Every new day

My version of how story could've developed after ‚Rilla of Ingleside'.


Two things I wanted to say:
1. I'm actually German and therefore English isn't my first language. Just to let you know.
2. A big thank you to fragipanigirl, my beta-reader.

Disclaimer:
I own nothing. The characters are property of LM Montgomery.

Summary:
The old world is destroyed and the wounds caused by the great war heal very slowly. The survivors have to build a better world than before, but that's easier said than done.

Every end brings a new beginning
The door bell rang, Rilla turned reluctantly stairwards. She must answer it–there was no one else in the house; but she hated the idea of callers just then. She went downstairs slowly, and opened the front door.
A man in khaki was standing on the steps–a tall fellow, with dark eyes and hair, and a narrow white scar running across his brown cheek. Rilla stared at him foolishly for a moment. Who was it?
She ought to know him–there was certainly something very familiar about him–
"Rilla-my-Rilla," he said.
"Ken," gasped Rilla. Of course, it was Ken–but he looked so much older–he was so much changed–that scar–the lines about his eyes and lips–her thoughts went whirling helplessly.
Ken took the uncertain hand she held out, and looked at her. The slim Rilla of four years ago had rounded out into symmetry. He had left a school girl, and he found a woman–a woman with wonderful eyes and a dented lip, and rose-bloom cheek–a woman altogether beautiful and desirable–the woman of his dreams.
"Is it Rilla-my -Rilla?" he asked, meaningly.
Emotion shook Rilla from head to foot. Joy–happiness–sorrow–fear–every passion that had wrung her heart in those four long years seemed to surge up in her soul for a moment as the deeps of being were stirred. She had tried to speak; at first voice would not come. Then–
"Yeth," said Rilla.

She bit her tongue. Her sweetheart back after almost four years of war and she had to lisp! Why did such things always happen to her, of all people? Life simply wasn't fair.

"What's the matter?" asked a slightly confused Kenneth. A few seconds ago she had declared that she was his and now she stood there, not saying anything.

"Nothing" Rilla turned her head and looked at the ground, "it's nothing."

Ken waited a few moments for her to do something, and then he reached out and gently turned her head towards him. "What's the matter?" he asked again, looking at her.

Rilla felt her cheeks heat up even more and after a while answered quietly "It's just... stupid. When I was a child I used to lisp and... well, now it only happens when I'm nervous or confused or something like that and..." She stopped and looked at the ground once more.

"...and you just lisped?" asked Ken, understanding what she wanted to say. Rilla nodded weakly.

For a few moments neither of them said anything, and then Ken burst out laughing.

"Don't laugh!" protested Rilla, not sure if she should feel embarrassed or relieved. Ken's laughter died away, but he couldn't help grinning, whereas Rilla kept her eyes firmly on the ground.

For a few seconds Ken simply looked down at her, then he tilted her head upwards again. His grin faded away to be replaced by a faint smile and one of his hands caressed her face, while the other pulled her closer. Rilla's eyes closed, as she tried to savour the moment, tried to save everything about it in her mind, so that she could remember it forever. To her it was perfect!

If it only hadn't been that cold... her eyes snapped open again, just as Ken leaned in to kiss her. He pulled away again, grinning and cocked one eyebrow.

"Oh goodness, what'd Susan say if she could see me right now? I guess I'm hopeless. How long have I let you standing in the cold?" she blushed again and almost rushed inside.

Ken shrugged and then followed her, still grinning. Even if she was a grown woman, right now she was as nervous as she had been four or five years ago, during the dance at the lighthouse or his last visit.

"Sit down" said Rilla after they had reached the sitting room. "Can I get you something? A drink maybe? Or to eat? Just tell me what you want" Rilla didn't let him feel her unsureness by playing the perfect hostess – or trying both.

"You ask me what I want?" Ken's voice was gentle and seemed deeper than usually. And even Rilla knew that he wasn't speaking about food.

"There is something I'm longing for since I left Canada four years ago" he continued softly and came up behind her.

"And that would be?" asked Rilla, her voice shaking, but thankfully no lisp escaped her lips. Ken's arms closed around her waist and she leaned against him, her head at his shoulder, her back against his chest. Ken bend forward to place one single kiss on her throat. He could feel her pulse racing. "A kiss" he whispered in her ear.

Rilla shuddered at his words, but, surprised by her own courage, replied softly "Well, we won't want you having to wait any longer, would we?" She turned in his arms so that he could bend down and capture her lips in a kiss.

"Any other unfulfilled longings?" asked Rilla playfully after they'd pulled away from each other.

"Plenty" he replied and grinned, "but for now I'm satisfied. And you?"

"Um..." Rilla pretended to think about while he lead her over to the sofa, "I only have a few questions I'd want to have answered."

"Just ask. But please, nothing about the sense of life, all right?" joked Ken, while he began to caress her cheek with one hand.

"Why didn't you write?" Rilla sounded serious, maybe even hurt, "You're in Canada for two weeks now and I never got a single line. Nothing."

"No idea, why?" Ken asked back. Rilla shook her head "Think me to be stupid, but no."

"How could I?" he picked up a strand of loose hair and twirled it around his finger, "how could I think you are stupid?"

"Because I am" Rilla responded, shrugging, "I am the stupid one in the family. I guess someone has to be it, so it's me. I'm the only one without ambition, the only one who never went to college and the only one who hasn't inherited one bit of Mum and Dad's intelligence. You get used to it after a while."

Ken pulled away just a bit to look in her face. "Do you really think, that everyone who doesn't go to college is stupid, Rilla-my-Rilla?" he asked.

"No, but..." Rilla began, but he put his finger on her lips and successfully shut her up by doing so.

"You aren't stupid or less intelligent, than the others. Besides you helped your mother during the war, you were there for her, or so I've heard, and that's worth more than some kind of study." He sounded so convinced, that Rilla simply had to believe him.

"I guess you are right" she stated, "but you still didn't answer my question."

"Ah, you noticed" he grinned, but turned serious immediately after seeing the expression in her face, "all right, I could say that I wanted to see you in person to tell you I was back, but that's only halfway true. The real reason is much simpler: I was afraid."

"Afraid?" Rilla seemed confused.

"Well, I was afraid of what awaited me here. Afraid that you could've fallen in love with another man or, worse, ill. Afraid that you'd be married or hate me. There are plenty of possibilities" Ken explained.

Rilla smiled: "I still like you and haven't fallen for another man. I'm not ill – at least not to my knowledge – and the only thing close to a wedding vow I've ever given to someone is my promise that I'd save my lips for you – which is what I did."

"Yeah..." Ken seemed lost in thoughts and Rilla decided to wait for him to say something.

"Do you know what saved me over there, when I couldn't see a way through?" he asked her and Rilla shook her head, even though she thought she knew the answer to his question.

"You" he said, "I have this memory of you, sitting on the terrace with Jims in your arms and looking so beautiful it almost hurt. That was the moment I realised that I love you."

Rilla smiled and bend forward to kiss him. "Me too" she whispered and Ken's arms tightened around her waist, as if he'd lose her, if he'd let her go.

"I missed you" Rilla continued, "and I was so worried that... that something would happen to you." He silenced her with another kiss.

Neither of them could say how long they sat in the sofa, talking or simply enjoying each others company, but after a (long) while, Rilla pointed out that the sun was going down.

"I have to go" Ken said, clearly unwilling to do so.

"Yes" Rilla nodded, "It's getting late." But neither moved. After a few moments he laughed and stood up.

"I'll be back tomorrow" he promised, while she stood up to say her goodbyes to him at the door. Outside he kissed her one more time and if anyone would have walked by at that moment, he or she would've been scandalised. Thankfully no-one did.

"See you" whispered Rilla after she had pulled away. "Sweet dreams, Rilla-my-Rilla" he kissed her forehead and they parted.

After Ken was gone, Rilla went up to her room to bring her diary up to date, but forgot about it entirely and stared out of the window, dreaming.

Upon realising it, she laughed softly, closed the diary and looked up to the picture of Walter over her desk.

"You know what, Walter? I'm in love. Really. And he loves me to. He said he did. You'd like it, I guess. He's one of your best friends. Ken. Have you ever thought that Kenneth Ford could love me? Little Rilla Blythe? Ah, why am I even asking? Of course you could. In your eyes nothing was impossible. You even said he'd come back to me and he really did. Are you happy for me, Walter?"

And for a moment she thought she could hear his laugh and his voice, telling her that he indeed was happy for her.