open .dot. spotify .dot playlist/6CqLxMfpi7Skm9efnyIMjE?si=5yM-lX5nT9W4L-M00YuZqA&dl_branch=1
They met with Ella and Fred, who had decided to tag along with Bear, at Tim Horton's to grab a coffee before going to the house. Anne was as excited as a kid meeting Santa and looked way too endearing in his old jacket. Gilbert had chuckled when she had raided his closet and decided the red plaid was hers to wear. He had not argued: he also believed that statement wholeheartedly and realized he had been keeping it stashed for many years out of sheer hope of just this happening. It hadn't fit him in years.
"Cordelia! How are you feeling today?" Fred asked her. Gilbert was with Ella and they were bickering in good humor as they went inside the coffee shop to get drinks for all of them, Anne preferring to stay outside with Fred.
"Tired. Excited. Hopeful. I'm actually counting on Ella to turn Gilbert around on the fixer-upper topic, because I don't want a boring house, Fred."
"You won't get a boring house, in the end he will go with whatever makes you truly happy and is within his budget."
"And has zero chance of having knob and tube wiring or black mold. I swear he's paranoid," Anne huffed. "How long was this… pucking stage for Ella?"
"About the first trimester. Eventually it went down around the tenth week or something like that. Is it giving you a hard time?" Fred looked at her, a bit concerned. Anne sighed. She didn't want to appear whiny, but she was feeling miserable and couldn't shake off the feeling of something not being completely right with the nausea she had. Or maybe all the books and movies were just too kind and didn't portray reality. It was just horrible.
"I'm sure it's normal, just… Not what I expected," she confessed. Fred squeezed her arm lightly in a way that was so reminiscent of how Matthew used to do that her eyes welled up with tears. Fred opened with eyes in concern. "It's nothing. Damn hormones. Just… Somehow, you reminded me of Matthew?"
"Your… dad, right?" he asked, a bit confused.
"It's weird, I know. I'm sorry. I honestly don't understand what's up with me, I'm so annoyed with this whole thing," she said, taking the tears off her eyes furiously. Fred passed her a tissue.
"Don't worry about it. You're lucky, somehow I just went through all this with Ella. And I don't mind at the very least to be a figure of someone you trust implicitly. It relieves me, to be honest, and doesn't freak me out that much. So relax. How's your brother doing?" Fred asked. Anne laughed, taking out her phone and passing it to Fred.
**Jerry (10:23): Sis, are you taking your vitamins? I remember Di had some that were special for the nausea… Please call me?
**Jerry (10:32): Please take care at that house? If it's under renovations it might have something dangerous…
**Jerry (10:33): Don't go over wood beams, please. I know you.
**Jerry (10:40): Sis?
**Bosom Friend (10:56): Please answer my husband. He's getting on my nerves.
"So in over protective mode?"
"After he was… apparently very happy he's had a few days of worrying about everything. I don't remember seeing him like that with Diana. Probably because she's less prone to accidents? I have no idea, but as much as I love him, I can't deal with him and protective Gilbert at the same time," she said, half exasperated and half fond, rolling her eyes as she petted Bear on the head, scratching behind the ears.
"Oh dear. I can see that might be a tad too much. I can deal with Blythe if he gets unbearable," Fred said, winking at her just as Gilbert and Ella went out, cups on each hand, laughing heartily. "I just love seeing those two together," Fred added, and Anne smiled. She could relate to that and really felt comfortable with Fred and Ella. It was the perfect family for Gilbert, and now for her, away from Avonlea. Gilbert gave her the chamomile tea she had asked for.
"So, ready to see this place? Ella is trying to brainwash me," he winked.
"I'm so ready for you to fall in love with this place, you have no idea, Gilbert," Ella explained as she gave Fred his drink, a chai. "So, you guys follow us?"
"Go ahead with Gilbert, I'll go with Anne, if that's alright," Fred proposed. Anne nodded, smiling. Gilbert shrugged, but followed Ella to his car. Bear looked at both sets and ran after Ella at the last minute. Fred chuckled watching as Gilbert opened the door as if he had been expecting the dog to follow them. "I'm sorry about that. Ella just told me to do this so she could talk with Gilbert about the technical stuff that apparently scares the shit out of him before he ever saw the house, and she thinks you're not that interested in knowing the state of the pipes."
"I don't care about pipes, I just care about the feeling of the house. Well, I do care about pipes, obviously, I just don't rule out houses based on them."
"What are you expecting, Anne? Out of the house. Ella might be trying to set realistic expectations for Gilbert, but I would also like to do that with you, you know?" he said, as he pulled off and followed Ella's lead. Anne sighed. She wasn't even sure of what she was looking for. Some idea of Green Gables?
"I'm afraid to be looking for something that can't quite exist," she confessed after a few minutes of silence, during which Fred didn't pressure her. "I just want something that reminds me of home. And before you say anything, I do know that I'll build a home wherever with Gilbert, but there are some places that really speak to you, you know? Like when you meet someone and you just feel you've met a kindred spirit? And then you build over that."
"And how will you know when you see that?"
"Oh, believe me, I'll just know. When something is right, you just know it," she said, feeling completely sure of herself. Fred nodded.
"I just don't want you to have some unrealistic set of expectations," Fred insisted. "How are your appointments with Patel going?"
"Good. It feels like night and day. I actually spoke with him about the house too… And little baby. I've been meaning to thank you for convincing me to try this."
"So it has helped you?"
"Amazingly. I… don't think I'm ready to let go of it yet, but it already feels like night and day. We're going down to once a week next week," Anne replied. Fred nodded, following Ella into a small side street that was flanked with trees. "We're getting close?"
"I actually don't know where we're going, I just wanted to see you both while we can, and Ella wanted to have Gilbert for the… piping stuff. And the electrical. I don't even know, the construction stuff. Oh, and we're turning again..." Fred said, following Ella to an even smaller side road that could fit only a car. They were getting there, that much was evident. The trees were closer together and suddenly they were at a gate. Gilbert went to open it and waited until Fred entered before closing it again. He walked behind them as Ella parked. There was already one car, Anne imagined it was the realtor.
But that wasn't what really caught her attention. The house behind it was stunning, two storeys, the detail on the brick highlighting all its character. She looked at Fred, a glimmer in her eyes. But then she turned to look again at the house and looked at the tree with yellowing leaves that was peaking just around the corner.
"This is it, Fred," she assured him as he finally stopped the car and she went out running, bypassing Gilbert, Ella and the realtor and going directly around the corner to have a look at the cherry tree that was just there, as if waiting for her. She snapped a picture as Gilbert rushed behind her.
**Anne S-C (11:05): You're horribly nosy. Tone it down, Jerry, seriously.
**Anne S-C (11:06): However, I need to see if it's just me or… what do you think of this? [Photo]
"Anne-girl?" Gilbert called her, worry in his voice. When he had seen her going around the house in a hurry he had first thought it might be nausea, but then he had seen the tree and had excused himself from the realtor and the Wrights. "You're ok?"
"This is it, Gil. Look at her," she said, going to where he was waiting for her and hugging him.
"You don't want to see it inside? Ella has been telling me it's down to the bare bones, but incredible."
"Let's see inside. But I just feel it, Gil," she insisted. He dropped a kiss on her head.
"You scared me for a moment, Carrots," he murmured, breathing her in. She sighed into him and turned to look at the tree again.
"She reminds me of the Snow Queen," she murmured. "Did you know about this tree?"
**Jerry (11:08): Home.
**Jerry (11:08): And I'm not nosy. You're my redheaded sis and I worry. Take more pictures! I want to see everything.
"No, Anne-girl. Ella was very insistent on… how it was a charming house and then told me all about that stuff you always roll your eyes about," Gilbert chuckled and saw as Anne smiled softly at her phone. She had known her brother would also get the idea. "What's up?"
"Just Jerry. Let's go back, I do want to see the place. So, how demolished is this place, exactly?" Gilbert nodded. He had to call him.
"We could do whatever we wanted with the layout on the first floor. The second floor just has holes in the walls where they changed the wiring and the piping."
"So that's done?" Anne asked. Because as little as she cared for the material of the piping, she did know it could be bad if it was too old. They used to have some problems at Green Gables with that. She just was a believer of finding a great place and then hiring someone who knew about the stuff instead of worrying, and focusing more on just the aesthetics.
"That's done. Also tested for asbestos and there isn't. No mold either."
"So this has passed your filters?" she asked, the hope evident in her eyes.
"The main ones, we just have to see how it is inside," he acquiesced as they reached the others. "Anne, this is Justin, the realtor. Justin, this is… Anne," he introduced them. He really needed to call Jerry. He didn't feel at ease about proposing without speaking with him first. And he felt if he didn't call, he would receive a call himself for knocking up his sister and he wanted to avoid that.
"So! Let's get started…" Justin said, excited. Fred had Bear on a short leash, the dog waving his tail. "He can come inside, I'm sure they won't mind… unless he pees inside?"
"He's potty trained," Ella said. "Don't worry about it, Justin. Let's go, I'm eager to show them the ideas we have for the place."
They entered a space that was, just as they had already told them, tore down to the barest of things. Ella explained the family that was selling had wanted to go for an open concept, so most of the walls in the lower floor had been torn down and the space looked huge. She went on explaining how the distribution of the kitchen may go and how the fireplace that had been left in place could be restored to its former glory. Anne followed her, picturing everything on her head as Gilbert stayed behind with Fred. He could actually picture the little girl of his dream running along the space, some warm hardwood floor, the walls whitewashed and the space cozy. The original floors were dusty, and the moldings that remained could be original as well. The renovation was clearly under way and if they decided it was the right place, he guessed they could realistically move before Anne was due. Probably months before that.
"You have a face, Blythe, I would actually say you're going soft," Fred teased him. Gilbert chuckled.
"I'm soft at heart, Freddie. This is it. I can tell. Just look at her," he motioned towards Anne, making motions to Ella and Justin as she explained the vision she had for a huge kitchen island where she could put all her baking.
"So you don't actually mind if it's an old place?"
"Of course not. I don't mind old places, I mind not knowing stuff. And here that's already taken care of, so no, I don't worry. I can actually picture us here, you know? Kids and all. Anne having nature close by… and it's not so far from the hospital. What do you say, half an hour tops?"
"Probably. Maybe not even that. A longer commute than what you're used to, but doable," Fred said. "How many rooms does it have?"
"Four upstairs. And Ella told me there was something like a study on this floor. The basement is unfinished, but I wouldn't want to deal with that right now. It's enough with all this," Gilbert replied, walking to a door frame and entering the space. Fred followed him. It was a decent sized study and he could see himself sharing it with Anne. Each their own desk, bookcases along the walls. There was a smaller fireplace there as well. "Anne?"
"What's… oh, like a study? We could put a couch here… bookcases around the fireplace… And look at the windows! You can see the cherry tree from here!"
"I know, it's why I called you. So, want to head upstairs?"
"Yes, let's go," she said, holding his stretched hand.
"Careful with the stairs, there's no rail," Ella said. "I'll wait for you guys down here, but call me if you need anything." They went down a few minutes later. Anne had decreed the master bedroom, the nursery and the guestroom. The other room, she was still undecided.
"Ella, you mentioned something yesterday about some acres?"
"That's right. The property has three acres," Justin explained. "There used to be an orchard in two of them, but I'm afraid it wasn't taken care of by the last couple of owners and we're not…"
"I'm sorry, Justin. You mean an orchard? As in…" Gilbert asked, not quite believing what was happening.
"Apple trees. Just without any maintenance for the past couple of decades, so we can't tell how much added value there is to that. They're just counting them as land," Justin explained. Gilbert laughed and Anne smiled. "Is everything alright?"
"Ella, you knew this?" Gilbert asked. She shook her head, evidently amused as well.
"This guy grew up in an orchard, he has a cidery in PEI," Fred provided to Justin, who was evidently confused. The realtor opened his eyes in realisation. "If anyone can get those two acres productive, it's him."
"Not me. More like Elijah. I can't grow a weed. But once he has it running, we can hire some people to maintain it and then see… I'll have to discuss it with Bash to see if it's worth the investment. But what do you say, Anne-girl?"
"This is it, Gil. I told you when we were outside, I'm telling you now. This is home. I just know it," she said before turning to Fred, who was smiling. "See? I told you. I can recognize a kindred spirit, even if it takes the shape of a house."
"You don't want to see the orchard?" Justin asked. Gilbert shrugged but Anne seemed excited and they all went out the back door, walking down a hill.
"I just have to see it, Gil. Remember October back home? The apples were the sweetest… And if there's apple trees and we're in October…"
"There has to be apples," Gilbert finished her thought. She nodded, excited. And it was the perfect way of knowing the state of the orchard as well. They didn't walk two minutes before a gust of wind brought him back to his childhood. "There are."
"Blythe, how do you even…"
"Smell, Wright, smell," Gilbert replied. And sure enough, five minutes later they were surrounded by very bushy apple trees, many of them charged in their branches, apples rotting on the floor. He walked directly to one and looked at the apples, selecting a couple of perfectly ripe ones and tossing them to the others. "McIntosh."
"Like your phone brand in the nineties?" Ella asked. Gilbert snorted. Anne took a bite of her apple, relishing in the sweet, slightly tart taste. Familiar. Like being with Gilbert in an orchard. This was right.
"Like the apple variety McIntosh, Ella. Honestly, I believed I had shown you about apples at least. It's the only food thing I can get around."
"Not all their names… I remember I like pink delicious," Ella conceded. Anne shook her head, smiling. "I didn't grow up in the country like you two, and my family has my cooking skills!" She tried the apple. "My god, this is delicious, Gilbert. Buy this house if only for giving us your apples," Ella said. Gilbert looked at Anne. She had already spoken her mind, but… her shiny eyes said all he needed. He turned to the realtor.
"So, Justin… How do we make an offer? What's the asking price? Ella already mentioned to me that all the inspection paperwork is up to date and most issues have been solved, so I think we're ok without a new inspection."
"$800,000 plus closing costs, but they're willing to negotiate," he answered. Gilbert nodded. "They're also including the renovation plans because they're paid for and they have no use for them."
"Do you think we could manage to pay full price, but have them cover the closing costs?" she proposed to Gilbert.
"We could try that. Justin?"
"It's a good offer. And they are trying to sell fast. Let me call them, ok?" they nodded and looked as he walked to make the call.
"So, do you guys want to see the designs or… I mean, you are going blind in this," Ella said, a bit of worry in her eyes.
"You mentioned the approximate cost of the renovation yesterday, Ella. And you've always been good with budgets. It's within our budget, even if we had some unexpected expenses. And I have seen all your designs… As long as you or someone you trust is in charge, this doesn't worry me."
"And it has a cherry tree and an orchard. It's meant to be," Anne added. Fred smiled, shaking his head slightly, and went to walk in between the rows of apple trees with Bear.
"They will let us know in the next few days. Just in case, how much are you willing to go up if they don't accept the offer?" Justin asked when he came back. Anne shrugged and looked at Gilbert.
"Try with half the closing. If they still reject it, go with the full offer. When do you think we'll know more about it?"
"I'll call you as soon as I have news. Probably before Wednesday," Justin said as they walked back to the cars. Anne snapped a couple of pictures to send Jerry, Diana and Cole.
Those first few days after finding out the news about the baby were slow and loving, even if busy with friends and finding their first home, and all the excitement that entailed. However, whenever they were alone and not filing paperwork, they just focused on themselves, on snuggling and just enjoying each other's company, imagining all the baby could ever grow to be. The surprise and joy from the first couple of days seemed blurry and it had been replaced with a quiet emotion and plenty of questions. How would this new person be? What would their tastes and interests be like? Would they have red hair like their mom, or curly like their dad? What could they do to ensure a happy childhood for their kid?
Anne still felt tired more days than not, but was trying to keep up with the impulse she'd had after talking with Gilbert. This included making a good plan for the whole project, which seemed to bring out energy from where she didn't know she had it, especially since she didn't recall a time she felt so physically tired. In the afternoons, when Gilbert arrived, she was eager to show him whatever she had advanced that day.
Taking advantage of Diana's marketing knowledge, she had spoken with her about how she could make her ideas more attractive and easier to understand. She had probably watched more videos than necessary, and then rewatched over and over again, but the next weekend she had a functioning website that wasn't completely horrible and that was, according to the internet and Jerry, on the most versatile platform. Gilbert couldn't quite believe how fast her determination was moving her, and by the beginning of the following week, she started making an outline of publications to write.
It almost seemed too fast to be true, until she realized she was only putting into paper (or well, screen) all the ideas she had repressed while working as a teacher, or that she had had as a student but hadn't thought about how to share. Everything was already there, and she was just pouring it out and trying to organize and make sense of it all.
Sending initial drafts to Mary, Bash, Diana and Jerry, she made sure she was writing in a way that was actually appealing to parents. She shared sneak peaks on her instagram, thinking if it was worth creating a whole new account or just keep sharing things there. As Gilbert had said, maybe the students that had taken to following her had nephews (or maybe even kids of their own?).
Still waiting for news from the publishers, for once she wasn't obsessing with her inbox, refreshing it every half an hour, but actually doing more things. She tried to balance things with what her body was telling her to do, and took more naps than what she was used to, but still felt the days were short, Gilbert appearing on the door when she least expected him.
She had banned the one cup of coffee in the morning (and had told Gilbert to please get it at the hospital) since the slight dislike she had felt for a couple of days had suddenly transformed into an overt repulsion on Sunday. He had come back one afternoon with the tea Fred had offered to her in the hospital, making Anne smile.
Other than that, as she was the one to usually cook at home, she had been able to go with her intuition and kind of balance the nausea she could sense looming just around the corner. She wasn't entirely sure of how she would cope once they decided to go out to eat, but there would be a time to worry about that. For now, she was grateful about only being tired, with achy breasts and aversion to coffee. And many pee-trips. And an increasing amount of nausea.
"Blythe? What happened now?" Gilbert heard Jerry's voice on the other side of the line. It was Thursday afternoon and he had just received a call from Justin confirming they had accepted their initial offer. He frowned slightly at the slightly exasperated tone.
"Nothing bad, Jerry," he explained. "How are you? Are you busy?"
"Free as a bird. What's up?"
"There's a couple of things I've been meaning to talk with you about," Gilbert commented, walking along the path in Confederation. He had decided to make a stop there on the way home, figuring he better did the call once and for all.
"Ok, tell on," Jerry said. Gilbert sighed. Where to start? He was so decided to talk with Jerry about it first, but had never actually thought of what to say. Because it's not like he was going to ask for his blessing. Anne was too independent and would have his head if he ever went about it that way. "Blythe?"
"You're the closest thing Anne has to a family. With Diana and Cole," Gilbert said finally.
"She's my sister, yes."
"I… I actually wish I could have this conversation with Matthew, but in his absence… You're her family as much as Bash is mine. And so… I've told you before, I'm serious about what I have with Anne. Yes, I know I've made mistakes in the past… But she's it for me, Jerry. She has always been."
"I know, Blythe," Jerry's voice was serious, but at least he wasn't yelling at him in French or Chiac. Yet.
"We're having a baby. One we were trying for, before you get any ideas. You're going to be his uncle… And we feel like everything is so full of love," Gilbert continued.
"I know. I was there when she found out. It's… It makes me really happy, Blythe. For both of you. It is right. It's just, when we talked the last time, that's not what I thought you had in mind…"
"It was not the thing I mentioned back then because at the time the priority was Anne. I mean, she always is, hence me calling you… But last time we talked, there was this situation with Winifred to deal with and I was way more stressed about getting things right than about telling you anything else about my relationship with your sister or our plans," Gilbert explained. He swallowed as Jerry didn't say anything. "Look, I know I'm not your favorite person in the world. We're not close. We don't have much in common other than a girl we love with every bit of ourselves and for who we would give everything…"
"You've kind of grown on me," Jerry said. Gilbert huffed.
"Don't feel obliged to say that, Jerry. It doesn't really change things."
"It does. Because the way this call is going I feel you're just circling around trying to figure out how to tell me you're going to propose," Gilbert blinked. Was he that obvious? "And if you go through with that, we're going to be brothers in law. So it is fitting that, if we're going to be that, and if I will be the uncle of your kids… We actually have a modicum of esteem for the other. So get that weight off your shoulders. You're going to propose, right?"
"Yes. It's not like I want your permission," Gilbert said. It was the turn for Jerry to snort. "You know Anne. But I just… It feels right telling you first. Not getting your blessing, but… Just to know what you think, know we're on the same page."
"Blythe, you were always going to propose to Anne if she ever let you speak to her again. This year she did that. So it was always a matter of time. It's not a surprise. It's a fact of life. When are you doing it?"
"Probably in a couple of weeks," Gilbert confessed, not really knowing how to feel about Jerry's words.
"Why the wait?"
"I… don't know. I don't want to do it over Thanksgiving. I want to take her somewhere special. So when we manage to go there, I guess," Gilbert said.
"Do you have a ring yet?"
"My mother's. Already fitted to her size… Cole had it on hand. He thinks she'll like it as well. It's a gold band with a sapphire solitaire," Gilbert explained. They were in silence for a moment. He looked at the water. "Hey, Jerry…"
"I know you'll care for her. And make sure she accomplishes every goal she sets for herself," Jerry cut him.
"Thank you. For the trust."
"You've kind of earned it. Don't lose it."
"Right."
"Go home to her. There's no sense to keep this conversation any longer than it is. Have you heard back about the house? She sent me pictures. Said there was an orchard as well."
"There is. McIntosh apples… I don't know if there is anything else. The realtor called me during lunch. It's ours. Don't tell her yet, I want to say it in person."
"Congratulations. You'll make good memories there. When are you closing?"
"Tomorrow afternoon, they wanted it quick because they're moving to Manitoba," Gilbert replied, walking back to the car. He would go pick up some cake to celebrate. "I hope you guys come to visit when… all this is better. And we do have to wait for the renovation to be done before moving in."
"So next year. How's it going over there? The virus?"
"Cases are increasing... I mean, it was expected with the drop in the weather and everything moving indoors… But I'm worried, Jerry. It doesn't bode well for the winter. They just started to tighten the restrictions and I can't just shake the feeling they should be doing more."
"Well, you take care as much as you can. Keep Anne safe. I know you're maniacal about that, so keep it up, ok?" Gilbert chuckled lowly.
"I will. You take care of Di and Marie, ok? I have to go, I just got to the car."
"Right. Say hello to Anne."
"Sure thing. Same there. Take care," Gilbert said before hanging up. He sat on the car, engine still off. That had… gone surprisingly better than what he had thought it could go. But it had been weird, Jerry guessing the reason for the call. Was he that obvious? He shook his head. He had always been. Anne had been the only one in the world not to pick up how madly he loved her, much to his chagrin. Oh, well. They were together now. Starting a family. Everything would be good. So, now he had the ring and he had spoken with Jerry… There was nothing between him and the proposal. He breathed deeply. It was about time for this time of their lives to start.
"Gil?"
"Anne?" he replied, looking up from his book. They were spending a quiet afternoon on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. She was finally about to finish that little cardigan and he was finally enjoying the book Fred had gifted him for his birthday. Letting it rest for a couple of weeks had done the trick.
"So, I was thinking… For Thanksgiving, I know we can't actually have dinner with everyone because of the restrictions… But couldn't we still do something?"
"Like…?" he asked, putting a finger in between the pages to give her his full attention. He would also like to spend Thanksgiving with their friends. It was something of a tradition to spend it with Fred's family by then. This year, pandemic and all, felt like the year he had more to be thankful for and he didn't just want to brush it.
"Well, I was just thinking, maybe I could try making a couple of apple pies? Or pumpkin pies… I don't know. Something like that that we can carry easily. And maybe drop them and have a nice chat from the car, proper distance and all?" she proposed, her hands still knitting rhythmically. Gilbert smiled.
"It sounds like a good plan, Carrots. Should we go shopping for anything?"
"We do have a lot of apples right now," she said, a broad grin on her face. He laughed. They did indeed. "We could go to the house and grab some… Make a picnic out of it? I mean, the weather's still kind of nice, if we bring a blanket."
"I'm sure we can manage. We can stop at the supermarket on the way back if you need to pick any more ingredients. I'll help you cook," he proposed. She nodded. "So, tomorrow morning? That way we have the whole afternoon for cooking."
"Sounds perfect. Thank you for letting me get away with this," she said.
"Thank you for the idea, Anne-girl. I would have really liked to be with them… But there again, I get to be with you, and that's the one thing I'm more grateful for this year," he confessed. She smiled at him. "How can you even knit and not look?"
"I do look, just not all the time. It's practice. Remember Alicia's blanket?" she asked, suddenly remembering something. He nodded. "I was thinking of doing another one. For mini Blythe, here."
"That would be nice," Gilbert said, just picturing it as he had done some weeks ago as they had shopped for yarns. "What colour would you do it?"
"I don't know yet. I like the idea of sage green, but I'm not sure. I'll finish this first before deciding anything, but do you have any preference?"
"I like the idea of sage green. Not pastel, but like the one that's kind of silvery?"
"That's what I was thinking," she said. He nodded and saw as she left the whole thing on the coffee table. "Do you want something to drink?"
"I'll just get a cider, but let me go with you," he said, putting the receipt he was using to mark the page back in again and following her. She put the kettle on and hopped on the counter as she did sometimes while she waited. "You look better now than this morning, how are you feeling?"
"Not nauseous, right now," she said. Gilbert saw something cross her eyes for a second and raised an eyebrow.
"But?"
"I don't feel nauseous, Gil. I… I don't even know how to say it. Just off, I guess?" she explained. He furrowed, but dropped the subject. It had been her answer for the past week and he was starting to get concerned. He went over the fridge and took out a can of cider and hoped next to her. She laughed. He had never sat beside her.
"I just wanted to see what the fuzz was about," he said, nudging her, before having a drink. "You will tell me if you feel something is truly off, right?"
"Of course. I just wouldn't know what to look for," she confessed.
"Cramps, bleeding… and your gut feeling," he said. "And anything that concerns you."
"Ok," she conceded. He smiled softly and gave her a peck. "But off is normal, right?"
"Tired is normal. Off is a bit vague, Anne-girl."
"Right. Well. Maybe I'm tired. Growing your kid is a tiring endeavour, apparently," she joked and he laughed.
"It's your kid too, Carrots," he said, nudging her teasingly with a smile.
Anne fell asleep almost without noticing it. She had had more nausea that day than the previous ones, which seemed to be something all on its own, and when Gilbert saw she was starting to drift over after having lunch (and keeping it down) he didn't say anything and just covered her with a throw. They were in the middle of the small orchard that was part of the house they had just bought. The renovation would continue on Monday under Ella's careful watch, but it was Sunday and the place was deserted of workers. And they had nothing to do in the orchard anyway. He stood up after cleaning up everything and putting the tuppers back in the bag, and grabbed the totes Anne had brought to put the apples in, thinking he might as well get on with the matter at hand.
He walked in between the rows of overgrown apple trees selecting the best fruits he could see, not caring about the amount. Whatever Anne didn't use in the pies, they could gift to their friends. He fell into the rhythm and focused state of mind he used to have as a kid, when he helped with the harvest in the orchard in Avonlea, ignoring everything else. Only when he was going back to where Anne was sleeping, eating the last apple he had picked, he noticed she had woken and was pointing her phone at him. He smiled, shaking his head slightly in disbelief at how she always seemed to be taking pictures of him.
"Good nap?"
"The best," she replied smiling. She yawned and saw the bags on his shoulders. "Those many apples?"
"I figured we could give them to Fred and Cole if you don't use everything… I got a little carried away, to be honest," he confessed, leaving them on one side of the blanket. She laughed as he sat next to her, hugging her. "How are you feeling, Carrots?"
"Better, now," she said as she snuggled against him. He kissed the top of her head. She turned in his arms, searching his lips, and kissed him slowly. He tasted sweet like the fruit as she sucked his lower lip and he was soon corresponding with increasing fervor, feeling as her fingers tangled in his curls. She let go of him for just a second to look at him in the eyes, catching her breath.
"You're good, Anne-girl?" he asked, confused between her previous malaise and her sudden forwardness.
"Of course I am, Gil. I'm not that breakable," she replied, before kissing him on the chin and then trailing down his jaw with nibbles and kisses. He sighed, not having really expected that from the lazy picnic they had planned and the drowsiness she had woken up with in the morning. "You looked so good as you were walking here," she mumbled in his ear before alternately kissing and sucking his neck as she breathed in his scent.
His hands were going up and down her back and her sides over the plaid jacket she insisted on wearing, until eventually they found themselves under the heavy fabric and the cotton fabric of her t-shirt, against her soft, warm skin. Hers went under the thick knit sweater he was wearing under his jean jacket, not quite able to deal with the concealed suspenders. He sighed in pleasure at the feeling of her lips, turning his head to capture them with his own. He rested his forehead against hers, putting a bit of distance between them.
"Not that I'm complaining, Carrots… but what caught you?" he asked smiling, because she hadn't been this enthusiastic for the past couple of weeks, the wear of the pregnancy and the nausea overpowering her most of the time. Except for that time in the kitchen. That he hadn't expected either. She chuckled.
"You? I don't know, Gil, but I'm not about to complain," she mumbled, looking at him with hooded eyes. "Just looking at you walking here, carrying a ton of apples and… Do I really need a reason?"
"Never, dear. You just surprised me, but there again, you always do," he said, kissing her forehead and hugging her again, unsure of taking anything further in the middle of an open field. Even when the open field was actually theirs and surrounded by more trees and no real close neighbors. Anne sighed, staying there a moment, but then deciding she was not going to let go. For the first time in days she didn't feel about to vomit and she was going to take advantage of it. She searched for his lips again, one of her hands trailing to the edge of his black denim. "Carrots…" he said, his voice cautious, before swallowing.
"Come on, Gil, what's going to happen?" she mumbled against his neck, feeling under her hand how clearly he was more excited than what he was letting on with his measured tone.
"No idea," he said, closing his eyes, "But that doesn't mean we're not in the open."
"It wouldn't be the first time," she whispered against his ear, grabbing his lobe in between her teeth as her hand caressed his growing erection over the denim. "And then there were fewer layers in between us," she added, eliciting a groan as he remembered that day over the summer, the first day they had actually come together. He knew how she was pressing his buttons and he didn't even know if to feel admiration or annoyance at that, as she continued sucking his throat in between kisses.
"Jeez, Carrots," he tried again, feeling his determination to not do anything in the open grow increasingly smaller under her touch. She went over his collarbone, her hand undoing the button of his jeans. "Fuck it," he mumbled, his hands going to her cheeks and bringing her close to him, giving her a searing kiss. They parted, panting. "You're going to be the death of me," he declared, looking at her flushed cheeks and full lips.
"That's not true," she whispered. "I just want you," she insisted, moving forward to kiss him again.
"We'll freeze, Carrots. It's 8ºC," he mumbled against her lips, suddenly coming to a realization. He let go of her. "Come."
"What? I don't want to go home yet," she said. She wanted him and she was not going to let this go. The car drives were not that pleasant and she didn't want to lose this now. She was feeling good. She wanted it. Even if it was kind of chilly, if she was being honest. She wasn't looking forward to shedding any layer, but her desire for him was greater than the fresh weather.
"Anne-girl," he said, looking at her intently, "you already are."
"Wha…." she started, but stopped mid-word. They were home. That orchard, it was theirs. And there was a perfectly good house not one hundred meters waiting for them.
Anne nodded, finally putting some distance between them. Gilbert stood up and she did the same. She grabbed the blanket they had been on, as well as the throw she had used for her nap, as he carried the bags with apples and the vestige of their lunch, and together they walked to the house.
Gilbert opened the back door easily and they came in, the walls bare, the old wooden floor exposed, dusty and unfinished, the drywall with the taping still fresh. The pipes exposed where the kitchen would be, the sun shining through the dusty, dirty windows. Piles of supplies and tools on a corner. He let the bags next to the door frame and closed it behind Anne. She was carrying the blankets close to her, a bundle of yarn and fleece in between her hands. He stared at her, her rosy cheeks and her wild hair and caressed her face with the back of his hand.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she replied, a small smile that was captured in his lips as they kissed her thoroughly, bringing her close, the blankets still in her arms, a ball in between them. He let go of her for a moment and took them from her hands. She looked as he shook them, putting one on top of the other in the spot where a ray of sun was warming the floor.
They kicked her shoes off, their eyes not leaving each other and they met in the middle of the cushy floor. He leaned down to kiss her, trying to resume what they had been working on outside with a gentler rhythm. She returned the kiss, her hands going behind his neck, bringing him closer to her, having none of it.
He soon lost his attempt to be gentle as Anne decided she really was feeling well and she would absolutely make the most of it. Her hands moved slowly towards his shoulders, pushing the jean jacket and throwing it to the floor. She kissed the side of his neck, pushing the high neck to the side to gain more access as he caressed her back, kissing her neck as well. She retreated for a second, looking at him.
"Take this off?" she said, tugging the wool. He chuckled and pulled it over his head. She pushed the suspenders to the side and took his shirt off his pants, opening the top couple of buttons to kiss him. He was so warm, his smell enticing her to come closer. He caressed her under the t-shirt again, brushing against her bra, but not willing to undress her. It really was fresh, even inside the house. She looked at him.
"I don't want you getting chilly," he explained before kissing her.
"I don't care about the cold. I care about feeling you," she replied as she broke the kiss, taking the jacket and the t-shirt off, standing just in her bra and jeans in front of him. Okay. So it was fresh, she decided as she felt her hairs stand all at once. He kneeled and got the jacket again, chuckling.
"It is cold, Carrots," he said, hugging her and draping the jacket over her nacked shoulders. He searched for her lips again and she melted into the warmth of his embrace. But still, she wanted to feel him. To… Her hands went to his buttons and opened them slowly. He shrugged the shirt off, feeling the chill but not actually minding it as he leaned lower to kiss her chest. She raised her arms to cross them again over his neck, and the jacket fell off her shoulders to the floor. His warm hands caressed her exposed back, reaching for her bra clasp. He undid it easily and stepped slightly back as he took it off. He looked at her in the eyes. "You're cold."
"I'm not!" she protested.
"Anne-girl… How about you put on the jacket?" he proposed. She bit her lips, thinking, as Gilbert took the jacket again. "Put it on. I'm not saying dress completely, just… cover yourself slightly? That way you're warm… and I get to do this," he said grinning, leaning forward and kissing her breast, that was finally not as tender as it had been the previous weeks. Something she had gleefully told Gilbert about in the morning as she dressed. She inhaled shakily, half because of the sensation and half because it really was cold and his warm mouth contrasted with the chill. He looked at her again and showed her the jacket. She put it directly over her bare torso and Gilbert grinned wickedly, suddenly realizing the view he had in front of him.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said, offering his hand and inviting her to lean on the blankets. He hovered over her, giving open-mouthed kisses all over her chest, calmly. Her hands caressed his back, her nails tracing soft teasing lines. "It's kind of embarrassing, I guess," he finally said in between kisses, "but back in highschool…" he continued, his kisses trailing lower, to the hem of her jeans. He undid the button and the zipper, and she lifted her hips so he could pull them down. He kissed her just where her cotton panty ended. "I used to fantasize…" he continued kissing along the hem "...about making love to you like this…" he pushed it down slowly, looking up to see her propped on her elbows, only wearing the plaid jacket, her hair all messy around it, her mouth partially opened. "...wearing only that…" he continued trailing down, getting impossibly closer to her center. "...I just remembered that," he finished, his voice hoarser than usual, just before going to her center, licking it slowly and making her gasp, her pelvis moving forward.
She didn't know if it was how turned on she was because she felt nausea-free in the moment, or what he was doing, or what his words implied, or even if there was anything related to the pregnancy, but she couldn't contain her whispers, and whimpers and moans as he brought her to a hard release way quicker than any of them had anticipated. His tongue continued to caress her folds, her nub, with a calm insistence that brought her closer and closer to a tipping point as he seemed to drink her in. She came strongly, loudly, precipitously and stayed still, watching the bare beams of the ceiling while she tried to catch her breath again.
"You're… ok, Carrots?" he felt the need to ask. It had been so strong and so quick he felt a little taken aback after she had had days of nothing being able to interest her.
"I… I believe so, Gil," she replied, making an effort to stand on her shoulders again and looking at him. He was kneeling in between her legs, looking at her, his chin still slightly wet, his eyes soft. She was a sight for sore eyes. "Again, why are you wearing pants?" she asked, not getting why she always lost her clothes before him. He laughed, reaching for his shirt and cleaning himself. "Take them off and come here, Gilbert Blythe," she said. He stood up and pushed his pants off and did as she said, lying by her side. He kissed her softly.
"What do you want, Anne-girl? I want you to feel good," he said. She smiled and sat, before straddling him, both her hands on his chest.
"You made me feel good. And I want to give back as well," she said, lowering to kiss him. She moved over to his ear and sucked on it lightly. "Tell me more about that fantasy of yours, Slateface?" she whispered, and felt him take air sharply. Was she truly doing this? This was already beyond anything his poor 18 or 19 year old mind could ever come up with. She kissed him below the ear, just where she knew it undid him. "So…?"
"It was just you on that jacket," he managed. "I… There wasn't much, Carrots," he whispered, his voice strained. She kissed him again.
"I'm sure there was something else," she prompted, going lower on his neck and hearing him groan. She moved against him, feeling his erection against her center, but not quite entering. "Tell me, Gil?" He tried thinking back, what his mind had come up with at the time. He knew he always longed for Anne on top of him, doing whatever she wanted with him- because in the end, he never was anything if she wasn't by his side.
"You… wearing that…" he said, his voice hoarse, the image coming slowly to his mind, unburying itself from a ton of older fantasies and memories. "On the library at my place…" he gasped as Anne bit his neck and proceeded to trail down open mouthed kisses, going over his collarbone and down to his chest. "We would be studying… but somehow I would…" he stopped to gasp as she licked and sucked his nipple. "Fuck, Anne…" he let escape, forgetting what he had been saying.
"So, study?" she prompted looking at him, stopping.
"Study… I would try… to make an advance," he swallowed, jerking forward as Anne's hand trailed down and grabbed his erection, trying desperately to keep talking, to remember, to somehow concentrate while she made it impossible to do so. "Goodnes, Carrots!" she looked at him, moving her hand slowly. "Fuck, so… so you would seem to ignore it… sweet goodness, that feels good," he said, closing his eyes to force himself to focus. "But then you would… you would push my books to the… to the side and…" he stopped talking as Anne seemed to shift and he opened his eyes to find her lowering her mouth on him. She stopped and looked at him, not doing anything. He swallowed, not even knowing if he could keep up. "You would… you would straddle me and… Anne! Holy fuck!" he exclaimed, making her chuckle, which in turn made him gasp once again as he felt the vibrations around his erection. "We would find ourselves with no clothes… but you would… you would somehow be wearing that," he said quickly. He closed his eyes again, his hands covering his eyes, remembering how she would lower herself on him. He never lasted much longer than that as a teen, in the darkness of his room. "And you would… straddle… and… lower... " he stammered. He felt himself coming closer and closer and looked for some strength. "Anne, I'm about to… please stop," he managed, because he was too close and still wanted to… be in her. Somehow. She looked at him, tilting his head. "Come up?" he asked, out of breath, voice strained, and she saw that it wasn't that she was doing anything wrong, just that… She smiled and straddled him, lowering to kiss him and nibble on his lower lip.
"Like this?" she asked, her entrance still hovering over his tip, sending chills over their bodies. He nodded, speechless as she lowered herself on him.
She started moving and he groaned loudly, not able to contain it. She found a good pace, his hands finding her hips, holding them tightly, holding her gaze before his eyes wandered to her perky breasts. They moved with the rhythm she was setting, framed with the plaid fabric on either side. He felt himself coming impossibly close to his peak, but he wanted this to last at least a moment, so he distracted himself from the sensations by burying his face on her bosom and kissing, licking and nibbling as she had been doing moments before. He felt a throaty moan come from her, her hips moving somehow differently, getting him even deeper than before as his matched her movement for movement.
He leant back down, his brow furrowed and his eyes closed, Anne still straddling him, continuing to move as he got lost in the sensation, in the feelings, in the memories. Her fingers caressing his chest, pinching his nipples, the nails scratching gently but teasing until he couldn't take it anymore and looked for her lips, both his hands in her hair as he gave her a searing, hungry kiss. He was too far gone then and, as in his old fantasy, he didn't last long. He was too worked up for it, and he felt his release come strong, almost with a vengeance, leaving him a pile of mush and erratic breathing on the blankets. Anne had a wicked and satisfied smile on her face as she curled on his chest.
"Proud of yourself, Carrots?" he mumbled, his eyes closed, his heart slowly going back to his usual steady rhythm. The hand that wasn't holding her close felt around until he found a throw and he covered the two of them as best as he could.
"A little?" she confessed, giggling.
"You should be," he said, kissing her head. "I don't know where you got that from, but it was amazing."
"Must have been the idea of your adolescent you having fantasies about my adolescent me," she giggled.
"You never had those?"
"Not… not like that, Gil," she replied, snuggling closer.
Gilbert scrolled in his phone as Anne slept, curled on his chest, still almost naked but covered with the throw he had adjusted over her. Still with the plaid jacket on. He didn't want to wake her yet and they had all the time in the world, he decided as he scrolled through news articles and knit his brows in worry at the ascending covid cases the fall was bringing. Eventually she stirred under his arm and she looked at him.
"Hello, there," he whispered. She smiled as she yawned. "I'm glad you're catching up on your sleep."
"I'm not sure it counts if I've been tiring myself more than usual," she mumbled, smiling at him. He laughed.
"I'm sure it does. How do you feel?"
"So relaxed. Can we stay here a bit longer?"
"As long as you want, Carrots," he said. She stretched, curling under his arm, and relaxed again. He went back to the article he had been reading. She straightened suddenly. "You're ok?"
"Yes, I just remembered I had told Jerry I would call him…" she said, stretching to grab her jeans and taking out her phone from the back pocket, "And if I don't, he'll get all paranoid and I don't want to deal with him being a nosy, paranoid brother…"
**Jerry (15:28): Sis?
**Jerry (15:59): We're still talking, right?
Lost call: Jerry.
"You're calling him like that?" Gilbert asked, his eyebrows shutting up as he saw her put the phone on hers ear, still as naked as the day she was born. Well, naked with plaid. She looked at him.
"It's not like it's a video call, Gil. Relax," she said, rolling her eyes.
"But it's your brother! He'll know! He'll kill me!" he exclaimed, and she laughed.
"You're being ridi… Hey, Jerry!" she said.
"Anne, chérie! How are you? How's the nausea going?"
"Good! Actually feeling better today… Nausea has been nasty and yes, we already looked for the vitamins Di was having…" she replied. "How are things over there?"
Gilbert saw as she laid on her back, supporting her head on his sweater, and smiled at the endearing image of Anne, stark naked, over a wool blanket in what would be their kitchen. She was completely at ease with her body and he somehow couldn't help but imagine how her body would transform as it prepared to become a mother. He couldn't wait for her bump to make an appearance, even when he knew there were still weeks before that happened.
She smiled at him in between her chat with Jerry and he stretched and stood up. He put his boxers and pants on, suspenders hanging at his sides. He walked to the window, taking the phone with him to take a picture of the view, all the trees wonderful shades of orange, gold and red. It started buzzing and he answered without giving it a second thought.
"Hey, Freddie!"
"Blythe! How are you doing?"
"Good, actually. We came over to the house to pick some apples… Anne has it in her mind to bake some pies. Are you going to be home tomorrow?" he asked, because it had been on his mind to call their friend to check if they could actually bring over the dessert.
"We will, but…"
"We're not coming in. Just bringing pie to your porch and maybe saying hi from the car," Gilbert said, absent-minded, retreating from the window and walking around the space looking at space, thinking about the plans Ella had showed them over a video call. He looked at the floor, careful of where he stepped as he was still barefoot. The old floor was cold to touch and he made a mental note to ask Ella if it would be at all possible to save it or find one as close to the original as possible. He walked to the big fireplace, with stains of smoke still in there. This house was old, and it really showed in the details.
Looking back to the kitchen, he noticed Anne was now on her stomach, looking at her phone, the call no doubt done. As usual, she kept in touch with Jerry often, but they never talked for long, her brother practical and not overly wordy unless he was threatening him. He went to the study, where the light filtered through the stained glass, and rested against the doorframe, looking out as he talked with Fred.
"That's a great picture of you, Blythe," Fred commented out of nowhere. "You look good."
"What are you talking about?" not taken aback about Fred's comment, knowing him for years, but at what picture he could possibly be seeing.
"The picture Anne published just now? In the orchard?"
"Fred, how are you even seeing that? You're not on the phone?"
"Well, you're on speaker… I'm browsing instagram. As I usually do whenever we talk. Oh, and have you checked that new thai restaurant? Apparently they do deliveries and not only take-out..." Fred continued. Gilbert shook his head, smiling, and looked back at Anne. They continued chatting for a few minutes. "How's Anne doing, come to that?"
"Annoyed with the nausea… But fine, other than that," he commented.