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Gilbert was staring at the ring, sitting on his desk, thinking about how to go about the proposal. He had been thinking about it for a few weeks. He really wanted to take Anne to that trail they had gone to a couple of times, because she had mentioned by then that it was their spot. And he felt there was a connection with the woods from their youth. And while they had grown so much… Their story had begun back then. When they were just teens and his father had somehow managed to get her talking to him.

So having woods seemed to offer some continuity to that, especially if they were some special ones and not just any park. And it was actually good that they weren't exactly the same as Avonlea's- they weren't the same teens they were back then either. Both had grown so much, and in so many different ways… It only made sense their places did, as well. All in all, it made sense.

What's more, he had always been so sure about not doing it in any kind of public place, and the woods weren't really busy. Not on that particular trail, anyway. He understood it was a popular idea, and why it was, going to a restaurant, having it done over dessert… But it just wasn't them . That didn't really speak to them. They were more versed towards nature, in feeling the connection with the world and seeing the leaves turn. Or, if he was being honest, seeing Anne watch the leaves turn. It still worked, either were supposed to be outdoors.

But even if the woods made sense… There was also the new house. The new house that was under renovations, yes, but that was their first home and already so special. And it had one of those cherry trees Anne had always been obsessed with, and then it had a whole orchard that almost begged to be used as the place for the proposal- bushy as it was and all. He just couldn't get the idea out of his mind either. And didn't know how to pick. As if that wasn't enough, there was the fort...

He heard a knock on the door and lifted his sight, not having time to return the ring to its pouch before Fred and dr. Kumar, a fellow oncologist, greeted him. Of course, if his assistant told Fred he wasn't with any patient, Fred never waited for him to answer, as if Gilbert's office was his own. Which it kind of was- he did the same at his. They mostly did the same at both their houses, come to think of it.

"Blythe, do you have time for a consult?" Kumar asked, as if he was slightly embarrassed by Fred's boldness. Gilbert blinked, going back to his doctor mode, and nodded, motioning to the chairs in front of his desk. He left the ring to the side and noticed as Fred's eyes followed his hand, but Kumar was already explaining the case they had and he was more focused on that than on anything else. Fred soon entered the conversation as well and soon they were deep into the reports and scans they had brought and the possible outcomes depending on the treatment.

It took a while, but eventually they reached some consensus about what the best course of treatment could be, considering the delicate mental health of the patient as well, which was why Fred had been called in to begin with. It was a difficult case, and Gilbert was actually slightly relieved not having to deal with that after the rare cancer from the previous month. He liked challenges, but he liked it better to be able to cure people and see them getting healthier. And if possible, he liked to have time to process a difficult case. Probably he should have looked for a different branch, but he was too determined to find a way for cancer patients to recover, or at the very least to have them live their best lives with the time they had left. Dr. Kumar stood up and excused himself, as he needed to take the next steps. Gilbert and Fred stayed in a heavy silence for a moment.

"I really don't envy Kumar right now," Fred commented. Gilbert shook his head sadly in agreement. It was a hard enough diagnosis even without everything else that was going on with the patient. Gilbert stood up and went to the window, thinking about him. "So, what's up? You're playing with that ring or you're actually using it to propose one day?" his friend suddenly asked him. Gilbert frowned slightly, confused, and then remembered what he had been thinking about before. "Even mum asked what's going on."

"I'm playing with ideas, I guess."

"What is there to think about? You have a ring, you want to propose, you know she's going to say yes… what's the big deal?" Fred asked, clearly not following. Gilbert laughed, nervous, his hand scratching his neck as he turned to see Fred. "Seriously, Blythe?"

"I don't know, Fred. I want to make it special… meaningful, if you will."

"You and your symbolic gestures..." Fred mumbled, as if he wasn't surprised in the slightest about it but just realizing the reason for Gilbert's anxiety. "So, do you want to bounce the ideas you have until you get clarity? Or you're good ruminating on your own?"

"I just… I just feel like she must have so many expectations, and I want to make it special, but…"

"Blythe, whatever you do, unless you royally fuck up, is going to be special enough for her. Yes, she probably has some expectations, but I'm sure you're going to be able to live up to them. Especially since you have an idea of what she's like, and you almost had a test run with that toy you gave her months ago."

"It wasn't a test run," Gilbert defended himself.

"It was, and you know it. Even if you weren't consciously doing it. You wanted to fix the past, but you were looking forward more than what you're admitting. Why make complicated something that should be simple?"

"Again, as much as I get how logical you and Ella are, not our gist," he replied. "Coffee? It's banned from our place now and I could really use a cup before the lecture I'm supposed to give in half an hour..."

"Sure, let's go," Fred said, standing up. Gilbert grabbed the light jacket he had left in the hanger and they went out of his office in the direction of Fred's. "I don't mean you talk about it like Ella and I did. Believe me, I know it doesn't work like that for most, and that it actually does for her just makes me love her more. And it is so contrary to you and Anne it doesn't even make sense. What I mean is, as much as I think it is laudable that you want to do something out of this world, probably the very ideas you're entertaining are the ones that she would love the most, because they speak more truly from you. So don't make it complicated. You don't need a band and a set to propose to Anne. You need to be comfortable and to be yourself."

"Right. I kind of get that. It's not like I'm planning a big production, it's more like I have two different ideas and then she mentioned something about wanting to do a fort again and I thought why not include that, and it's just all a mess of options in my mind. I don't even know how to pull off a surprise fort, when it's not like I can organize something in the house without her knowing."

"Now, I feel like we should feel offended," Fred snorted. They had arrived at his office and he entered for a second to retrieve his coat.

"Why should you feel offended, exactly?" Gilbert asked, confused. They resumed their walk towards the coffee shop.

"Because if you need someone getting to your house to set a surprise fort or whatever and it doesn't even occur to you to ask Ella and me, there's something seriously wrong," Fred teased. Gilbert blinked, looking at him. "Blythe, it's obvious. If you want to do something wherever and in the meantime you want us setting up anything, you know you can count on us. And since we're not even seeing you, as it would spoil any kind of surprise, there's not even breaking the shitty no social circles rule. And you know Ella is actually going to suffer about not being able to congratulate both of you, so at least participating in this will let her sleep better at night."

"So you would be setting up a fort in my place?"

"I have the picture you sent me of the first one and Ella is an architect. I am guessing we can pull this off. It can't be that hard. It's a tent made out of blankets. If that's what you want, of course," Fred commented. Gilbert contemplated the idea for a moment. They could go to the forest, like it had been his original plan, and then head back home and Fred and Ella could set that up. It could work. Or it could be the orchard and then back home. "Blythe? You don't have to decide today. But I have a feeling the longer you take to do this, the more anxious you'll get about it. You can't control everything, and you know that."

"I'm just thinking about the options," Gilbert said as they entered the coffee shop. He sighed. They ordered and were outside quick enough. "I'm just torn. I wish I could propose twice just so I could get away with the two places I'd like to do that in, you know?" Fred laughed in response.

"You can't have everything either, Blythe. I mean, I don't know what places you're talking about, but unless you can get away with going to one, then to another and then going back to your place for the fort, and Anne keeping up with the whole thing, I don't see it. How is she doing, anyway? She didn't seem that happy about her symptoms a couple of weeks ago."

"That's what I have to figure out. And she's doing… Well, she's feeling crappy most of the time, but she can manage to control most of the nausea depending on what she cooks, and she's been drinking that tea… So we're trying different approaches to see what her stomach and her nose agree with. "

"Any conclusions?"

"Coffee is banned," Gilbert chuckled. "Changing the time she takes her vitamins helped a little. But in all honesty, I still don't get how they cope with everything. They amaze me, how they go through all this. I would do it for her in a beat, if it was up to me, but I can't fathom what it must be like."

"Me neither. Ella's transformation, living it up close, leaves me speechless every time I think about it," Fred agreed. "I know we studied this, I understand how it works, but still, I can't help but be amazed."

"Anyway, about the proposal, I obviously can't pretend we're going on a hike and then to the house and then to a fort in the apartment. I want to believe she will be up to it, but I think it would really depend on how she's feeling that day and I would rather plan for something she can be comfortable with, no matter how she wakes up," Gilbert commented.

"How's the house coming along? That's one of the options?" Fred asked curiously.

"The orchard is, mainly. The house is still… a construction zone. It's not even been two weeks, there's only that much they can do in that time. Ella thinks we'll be able to move in December if we're lucky, and that's probably stretching it. You saw how it was. So I would stay clear of the house for now. It would be nice to be there for Christmas, though."

Fred nodded, and they continued talking on their way back, bouncing from topic to topic. By the time he arrived at the lecture hall, Gilbert was actually feeling much more at ease and with a clearer mind of what he wanted to do for Anne. And he knew that, if he needed some support, he could freely ask it… Which really opened his options. He felt silly about not having thought about it before.

After spending so much time alone during the first few months in the apartment, only speaking with her friends and family in Avonlea, Anne had thought she would manage to spend this new lockdown in… if not a similar way, in a better one. She was doing so much better mentally, she had clarity on her future, she had many more projects, she was with Gilbert, they were starting a family… But she couldn't help but feel terribly annoyed with everything.

She had tried to explain her frustration to Gilbert one afternoon. She almost felt robbed. Like she had finally found her place in Ontario with him, and the Wrights, and even Cole and Roy who seemed to have decided to move out of nowhere... and now she had to be alone again. When she knew she had so much family so, so close. When she had so much to share with them. When she could use to have some comfort in how pregnancy (or at least early pregnancy) royally sucked and every single movie embellished the whole ordeal to some degree.

Of course, he hadn't been able to help her much. His hands were as tied as hers, and there was nothing much he could do to help her other than suggest she called them and tried to share things with them through video calls.

He knew Cole and Roy were as responsible as they could, but Roy's situation with school wasn't all that clear: they didn't know if they were going to switch back to remote learning, and going to school still posed a risk. Fred had stated early on that, if need be, he'd rather have Gilbert and Anne in a close circle than his direct family, out of a geographical situation that made more sense, and Ella had backed him up on that. And she had clarified she had no intention of seeing her family for the foreseeable future. Gilbert knew she still hadn't smoothed things over with them, even if he didn't know the details, and Anne didn't know much of the subject. Fred was frustrated about not knowing exactly what had transpired, but as he had told Gilbert, he was respecting Ella's privacy (and venting with him instead).

So… All in all, Gilbert knew if the six of them committed to it (and he knew they would) and Roy managed to do remote teaching, they would manage. Anne knew that as well. As did the other four. Which added to the frustration, because as much as they were all conscious of this, they'd rather abide by the public health measures. And not see anyone.

Which came back to… Anne feeling frustrated with the whole thing. Ella had expressed frustration equiparable to her own when they had gone over in Thanksgiving…. But Anne knew Ella worked full time, and she was doing as best as she could to continue with her project, so she hadn't wanted to insist too much and they had exchanged only very occasional texts the past week or so.

**Ella (15:49): Hey Anne!

**Anne S-C (15:53): Hi Ella! How are you doing?

**Ella (15:54): I already organized my office once today and I'm going mental. Are you busy?

**Anne S-C (15:54): Nothing I can't do later, why?

**Ella (15:54): How about a call? I'm not the biggest fan of texts and it seems to be the way to communicate in my office

Anne chuckled.

**Anne (15:54): So, video call? Or just old-fashioned regular one? I have to admit, I'm still on pajamas.

Ella ringed her with a video call a second later.

"I'm on pajamas as well. I did my best to keep a routine the first time around, but now I'm pregnant and annoyed and I don't even care. I can't go out," Ella said, smiling, making Anne laugh.

"Same here, and I think Gilbert has to stay late today. So, what's going on with your day?" she asked.

"Like three meetings, one that resulted in starting over a whole project. So I honestly need to take a step back… And I thought maybe you weren't so busy? I'm sorry to asume, but…"

"I can always move things around, Ella," Anne laughed. "Let's just get something to drink," she added, getting up and taking her laptop (and Ella) to a tour around the apartment. She left it on the counter and put water to boil. "That ginger tea is like magic, I have to admit."

"Right?! Fred came with it one afternoon months ago… Apparently Gilbert told him to buy it or something. I don't know the whole story, but I swear by the thing," Ella agreed, getting up as well and going to the kitchen. Bear briefly appeared on camera as well, getting up from a sofa and going with her.

"I know they go to buy groceries together from time to time. Or they did before, when we were on lockdown the first time," Anne commented, and Ella snorted, laughing.

"They do. They're cute like that," Ella said. "When we used to live together Fred always went to get the groceries. Sometimes Gilbert or I would go with him, occasionally it was the three of us, but never Gilbert and me after that first time we changed half the shopping list."

"Oh, Gilbert told me about that, once Fred and him had a whole… debate on cereals over Instagram and I didn't understand what it was about," Anne said. Ella smiled again. "How's that craving going?"

"So much better. I'm still annoyed with the healthy stuff he bought, but at least I don't feel the same compulsion to eat lucky charms as before. It was getting too much, even for me," Ella explained. "I really hope you don't have that. Or like strong aversions."

"I suppose it's too soon to tell. So far I just want to be kept away from fish and coffee," Anne explained as she poured the tea. She came back to the screen to find Ella doing just the same.

"Ugh, the fish smell!" Ella said, wincing as it clearly brought on unpleasant memories to her. "Don't remind me. I'm half sorry about the whole thing because poor Fred has had to figure out ways to cook or which things to cook that aren't so bad… But it gets better. One day I realized I hadn't puked in a week and it was a revelation," Ella said. "How have you been feeling? As much as those guys we love want to be here for us, I do realize I'm the one who can be more understanding as to how you're feeling."

They continued talking and comparing how Anne was feeling with how Ella had felt in early pregnancy, and eventually evolved to everything baby. Anne still wasn't even thinking about buying anything. Knitting was about as far as she would go, and considering their baby would be born just before the summer, she had undone most of the cardigan and was now knitting it for a six month old size, hoping it would fit once the weather was more fresh. But they didn't even have space to think about anything else, at least not until they moved.

Ella explained how she knew it was way too early for her to have the nursery almost done, but she was a bit overcautious and didn't want to be running the final weeks. Fred humored her, while she knew he was watching her closely in case he felt there was anything truly worrying. Now that they really were going to be parents, and it was becoming something tangible and real, she was living it fully… And for her, that included decorating. She could sleep better and enjoy the process, giving the final touches with the major furniture already inside. She had a clear image of the style she wanted, so she knew she wasn't going to go back on her choices, and Gilbert had helped her put everything together.

As they talked, they didn't keep much track of time. Ella told Anne how she was intrigued by the knitting, as she explained that her grandma was very into embroidery but she had never seen her knit, and her mother was more about her career than things like that. Anne almost jumped in joy at the prospect of being able to teach Ella something, and proposed she could send some needles and yarn with Gilbert and she could teach her over zoom. They were talking about that when Ella turned as if she heard something.

"Fred's here, let me go say hi," she explained, and got up. Anne could hear the muffled greetings, too far from the microphone for it to pick them up. She was back, Fred smiling next to her, and he sat in a chair so they could both be in the frame.

"Cordelia! What's up? How are you doing?"

"Good! We were just talking about me teaching Ella to knit," Anne explained.

"Is that so?" he asked, eyeing Ella curiously. "I thought we were still teaching them to cook, you know? Both her and Blythe?"

"Hey! I've improved, you've said so yourself!" Ella defended herself, laughing. "And I'm sure Gilbert has, too!"

Fred nodded, laughing, and they continued talking with ease. It wasn't like being there, Anne thought, but it felt good to be with them at least that way. They felt so close to her already she had some trouble thinking how she could live without them before. Every time she considered it, it was easier to understand why Gilbert had found a natural family in them. And hearing them speak about it, she could tell it wasn't just that he had leant over whoever was close in a time of need, but that the Wrights counted on him as much as he counted on them.

When Gilbert arrived, a while later, he just got into the conversation as if it was the most normal thing ever, and they cooked and ate in front of the camera with a camaraderie Anne knew was long standing, and could only be gained with those you trust the most. Same as she felt with the Baynards, or Cole and Roy.

Saturday, October 23, the trees were at their nicest, or so Gilbert thought as he watched through the window. Anne was having a shower before they left, as he had enticed her to go out for the day to enjoy the weather. It was starting to get cold, and while he knew they would keep going out no matter if there was snow or sun, the excuse had worked. While still hearing the stream of the shower, he went to the coat he had worn to the hospital the previous day and looked in the interior pockets until he found a pouch, which he put directly in his pocket. He always forgot if he put things on the right or left side, and had a second of panic as he didn't find it at first. He went back to the bedroom to put on some socks.

"You're seriously wearing that to go walk in the forest?" Anne asked, skeptic, as she arrived clad in a towel.

"Anne, I wear a version of this almost every day," he said. He knew how Anne liked him in suspenders, something that still baffled him, and he wanted to look his best. "I'll just add a coat and I'll be set. It's not that cold yet."

"If you say… I'm taking the plaid jacket anyway."

"You take whatever you want, Carrots," Gilbert smiled, kissing her lightly. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better after eating something. I'll just take some tea in a bottle, can you help me with that while I dress?" she asked, absentminded. He nodded and walked to the kitchen. He tapped on the counter as he waited for the water to boil. He looked for his phone.

**Fred Musketeers, 2.0 (9:24): So, Ella is getting overboard with your whole fort. Just so you know and you don't get a heart attack once you're home.

**Ella Musketeers, 2.0 (9:25): I am so not. I just got inspired. It's a good challenge. You'll love it, Gilbert. Anne will love it. I would say it would up your chances of making me an aunt- but you're already in the process.

**Fred Musketeers, 2.0 (9:25): As much as I like the mental image of Blythe making babies, can we focus on the task at hand? Gilbert Blythe, we're still doing this today?

**Ella Musketeers, 2.0 (9:25): Blythe's? So not your style...

**Fred Musketeers, 2.0 (9:26): You know what I mean, love 😜 And I bet you he's way more comfortable with that than with me having the same mental image with Anne. Sooooooo anyway, still sleeping? You better didn't leave this for Anne to find. I don't want to be answering uncomfortable questions about forts and whatnot.

**Ella Musketeers, 2.0 (9:26): Just let us know. I'll keep Fred in check.

**Gilbert Blythe Musketeers, 2.0 (10:05): Guys, you're both mental.

**Gilbert Blythe Musketeers, 2.0 (10:06): And Fred, I never want to know about anything that crosses your mind, one way or the other. Thank you.

**Gilbert Blythe Musketeers, 2.0 (10:06): We're leaving the house in a few minutes. PLEASE consider that she puts music from my phone while in the car when you write to me from now on?

**Gilbert Blythe Musketeers, 2.0 (10:06): And thank you both for this. I know neither of you get it, but that you're willing to do it all the same means the world. Love you both.

He put the phone in its pocket and was about to pour the water in the bottle when he thought it better. He trusted Ella and Fred, but he didn't want any chances. He took the phone and silenced the group for some hours and was pouring the tea as Anne arrived, her hair on a simple braid. She seemed ready to leave, her jacket already on and the bag she carried everywhere on her shoulder.

"Sorry, I got caught up in something," Gilbert said, smiling sheepishly, serving the water. "But all done now. Let's go."

They walked, hand in hand, admiring the trees around them. The late morning and the sunny day brought all kinds of lights and colors in between the leaves of the yellowing leaves. The air was refreshing, but it wasn't very cold: Anne felt cozy enough with her plaid jacket, and Gilbert seemed to never be cold. The floor was crunchy with the leaves that had fallen already, and while Anne had felt a bit queasy on the road, she felt much better now that she was walking and sipping the spicy taste of her ginger tea.

Gilbert was unusually quiet, but she didn't know if there was something to it or if he, like her, was just enjoying the chirps of the birds and the rustling of the wind in between the branches. She had been hesitant to go out, more in the mood for a cosy day at home with her knitting and maybe a hot chocolate, but she was glad he had insisted. The day was the perfect October day. It was truly the best month of the whole year, and she doubted anything could improve it. As if it wasn't beautiful enough on its own, she had found out they were going to be parents in it. Or was it at the end of September? It truly didn't matter. In her mind, it had been October.

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers," she finally said, her voice barely a whisper as she didn't want to disturb the natural sounds they were listening to. Gilbert looked at her, smiling softly, and brought their intertwined fingers to his face to kiss her knuckles. She felt butterflies inside and smiled in return.

"Me too. Especially because I can get around to being in them with you, now," he commented.

They continued walking to the spot where they had gone the other times in a silent agreement, as if it was the place both of them had had in mind for the day. They hadn't come in several weeks, and Anne was amazed at the change of the landscape. The lake was still in the background, as still and dark blue water as it always had been, but the trees that went down the slope in front of them sported all the warm colour she could think of, with some stubborn green leaves in between.

It was breathtaking, and probably because she was hormonal, or because she tended to get emotional with nature whenever it was this scrumptious and overflowing, she felt her chest tighten with emotion and looked at Gilbert with shiny eyes. He had to see how incredibly beautiful everything was around them, right? He was standing calmly next to her, his eyes already on her when she turned.

"It is stunning," he murmured in agreement, his voice as soft as he looked. She nodded, at a loss of words, and motioned to the place where they had sat the other times. He seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second, but she didn't think much of anything as he sat next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Imagine next year, when we bring little Blythe here," she said after a while. She felt him nod in agreement as he embraced her, his arm holding her close and warm in the chilly air. She adjusted, resting on his chest as she looked at the open space and smelt the earthy, clean, organic smell of autumn, hearing Gilbert's heart thump below her ear. By how it sounded, she would think he was as in awe as she was, as taken aback by the beauty of the forest.

Thanksgiving having come and gone not even two weeks before, she had at the forefront of her mind everything they had talked about that day. Everything she was grateful for. Everything he was grateful for. How it was hard to have a better year than this, pandemic and all. What could improve what was already perfect? She felt Gilbert take a deep breath, and looked up to him, disentangling slightly from his embrace. He let her go and she sat again on her own, crossing her legs as she usually did, and took a sip of her ginger tea. He cleared his throat slightly.

"Anne-girl?" he said softly, as if trying to gain her attention. She looked at him, leaving the bottle on the ground next to her, and noticed how there was a slight frown in his eyebrows. Like when he concentrated on something. Or was trying to figure something out. Or was nervous.

"You're ok, Gil?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. He breathed deeply, moving over to face her a bit more, still sitting in front of her, and held both her hands. If Ella knew he had proposed with his hand on his neck she would cut him to pieces, and this way he could at the very least prevent that. He had considered for a moment going down on one knee… But that truly didn't make any sense for them. They were equals, the two of them. Still, he felt as nervous as when he first spoke to her. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What is it?" she asked gently, slightly confused. Something about the house? About work? Why was he so hesitant? It couldn't be about Winifred, could it?! Not in this place. Not like this.

"Well, we've… I know we've been together only for a few months, but for me this feels like it was meant to be from when I met you. There's no other person I've known that matches and complements me as much as you do. You're my best teammate, my equal, and I know we're going to continue to grow together for years to come," he said. His voice was hesitant, nervous at first, but firmer and more confident as he went on.

Anne felt a pit in her stomach, an inkling forming as to where this was headed but wanting desperately to deny it because it would be just too much. Too much good in this place, in this October, in this moment of her life, and she didn't know how to take on so much. Even if she desperately wanted to, she was afraid of her mind playing tricks and hoping for something that surely was still very much far away. She had almost thought this was happening a few weeks back, and it wasn't, so why would it happen now, even if the whole scenario was most conducive to such declarations? She almost got lost in her thoughts, but she came back to the present as Gilbert continued after pausing slightly.

"It almost feels like we're trying to make up for lost time. I wish we had had better communication skills back then, but I know we have talked everything through by now. We have clarity on where we stand, we have a north for us, and we have the tools and will to work to get there," he continued, his voice serene but assured, like she knew him to be. "We're building a true home for us, where we both have the same input, and we're going to be parents," his voice cracked slightly at that last word, and he swallowed, taking a breath, amazed at her silence and wanting to get everything out before he lost his cool, because he felt surprisingly calm. Or Anne inevitably started talking. "I feel everything is going the way it was always supposed to, and I have the suspicion you think this way as well. I know we still will face many obstacles, and we're not perfect by any means. But I know we're it for each other, for lack of better words, and I'd love for us to make that a bit more formal."

"A bit more formal?" she repeated, her tension and anticipation building in a contagious giggle that made Gilbert laugh, relaxing him even more and taking the solemnity off the whole situation.

"Well yes. Because buying houses and having kids it's not enough," he said teasingly. She laughed heartily. "And so…" he said, letting go of her hand and looking for something in his pocket, "what would you say about us getting married? Me being your husband, you being my wife? As the partners we are for everything?" he asked, looking at her in the eyes as he let go of her other hand to take the ring out of the pouch. Anne was still looking at him, blinking, not believing this could actually be happening. For real. "Anne-girl?" he asked after a moment, not nervous because he thought she would reject him, but because she seemed so stunned she appeared unable to form any words, her free hand slowly creeping to pinch herself.

"Is this for real now?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" he asked, confused, "and stop hurting yourself."

"I just…" she started, but decided it wasn't worth telling him she had thought this was happening before, while it hadn't, and she just had to make sure . "Of course!" she said, moving forward to hug him tightly before looking for his lips. He reciprocated gladly, the kiss finishing to transmit everything he didn't actually have words for.

"So… what do you say, should we see if Cole really knows your ring size?" he asked after a moment, as she seemed about to just rest on his chest again and he realized he still had the ring on his hand. A ring she didn't seem to have noticed so far.

"There's a ring!"

"Well, Anne, of course there's a ring," he replied laughing. She extended her hand, laughing with him.

"I'm sorry, I just got caught up on the idea of getting to marry you and I didn't think about…" she lost her words as Gilbert slid the simple solitaire ring up her finger, feeling her eyes well up with tears as if that gesture made everything all the more real. And it was the most perfect ring for her, as well. And it did fit perfectly. "How did you…" she asked, her voice broken.

"The size really was Cole," he whispered. "He learnt it by heart years ago, and apparently it hasn't changed much. Something about ring shopping with Diana," he explained, and Anne laughed as she remembered. "The ring… It has a bit more of a history."

"It does?" she asked, her voice quiet, as she examined the stone. A dark, bluish green that filtered the light just as the trees, as the needles of the pines, as the forest where they were back in spring. The setting was simple, a yellow gold she felt went with her and reminded her of the golden leaves that were surrounding them.

"This ring," he explained, holding her hand and caressing her fingers gently, "is the same ring my dad used to propose to my mother. He looked for months for the perfect stone, or so he told me, because he wanted the colour to match the one of the sea after a storm. I don't know how much of that last part is true, because you know how dad was… And when I see the stone I think it's more green than blue. But still, it was my mother's ring, and I couldn't think of anyone worthier than you to have it."

"Gilbert, that's…" Anne tried, but couldn't find words and just went over to hug him again, burrowing on the crook of his neck before kissing him lightly. She put some distance to be able to look him in the eyes, "Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Thank you for sharing your life with me, Carrots," he replied, smiling softly before leaning over to kiss her.