Whenever she felt gloomy, Anne Shirley often thought back to the day when Matthew shuffled into the Green Gables kitchen carrying a brown paper bag stamped all over with a department store logo.
Her beloved Matthew had knelt beside her seat at the kitchen table and handed her the crinkly parcel.
Then, her memory would bloom with golden warmth as her past self deftly unwrapped the gift: a beautiful dress.
Her first beautiful dress.
Her first beautiful thing at all.
She could still feel the smooth, chestnut fabric in her hands and hear Matthew's soft chuckle at her delirious happiness as she threw her arms around him with effusions of thanks and tears.
She had been sitting there so sadly—though she could hardly remember why—but when Matthew had gifted her that dress, her entire world seemed bright and lovely and worthwhile again.
It was as if he had handed her a new world in that brown paper package, and she still fed off the happiness of that memory.
She still thought of it when she was sad.
And, sometimes, she thought of it even when she wasn't sad.
And as she stood in Gilbert Blythe's tiny, musty apartment, she couldn't help but remember her moment with Matthew in the kitchen because it felt so much like the moment she wavered in now.
She had sputtered out her incoherent declaration of love to a man whose heart she'd broken several times before, and she stood staring across the tiny living room at Gil, praying she hadn't made one more mistake concerning him.
Praying she had finally given him what he wanted and deserved.
Praying she could finally rest from her constant, internal war to repress that nagging, decade-old feeling.
And to her delight, Gil brightened at her confession like she had on that faraway day in the Green Gables kitchen.
Like her own stammered words were wrapped in a brown, department store bag.
Like her newly realized love was the first beautiful gift Gilbert Blythe had ever received.
Like he couldn't even remember what he had ever been sad about in the first place.
She returned his beaming grin with a shy smile of her own, and by some unseen magnetism, the pair drew closer together from their polar positions in the small apartment.
Anne rounded the fraying armrest of the couch as she felt Gil's steady hands skim over her wrist and gently rest on her forearms.
Instinctively, her palms flipped and grasped his forearms as well, and the pair stood as close as their apprehensive bliss allowed.
Anne tilted her freckled face up and gazed at Gil with all the love she had repressed for so long; his thumbs grazed lightly over her pale skin as he returned her gaze, and Anne swore she could've lived in this perfect instant for the rest of her life.
But she knew they hadn't quite reached the finish line yet. There was still so much to consider and discuss and question and answer, and Anne felt a million thoughts drown her simplistic happiness.
"So," Anne began, the stillness of the apartment making her voice seem harsh and loud. "I suppose we still have a lot to work out between us."
"Yes," Gil answered softly, his brow crinkling in amusement and thought.
"Well, I can't hardly think of where to begin," Anne continued, squeezing Gil's arms tighter and glancing down. "I've treated you so terribly for so long that I could spend the next ten years apologizing to you every minute."
She felt a sigh breeze through the frizzy curls of her drying hair, and then, Gil pulled her closer and pressed a comforting kiss to her forehead.
As the pair lingered together, Anne felt Gil's lips move against her brow.
"Anne," he whispered. "I don't need your apologies. You don't need to apologize ever."
"But I deserve to apologize," Anne rallied, her palms sliding over his arms and to his shoulders.
"I don't think so," Gil continued, his hands coming to rest on her waist. "I don't want you to apologize for anything. I've made mistakes against you just as you've made them against me, but now, we're even. Anything you've done, I can forgive if this is the result. And I know you'd say the same."
Gil's words settled into the atmosphere of the cozy apartment like another warm, glowing lamp; Anne felt their peace and reassurance in a nearly tangible sensation.
"You say that now, Gil," Anne whispered, after a few, calm moments passed. "But when you get angry at me some day—and some day soon, knowing my mouth—you'll be reminded of all the times I threw you under or hurt you!"
"Anne," Gil began.
"And now that I finally have you," Anne steamrolled on, ignoring Gil's cautioning tone. "I'd hate to lose you because of all the ridiculous, awful things I've done and surely will do again. I couldn't bear, Gil. And I don't understand how or why you're willing to breathe the same air as I am."
"Anne," Gil began again, his tone laced with finality. "Do you honestly know so little of me? I've waited for you for ten years. And I haven't just put up with your… antics. In some ways, I've enjoyed them. No other girl gave me the run for my money that you did. You are perfect for me. And I will never stop believing that."
"But," Anne started, her mind whirring with exceptions and uncertainties. "What about Christine? She may be perfect for you!"
"Christine?" Gil laughed. "What does she have to do with anything, Anne?"
Anne pulled away from Gil and moved toward the kitchen table where stacks of medical textbooks cluttered the surface. She aimlessly flicked through an open book's pages and concentrated on keeping her tone controlled.
"Well, you are—or were—dating her weren't you," Anne said lightly. "At least, that's what I gathered from our mutual acquaintances and the way you escorted her to every single event for the past year."
"Well, I'm glad Robert never talked to any of those mutual friends," Gil said, leaning against the back of the couch, crossing his arms, and flippantly tilting his head toward Anne.
"Who's Robert?" Anne asked, her tone forced.
"Christine's fiancé," Gil replied, mischievously.
"Oh, well, I hadn't heard about that," Anne murmured, feeling her indignation deflate.
"Not many people have," Gil continued, stepping toward Anne with peculiar expression on his face. "But I am simply friends with Christine, Anne. We got on well together, but I was never interested in her like that, and she was never interested in me either. She had a fiancé, for goodness' sake! And I, too, had someone else on my mind."
She felt her rationality fading as Gil approached her, and she gripped the edge of the table for support.
"You burst into my apartment late at night, tell me you've broken off with Roy, and confess that you love me, but then, you waver over insignificant details you think might affect our potential relationship," Gil said quietly, edging around the table to where Anne stood. "I think, for now, we should close the conversation on those unpleasant topics and refocus on whatever issue will make you say you love me again."
"Gil," Anne breathed, as he pulled her closely to him once more. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Anne," Gil replied, any tension melting from his body at the sweet exchange.
The couple remained contentedly huddled together until a sharp sound startled them into reality.
The high-pitched bells of Gil's phone chime reverberated in the tiny room, and Gil quickly pulled the phone from his pocket an answered it.
"Hello?"
"It's Phil," a muffled voice answered, though Anne could barely make out her words.
"Oh, Phil," Gil replied, his tone confused. "Are you okay? Do you need something?"
"Yes, I've tracked Anne's phone to your apartment complex," the muffled voice shouted. "And, though I've texted Anne about a thousand times, she hasn't answered me, and I really need to know the details."
"Oh," Gil stuttered. "She's here, and everything's fine."
"Fine?" Phil's voice said, and Anne could practically feel the sarcasm radiating from the airwaves. "What kind of fine?"
"Very fine, I would say," Gil smiled, his eyes searching Anne's for a similar endorsement.
Anne pulled the phone down.
"Very, very, very fine, Phil," Anne said, pulling Gil's wrist and the phone down to her mouth. "I'll tell you more when I get home."
"Oh, you're coming home, are you?" Phil retorted archly.
Both Gil and Anne flushed simultaneously, and Gil pulled the phone back to his level.
"She'll be back soon," Gil said firmly, though his other hand clenched Anne tighter. "I've just got a couple more things to discuss with her. But thank you for checking on her, Phil."
"Of course," Phil's voice rang out, matter-of-factly. "If I had known she was going to drop Roy tonight, I would've called you sooner and let you know you definitely still had a shot."
"Well, thank you, I suppose," Gil said, his smile beaming.
"Goodnight and good luck," Phil replied.
"Goodnight, Phil," both Anne and Gil answered in unison.
Gil ended the call and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He grabbed Anne with both his hands and drew her impossibly close to him.
"So what other things do you need to discuss with me," Anne questioned, quirking her eyebrow.
"Oh, just this and that," Gil answered, offhandedly, but his eyes lingered on her mouth.
"Nothing important, I assume," Anne prodded, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.
"It's very important actually," Gil replied, inching his face toward hers. "It's something I've been dying to do for a very long while."
And there, in the tiny main room of the tiny apartment, Gilbert Blythe kissed Anne Shirley for the second time in one week, and he felt like he'd just been handed all the happiness in the world.
Here ya go!
I'm not quite sure if this is the end or not for this story, but I will definitely decide soon. I do feel as if there's nothing more for me to say about our lovely characters, but do let me know what you think! I am so happy to have been able to go on this adventure with you all, and thank you to every single one of you who read and responded and liked and followed this story. I definitely couldn't have done it without your encouragement. Also, special shout out to Kim Blythe, who has reviewed every chapter of this story and of my last few stories, as well! I always feel motivated after reading your reviews, and I can't express how encouraging it is every time I get the notification that you've commented! Thank you all very much, and I hope you enjoyed this little story!