Well, earlier today I blew the dust off my old audio book, tapes with Anne of Green Gables. And listening to it for the first time in years, I had a small, little idea for just a oneshot and I decided to go with it and write.
I recently found out about a prequel novel written in 2008 and called before green gables… Oh well. I'm ignoring that right now, because I really want to write this.
"Isn't she the most beautiful you have ever seen?"
It was evening and only a few hours after my and my beloved Walter's daughter had been born after hours of Mrs. Thomas yelling at me to push Bertha, push, I, being dripping with sweat and Walter by me not seeming to know what to do- he probably didn't.
And now finally it was only us, I, Walter and… and… Yeah, who was she actually?
I looked up towards the evening sun going down and for the moment being didn't care. She was my- our daughter and what was there in our name?
"Mhm."
Where Walter sat right next to me in the doorway to the porch he was half asleep, I had been the one pushing out a freaking child of my own body only hours ago. But still. I'd never felt more alert and awake.
"Oh, yes." He said and lifted his head from it leaned against the doorway and looked down on the daughter, wrapped in a blanket in my arms. "She's beautiful."
We suddenly heard someone clear her throat and I and Walter looked up to see Mrs. Thomas coming up our driveway.
"Can I see the little one?" She asked and came closer without waiting for an answer. "You should be inside without sitting here wrapped up in only blankets. Go inside, it's only March fifth, it's way too cold to be outside now."
"We've collected every single warm blanket we own." I answered her and didn't move an inch. "And it's only for a little while, we just wanted to get some fresh air." Mrs. Thomas leaned in closer with a very slight, for her very rare smile on her lips and I stroke the warm, pink blanket away from my daughter's face, giving another big smile at the sight. "Isn't she beautiful?"
"She's the ugliest baby I've ever seen!"
Well, it was just like Mrs. Thomas to say right out what she thought…
"Can you remove the blanket a bit so I can see more?" I removed it as much as I dared to in the cold, but sunny evening. "She's so skinny, where's the fat that a healthy baby has? I knew it would show on her how poor you two are, you couldn't even eat enough to make right for her? Babies are supposed to have round and red- flushing cheeks but she's just skinny and pale and eyes… Such an ugly baby."
"Really?" I couldn't even care to get angry and even less waste energy on it. "I think she's beautiful." She moved a bit in my arms but didn't wake up and only hummed for a bit before she was still again. "Oh yes, mummy. That's the way to say mummy."
"No. She definitely tried to say daddy." Walter protested with a slight smirk. "Let's hear it again- daddy."
Mrs. Thomas rolled her eyes at us and looked as if she wanted to run as far away as possible but still and only watched as I and Walter sat close together (now he was awake and had moved from the door frame) and looked down on what was the most beautiful to me.
"What's her name?"
"I don't know Mrs. Thomas." I had forgotten that question slightly for the moment. "What do you say Walter?"
"I don't know… I like… Oh… I like Cordelia."
"Cordelia, that's a beautiful name." I looked down on my baby. "But no… It's not her… It's like it's too big, too heavy for this one little, scrawny human to carry. I'm not saying we need something simpler. I'm sorry Walter."
"Don't say you're sorry. I want you to think the name is perfect too. And now you say it…"
Walter sighed and I couldn't help but do the same, suddenly I had a weird feeling in my stomach.
It's okay Bertha. I said to myself. She is not going to be one to grow up as "the girl" or "your daughter". You will find the perfect name.
Then, for just a second the little girl opened her grey- green eyes and I waited for just a moment for the feeling that the name would just come to me.
"Ann."
I barely knew what I had said until I heard myself saying it, and when little one closed her eyes again the feeling was gone…
"Ann?" Walter asked. I couldn't even answer because I didn't even know where it had just come from. "Ann?" He looked up on Mrs. Thomas. "Ann?"
I looked down again, hoping that her eyes would open again, but they didn't and she stayed asleep.
"I don't know where it came from. I just looked into her eyes and it was there."
"Spelt with an E…" Walter mumbled tiredly. "Look at her, Ann without an E is just too short to suit her at all. She needs something bigger that says more… Anne spelt with an E is plain perfect. Isn't it?"
Our Anne mumbled slightly in her sleep again and then stirred, she woke up slowly but then started screaming bloody murder barely awake at all.
"I'm not sure she likes it." Walter said as soon as we could talk in a normal tone again, when I held Anne towards my shoulder and bounced her slightly up and down she calmed down slightly. "Do you think this is a sign?" I just gave him a smile and shook my head.
"She's got a pair of strong lungs that's for sure. She might grow up to be an as great talker as you…" Walter wasn't exactly known for being the quiet type. He just sent me a joking grimace. "Where did Mrs. Thomas go?"
"She went home when this one started screaming… Anne started screaming… Anne. Anne?"
"Anne." I confirmed at last, and when she had calmed down so to the point she seemed almost asleep again I dared moving her down from my shoulder and back into my arms. "Your name is Anne and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
As if to agree Anne mumbled to herself again.
"Well, now I heard it clearly. She definitely tried to say daddy. That's it girl, daddy."
Random fact (I always leave at least one at the end of every chapter)
That was when one I know had a baby, he would mumble or scream or make a sound at all. And grandpa would say he tried to say grandpa and then agree with the baby as if he'd actually said it.
Well then, there you go. Hopefully you didn't hate it but of course… Hate is a strong word.