Part 1

Nan paced back and forth, wringing her hands nervously.  "Oh!" she cried out in frustration, smacking her thigh.  Ever since that telegram had arrived, her life had been turned upside down and twisted crazily out of control.  The sinking feeling in her stomach that she had fought so long to get rid of had returned, leaving her edgy, frustrated and snappy at everyone and everything.
     What should I do? she wondered again, still troubled and confused.  So much so that she wanted to cry.
      Sinking wearily into the desk chair, Nan let her arm fall over the back as she absentmindedly read the telegram again.

     Dearest Nan,
     I fear this letter does not carry good news. A few weeks ago he fell ill with a simple catarrh, but I'm afraid his condition has worsened a considerable amount since that time. He is not expected to live through the end of this month. Oh Nan, please come… He needs you so.
      With all my love,
     Mrs. Jo

     Fighting tears, she crushed the paper in her palm.  No matter how hard she tried, the muddled thoughts in her head would not clear.  She would jump at the chance to see everyone at Plumfield again.  That alone was enough to make up her mind.  But something . . . something stood in her way.
     Would he even want to see me?
     He had expressed with clarity that he never cared to see her again.  Could she dare to hope that his mind had changed?  What . . . what if she went . . . and he hadn't?
      "All right, then. Go to school in Maryland and work with Doctor Moore.  I don't care.  Don't come back.  Do you understand?  I don't care to ever see you again after this day."  He had then slammed his fist on the mantle, sending one porcelain figure crashing to the floor.  While it splintered into a million little pieces, he had disappeared from the room, not to be seen again by anyone before her departure.
     "If you were only here, Mrs. Jo," Nan murmured, her heart filling with anguish as the harsh words rang painfully through her head.  "I'll wait . . . surely he'll get better and I won't need to go."
     If only it were that easy.

     "Do you suppose she received the telegram?  What if it didn't get there?" Jo queried anxiously, pacing back and forth, barely balancing the mug of coffee in her hands.
     With his elbows, Nick leaned on the kitchen table and sighed, watching rather wearily as she paced back and forth.  "Jo, there ain't no reason why the telegram wouldn't 'ave gotten to her. There's no reason for ya to fret like a lil' mother hen."
     "But it's not that easy!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation.  "You make it sound so simple.  Don't you ever worry about things like this?"  Jo's gaze met Nick's and he seemed to ponder her question for moment.
     "Well," he hesitated. "Yeah . . . yeah, I guess ya could say thet I do."
     Jo arched her brows, smiling with amusement. Mischief gleamed in her eyes.  "So there you go.  You should know how I feel," she pointed out, her voice laced with a touch of smugness.
     "I do' do it very often, though," Nick quickly assured her, straightening in his chair.  "So don't ya forget thet," he pointed a finger at her.
     "You just have to keep on that tough front, don't you?!"  She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, heaving a sigh of pretended annoyance.
     Nick shrugged nonchalantly.  "Well—" he started.  He would have chuckled, but Jo shot him a "don't-you-dare" look, so he refrained.
     Licking her lips, Jo started pacing again, despite Nick's playful teasing and protests.
     "Oh Nick, what if it didn't get there?  What if she doesn't find out in time?"  Her eyes were troubled as she regarded him again.
     Nick slumped down in his chair and groaned, dropping his head back.
     "I do hope it got there…" she continued worriedly.
     Nick sighed.  Jo would not get a wink of sleep until she knew that Nan was standing on the doorstep—that much he knew.

     "No!"  Nan jerked up in her bed, staring blankly around her primitive room.  Her heart thundered wildly.  Swallowing, she found little relief that it had only been a dream. Small beads of perspiration had formed on her forehead and were dripping down her temple.
     "I-I can't do this," she decided, trembling uncontrollably.  "I just can't," Nan hugged herself tightly.  "I-if I don't go, it'll haunt me for the rest of my life and I'll never be at peace."
     Shivering from the coldness of the room, she threw back the heavy quilts on her bed and carefully felt her way to the writing desk on the opposite wall. After searching and finally finding a small piece paper and a pen, Nan scribbled down a few sentences, not bothering with how her handwriting looked.
     "There," she declared a bit confidently, folding it up.  "It's final.  I'm coming and if he . . . if he doesn't want to see me, t-than . . . t-than fine."

     "Asia!!"  The housekeeper heard the yell coming from the front hallway.  But before she could do anything about it, Jo ran into the kitchen, waving a folded piece of paper through the air.
     "She's coming!  Nan's coming!"  Her lips curved into a broad smile and a flush of excitement filled her cheeks.  "Isn't it wonderful?  She's leaving Maryland the day after Thanksgiving and will be here on the twenty-sixth," Jo announced, spilling out all the details.
     "Slow down, Jo.  You're talkin' faster than a fox can run and squealing like a girl waiting for her first beau to come an' take her for a ride.  Is she goin' to stay for Christmas?" Asia chuckled lightly at Jo's enthusiasm, leaning in closer to read the telegram.
     "I would hope so, but she didn't say.  I'm sure it all depends on . . . "  Jo hesitated, letting her sentence fall.  She wasn't quite sure how to finish it.  "I'm sure it all depends on her schedule with Dr. Moore," she hurried to explain.
     Asia puckered her brows in thought.  "Yes, I do suppose it all depends on . . . her schedule," she agreed.
     "What's gotten ya two ladies talkin' at a hunered miles an hour?" Nick asked jovially, dropping his load into the woodbin.  "Must be somethin' pretty interestin', seeing as neither of ya can hardly stop ta take a breath."
     Neither Jo, nor Asia seemed to notice his entrance, because neither paused from the seemingly intense conversation they were having.
     "Hello?"  He cleared his throat.  "Uh, l-ladies?"
     Jo half turned to him.  "Oh uh, h-hi Nick."
     Crossing his arms, Nick watched them with amusement.  "I think I'll just catch y'all later," he excused himself, holding his hand up.  Unfinished chores were awaiting him in the barn, as well as kids needing instruction, and as long as he was going to be 'ignored', there was no use in standing there.
     "I'm sure she'll want to stay in her old room with Bess, so we don't have to bother with the guestroom," Jo said, looking at the telegram again.
     "Well, seein' how much Bess has missed her, I don't really think that Nan has a choice either way.  If we put her in the guestroom, Bess is liable to come and kidnap her during the night."  Both chuckled at the comment.
     "So, we'll need to change the sheets, beat the rug, dust and . . . "  The list seemed to continue on and on.
     Nick, who had turned to leave, stopped.  Nan?  He took his hat off.  "What's this 'bout Nan thet I'm hearin'?"
     Jo and Asia both looked up.  "N-Nick.  I didn't see you come in.  I thought you were still out chopping wood."
     Resting his palms on the table, he laughed out loud, throwing his head back.  Hah!  Thet's women for ya, he mused dryly.
     "No, I ain't out choppin' wood anymore."
     "Yes, I see that . . . " she responded slowly.  "Nan's coming back for a visit.  Isn't that wonderful?" Her eyes twinkled with returned excitement.
     "Guess yer telegram got there all right," he muttered quietly, crossing his arms again.
     "What was that, Nick?" Jo questioned, smiling at him.
     Nick straightened.  "Oh, me?  Awe, it was . . . nothin'."  He shrugged, nodding his head.  "So she's really comin' back for a visit? It's 'bout ti-"
     "Asia, you should make that special ham.  The one we used to have on her birthday . . . " Jo started again, now facing Asia.  She obviously hadn't heard Nick start to speak.
     Rubbing his jaw, Nick sighed.  "I give up."  Placing his hat back on his head, he strode from the kitchen.

     Nan gripped her carpetbag tightly, as though it would relieve the fluttering in her stomach.  With a small urge of panic, she reached down to make sure the small handbag was still hanging from her wrist.  Finding it was, she swallowed nervously and settled back, trying to make herself relax.
     However, that was short lived when the train lurched to a start.  Nan clenched the folds of her green traveling suit tightly, her teeth chattering—half from being cold and half from being nervous.
     Just calm down, Nan.  She rubbed her gloved hands together, trying to calm herself.  But what if…?  The thought of actually seeing him terrified her.
     "Stop it!" Nan quipped abruptly, chastising herself for worrying so much.  Passengers from across the aisle cast strange looks in her direction, but she didn't notice it. Too many other things were whirling inside of her head right then.
     Digging her nails into her palm, she watched blankly out the window, watching as the scenery sped by in a blur.  Stop worryin' yourself about somethin' that hasn't happened yet.

     Jo secured her hat and gazed at her figure in the mirror before pulling on her heavy wool coat.  "Perfect."
     "Mrs. Jo, are ya comin'?!" Tommy yelled loudly from the stairs, obviously growing impatient.
     Smiling slightly, she hurried to the door and closed it behind her before answering.  "I'm coming!"  Jo trotted down the stairs and entered the parlor where anxious faces were waiting for her.
     "Come on, Mother," Rob urged, taking her hand.  "We don't want to be late.  Nan will be all by herself at the train depot if we don't hurry."
     She grinned, pulling on her gloves. "Late?  Her train doesn't come in for another hour, so we have nothing to worry about," she assured them.  "Don't worry."
     But no one was listening. They were on their way out the door, some already climbing into the wagon.
     "Well, shall we go?"  Jo looked up, expecting to meet eager nods.
     The room was empty.

     "Concord, Massachusetts!  Last stop, ladies and gentleman.  Concord, Massachusetts!" The conductor bellowed loudly as he roamed the aisles, informing his passengers of the present stop.
     Nan jumped up, knocking her head on the overhead compartment.  "Ouch," she muttered, rubbing her head.  Collecting her few things, she slowly walked down the aisle, inching along with the small line of passengers that had already formed.  Taking a deep breath, Nan prepared herself—for what, she wasn't exactly sure.
     "Well, I'm home," she announced to no one in particular.  "I know this is the right thing to do. . . . But why doesn't it feel right?"

     "She just has to be here!  I know that telegram said this train at this time," Jo paced, wringing her hands as she gazed anxiously up and down the tracks.
     "Jo," Nick took hold of her shoulders, and pulled her around to face him.  "The train just pulled in.  No one has gotten off yet so don't start causin' undue stress on yerself."  His gaze was stern, and she quieted momentarily.
     "What if she decided not to come or she couldn't leave at the last minute?  What if something happened to her  . . . or . . . ?"  She looked at Nick doubtfully, fearing the worst.
     "Now Jo, don't go worryin' yourself.  Like Nick said, not one person has stepped off this train yet, and until they do, we can't go decidin' whether Nan is or isn't on it."  Asia stood straight, trying to look over the heads and shoulders of the growing crowd.  A few passengers stepped down, but none looked familiar.
     "Look, here come a few of the passengers, and none of them have been greeted yet.  Maybe one of them is—"  Asia's sentence fell as her gaze rested on a young woman, searching around the station.  "Jo," she tugged on the other woman's sleeve.  "Jo."  This time more insistently.  "Look." Asia's lips curved into a smile.  "It's our Nan.  She's really home."

     With a deep breath, Nan slowly stepped down from the train, holding tightly to railing in order to steady herself.  Biting her lips nervously, she let her gaze travel around, searching for familiar faces.
     "Mrs. Jo, Asia!" she shrieked suddenly, dropping her bags.  Practically stumbling, she grasped a hold on her long skirts and ran.
     "I've missed you all so much.  I can't believe that I'm actually here.  I'm actually home!"  Nan grinned excitedly, hugging them both.  For a moment, her apprehension was completely forgotten.
     "We're so happy to have you home," Jo assured her quietly, embracing Nan warmly.
     "Why don't ya let us all get a good look at 'er instead of just hoggin' 'er all to yerself?" Nick interrupted, gently pushing his way forward.
     "Nick!" Nan smiled, reaching to hug him tightly.
     "'Bout time ya got home fer a visit.  We need someone to show these boys," he nudged Dan with his elbow, "that yer cannonball is still the biggest in Plumfield's history."
     Dan shifted, pretending to ignore the comment.  Nan's eyes twinkled.  "Is the biggest and will always be the biggest," she grinned again.
     "Shall we get on home?" Jo asked after a few more minutes, gently nudging them on their way.
     As they gathered her bags and headed for the wagon, Nan felt a warm feeling spread through her middle.  This was home.

Part 2

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