Disclaimer: I do not own Fever 1793, Laurie Anderson does.

Alternate ending-(I had to write an alternate ending for this story for school so I thought,"Why not put it on fanfiction?" So I did.)

November 8, 1793

"If death meant just leaving the stage long enough to change costume and come back as a new character… would you slow down? Or speed up?"

- Chuck Palahniuk (American Novelist), 1961

As the days slowly turned to weeks, I caught myself wondering if mother was ever coming back. Nathaniel kept his promise and came to the coffeehouse almost every day. Eliza told me to stop worrying about it, mother would come back, and everything would be alright in the world. Still, it did not keep my worrying thoughts away. Every day I would look at the coffeehouse's front door and wait for mother to suddenly walk in and order me to start doing my chores. She never did come. I slowly started to think the worst of probable events.

'What if she died on the way to the Ludington's?' 'No Mattie stop worrying!' I told myself. The yellow fever had taken so many it would be likely that it would have taken mother. Still, I pushed the thought away. Mother would have never let the Lord take her without a fight. She would never leave me to fend for myself. I had already figured out that I am not a little girl anymore. I can fend for myself.

I have been taking care of little Nell. That does sustain that I can take care of other people and support myself at the same time. I have to get myself to think victorious thoughts. Mother wouldn't want me to pester myself.

I think of all the things that have happened through this year. I thought of when the fever began, Mother getting the fever, and Grandfather dying. All of that taught me I had to grow up.

I woke up with Silas trying to catch a mouse. I turn over in my bed and look at the bed beside me. Mother would be down stairs fixing breakfast. I sighed and got up. 'Mattie, get over it she's not coming back', I told myself.

I got up from my bed and prepared for the day. After I was finished getting dressed, I pass Eliza's bedchamber. I heard a soft snore and saw the boys lying on their bed, hugging each other.-(JUST IMAGINE THE PRECIOUS CUTENESS!)

I slowly walked down the stairs. I imagined what today was going to be like. Will it be crowded in the evenings like every week? I laughed to myself. It would most likely be like that. Ever since the coffeehouse opened its doors once again, it had been crowded with people wanting to catch up with each other.

Maybe my life is supposed to be like this. Maybe mother is supposed to be gone. It is another way of learning to be on your own.

If I did lose mother, I also gained some people in my life. I gained Nell, Eliza, Eliza's nephews, Nathaniel, and a lot of other people too. Maybe I will be alright with them. I have people who love me in my life and that's all I need.

(Please review!)-( PRETTY PWEASE!*Little girl on floor begging.*)