On the third day, she still did not miss him, but in the late afternoon she found herself idly wondering what he was doing, and if he had slept well during his nap. She hoped Gilbert had made him take a nap, and hadn't just let him play until he was worn out and cranky.

At the end of the third day, Anne asked Gilbert what they had done that day.

Gilbert- very aware of the fact that this was the first time Anne had even wanted to know what her child had been doing- decided to leave out the bit about the tantrums he'd had and the time he'd had an accident and soiled his pants.

Instead, he told her only the good things, concluding with: "We went to the pond to look at the fish and to throw bits of bread out for the ducks to eat. He liked watching them. Oh, and he counted the baby ducks that were floating along in a line behind their mother."

"Did you make him do that?" she wanted to know.

Gilbert shook his head. "No, he just happened to."

Anne said with a frown, "He's never counted ducks before."

Gilbert said, "Well, sometime you and I can take him to the pond together and then you can watch him count the ducks all you want."

"Yeah…" Anne agreed.

Gilbert, watching her, suddenly said: "Hey, I have an idea. Tomorrow why don't you meet us at the pond for lunch? Say about noon? I'll bring food so we can have a little picnic there and you can watch him count the ducks then."

"I don't know…" Anne said.

"It'll only be a little while, just long enough to eat lunch. And then you could go on home, without him- I'll keep him still, and I'll bring him back at bedtime just like before."

Gilbert thought that if Anne was expressing even the slightest bit of interest in her baby, he needed to jump on the opportunity and help ease her back into his life.

"Well...all right," Anne agreed.

The next morning when Gilbert came for Walter, he confirmed with Anne that she still planned to come.

In the afternoon Gilbert packed a picnic lunch, but chose not to tell Walter that his mama was going to come with them to the pond, just in case Anne changed her mind and did not show up.

He wasn't disappointed, though.

Gilbert saw a red headed figure coming toward them in the afternoon sunshine, and the sight of her coming over the hill lifted his heart right up to the heavens. He excitedly pointed out Anne to Walter: "Look who that is, Walter! Mama came to have lunch with us."

Their lunch was quiet, for Anne, but busy and noisy for Walter. Gilbert sat holding her hand while Walter talked and talked to her about what he had done that day. Anne did not say much, but she did squeeze Gilbert's hand occasionally.

After they finished eating they began walking along the water's edge, Walter throwing breadcrumbs.

Please, please count the ducks, Gilbert pleaded silently. As if he could read Gilbert's mind, Walter eventually began counting them. And Gilbert watched Anne for some sign of life.

When it was time to say goodbye, Walter began to cry again, pulling toward Anne, but Gilbert scooped him up and tickled him to make him laugh, saying, "I want you to stay with me, little guy. We still have to play, don't we? Aren't we going to make a big tower with your blocks?"

Anne knew Gilbert was trying to keep Walter distracted to make it easier for her to get away.

She waved goodbye and began heading home. As she walked, she found that she missed Walter just a tiny little bit.

She turned back to watch Gilbert walking away with her son- until finally, she yelled out, "Gilbert, wait!"

Running back to them, she said- almost awkwardly- "Um…I thought maybe I would come see Walter build his tower," she said. "And then go home."

Gilbert nodded, pulling her close, and set Walter down so he could walk between them, hand in hand.

Things were not suddenly fixed simply because Anne missed him a little bit.

Anne watched Walter and Gilbert play with the blocks, she did not get down on the floor and play with her son.

But when Walter proudly showed off his creation to his mama, her smile and her hug were genuine.

Gilbert wanted to ask if Anne would like to stay and have dinner with them, but Anne seemed ready to go after the play time with the blocks, so Gilbert hugged her goodbye and thanked her for coming.

He said nothing about Walter wanting her to stay. He just told her they'd look forward to seeing her that night.

When Gilbert brought Walter back to Green Gables, Anne seemed different somehow than she had before.

Gilbert noticed the change and said, "Are you feeling better? You look brighter."

Anne nodded. "I think so."

Gilbert said, "I'm sorry he fell asleep on the way here. Should we wake him? You won't be able to give him his bath."

Anne shook her head. "I don't want to wake him. He'll just cry and then maybe he won't go back to sleep. He can do without it tonight, I can give him a bath in the morning instead."

Gilbert hesitated. "Should I come a little later, then, to get him? So you have time to do that?"

Anne bit her lip. "I don't think you have to take him away anymore…he's all right."

Gilbert's only response was to hold her close.

"Gilbert?"

"Yes, darling?"

"I don't know if he'll remember these four days he was away from home."

"He's little, it's hard to say."

"Well, if he does remember…I don't want him to know that you took him away because I hated him."

"Of course I won't tell him that."

"Thank you," Anne said, leaning into him.

"Besides, I knew you never really hated him," Gilbert said. "You just needed some time. And that's okay."

"No, it's not. What kind of mother thinks she hates her baby?" Anne whispered.

Gilbert said quietly, "One who's been through an awful time and is just doing the best she can to survive."

He took a breath. "I know that sometimes there are things about Walter that take you right back to Billy, and when that happens, maybe it's better for other people to step in and take him. Just to give you more support."

She shook her head, eyes closed, trying to stop the tears that were suddenly coming.

He stroked her fiery hair. "If you have some time apart, you won't have to try to manage those feelings with him right beside you."

"I'm a horrible mother," she said, emotional. "It's so unfair to him that I can't separate him from Billy."

"Whenever you feel that way, Anne, let me take him. And all you have to do is be nice to him for the brief time you see him. ...And after a little while- like today- it'll get better- you'll feel better, and he'll come back to you. ...He'll just think he went away on a fun little trip. We'll make it work."

"I feel awful for hating him, Gilbert. But sometimes I can't do anything about the feelings that pour in and drown me."

Gilbert's hand found it's way to her cheek. "Let me tell you something the reverend told me. It's about love."

"What?" Anne asked, shaking her head slightly, her voice still depressed tone.

"He said love isn't a noun, it's a verb."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anne asked softly.

"It means you should stop worrying about your feelings, and instead think about how you treat him. If you can treat Walter with love- if you can hold his hand, and you can sing to him and tell him stories, you listen to all his silly chatter and you play with him and give him goodnight kisses- he'll feel that you love him, Anne, because of what you're doing."

And Gilbert thought about how he'd have to remember the same thing. Telling Anne his feelings- that he loved her- was all well and good, but he needed to step in and help her more in a practical way- to use his actions to love her, instead of just his feelings.

But it would be a lot easier for him to support her that way if he wasn't so far from Avonlea.

He could not go back to Redmond. He knew that now. Anne needed him to be a partner in raising her son, and Walter needed a father.

Fortunately, he had already put a plan into action.