Second Chance

LHOP inspired fiction by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

This story begins right before Mary finds out she is going blind. Her ex-fiancé, John Sanderson Jr. leaves his job in Chicago and returns to Walnut Grove to find out if Mary still has feelings for him.

Note 1: I used a scene or two from the show and some of the dialogue may seem familiar. It was partially taken from "I'll be Waving as You Drive Away."

Note 2: This story assumes that the Edwards family never left Walnut Grove. Whether or not the Garvey family also lives in Walnut Grove at the same time as the Edwards family is irrelevant to this storyline.

Part 1

The chug-a-chug of the train numbed his mind. How long had it been since he left Chicago? It seemed like a lifetime. John Jr. hadn't even written his parents to tell them he had left his job at The Tribune. The fast pace of city life had been exciting and exhilarating at first. But now John yearned for the slow and steady way of life in the prairie town he had called home.

John hoped his parents would understand his decision. Grace and Isaiah had been so wonderful to him since his mother's death. He hated to disappoint them, especially considering how proud they were of him – getting a college scholarship, landing his job at The Tribune and finally getting his own byline.

"Sleepy Eye Minnesota," the conductor yelled. "All off for Sleepy Eye Minnesota."

The announcement startled John. He grabbed his briefcase and bag and exited the back of the train. Such a long time had passed since he had last seen this platform – the day he went off to college.

The stagecoach driver took John's bag and strapped it down with the other passengers' luggage. They were soon on their way and John spent the ride filled with anxiety.

The driver stopped the stagecoach in front of the Walnut Grove Post Office. John hesitated before he stepped off the coach and took his bag from the driver. He headed out of town towards his parents' home. As he meandered towards Grace and Isaiah's farm, he wondered how much had changed at the Edwards' homestead. Passersby nodded to John, but he didn't know any of them. He smiled back and gave a quick wave.

When he came to the trail leading up to the Edwards' home, he stopped. He could see the farm from the top of the hill. John saw a boy and a girl tending to the animals. Could that actually be his brother and sister? His anxiety forgotten, John ran towards the house screaming, "Carl! Alicia! I'm home! I'm home!"

Carl and Alicia looked up to see their older brother running towards them. "Ma! Pa! Come quick!" Alicia shouted and then ran to catch up with Carl who was standing beside John Jr.

"Alicia, what's wrong?" Grace asked as she opened the door. Her mouth fell open when she saw her three children hugging.

Isaiah followed Grace out with his shotgun. "Isaiah," she said as he reached the porch. "Our son is home. Thank God, our son has come home."

Isaiah was too shocked and overjoyed to respond. He hobbled behind Grace to greet his oldest son.

The Edwards family enjoyed a wonderful homecoming. Dinner tasted especially good that night. John explained everything to his parents and was relieved when they supported his decision. They even offered to let him stay in his old room. Then John asked the question that had been on his mind since he boarded the train in Chicago. "How's Mary?"

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Charles Ingalls was tired. He had been up the entire night trying to find a way to tell Mary. As he stared into the creek, he prayed once again that the Lord would work a miracle. Mary came up to her father and sat alongside him.

"You look tired Pa."

"Don't worry about me Mary. I'm fine. How are your eyes?"

"Well, these new glasses seemed to work all right at first. But now I'm having trouble seeing again."

A tear fell down Charles' cheek. He looked up at his daughter. Mary knew something was wrong. "Pa what's bothering you? You've been quiet ever since we got back from the doctor. My eyes, they're going to get better, won't they?"

"You see … it was the scarlet fever. It … it weakened the muscles in your eyes." Charles sniffled as he tried to hold back his tears.

"But I'm going to get better, right Pa?"

"No darlin. The doctor thinks it's going to get worse. He thinks … he thinks … you're eventually going to lose your sight."

The tears fell down Mary's face as she stared at her father. "I'm going to be blind. I'm going to be blind!"

Charles reached out to his daughter. She pulled away and stood up. "No, the doctor's wrong! He's wrong!" Mary ran up into the pasture, leaving her father at the creek to cry alone.

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Isaiah and Grace glanced at each other when John asked about Mary. Carl and Alicia asked to be excused to go finish their chores. Grace got up and went to sit in the chair next to John. She put her hands on his shoulders and squeezed him hard.

"John," Grace began. "Mary has been having some trouble with her eyes lately. We all thought it was eye strain. She's been studying so hard to become a teacher."

"Did she get some new glasses or something?"

"Yes she did but …" Grace paused. "John … Mary is going blind."

John shot out of his chair with such force that the chair toppled onto the floor. He began to pace, holding his head in his right hand.

"This could ruin everything. My plans … No, this can't be!"

"What are you talking about John? What plans?"

John turned towards his mother. He looked at his father who was still sitting in silence at the head of the table.

"I wanted to wait until I was sure how things were going to turn out," John explained. "The main reason I came back to Walnut Grove was to see if Mary still had feelings for me."

"After all this time?" Grace asked. "Even after what happened in Chicago?"

"I was a fool in Chicago. I realized that night how much I still cared for Mary. I didn't think she could ever forgive me… so I tried to forget her. But I couldn't. I finally decided to move home, concentrate on my poetry and see if Mary still loved me."

"That lass sure had a thing for you," Isaiah interrupted.

"Isaiah!" Grace admonished.

"Well she did," Isaiah said in his defense.

"A lot has happened since then."

"That's true," Isaiah admitted. "Mary has had a swarm of beaus buzzing around her since you called off the engagement. Seth is the latest one."

"I don't remember a Seth," John said.

"Seth and his father are new in town," Grace explained. "Mary and he are quite serious. Caroline and I were talking about it just the other day."

"Talk, talk, talk is all you women do," Isaiah teased.

"How serious?" John asked. "Has Seth asked Mr. Ingalls for her hand?"

"I don't think so. I'm sure Caroline would have mentioned it."

"Then I have to go talk to Mary tonight. Pa can I borrow the rig?"

"Yup, but ya better hurry. It'll be dark soon."

John started for the door. "Uh, John…"

"Yes Pa?"

"I hope it all works out. I always wanted to see you two git hitched."

"Thanks Pa." John slammed the door on his way out.

"Isaiah, you shouldn't encourage him," Grace said with worry in her voice.

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Suppertime at the Ingalls place was not its usual flurry of activity. It was a silent affair. The silence more pronounced by the absence of Mary who had gone to bed early. A knock at the door pierced the silence like a pin puncturing a balloon. Pa got up and opened the door. A smile came to his face when he saw the visitor. He extended his right hand and said, "John, what a surprise. I didn't know you were visiting your folks."

"Hello Mr. Ingalls. It's more than a visit. I'm home to stay."

"Isaiah must be happy."

"Yes, he and Grace are excited and surprised too. I hadn't written them to tell them I was coming home."

"Well come in John. The family has grown a little since the last time you were here, but Caroline and Laura will be happy to see you."

"Thank you, Mr. Ingalls." As John entered the house Laura and Ma ran over to embrace him. After a few moments of small talk, John worked up the courage to ask if Mary was home.

"She's upstairs," Ma said. "She hasn't been feeling well so she went to bed early."

"Grace told me what the doctor said. Is there any chance he could be wrong?"

"I keep praying for a miracle, but it's in the Lord's hands," Pa answered.

"Mr. Ingalls, could I talk to you outside for a moment?"

"Sure son." Charles reached to get his pipe and a match from the mantle and walked outside with John Jr. to the barnyard fence. Mary, who was still awake in the loft, got out of bed and kneeled beside the window. She opened the shutters and tried to make out their faces.

"Mr. Ingalls, I know the last time we spoke it ended badly…"

"Yes it did."

"But I'm encouraged by the warm welcome I received tonight. You see, the real reason I came home was to… to see if Mary might still have feelings for me."

"I see," Charles responded through clenched teeth, the smoke from his pipe filling the night air.

"I know this problem with her eyes might complicate things, but it doesn't change the fact that I love her."

"Son, I would like to believe that. But you came to me once and asked for her hand. I happily gave it and I trusted you when you said that you loved her. Mary stayed behind while you went after your dream of becoming a writer; a dream that took you all the way to Chicago. And while you were away things changed, you changed. I took Mary to Chicago to see you and she came back hurt because you said you didn't feel the same way anymore. How do I know that won't happen again?"

"I won't make excuses for what I did. But I can tell you that I broke it off with the young woman I was seeing right after the ball that night. I've been faithful to Mary ever since. I just didn't have the courage to come home and tell her until now."

"Mary is a young woman now. The decision is hers to make. But I will always be her father, and if she gets hurt again I'll be very disappointed in you."

"I understand sir. Thank you, Mr. Ingalls."

"It's late. Mary is probably sleeping. Why don't you come back tomorrow morning and talk to her."

"I will. Thanks again Mr. Ingalls."

Charles watched as John drove away. He wondered what Mary would say.

The shutters in the upstairs bedroom closed. Mary tried to imagine what the two men were talking about. When she heard footsteps coming up the ladder, she raced back into bed and pretended to be asleep. The last thing she needed was for Laura to pester her with questions.

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