Being alone for the first time, really alone, was an experience that Friedrich Bhaer feared and longed for at the same time. Jo, his Josephine, had suffered with courage the party had followed the ceremony and Fritz loved her for it. At the end of the day, Jo, with a withered wreath and a veil dropped on her shoulder as still playing with the Meg's twins and Franz and Emil, as if she were a radiant bride, but a girl escaped from the stick of an strict teacher, one thing that made the heart of the old Alsatian was filled with joy.

Franz and Emil insisted that her aunt to accompany them to bed, although both were now too old for this. Friedrich tried to see it as a sign of how well the boys accepted her as part of his family and went to his room, his mind on the meaning of this little pantomime. The house was small, had only two rooms, a tiny kitchen and a small common room and, in deference to his new status as a married man, Professor Bhaer had claimed the large room to share with his beloved Jo.

With a sigh, he was freed up of his new jacket, whose weight was too much for that body accustomed to using old clothes. His fingers that recognized the new cloth, a small expense, made to honor the woman who would now be the partner of his life. with reverence, hung the garment on his perch and began to undo the buttons of his waistcoat. Jo entered the room laughing like a child and came to him almost dancing; with soft hands, she helped him to get rid of the garment.

"The couple of imps have given you a good time," Fritz said watching how she brush the brush on the garment before hanging it.

"You know how glad I am to deal with the little people," Jo answered their hands full of loose the ribbons of her petticoat. "But I think if I laugh so much is because I could finally take off these instruments of torture!"

"Was it necessary, Jo?" Fritz asked the help with those yards and yards of fabric dyed with aniline, "It was not really necessary to do battle with the fashion for the occasion."

"Amy and Meg insisted so much...!" Jo sighed theatrically as the heavy cloth was removed from her shoulders. "Furthermore, it does not hurt to have a remembrance of me dressed as a woman."

"And such a woman you are!" Fritz replied, holding the clothes until she decided to take them on.

Under her heavy gown, Jo wore a dress of light purple, pressed against her body by the corset and a crinolette. It was the first time he saw her so scantily clad, but more surprising was that she seemed comfortable with his presence. The crinolette was quickly discarded and thrown into a corner.

"Yes, a martyr of fashion..." she growled trying to reach the corset laces tied tightly behind her back.

Smiling, Fritz put the bulky clothing on the bed before being bold and pull the knot that held the laces. Jo let out a sigh that contained all the relief she felt.

"O, Friedrich," Jo said opening the tight piece. "God bless you!"

"May He bless you too" said Professor Bhaer seeing Jo wearing only that light purple dress. "I prefer you simply dressed, and honestly, I would prefer other demonstrations of your ever-growing storge."

"If you're to use words I never heard, professor, you better tell me what they mean." Jo passed him, heading toward the table where the previous evening she had placed their personal effects.

Friedrich sat next to her adopting the tone professor who always came to his mouth every time that Aristotle was to be named. For an hour and half, he spoke about family duty and natural affection, while, absently, he helped Jo to get rid of the myriad of pins that held her hair up. Josephine, brushing her mane of brown hair , frequently interrupted his speech asking him to explain and clarify the concept. She was savvy, this Jo...

"So we agree that the ultimate purpose of the institution of marriage is to promote the storge in the form of cherishing one's kindred, especially parents or children..." Jo tried to summarize, crossing the leg on her knee and starting to unbutton those new uppers that hurt her feet as if they were Spanish boots.

"In principle, yes, but it is also possible that the storge is needed to start the ritual properly," the professor said taking the shoes and placing them next to the furniture. Automatically, his hand took the foot wrapped in a soft hose and began to massage it. "Storgic lovers are friends first, and the friendship became in the much necessary agápe..."

Jo let him massage her feet, she was more interested in his words than his actions, as the agape was a concept so new that she earnestly wanted to understand it. This thirst for knowledge spurred the master within Friedrich, and within minutes, they were hotly debating whether which of those, unconditional love or friendship between the parties, was more important for marriage.

The cockcrow found them sitting in the same place, trying to determine if the philia was important between spouses and if eros had to be regarded as the only aim, not the carnal pleasures, but by being a means by which the human being could hope to improve the beauty of the soul.

"What a husband I am!" Fritz complained when the light of dawn began to filter through the curtains. "I have been inconsiderate for not let you sleep, and I was not gentleman enough to fulfill my duties..."

Jo laughed generously before supporting her weight on his shoulders, sharing an intimate embrace in which they were equal parts of agápe, storge, philia and eros.

"You're the best of husbands!" she reassured him, still laughing.

"Ah, heaven, thou gifest me such happiness!" Friedrich exclaimed with a mocking formal tone, trying not to catch her laugh. "But still I would like to know your arguments in favor of it."

"Any vulgar husband can fulfill his 'duties' the first night," she said, snuggling against him. "but you decided to be my equal and listen me. Friedrich, I am very fortunate!"

Friedrich Baher closed his arms around his Josephine. She was right, concupiscence could wait for another day.