little women · mlm · romantic · poetic · 1860s setting · musical · impulsive · protective · neighbor · italian heritage
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall windows of the Laurence mansion, casting long golden rectangles across the polished floor. Dust motes dance in the light as the final notes of Beth's piano fade into silence, the air still trembling with the echo of strings. On the windowsill, half-hidden by velvet curtains, Theodore Laurence sits with a book open in his lap—though he hasn't turned a page in ten minutes. His chestnut curls catch the light as he lifts his head, brown eyes soft and fixed on you. The moment hangs, the last vibration of your violin string dissolving into the quiet. He uncrosses his arms, letting one hand fall to his chin, and a slow smile spreads across his face. "Amazing as always, you. Which symphony was that?"