Moment #1: Matthew's Death
On a drizzly, dreary spring night, Anne Shirley laid in her bed. Small, quiet sobs escaped her mouth as memories of Matthew raced through her mind. She recalled how he had convinced Marilla to let her stay on trial at Green Gables, how he surprised her with the most exquisite dress with puffed sleeves for the Christmas ball, and how unfailingly generous and kind-hearted he truly was. Anne loved Marilla dearly, but Matthew held a special place in her heart which could never be filled after the emptiness of his passing. The reality of his death was suddenly sinking in, and even Anne's clever imagination could not make up the sadness that Matthew's absence bestowed upon her.
Anne's tears seemed to mock the rain falling from the sky, cold and miserable and intense and furious and loneliness all mixed into one. Anne wished that something would come into her life that would lift her soul from the depths of despair and place it in the heights of happiness.
Suddenly, Anne heard a knock at the door downstairs. Though she was mighty curious to see who was calling at nearly eight o'clock at night, she was so frazzled that she was no way presentable to company in such a state.
Downstairs, Marilla got up to answer the door, also wondering who would be stopping by at such an unusual time and during such dreadful weather. As she opened the door, she saw the face of Gilbert Blythe, who was soaking wet from the rainstorm outside and appearing quite chilly.
"Why, Gilbert Blythe. What are you doing here at such a time of night?" Marilla asked, a slight smile creeping up on her face. Though she would never admit it, Marilla always thought that Gilbert and Anne were meant for one another.
"I'm so sorry to be intruding, Ms. Cuthbert. I was returning home from Carmody when it began to thunder, and my horse cantered off; you see, it's afraid of storms. Green Gables was the closest place to go, and I promise that I'll be on my way home in a few minutes."
Though Gilbert would love to stay as long as possible at Green Gables, he always made sure to be especially polite to Marilla to ensure that she approved of his manners.
"Stuff and nonsense. You can just stay here until the storm's rolled by. I will heat you up some supper left over from this evening. You must be…very hungry, coming all the way from Carmody." Marilla replied, heading to the kitchen to prepare food.
"Thank you, Ms. Cuthbert, but I don't want you to go to any trouble just for me, especially…" he paused and swallowed, "…at a time like this."
"Oh, fiddlesticks. Now you come and dry off and make yourself at home. You'll catch pneumonia if you don't warm up," she said, handing him a blanket.
"Thank you, Ms. Cuthbert," he said, graciously accepting it. After a few moments of silence, he finally gained the courage to ask her a question that had been on his mind for the past few days. "How is Anne doing with… everything?"
Marilla moved her focus from the food to Gilbert. His eyes seemed so desperate, so innocent, and so serious, she thought. He cared about Anne more than anyone else, which was evident just by the look on his face.
"Not well, I'm afraid. She has hardly left her room all day, Gilbert. She's horribly lonesome now that…now that Matthew has passed," Marilla said, choking back her own tears.
"Would it be…okay if I saw her, Ms. Cuthbert?" Gilbert asked. "I…I hate to think of her so upset."
"Yes, Gilbert. You may. But mind that you come down in several minutes. Your dinner will be ready."
"Thank you," he said, nodding his head at Marilla then rushing up the stairs to see Anne.
Anne, who did not yet know who had stopped by, heard loud, manly footsteps thump up the stairs and approach her room. Who on Earth would be coming to see her at such a horrible moment, she wondered. She tried to gain composure and attempted to wipe off the tears on her face, but within just a matter of seconds, the person knocked on her door.
"Come in…" Anne managed to say in between uncontrollable sobs, hoping that it was only an unimportant person coming to see her in such a frenzied manner.
As the door squeaked open, Anne was shocked to see Gilbert standing before her eyes. He looked desperately at her, distraught by the tears that were rapidly streaming down her face.
"Anne…" he muttered, hardly whispering, gazing at her affectionately.
Anne shivered at the way Gilbert spoke her name. She sniffled softly as Gilbert took a few steps toward her and gently sat down on her bed.
Gilbert Blythe could not help but grin at the fact that he was in Anne's room, and sitting on her bed, for that matter.
"Gil, I'm so utterly embarrassed. I am afraid I cannot gain composure of myself…I am so overcome with anguish." Anne wept loudly at her mortification.
"It's okay, Anne. I'm here for you," Gilbert muttered, reaching for Anne's hand.
Though Anne's initial reaction to Gilbert's intimate gesture would be to pull her hand away, for some reason, she wanted to feel him beside her and be reassured that someone truly cared. Gilbert was also surprised that Anne did not ignore him, and even more surprised when she squeezed his hand as an implication of gratitude. Gilbert jerked as he and Anne's bodies connected together, just by holding hands. With much effort, Gilbert kept himself from doing anything more to Anne, not wanting to upset her to a greater extent.
"Gil?" Anne asked, her gaze meeting his. Gil's heart melted as he saw the sadness continuing to drip from Anne's eyes.
"Yes?" he whispered in response.
"I…do you think it would be too much trouble if I asked you to…wrap your arms around me and…hold me close for a little while?" Anne managed to say in between her sobs. Anne could not believe that she was asking Gilbert, of all people, to hold her. She hardly thought before blurting out the words, but Anne greatly wanted Gil to be there, comforting her. His soft touch felt so warm and inviting to her.
Gilbert lost his breath at Anne's words. His heartbeat quickened rapidly and he shivered as a result of the newfound opportunity. He had only dreamed of holding Anne and caring for her in such a way, and he was so convinced that Anne would never ask such a question that he had trouble responding.
As soon as he regained his bearings, Gilbert wrapped his arms around Anne's body, resting his head on her shoulder and in her head of curly, red hair. His body tingled at their connection, and he felt Anne's body react similarly as a result of their embrace.
"Mmm…carrots…" Gil murmured at a volume hardly audible, his hand running through Anne's hair. Gilbert did not realize what he had said until after he had said it, and immediately panicked at what Anne's reaction would be toward his unintentional teasing.
However, Anne was not mad by the statement. In fact, she felt herself grow warm inside. Gilbert liked this, too, she thought to herself. Anne pressed her body further into Gil's as her tears and cries began to fade into tranquility, and she fell asleep in Gilbert's arms. Though Gilbert tried to stay awake, he unwarily drifted off into a state of slumber himself, and the two spent the night in each other's arms, grateful that they had each other to share the night with.