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Preparing the pies with Gilbert had been less of a disastrous activity than what Anne had believed it would be. Peeling apples was second nature to him and she made quick work of the dough for the three pies she was making: one for Cole and Roy, one for Ella and Fred, and one for them to keep at home. After putting them in the oven they went to have a quick shower and were ready to leave way before noon.

"So I had this idea," Gilbert said when they were getting ready to leave. Anne looked at him. "How about we stop first at Ella and Fred's, and then head over to Toronto? We can't actually hang out with Cole and Roy, but how about we take your bike and my skates and we go to some places around the city? I'd love to show you around a little bit. I gathered you didn't get to see much in March, and a few weeks ago we weren't exactly focusing on sightseeing."

"That sounds great!" she exclaimed. She hadn't had as many opportunities to take out the bike as she had wanted, and the prospect of going to Toronto to hang out with Gilbert made her have butterflies.

"I know a couple of great restaurants as well, we can check to see which one has decent vegan options and take out," Gibert added. He was excited at the prospect of going to the city with Anne. "Well, and which one is open. It is Thanksgiving, after all. What do you usually eat? Still strong with your eggplant parmigiana dish or you have a new holiday favourite?" he asked, remembering that it was her go-to dish for special occasions back when they were teens. Although it was a vegetarian dish, and he had noticed how since she came to the apartment her diet had slowly but surely turned completely vegan. Maybe there was a vegan version? She used to love this dish, which she prepared only for Thanksgiving and Christmas, thus keeping it "special".

"I… didn't actually celebrate much the past few years," she replied quietly, making Gilbert frown. "It's alright! I mean, it's alright now. But yes, let's do eggplants! I'm sure we can find some vegan cheese and some way to bread the eggplants..."

"I just feel bad any time I hear how it was for you the past few years… I'm sorry, Anne-girl," he said, looking at her. She cupped his cheeks with her hands.

"It's fine, Gil. It was worth it, because I'm with you now, and looking back I learnt so much. And I did celebrate Christmas with Diana and Jerry. We're together now and making great memories and starting a family. Let's focus on that, ok?"

"Ok. So…"

"Let's get our things and this show on the road," she replied, smiling. He smiled as well and soon they were in the car, going to Fred's house.

**Gilbert Blythe (09:57): Hey! We're here. So, Anne's leaving the pie on your porch… and I don't know, you guys want to hang out from there? We'll stay close to the car. The two meters thing and all.

Anne went back to the car, smiling, and a few seconds later the door opened, Fred holding Bear so he would not crush the pie while Ella picked it. They greeted them and after that Ella went back in, probably to leave it in the kitchen, as Fred let go of Bear and sat on the top step of the porch. Gilbert went out of the car and hugged Anne from the side as Bear ran towards them, waving his tail. Anne kneeled to greet the huge dog as Gilbert scratched the top of his head.

They talked for a while, even if from a distance. While awkward, they quickly got used to it and Bear didn't seem to mind in the slightest, going from one couple to the other as they tossed a ball in between them. Ella and Fred ate some of the pie while they updated Anne and Gilbert on the latest of Alicia's development, which wasn't much considering just a week had gone by. Anne hoped the situation would be better before the holidays in December, but both Fred and Gilbert tried to caution her: the trend wasn't looking that great at the time and unless something irrevocably changed, they were headed more in the direction of a new lockdown than in one of loosening the restrictions.

Eventually they said their goodbyes, Anne and Ella both sad because unlike Gilbert and Fred they didn't get a chance to at least see someone during the workdays, as they both worked from home. Well, they exchanged their numbers (why they hadn't done it before was a mystery to everyone) and they would be able to talk during the day while they went about their business.

"Next stop, Toronto!" Anne said, excited as Gilbert set up the GPS to the address of Cole and Roy's new place. Gilbert laughed. "I can't believe the last time I was there to sightsee it was March, I hated you desperately and this world madness was just beginning."

"Fred had to convince me to call you. Like actually dial the number," Gilbert commented, chuckling. "Had I known this would have happened, I wouldn't have hesitated at all."

"There was no way to know it. I was determined not to speak to you and be out of your place as soon as PEI opened, which in my mind of course would take two weeks," Anne laughed at how in denial she had been. "I can't believe PEI is still closed after six months."

"With no telling of its opening. Well, I'm grateful you slowly came out of that room," Gilbert said.

"I'm grateful you could stand my… hostile attitude," Anne replied, smiling at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm grateful you cooked for me even when you couldn't stand the sight of me," he replied back.

"I'm grateful you brought me tea after I utterly embarrassed myself in front of your family and spilled that dough," she murmured. Gilbert squeezed her hand.

"You didn't embarrass yourself. They were just impressed you were here. And for one, I'm grateful you spilled the dough because that prompted some conversations," he said gently.

"I'm grateful for that initial truce. Even if it didn't quite work out," she commented, looking out the window and remembering how Cole had insisted she needed to unpack all her memories. "Actually, I'm grateful Cole convinced me to look at the yearbook."

"I'm also thankful for that truce. We couldn't have gotten here without that first step. Also, I'm grateful you actually listened and we could get you insurance here. We still need to get you a family doctor, by the way."

"Can't it be dr. Oak? She's nice!"

"But she's not a family doctor and for all practical purposes you need one. I'll give mine a call if you want and see if he has space in his schedule. You'll like him, he's super kind."

"Ok…" she replied, not really convinced. They drove in silence, just the sound of music around them.

"I'm thankful you stubbed your toe," he commented, smiling as he remembered. Anne looked at him and suddenly remembered that utterly embarrassing incident. "Well, not that you hit yourself and it hurt, obviously. But I'm kind of grateful, because then I could tell I had some kind of impact on you," he explained. She laughed.

"By a stubbed toe?!" she asked, outraged, while she laughed.

"By the very evident blush, Carrots," he countered.

"You're mean!" she said. "I'm always red!"

"You were blushed and stammering and looking at me as I worked out," he said, smiling wickedly at her for a second before looking back to the road.

"Ugh! Well, I'm grateful for forts and sleep-ins!" she countered, trying desperately to change the subject.

"I would agree with that. Best night ever. We should make another one, what do you say? Next Saturday, maybe?" he proposed. She nodded.

"I'm thankful for Mary…. And for Jerry," she commented after a few seconds of silence. "When we fought that time… I wanted to speak with Diana and he stepped in and made me see sense."

"Jerry? Jerry Baynard? Made you see sense in something regarding me?" he couldn't actually believe it.

"Well, Marilla did, through Jerry," she explained. Gilbert looked at her and frowned slightly. "When… when she was sick, the last few days… She would spend all the time speaking with both of us. We were there most of the time, except one day Jerry had to deal with business and I had to present an exam at college and couldn't move it. That's probably when you called. Anyway, she tried to give us as much advice as she could about life. But then one day she makes me go out of the room because she needs to speak alone with Jerry. It was weird, because she had spoken to both of us about everything, Gilbert. Like, embarrassing and horrible stuff with no distinction, which is also why I think there's no filter between Jerry and me. And then Jerry wouldn't tell me what they had discussed… She died that afternoon. And I kind of forgot about it, you know?"

"I… I understand, I guess," Gilbert replied, thinking back on his own conversation with Marilla. He still held it close to his heart and was grateful that Fred had made him do the call.

"Well, turns out she spoke to Jerry about you and me, to make sure he would help make me see sense once there was a real opportunity," she said finally.

"Are you serious?" Because he couldn't reconcile Jerry calling to warn him about hurting his sister while at the same time pushing her to go out with him. Anne looked at him, nodding. "Well, I'm grateful for that too, Anne-girl. Thank you, Jerry Baynard." For that and the weird conversation they'd had on Thursday. And all the other reasons he had to thank Jerry for. Anne laughed.

"I'm thankful for you helping me through all the nightmares," she mumbled.

"Anne… I will always be there for you," he said, holding her hand.

"I know. And I thank you for it," she replied. "Along those lines, I'm thankful about you and Fred convincing me to get into therapy."

"I'm thankful for Fred coming in that night. You have no idea how scared I was that night," he said, remembering the fright he felt when he found Anne. If Fred hadn't answered the phone, he wasn't sure of what he would have done. He hadn't felt that powerless in his life. Not since the death of his dad. They drove in silence for a few minutes. "And I'm so thankful you're doing so much better now. Both with the nightmares and everything else."

"Me too…" she acquiesced. They were in silence for a brief moment. "You know… I'm really grateful as well that you proved me wrong in regards to sex," she muttered, looking out the window. Not quite understanding how she had believed for so many years that sex was horrible and painful but sadly necessary.

"My pleasure, Anne-girl. You deserve all that and more. I'm just mad you had to go through… well, everything else before coming to that conclusion," he said. He remembered how skeptical she had been that morning on the trail, how she had only given him the benefit of the doubt, fully believing he was wrong. "I'm actually so thankful you trusted me with that, you know? I… I know it can't have been easy."

"It wasn't, but… Somehow, you made me want to try it. To see it. I had never before felt that way and I wanted to see what could come out of it… I guess it's… It's probably because I love you so?" she said, blushing slightly. He smiled softly at her and held her hand.

"I had dreamt of making love to you for… forever, it would seem. It felt so right, so perfect… I wouldn't change it for the world."

"And now we have a baby on the way," she muttered. He chuckled, remembering how they had come to the conclusion that, just maybe… they should try for one.

"I don't even know if I would be grateful for whatever took you in Bash's house, because if it wasn't for that… I'm afraid that conversation would have taken so much longer to happen."

"That's true," Anne said. Even if she had always wanted kids, she hadn't actually considered having one now before her late period and the disappointment when it finally came. "You really were waiting for me, weren't you?"

"But I would have waited as long as you needed, Anne," he said, looking at her briefly. He would always wait for her. He understood how they moved at different paces and even if he wanted everything right now, he understood… she needed more time to process things and to reach conclusions. She felt full inside. Whole. "I'm just so grateful for you in general, Anne. For having you in my life. For being able to see you, talk to you… I can't even remember how it was before you came."

"Oh I do remember my life in BC. That school and that principal," she groaned. "I'm so grateful not having to work there anymore. And about that… Thank you, Gil."

"What? Why?"

"Well, for giving me the space and time to figure it out," she said. "I would have never taken it otherwise… would have never written the book with Kak'wet, believed I could actually do this, write for a living… I've been working nonstop on the new project… It's like there's so many possibilities."

"I'm so glad you can. When are you supposed to hear back from the publishing houses?"

"Not for a few weeks, I guess. We're learning as we go, but we truly believe we have something good and that… well, that it will do some good. It sounds redundant, I know. But since we're not really struggling, and Kak'wet doesn't want any profit from this either… We're actually looking forward to helping some kids, you know? I hate foster care… I mean, I do get why it exists, but it's so incredibly horrible to be in that system, and then if you sum up all the racism… It's horrible, Gil. To know that what I went through was nothing compared to what some kids do," she said. He sighed. If he could somehow make those first years of her life easier, he would. But it was not possible for him to do.

"If you can make any difference, Anne… I'm all for it. Whatever you need, you know I'm here," he said. "And you, writing… It's actually like a dream come true."

"You're exaggerating there."

"I'm not. I always pictured you writing. That you're able to do so every day, that you can potentially see a career out of it… It makes me feel so happy," he explained. She smiled at him.

"I don't remember if I told you in detail about my next writing project?"

"I'm not sure… What is it? Still with Kak'wet?"

"No, this… this is actually with Cole. I was thinking about writing the fairy stories. For good. All the old ones, but… focusing on little kids and actually putting in there some pedagogical principles and making them educational without being obnoxious, you know? I thought Cole could illustrate them," she explained. "I actually told Miss Stacy, and she told me about some connection she has in publishing houses for kids… I don't even know why I didn't think of her before, she would have helped Kak'wet and I with the other book. But anyway, we're already waiting for replies on that, so…"

"I'm sure you can talk to her about the book you have with Kak'wet if you both don't get a favourable answer. Which I doubt. The book is good. But… which stories? Like the ones I told Delly about?" he asked, just to know if they were on the same page. She laughed.

"Well, I don't know about Pilbert yet, but yes, those ones. I'm actually developing a proposal, so it can be a book series and not just one stand-alone story… I'm doing my best to put out my case. I'll run it by Miss Stacy when it's ready, she offered to give me some feedback and to tell me which publishing houses could be the best fit. Sometimes I feel dumb, not having written to her about the other book."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I think it was a good exercise, that you and Kak'wet reached out and saw how it works. Regardless of the outcome. But if Miss Stacy can help you bring this project to be something that you can fully dedicate yourself to, well, even better."

"Maybe you're right. I'm just too hard on myself. But I'm actually so glad about how everything is falling into place… Not only with you, really, but with my career and everything… I feel more fulfilled now than I ever did before, and I'm not sure if I would have ever taken the leap of letting go of a job to devote myself to writing."

"I'm sure you would have, at some point. I know Cole and Roy actually saw you writing, so probably they would have encouraged you regardless." Anne laughed at that. Cole had been very insistent. For years.

"That's probably true," she accepted, recalling how enthusiastic he had been once he had broken the news in March that she had yelled at the principal and had lost her job.. "Probably once I was back in PEI he would have pestered me to do it until I caved. Anyway, the point is, I feel really at peace with my life now… And even if a good part has to do with you, I feel even better because I can tell that it's also a whole lot of personal and professional growth I've managed to accomplish this year."

"That's great, love," Gilbert said. They stayed in silence for a moment, Anne selecting songs for their ever expanding soundtrack.

He sometimes worried about Anne's happiness being overly dependent on him… But then he turned to look at her and he knew he was only a fraction of that and that she would do great on her own, now. She had just needed space, support and time to properly heal, something she hadn't allowed herself for years. Anne was finally becoming the strong, independent, kind woman she was always meant to be, with or without him. It was coming out even more now because of all her experiences. Which he would rather she didn't have, but… It was what it was, and she was growing so much in spite of them. The last few times Lincoln and Daniel had come out in any conversation she didn't sound insecure and doubtful anymore, but she could see what they had done to her and be more objective. Patel was amazing. He didn't even know if he had his number, but he wanted to thank him for helping Anne so much.

And well… If he thought about living life to the fullest, as Anne was doing… He was getting there himself, if he was being honest. He was valuing more what Fred had insisted he did for years, a balanced life. And he could tell that yes, of course Anne had so much to do with it all… He would have never done so if it wasn't for her. But overall, his life was much healthier than it was before and he felt as confident and strong in his work as he had ever felt, and he knew Anne couldn't have much to do with that. She had a clear boundary with his work and never asked too much other than how his day was, unless she saw him overly stressed. And teaching… He had always felt it would be rewarding, but this? It was amazing. He was already wondering how to increase his teaching hours the next semester and how to make that become a permanent part of his professional development. He felt he learnt as much as he taught.

He looked at Anne, smiling.

"You know? I'm sure Delly can help you try those stories, as she is doing with your other project" he chuckled, going back to the subject of the book series she was thinking about doing. "Would be an honor for her and everything."

"I'm sure it would. I can't believe I didn't even know she existed before that day. It's incredible. She's such a great kid, to think I was missing all of this… I'm just thankful to have met her now," she commented and then laughed. "See? Even more things to be grateful for."

"I'm pretty sure we can keep listing reasons we're thankful for, Carrots," Gilbert replied, laughing.

"I'm sure we could."

"I'm so grateful for Ella and Fred finally expecting a kid, you know?" he said. She looked at him, frowning. "We've… We've had it easy so far, Anne-girl. And I'm so thankful for it. But… They'd been trying for almost a year, Fred had mentioned they were about to start looking for fertility issues… I think they even had an appointment booked. And it finally happened. I know Ella has wanted this for years."

"What was holding them back, then?" remembering her talk with her on the trail but wondering if there was something more to it.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. They don't tell me every detail of their lives as you seem to think," he chuckled, making Anne blush. "I think it had something to do with Fred finishing his residency first, getting a house… Actually getting married… And when they finally decided they were ready, it just wasn't happening."

"It has to be so hard," Anne muttered. "I can't… I can't imagine the disappointment, month after month," she commented. Gilbert held her hand softly. "I'm really grateful we had it this easily, then. I had no idea."

"Reproduction isn't as straight-forward as movies and sex-ed lead people to believe, love," Gilbert commented as he left the highway. "But we're… we're getting there. Less than a year, we will be parents."

"Have I said how grateful I am for that?"

"I believe you have," he chuckled. "But I'm glad to hear it, either way."

"We're getting close, now?" she asked, noticing how they were leaving the highway behind and Gilbert was actually paying attention to the gps now, as he wasn't completely sure where their new place was.

"We are. We should be there in about ten minutes, maybe less."

"Oh! That reminds me. I'm thankful for Cole and Roy being here. If we could only manage to convince Diana and Jerry to live around, then everything would be perfect, you know?"

"I do. I'm also glad they're here. I believe it's good for you to have them close… Even if we can't meet that often, with the pandemic and all."

"That's true. It is good," she said, smiling at Gilbert.

"Nana!" Cole greeted, grabbing the pie Anne had left on the stairs. Roy was beside him. "I had grand plans for our first Thanksgiving in four years, but we'll do it as soon as this calms down, ok?"

"Absolutely, we will," Anne replied.

"And it will be with junior then," Roy added. They sat on the stairs of the building and Gilbert and Anne on the sidewalk, the bike already beside them and Gilbert changing his shoes to the skates. "When do you know if it's a girl or a boy?"

"Not for some months still, Roy," Gilbert replied. "We'll let you know once we have a better idea. How have you guys been? How are you settling in the new apartment?"

"Well the cats got out of their hiding around Wednesday… So that's a good sign. But it's slowly coming together. We're finally unpacking and I actually found a couple of things I thought I had left back in PEI," Cole explained laughing and Roy rolled his eyes, smiling. They settled into an easy conversation for longer than they had thought a porch talk would carry on, but enjoyed it thoroughly.

Anne had missed Cole and Roy so much while in BC, that having them this close now still felt like a gift. She brainstormed with Cole, and with Roy's occasional input, in regards to the book series they were planning. They talked about the new house. About their common friends. About how, even with the pandemic and all, Cole could already tell that moving to Toronto was the right move. Roy told them anecdotes of how it was to teach class virtually to a bunch of rich kids. Gilbert participated, but was mostly glad to see Anne so happy and at ease with them. She'd had Roy (and well, their high school friends) the same as he'd had Fred during university, and it made him feel better. To know she always had someone there as well.

Eventually they said their goodbyes and Anne again took the bike she had left resting against a pole. Gilbert had already his skates on, not really minding being in them as at some point in his childhood it had become second nature to wear them. Anne wanted to see where Gilbert had spent so many years before moving to Hamilton, and he was happy to oblige. Plus, he knew she had been to Toronto only a handful of times, never for more than a couple of days and mostly in academic settings that didn't really allow for getting lost in the city for hours. So that's what he did that afternoon with her.

From where they were, Gilbert planned in his mind a wide circle to cover the bay and downtown, and then see if any of his old favorite restaurants were still open so they could grab some takeout for a quick lunch in a park and then dinner. They went north then, Gilbert telling her stories here and there of different things he had done over the years, many with Fred and Ella. Eventually they reached Casa Loma, and they stood around there for a while before heading down south again. Most everything was closed, yes, but they could be in the park and enjoy a little bit of October's fresh sun.

"Do you want something warm to drink?" Gilbert asked. Anne was walking next to her bike and he was going at a very leisurely pace next to her. They were in no rush for anything. "I know a nice coffee shop a couple of blocks away. I kind of believe it's where Fred and Ella's first date was, but they were never very specific."

"Let's go! I could have a chai," she said, enthusiastically. She really wanted a chai now that the thought had crossed her mind. They arrived there after a few minutes.

"So, chai? Medium is fine? Oat milk if they have it, if not soy?" he asked, putting on his mask. She put on hers as well, considering they would be closer to more people now.

"I'll go in with you, Gil," she said. "And you're wearing skates. You should stay outside."

"I can handle some skates, Carrots," he said, rolling his eyes. "I've been here countless times. It's one of the few places where they don't actually mind them. And I'd rather you didn't go inside right now. You can go get a table if you want," he proposed. "Anything else you want?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied, turning around. The cafe had a nice terrace and the restrictions still allowed for outdoor dining. She went to sit, shaking her head at his paranoia, but thinking he probably knew better, and supported her bike against a pole. She turned to see Gilbert talking to an elderly couple. He went inside and the couple went to sit at another table, a couple of meters away. Anne checked her phone to find a message from Ella. Apparently, the pie was a resounding success, and it made her glad to have contributed some in their day.

"That's your husband, dear?" the elderly woman asked Anne. She looked at the door, then at the couple. One thing was for that ridiculous story in the hospital to exist, but she wasn't going to perpetuate it around. Not even when they might as well be married by the way they were behaving. Buying a house. Having a kid. Joining finances. Huh .

"Boyfriend, actually," she replied, smiling.

"He's a good lad, your boyfriend," the man said. "Offering to go inside to get our drinks."

"He always tries to help," Anne commented. "And well, he's a doctor… So he's kind of overcautious with crowded places or enclosed spaces right now."

"Very smart, very smart," the man said, nodding.

"And good looking too. Just like you, young lady," her wife said. Anne felt herself blush and was thankful for the mask.

"Thank you." She looked at the door again, and Gilbert was going out, holding a tray with four coffees and a paper bag with something inside.

"Here you have, sir, madam…" he said, leaving the coffees to the couple, as well as the paper bag.

"Thank you, young man," the man said.

"We were just talking with your… your girlfriend," the woman said. Gilbert smiled through the mask. "She's as kind as you are." Gilbert thanked her, not really knowing what was going on, and sat opposite to Anne. They continued talking with the couple while they drank their coffee, and soon were on their way.

They arrived home in the early evening, tired but happy after the exercise and the day. Anne had fallen asleep in the car on the way back, the day taking a toll on her. However, she was happy about having felt fine for most of the day, one more thing to add to the running list of gratitude they'd had going on during the day. Gilbert went to store her bike as she woke slowly and then came back for her to walk upstairs to their apartment, the skates on his free hand.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently. "I hope we didn't push you too hard today…"

"I'm just tired, Gil," she reassured him. "I've felt fine the whole day, it's just I'm not used to biking so much, and then add the pregnancy. But I feel fine," she explained, stifling a yawn. "Maybe I'll have a shower, just to take the dirt of the day and the stiffness away."

"That sounds like a good idea," Gilbert said. "I'll prepare some dinner, anything you want?"

"Something light? But please, no tomatoes."

"No tomatoes?" he asked, puzzled.

"I have a bad feeling about them right now," she explained, not even knowing where it was coming from. He shrugged and nodded, gave her a peck and walked to the kitchen as she headed for the bathroom. She didn't take long and soon was sitting on the island, where Gilbert had left her a cup of tea, thinking she might want one. She watched him cook, directing him slightly when she saw something starting to go awry, but happy at seeing him finally be able to prepare something in the kitchen with any degree of confidence.

They sat to eat and, when Gilbert proposed, did a video call with the Lacroix, talking with them for a while, sharing news and updates on their lives and just generally enjoying themselves. They couldn't celebrate in person that year, but at least they could have a good call, tease each other and compare recipes.

Delly was there, asking for new stories of her favorite characters and showing (or trying to, in any case) uncle Gilby how she was improving in skating, and the last sequence she had learnt in dance class. Not having shared the news of the baby with them yet, Gilbert and Anne just exchanged some looks and squeezes of their hands out of the video, both thinking about how their kid would be at Delly's age, how she would welcome a new small cousin, how they would play- or not. Soon it would be time to share the news, a short six weeks more, and then they knew their family would celebrate with them.

After hanging up, Anne suggested calling Jerry and Diana as well. Gilbert agreed readily, as it had been on his mind, and she sent them a quick message as head up before calling them. They were in their living room, fireplace going, Marie playing on the floor close to them. Jerry looked at Gilbert, slightly raising an eyebrow and having a tiny head shake in response as Diana and Anne chatted away. Jerry nodded and took part in the conversation for a moment, before standing up saying he was getting something to drink. Gilbert knew he wasn't particularly good at long calls and was looking for something to keep himself occupied, and decided he might as well do the same, and went to prepare something for Anne and him.

When the call was done, they were left with a sense of peace and happiness, having spoken (or seen) what felt like their family and taken advantage of the weather for their day trip. It seemed like the perfect closure for an already perfect day, and as she changed into her pajamas, Anne wondered how everything had turned around in such a radical way since her last Thanksgiving. She couldn't even think if anything could be improved.