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"Gil, I'm pretty sure I can handle the supermarket," Anne insisted, laughing. They were on the bed, talking about her worries of the morning sickness situation escalating and her wish to go outside and to buy groceries before going to the Wright's in the afternoon. They had woken up early, after Anne had rushed for what seemed like the tenth time to the toilet (even if it probably had been just the second in the whole night). And snuggling after she hadn't been able to keep down much of breakfast was nice, so now she was leaning against his chest, completely relaxed, and he had his arms wrapped around her.

He still found it a bit hard to believe they were actually going to be parents, but having shared it with Fred the previous afternoon made it somehow more real. Receiving Ella's message later in the night (and showing it to Anne) even more so. They were going to be parents. Apparently. For real.

"I just know it was a major trigger for Mary's nausea. That's why I mentioned it," he said softly. "I don't even know why I know so many details if I was already here, but I have the distinct memory of Bash telling me how she had had to run to the washroom."

"Well, what about this? We try going, and if for some reason I happen to be as sensitive as Mary, then I just go and wait for you in the car… It's not a big deal, right?" she countered, yawning.

"That could make sense," he conceded. "I can also keep buying the groceries, like I did back when we were on lockdown."

"This might surprise you, but I enjoy going to buy groceries. Especially with you. And with us still so cautious about where we're going and everything… which I don't mind, really, I just think it's nice being able to go."

"Alright. Let's go buy groceries," Gilbert said. She nodded and turned to kiss his chest, smiling. "So you want to go now? The day seems really nice for some reason… Not as cold as the previous ones. Warm and everything."

"In five more minutes…?" she asked, curling against him as she closed her eyes.

They were out about half an hour later, as Anne had fallen asleep again and Gilbert had decided to read from the book he had in the nightstand instead of trying to move her or wake her. She was feeling good, the fresh water and sunny day energizing, and she told Gilbert as they walked down the first aisle she was feeling well. Maybe a highlight of wearing the facemask inside, or of her being much less sensitive than Mary, she didn't know… But she was still grateful.

She was selecting some veggies as Gilbert chose some apples ( that he could confidently do) when he heard someone greet him. Looking up from the fruit, he found one of his students, the smile evident even if under the mask.

"Professor Blythe! How are you?"

"Great, Smith," he replied, a little taken aback. He hadn't been expecting to be called "professor" on a late Saturday morning in the supermarket, wearing shorts (so what, he was stubborn, the weather was still nice! Kind of!) and not his usual bowtie-suspenders work attire. "How are you?"

They entered into a small conversation (apparently, the student actually had a question) and Anne soon came with the fabric bags she had gotten so she could bypass the plastic ones from the supermarket filled with the veggies they would eat that week. She put them in the cart and smiled at Gilbert.

"Oh, I didn't know you were with your wife, professor. I'm so sorry," Smith excused himself. Anne laughed softly, still thinking it ridiculous that everyone in that hospital equaled her to that abstract idea of Gilbert's wife.

"Don't worry about it. Anne, this is Arthur Smith, one of the students in the anatomy class," he introduced them. "Smith, this is Anne," he continued, not daring to say it was his wife. They both smiled.

"So, how is he as a teacher?" Anne asked curiously, making Smith blush. "Oh, come on! I'm just curious, there's no need to be shy."

"He's great. He actually explains things," Smith said. "I… I'm just in my first year, so I don't know much about other teachers here, but I heard some stories about older teachers that just assume you're going to learn from a book."

"As if that ever works…" Anne said, making a face.

"She actually knows what she's talking about, she studied pedagogy," Gilbert explained, proud. They spoke for a minute or two more, before they continued their way.

"So, professor Blythe, how does it feel like, meeting your students in shorts?" Anne asked, her tone teasing and her eyes shining with joy.

"Oh, don't even mention it. It's weird. I feel I'm hardly older than they are, it's a bit ridiculous," Gilbert replied, his hand scratching the back of his neck. "And if I explain something it's only because I remember my own frustration and want to save them from it."

"Makes sense. I had some of the greatest professors ever, but also a couple that were mummies and hadn't evolved since the XIXth century," Anne commented. "Ugh, let's not go that way."

"How are you feeling?"

"Good, if we don't go that way… Meat and fishy things usually have a slightly disgusting smell… All dead like. I don't want to test it while pregnant," she said. "And we don't even buy stuff from that section anyway."

"I'm glad you're feeling well enough," he mumbled, directing the cart to another aisle.

"Gilbert! Anne! Fred came and told me over dinner, I'm so happy for you guys! Finally I can congratulate you in person!" Ella said, hugging Gilbert and crushing his bones and then going to Anne as soon as she was at the door. Anne smiled broadly as they separated. "I can't believe little Alicia will be the same age as your kid, it makes me the happiest ever!"

"I know! They can play and be best friends and…" just thinking about all the possibilities made Anne feel a knot on her throat. Ella squeezed her arm gently, a smile on her face.

"Come, I'll give you something to drink. We have everything outside trying to take advantage of the nice weather."

Gilbert watched the exchange with Fred as he petted Bear. He loved watching Anne with Ella. Since that first night they had gone for dinner what seemed like ages ago, they had hit it off. It was amazing for him to see it, because even if he knew Anne was the best person on the planet, to see more people appreciate it made him swell with affection from the inside. And to see Ella actually form a close friendship with anyone was also a cause for celebration.

"It also makes me happy, you know?"

"Those two?"

"Yes. You know how much I love Ella, but sometimes it worries me that she doesn't let many people become close to her… And then she met Anne, and Cole, and Roy, and it's as if she's suddenly more relaxed. There's something about your town."

"Cole and Roy are not from Avonlea. Cole only came in grade nine or ten. And Anne is from Nova Scotia, so don't even say that's something from my island."

"She's an islander just as you are. And then it's not your town, it's something about you, Blythe. Either way, I'm so happy about all this. Do you want to come in, or do you plan to stay here with Bear?"

"I believe that's Cole's car. So we might as well wait for them," Gilbert said as they turned around the corner. "And I'm also happy. We both know Ella is more withdrawn than overly social and it also makes me glad they both have such chemistry. It might be stupid, but it takes some weight off my shoulders."

"Mines too," commented Fred as Cole and Roy went out of the car. "Guys! Thanks for coming on such short notice!"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world. All of our favorite people in Ontario concentrated in just one house? With amazing opportunities to tease? We had to be here," Cole commented. "Where are the girls?"

"On the back. Ella took Anne before I could even say hello," Fred said. "Come! What do you want to drink? I have a lovely wine…"

"Hello, Fred, Gilbert," Roy greeted them, putting on a light sweater. "Wine sounds perfect, thank you."

"Will you please relax, Roy? You can't come inside with that formal tone, so drop it. We're all family here. More than ever," Fred said. Roy laughed and Gilbert shook his head, smiling. Cole kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and went to the door.

"Anne's in? I just know she's been hiding something and I plan to get it out of her even if it's the only thing I manage to do today," Cole commented. Gilbert smiled broadly and nodded as they all went inside the house. "Anne! Come here!"

"Cole! Roy!" Anne came in a hurry. Ella came behind her and finally they all managed to greet each other. Fred went to retrieve some drinks with Roy and Gilbert went with Ella to check on the food, leaving Cole with Anne.

"So, spill, Nan. I know there's something," Cole said, crossing his arms in front of him, but a smile on his face that made it clear he wasn't expecting any bad news. Anne bit her lip, unsure of how to tell him. "Nana?"

"Gil?" she called. Cole frowned, clearly confused. This was such a great piece of news she didn't want to deliver it by herself. Not when half the genes came from her boyfriend. "Come here, will you?" Gilbert arrived, hurriedly drying his hands on a teatowel, afraid of something having happened.

"Nan, you're confusing me now. Can you just…" Cole insisted, and Gilbert could actually see worry in his eyes for a second, then noticed as they travelled to Anne's left hand. Oh no, Cole. You're not spoiling this.

"You're going to be an uncle, Cole," Gilbert said before Anne could follow her friend's gaze and start to wonder what was the interest on her hand. Cole lifted his gaze and met Gilbert's eyes. Then looked at Anne, his eyes wide and mouth agape. "I'm serious , by the way. She just has no idea how to deliver the news."

"You're always serious, Gilbert," Cole managed to say after a moment. He blinked a couple of times, clearly on the verge of being overcome with emotion, and then Roy appeared on the threshold, a glass of wine on each hand, Fred just behind him. "I… Love, we're going to be uncles."

It was a miracle that the glasses didn't drop to the ground. But Roy's startled jump was enough to take Cole out of his enthranced surprise and he let out a laugh as his face transformed into the happiest one Anne had seen in a long time on her friend's. He walked two steps over where she was and hugged her, lifting her and turning in circles of absolute glee. Anne laughed as well. This was how this was supposed to happen. With family to celebrate with. With Gilbert, but also with Fred and Ella and Cole and Roy, and even Diana and Jerry over the phone. Roy joined them and hugged them as well. Fred put a hand on Gilbert's arm.

"She's not made of crystal, Blythe. Relax," he said, as Ella came close to him and he hugged her with his other arm. Gilbert frowned slightly but also smiled, the joy in the room too great to be dismissed. Cole finally let her back to the floor and turned to him.

"Gilbert," he said. "I can't believe this is finally happening. I'm ecstatic for you both. It is the best news ever."

"Thanks, Cole," Gilbert smiled. "It really, really is."

"I know how wanted it was and it's just the perfect culmination of all that's happened. I'm so glad. Who else knows? Just so I don't say anything… I won't be making mistakes again."

"Only Diana and Jerry know for now. And well, everyone here. We're not telling much yet."

"We're calling her little Cordelia," Fred proposed, mischief all across his face. Cole's eyes lit up and Gilbert covered his with a hand.

"We are not. And again, it might be a boy," Gilbert said, his eyes drifting to where Roy was talking quietly with Anne.

"Anne… I… After all these years, I can't express how happy this makes me. For both of you, yes, but… Honestly? Mainly for you. You deserve this more than anything, and… Just to think of when I met you…"

"It's been a big change."

"Light and day. I could understand you then, I could see your potential… But this year, you're reaching it, girl. And this is just one more step to it. To the family you were longing for all those years. And I know I'm not supposed to mention…" Roy cut himself short at the look Anne gave him in the midst of trying to contain her tears for the words he was saying. "I won't. But I'm so glad you're with Gilbert now and you finally understood your worth. You can't even imagine how good it feels to see you like this."

"Thank you, Roy," she said.

"Don't. It's just what you deserve. And you deserve so much more, Anne. So much more," Roy said, hugging her closely again.

She melted into his embrace, feeling the comfort in his arms she had felt since the first semester of college when she had met him and had just known he would be in her life forever. He had been her rock all through the college classes when she had been trying to deal with Lincoln and the aftermath of their breakup, there even where Cole, Diana and Jerry couldn't logically be. It had brought all of them closer together, yes, but it had been Roy who had been there with a cup of tea at the door of the classroom.

Gilbert saw the exchange, hearing only slivers, and wasn't sure what to make of it. Maybe Anne would share later, if she felt he needed to know. He had just recently realized how close Roy and Anne had been during college, because by the time he had met Roy, it had been just as Cole's boyfriend… And then, it had taken some time for Roy to warm up to him, the first few years keeping a cool air of formality. But after their talks of the past few weeks, he understood how close they actually were.

"Let's just give them some space, Gilbert," Cole said in a low voice. "But don't worry about it. Roy is about the most supportive person you can think of for Anne… Alongside Diana, Jerry and us four." Gilbert nodded and looked back at Fred and Ella, who were smiling. They went to the deck on the back of the house, leaving Roy and Anne to their talk, and Gilbert accepted the glass of wine Fred offered him. Fred and Cole went to the grill, talking about food and whatever crossed their minds, and Gilbert sat on the couch, sighing, an absent minded smile. Ella sat right next to him.

"You know, If I had told Gilbert Blythe five years ago he would be a dad to that mysterious Anne's kid, he wouldn't have believed me," she said, nudging him playfully. He chuckled.

"Of course he wouldn't," he agreed.

"It was a sad Gilbert Blythe."

"A bit pathetic," he agreed.

"That's you saying it, not me," she confirmed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Remember how we were back in 2010? 2011? Both of us, unrequited love all around?"

"At least you tried dating and getting over him," Gilbert said. Ella chuckled.

"Worked as well as Bertie did for you," she said. Gilbert looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Ok, ok, I did manage to see more people. Still. We were a sad example back then."

"I don't even know who had it worse, if me not being able to even speak to her or you seeing Fred's parade of conquests," Gilbert said. "I still don't get how you ended up with him even after all that."

"He did stop for months before trying anything with me. And I know it wasn't an easy decision for him, stop seeing people. I even knew it back then. So when he asked, I already knew he wasn't toying and it was for real," she said. "It's stupid, but it's the small things."

"It isn't. They do say the devil is in the details, most people just don't pay attention," Gilbert said.

"Anyway, let's stop thinking about our sad, past stories. We're going to have kids, you and I. And with any luck, they'll be friends and they'll support each other as we have," Ella said.

"It just makes my heart full," Gilbert agreed. They stayed in silence for a moment. Fred and Cole were joking a few meters away. "What do you think of that?" he mentioned, signaling with his head towards the two teasers.

"Cole's amazing," Ella said. "Fred got super close with him after he stayed over one night when I was up north and I can totally see why. If I didn't know Fred the way I do I would be worried," she joked.

"He's only had eyes for you for ever," Gilbert said. "And Cole's too gone with Roy."

"You know I'm just kiding, Gilbert. And if there would be a slight chance for anything to happen I am quite sure it would not be with Cole, so there's that," she said, winking at him. Gilbert turned to look at her, chuckling. She looked relaxed and content, with Bear resting his head on her legs close to her small bump. "I'm just happy to have more friends, you know?"

"I do. He's happy for you as well," Gilbert added. She nodded, smiling, and then stretched, making Bear sit again and wave his tail. They didn't need to say much more, words not really necessary at the moment.

"So, how's the search for the house going? Anything different?" Ella asked after a few minutes, changing the course of the conversation.

"It's… going. It's just hard, Ella. We seem to have the same idea on the concept of what we want the house to feel and be like, but differ in… the practical aspects of it."

"What do you mean? With everything that happened this week for you guys we just never talked about it. But tell me, and that way I can see what we can find," Ella said, interested. Gilbert took a sip of the wine, thinking of how to explain the dilemma they were in. He was sure their friend could actually help them. She was an architect and he knew she did some renovations from time to time, even if she was more focused on custom builts they could not yet afford and commercial buildings. And he knew her style and the quality of her work because he had been there as she developed it. But just not being able to explain it had been the reason he hadn't called her, at least not to talk about houses.

"We want something close to some nature. A trail, a creek, something not completely in the city, you know? And we want the place to actually have some charm and not be this… cookie cutter kind of house. So Anne leans naturally towards the turn of the century abandoned places that are falling down, and I towards… not cookie cutter houses that are actually newer and don't have a whole century of trouble on their backs."

"A century of trouble, as you say it, might not be so bad."

"I'm terrified of it being a pure waste of money, you know? She's even been forcing me to see this… renovation shows I don't care at all for and the only takeaway I have is how they always plan for something to go wrong, and then that goes wrong and many things more do and they end over budget every single time."

"Gilbert, why hadn't you talked properly with me about this? Getting counsel out of those shows won't really give you a good idea! They're tv shows!" she said, as if she couldn't believe him.

"I know! But for some reason she loves them, so…" he shrugged.

"Look, old houses do have problems. It's a fact. But ," she stressed on the word as Gilbert seemed about to interrupt her, "you can take that into account when making a proposal. Have a thorough inspection before. Have a good contract. I can go over it with you guys if you want… You know how much I want you out of that apartment."

"The apartment is fine…"

"It was perfect when it was only you, Gilbert, nobody denies that," Cole said, arriving with Fred and joining the conversation. "But honestly? It's small. Nice, and well cared for, but tiny."

"And it's about time you get a house, especially now that little Cordelia is on the way," Fred said, sitting on the floor and calling Bear with a toy.

"Don't call her that. Or him. And I know, it's exactly why we're looking for a place. We've actually gone to tons of them, it's just…"

"You're too focused on the details and Anne in the feeling," Cole provided.

"That!" Gilbert acquiesced, making a gesture towards Cole. Ella laughed, shaking her head.

"Gilbert, we can manage that stuff. In the office we have a great team for renovations. It's not my main area, but you know I would take the project in two seconds if you wanted me in it, and I would never charge you full price."

"But then if we have to deal with knob and…"

"Then you won't deal with it, the contractor will. And maybe I will. I won't allow for something to be done halfway, ok? Can you trust me with this?"

"Well, yes, it's just I'm concerned with the unexpected costs," he explained. Ella nodded, her eyes wandering off and Gilbert knew she was thinking about something.

"Let me just make a call, ok? I just had a thought come to mind and I have to check…" Ella said, getting up and going inside the house just as Anne came outside with Roy, both with slightly red eyes but looking relaxed and happy. She curled on the sofa against Gilbert, Cole on a chair next to her. Roy went to Cole's side.

"Are you ok, Anne-girl?" he asked, concerned.

"Perfect. Roy and I were just talking about some… College stuff. But it's so good now."

"You were crying?"

"Gil, I cry daily lately. Blame it on the bundle of hormones. And these are… mostly happy tears, to be honest," she said.

Cole extended his hand towards her and she accepted it. His friends squeezed it and caressed it, and Gilbert could see how Anne was relaxing. What had happened in college, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He knew those were the years she had gone out with Lincoln, and that alone made him wary of the details he still didn't know. But after breaking up with him… Clearly, someone had to have been around. Jerry. Diana. Cole. Roy . Her classmate from college.

"Ok! So, both of you, do you want to go see a house tomorrow?" Ella asked, her phone still up. "I promise you'll like it. Demo is already done, but the family that had bought it decided to let go of the project and is trying to sell it, because they're moving somewhere else. It's actually a pretty good deal, and the plans are already made and the permits acquired. If you like them, it is more of you choosing the finishes, but that alone would save you months. And no surprises, they've already been uncovered."

Anne looked at Gilbert, confused.

"I was telling her about our search for the house," he explained. She nodded and Ella looked at them, clearly waiting for an answer. "We'll go, Ella. Thanks."

"Afternoon works for you?"

"Whatever time, we don't have plans. Just let us know," Gilbert said. Ella nodded and went back inside to finish the call, coming back a minute later without the phone.

"So, this house is perfect for both of you. It has a couple of acres, which I'm not sure if you're actually looking for, but the focal point is the house. It's a tudor revival beauty, all brick, from the late eighteen hundreds. I was checking but I don't have any pictures on hand… It's in the middle of nowhere, close to a creek and they told me something about some trees on the back? Anyway, I have been wanting to go see forever because it was all everyone could talk about in the office a couple of months ago."

"Do you have any idea how much they're asking and how much the renovation is? I mean, we already agreed to see it, but it would be nice to know beforehand if it's actually within our budget," Gilbert asked.

"They're asking for 800,000 and I tell you, Gilbert, it's a steal. It's not even listed yet, they decided to sell it this week," Ella said. Gilbert nodded. That… could work. Maybe. "The renovation budget was 150,000, but that's including the demo and the plans and that's done and included in the price, unless you want big changes. And unless you have a radically different taste from the current owners, maybe it will be just a thing of adjusting the finishes to your taste without altering the plans."

"That could work, I think," he mumbled.

"So, what time? Where?" Anne asked, completely excited. The greatest fear Gilbert had about any older house was already uncovered here, so there was a chance this might be it. And trees on the back and a creek? Come on!

The rest of the afternoon with their friends was as good as it could be, and left both of them with a warm heart. They wouldn't be able to see them in weeks, maybe even longer, but at least they had enjoyed a nice afternoon together. The barbeque had transformed from lunch into snacks Anne had prepared with Fred as Roy had prepared cocktails Ella eyed jealously, and eventually the afternoon had transformed into night, full of jokes, anecdotes and in general a great time.

Fred had tried lighting a fire pit before admitting he had no idea and Ella and Gilbert had taken over with knowing looks. It had been that way for years, and they had always let him try first, hoping one day he would learn… But Fred apparently didn't have any kind of rustic or practical skill other than cooking and general cleaning, so he went to sit with Cole and Roy. They had been the first to admit they would not be the one lighting any kind of fire, and Anne was showing them the small blanket she was knitting for Alicia.

They only left when Anne had been so tired she had to admit it, when she had been denying it for hours. They knew they would see the Wrights the next day to see the house, but had no idea when they would see Cole and Roy again. For all they knew, it could be 2021 before they could see them again, and Anne felt strangely robbed for that. They had just moved to Ontario for the pandemic to keep them away from Gilbert and her! It was so frustrating… everything about the lockdowns, remembering March, hoping it wouldn't get as bad. At the very least, they would follow the guidelines and do what they could. So they gave them a warm hug and a promise to repeat the gathering again once the restrictions loosened. No one had wanted to venture a date, the feeling of the second wave looming over them.

Fred and Gilbert had talked about it a couple of times in the hospital: in sum, it didn't bode well. The cases had started going up in September, slowly at first, and there was no telling of when the wave would peak, but with the holidays fast approaching, they weren't too hopeful. Thanksgiving was barely a week away and they just knew some people would just ignore the restrictions and gather with family.

Still, they knew they would manage: there was still half of Ella's pregnancy, so hopefully by the time she gave birth they would be able to see her and support her in some measure. Gilbert was well aware that Ella's family wouldn't come to southern Ontario to meet the new addition and Fred's family worked full time, with no room to give much support. And they lived more than an hour away, so it wasn't like they could be within reach. Somehow, he and Anne were the closest support the Wrights had, and it went the other way as well. Well, Cole and Roy were kind of close, if it came to that, and they knew they would come to help either family…. If restrictions were loose by then. And Anne was due in the late spring of next year. June 4, but even he knew that could be misleading: the baby could come weeks earlier. Or later.

Maybe a vaccine would be available by then? Hopefully? And it would be safe for pregnant people? They didn't even want to hope for anything sooner… even if all the trials seemed promising in the pre-prints they had read.

The next morning they didn't have to put an alarm. Anne had woken up to pee a couple of times, and when she had seen it was already 6:30, she had given up. She felt slightly off and decided it might be just hunger, so she went to the kitchen and put some water to boil. She considered preparing some coffee for Gilbert as well, knowing he would be up soon, not being one to sleep much, especially since she was out of bed. She opened the can and sniffed it slightly, unsure. The first time she had vomited because of the nausea was Friday, and she didn't want a repeat performance if she could avoid it. It seemed to smell ok… so she went ahead and set the coffee pot.

She put on some music in a low volume as she prepared breakfast. She had baked bread a couple of days ago and it was something that, according to what she had read, should be neutral enough for her to not be too bad. And anyway, maybe the fish thing with the broccoli and the whole cafeteria smell had been too much and at home it would be manageable? She had done well the previous afternoon at the Wright's. Well. Fred knew by then what had been bad for Ella, so he had steered clear of that in a nod to Anne, so…

Oh well. She was going to eat what she pleased, she decided, annoyed, and if something happened to be bad she would take note. She wouldn't survive on crackers for weeks, that was a given. So she went to prepare what she had had in mind since she had woken up: bread with nut butter on top and banana and hemp hearts… yum.

The coffee pot started its characteristic sound and soon enough a whiff of coffee scent made its way to her. She hadn't particularly liked its smell at the beginning of the week and had followed the cues of her body enough so that she hadn't drunk it… But she hadn't had much problem the previous day as Gilbert had prepared coffee in the morning the same way they did every day.

She ignored it at first, holding to the idea that if it had been good enough for her to live around the previous day, she would still do it. But the "slightly off" feeling she'd had when she woke up, and that she hadn't been able to shake, only intensified. She breathed deeply, concentrating on the bread, but by then she had the feeling it was a lost cause: it was going the same way as lunch on Friday. She hurried to the bathroom and vomited whatever was left on her stomach from the previous day.

"Carrots, you're ok?" Gilbert asked, concerned. He had heard her from the bedroom and hurried to where she was. "I'll bring you some water," he added, going to the kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee found him, but as much as he loved it, he somehow knew it was the culprit. Either that or toast. He turned off the coffee pot and opened the windows, letting the fresh air in, and was serving a glass of water when Anne appeared on the threshold, still pale. He passed her the water. She tried some, wincing. It tasted bad.

"Thanks, Gil," she muttered.

"There's no need for me to have coffee, not if it makes you sick," he said, brushing her hair off her forehead. She nodded. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better," she admitted.

"Go sit, I'll finish this…Were you doing banana toast?" she nodded, and went to the island with the water and her cup of tea. "Why did you prepare coffee if you knew you're not liking it now?"

"I'm… seeing how it goes," she admitted. He lifted an eyebrow. "I'm not drinking it, but I just wanted to see if I could manage to be around it… I don't want to go around all paranoid if I don't have to."

"Well, we have the answer to you being around coffee now," he replied. "But I agree… You should try to eat as normal. It's not like you eat any of the contraindicated stuff on a regular basis anyway, so… Just keep up with how healthy you eat, depending on how you feel."

"That's my plan as well. And what dr. Oak recommended, anyway," she agreed.

"We'll have to see how you feel and adjust as we need," Gilbert said, taking the plates to the island where Anne was waiting for him. "So, ready to meet our new home later on today?"

"You sound very confident."

"I trust Ella. And apparently, it's an old house of the kind you like, with things we both were wishing for. So yes, I am a little bit confident," he admitted, hoping he wouldn't be disappointed. "So, are you ready?"

"I'll have to wait and see. I have to admit I'm very curious about the place… I just hope it lives up to what I'm imagining."