Everyone in the house woke up bright and early to start their day of work and school, Jo, Meg, and I had dark circles under our eyes from the night before...

Marmee? Marmee? Marmee! Have you seen my rubber overshoes? " Amy yelled from the top of the stairs, Jo and I were sitting on a bench next to the staircase while listening to all of the morning chaos. 

Jo rolled her eyes at Amy's yelling and I leaned on her shoulder. "I swear if she doesn't stop screeching, I will strangle her. " Jo huffed.

I giggled, "No you won't, you're working on your temper remember? " 

"Oh my darling Eliza, what would I do without you? " Jo said with a silly grin

 "You would probably go on a murderous rampage and terrorize the town. " We laughed and she held my hand while I ate a turnover that Hannah had made that morning.

"If you don't put them away, don't expect them to stay put. " Marmee said while holding a tray of tea. 

"I can't find my slate, either! Beth, have you seen my slate? It has a sum on it. I need to take it to school today. " Amy said loudly.

I stood up and walked to the kitchen so I could make Amy's lunch. "I have a headache, Amy. " Beth softly said as she stroked one of the kittens. 

"All girls get headaches, Beth. We just have to bear them as best as we can. " Marmee said as she walked across the room, I quickly made a ham sandwich, grabbed an apple, and placed some dried raisins into some cloth bags. A small jug of milk and the cloth bags were placed in one larger cloth bag. 

"Here, make sure to eat it all, ok? " I asked as I handed Amy the bag. 

"I will! Thank you, Eliza! " She kissed my cheek as she took the bag.

An idea popped into my head, I went to the kitchen, poured some water into a kettle, and waited for it to get hot. I then began to take ingredients out for some cookies, I know it's a little early for sweets but everyone seemed a little tense."A good cookie will soothe the soul. ", this was something my mother used to say when there was a chaotic or bad day.

"I have a headache, too, Marmee as well as my ankle smarting. Can I take some belladonna? " Meg asked as she walked into the living room with a slight limp. 

"No. Wrap a shawl around your head. The walk to work will cure it. " Marmee answered as she sat at the desk. 

The kettle started to steam so I took it off of the stove and began to mix the dry ingredients. Hannah walked through the side door with a letter in hand. "Letter for the mistress. I don't know who it's from, but it has Mr. Laurence's cipher on the envelope. And are youse young ladies ever going to take these hot turnovers I've been fretting about since sun-up or are you not?" Hannah griped as she handed Marmee the letter and turned to talk to us. 

I washed my hands and placed a few of the turnovers on a plate. I began to hand them out as my sisters began to leave. 

"The others most certainly are, Hannah. And they are going to take them out of the house within the next five minutes! Get to school and get to work! " Marmee called out.

I smiled as I thought about the recipe I was using, it was my mother's, the secret is to use melted butter instead of normal butter and to use chocolate chunks. I even used the special chocolate that I had bought with my rag money, this was special chocolate because it was imported from Mexico!

Once I had placed the cookies into the oven, I poured the hot water into a small bowl, retrieved a cloth, placed it into the water, and walked over to where Beth was lying down. I set the bowl down on the side table and rang out the cloth that was now warm. "Here," I said as I folded the cloth and placed it on Beth's forehead. "This should help, now close your eyes and rest for a while. " I softly said with a smile, Beth held my hand and I bent down to whisper in her ear, "I'll wake you when the cookies are ready. " Beth smiled and nodded as she closed her eyes.

After about twenty minutes, you could smell the cookies throughout the house. I checked the time, set my knitting work down, and took the cookies out of the oven. They were a perfect golden brown color and smelled like heaven... After I cleaned up the kitchen, Marmee walked into the room. "It's nearly ten in the morning, Eliza. What are you doing making sweets this early? " She asked with her hands on her hips.

"Things were somewhat chaotic this morning so I decided that a well-made cookie should calm things down. I made two dozen so it should last us a couple of days too. " 

Marmee smiled, picked up a cookie, and said, "You and Father are the peacemakers in this house. " She took a bite of the cookie and grinned. "You are most definitely the baker in the family too. " She said as she took another bite, I smiled, got a cloth to put into a basket, picked the cookies up one by one, and placed them into the basket to keep them fresh. Marmee went back to her desk and Beth walked in. 

She smiled as she took a cookie that I hadn't placed in the basket yet, she took a bite and said, "Oh, Eliza! These are delicious! " 

I winked, "It soothes the soul, and I told you I would wake you. " She smiled as she took another one and sat down on the sofa, "I know, I woke up from the smell and I couldn't wait! "

Around four hours later, Marmee and Beth were kneading some bread dough to make some more loaves while I was knitting the mittens for the depot.

"Do you want to talk about your invitation from Mr. Laurence? " Marmee asked, Beth shook her head and I quietly sighed. 

Beth has severe social anxiety and she avoids any interaction with people she doesn't know... Ever since she was a little girl when I met her, she has been a quiet homebody, and that's ok as long as she talks to others. I gently encourage her to have interactions with others and try to be there for her when I can...

"Oh, Beth. It's a simple invitation to go to his house to play on a beautiful concert grand piano. " Marmee said as she looked at Beth and kneaded the dough. Beth's eyebrows scrunched at the thought, Marmee sighed, "Beth, dear. We agreed that you need not go to school because it troubled your spirits, and we agreed that you could help to run the house rather than waste your days. But if you don't engage with the world, all you'll be running is your own prison. " 

Beth looked troubled and stopped kneading. "I'm not doing what Father asked, am I? I'm not fighting my bosom enemies bravely. "

"No... And you have to try. " Marmee softly answered.

"But you don't have to go through it alone, we're all here for you. I can walk with you to the door but I suggest you go inside on your own... " I added. Beth looked at me and nodded in agreement. She and Marmee went back to their kneading as I continued with my knitting...

Later that day I had been sitting outside for a few minutes minutes when Amy and Beth came running out of the house. They were laughing loudly and began throwing snowballs at each other. I smiled and decided to join in by throwing a snowball at Amy. I saw a figure hop over the fence, it was Laurie running towards us with a snowball in hand. I hid behind a tree and peeked out from the side of it to see Laurie throw a snowball at Amy's neck and she gasped loudly. 

"You are a savage, Laurie Laurence! A real savage! " Amy yelled as she ran away. I threw a snowball at Laurie and it hit his shoulder, he scoffed and threw one back at me but I ducked behind a tree. 

"No! No! Mercy! " I cried as more snowballs flew my way. 

"Amy! Amy! Stop screaming like that! " Meg yelled and laughed from the back porch. 

"That's right! Do as your sister says! " Laurie said to Amy, she ran after him only to fall in the snow. Beth and I continued to throw snowballs at each other while Meg laughed at everyone. 

"Not so fast! Leave this to me, Amy! " Jo yelled as she ran from the front yard towards us. She threw the snowball at Laurie and said, "I'll beat you, Laurie Laurence! " 

I laughed as I threw a snowball at his back. 

"I don't think so, Jo March! " Laurie said in response, Amy and Beth lay in the snow as Jo and I ran off with Laurie trailing behind us. Jo tripped over her dress and I kneeled next to her. 

"No! Jo, you're my right-hand man! You can't perish! " I tried to pull her up as she played limp in my arms, we giggled as Laurie kneeled next to us while laughing.

Laurie, Jo, and I were in the attic conversing with one another. I was finishing up my last pair of mittens while Jo was writing her book that she's been working on for a while. Laurie was petting little Oliver while he slept on his lap, I smiled at how gentle he was with him...

"So, Dora, what do you do for fun? " I asked with a smirk. 

He groaned, "I can't have you calling me that too! " 

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist... " 

He looked out the window and said, "Well, I enjoy chess and theater shows. I find both of them quite entertaining. " I nodded and he asked, "What about you? " 

"Well, I love to knit, bake, and garden when the weather is nice... I've never been to a theater before, what is it like? " I asked.

His eyes widened and said with a smirk, "Oh it's a comedy or theatrical show. I can't explain it well enough to do it justice, so I suppose I'll have to take you to one! " 

I gasped, "Laurie, how kind of you! But I would feel bad if Jo and Meg didn't come with us, they both love theater shows. " 

His eyebrows ever so slightly raised in an almost disappointed manner and he said, "They can come too, the more the merrier! " Laurie moved himself to the floor in front of me and asked, "Do you want to go to the theater, Jo? " 

She looked over her shoulder and plainly said, "I'm writing. " 

I quietly giggled and Laurie scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't mean today. I just meant... " He began to say before Jo, shushed him. Laurie had a defeated look on his face as he continued to pet Oliver, he then shook his head and smiled. "It's a regular castle in the air up here. " 

"A castle in the air is a place you go to dream, Laurie Laurence. This garret is a chamber of industry... Page one-hundred and fifty-six. " Jo corrected as she finished one paper and continued to work on another one. Laurie and I exchanged looks, and then I turned to face Jo and said with a smile. 

"Jo, you are extremely dedicated to your book... " Jo looked at me and smiled.

"Thank you, It seems like you're the only one here who appreciates my work. " 

Laurie scoffed loudly and said, "I appreciate your work, you've just never let me read it before! " 

"Oh, she's like that with any of her writing, it must be completed and edited before anyone can see it. " I remarked.

"I don't know how you peg away the way you do. Never wasting an hour, never letting one moment go cold. Brooke called me a lazy dog yesterday, and I'm afraid I am. " Laurie said with a sigh as he looked down at the kitten that rested in his lap. 

"Marmee says it's about finding a motive, a reason to get up and apply yourself. " Jo said as she turned around in her chair. 

"Exactly... Once my mother died I felt as though I had nothing left.  I wasted day after day hiding away in our room, I didn't leave until Marmee walked in the door and told me exactly what Jo just said. " 

Laurie looked at me and placed his hand on my boot that was right next to him, he gave me an understanding look. "She's possibly- probably- absolutely right. " Laurie said with a breathy chuckle. "I just, I don't know what that motive is. Or ever will be. Grandfather wants me to be an India merchant after college, just like he was. And I'd rather be shot. " He continued with a grimace. 

"Respectfully, your grandfather seems to be a great man but if that's not what you don't want to do with your life, then find another aspiration. Live for you, not him. " I said while finishing one of the fingers for the mittens. Laurie looked up at me and smiled, I returned one to him. 

"If I were a boy, and if I were you, I would get on one of those old ships and sail away and never come back until I'd tried my own way. " Jo said with a wondrous smile. 

Laurie stood up, handed Oliver to me, and said, "We should go together, all three of us. " He looked between Jo and I.

"That sounds fun! " I said with a smile as I set Oliver down on the empty seat of the couch. 

"All right. As long as you show me London and Paris and Italy along the way. " Jo said as she looked up at him.

 "Oh! We should buy a camera and take pictures of our adventures!" I added with excitement. 

"Shake on it and go pack your trunk. " Laurie said as he held his hand out to Jo. 

"After I've finished this chapter. Castles in the air need keys, and sometimes I dare to think that this is mine. " Jo said playfully as she continued to write while Laurie rolled his eyes. 

He walked over to me and held his hand out with another one of his warm smiles, "What about you, Eliza? " 

I smiled and shook his hand, "I'd love to, as long as Oliver can come! " 

Laurie laughed and picked up Oliver and held him up so he could get a good look at him, "Of course he can come! Oliver the traveling cat! " We laughed and Jo smirked.