower may cause the book pages to wrinkle.

Step 3:

Position the blooms face down on parchment paper. Carefully close the book, making sure not to move the flowers.

Step 4:

Place more books or other weighty objects on top of the book. Keep in a place that is out of the way and not likely to be knocked into.

Step 5:

Let the flowers sit for 3-4 weeks. The longer you press the flowers, the less water will be left in them. Give them two to three weeks before removing from the book. If they don't have a papery feel, change out the parchment paper and let them sit for longer.

Once you've created your pressed flowers, you can put them on display!!

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Thanks for reading!

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нσρє уσυ αℓℓ єиʝσує∂ тнє cнαρтєя!
мσяє тσ cσмє!!
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