Anne woke the morning of that beautiful day in September of 1906, in her bedroom at Green Gables, as sunlight came streaming in through her curtains for what she knew would be the last time. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she stretched, yawning. Today was the day, the wonderful day that she had been anticipating ever since that glorious day that Gilbert Blythe had proposed. Today, was the day of her wedding.
She smiled, and squealed happily at the thought that had been occupying her mind ceaselessly. Soon, very soon, she would be Anne Blythe. She jumped out of bed, and rushed over to her closet to select a simple dress to wear just for the morning. Diana and Ruby were to come by in a few hours to help her dress and do her hair before the wedding.
Anne let out a dreamy sigh, thinking that in just a few short hours, she would be walking down the aisle, Matthew on one arm, and Marilla on the other, all of her friends and loved ones watching, and her beloved up ahead, waiting for her. Quickly, she dressed, made her bed, and then was about to reach for her hairbrush that sat at the top of her dresser to quickly brush and put her hair in a braid, but stopped when she heard a *tap* *tap* *tap* coming from her bedroom window.
She whipped around, and raced to her window, moving the curtains aside to peek through. She nearly doubled back at the sight that she saw. There, sprawled across her lovely Snow-Queen, was Gilbert, who was clutching onto the thick branches for dear life. He grinning sheepishly at her through the window. Gaping, Anne sputtered a few incoherent words. "Wha-- Gil-- what are you...?" She shook her head in disbelief and hurriedly opened up the window.
"Gilbert Blythe! What in the world do you think you are doing?! If you break your neck on our wedding day of all days, I swear I kill you! Get in here!" She screeched. Anne reached out and grabbed his hand to pull him towards the windowsill. Gilbert eased himself onto it and attempted to pull himself over the ledge into Anne's room, but his leg got twisted in an awkward angle and he ended up stumbling inside with a painfully loud *thud!*
Anne flinched at the noise, thoughts traveling to Marilla, and fear of them being discovered came over her. Gilbert groaned and rubbed the leg that he had fallen on. "Gil! What on earth do you think you're doing?! If Marilla were to come up here, she'd surely have our heads, and thanks to you, she undoubtedly is since--"
Gilbert interrupted her with a scoff, getting up from where he had fallen on the floor. "Why yes Anne, I am fine, thank you so much for asking." He said sarcastically. Anne sighed, shaking her head at him, and kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry, Gilbert. Are you alright?" Gilbert leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. "I said I was alright, yes." He replied, his eyes teasing.
"Anne!" Hollered Marilla from downstairs, causing both Anne and Gilbert to jump apart. "Are you alright? I heard a crash." Anne shot Gilbert a look before yelling back. "I'm okay Marilla! I just knocked over my chair. Just me being clumsy as usual!"
When Marilla didn't inquire further, both breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Gil, what are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to be here, especially not now." Anne tutted. "I wanted to see you," Gilbert replied simply. "And you couldn't even think to use the front door?" Anne shot back. Gilbert merely shrugged, an apologetic grin on his face.
Anne and Gilbert turned to look at Anne's closed door in horror, as they suddenly heard the unmistakable footsteps of Marilla coming down the hallway. "Quick," Anne hissed. "Climb back out the window!" Gilbert's jaw dropped. "I'm not doing that again! That was terrifying!" He protested. Anne groaned in frustration as Marilla's footsteps grew closer. "Under the bed then!"
Not needing to be told twice, Gilbert got onto his knees, and quickly crawled under Anne's bed, then proceeded to lie flat on his stomach on the cold hardwood floor. Anne let out a breath, thankful that the blankets on her bed were long enough to reach the ground, and were long enough to conceal Gilbert.
Marilla knocked twice on the bedroom door, then not bothering to wait for an answer, opened it and stepped in. "Good morning Anne. Good, I see you're already dressed. Now come on downstairs for breakfast." She turned to leave but stopped and said over her shoulder- "Oh, and tell Gilbert he's welcome to stay for breakfast as well."
Anne froze. "Uhhh, of course! I'll run over to the Blythe-Lacoix farm, and tell him." Marilla gave Anne a knowing look. "No need Anne, I think he can hear just fine from where he is." Marilla moved her gaze to Anne's bed. "Hello, Gilbert."
"Hello, Miss Cuthbert!" Came Gilbert's muffled reply from under the bed. "Come on now, your breakfast is nearly cold." Marilla said, fighting back a smile, before leaving the room. "I-I-I... uh, Gil just..." Anne frantically tried to come up with an explanation to call after Marilla, but eventually decided to give up when Marilla's footsteps had already disappeared down the stairs.
Gilbert peeked his dark curly head out from under the bed. "She doesn't seem very angry," He said. "Yes, thankfully." Anne replied. Gilbert crawled out, and moved a hand to ruffle his already messy curls. "I suppose we should head downstairs." He said, gesturing to the door. "You go ahead," Anne told him. "I still need to brush and braid my hair. Tell Marilla that I'll be right down." She picked up her brush, and stood in front of the mirror on her dresser, and began to bring it to her head in gentle strokes.
Gilbert stood there behind her for a few seconds, watching her in awe, and smiling in delight at the way the morning sunlight came streaming in through the window, seemed to increase (if that were even possible) the beauty of her fire-red hair. "Could I do it?" He asked, in a quiet, soft voice. "Please?"
Anne stopped brushing, and turning to him, she smiled, handing him the brush. Eagerly, he took it, and gingerly reached for a lock of Anne's long hair. He ran the brush across it a few times, before dropping the lock and reaching for another one. Anne smiled again, and closed her eyes, the feeling of him touching her hair bringing butterflies to her stomach. He finished the rest of her hair, then without even being asked, began to braid it into a simple plait down her back.
Anne, turned her head to look at him in surprise. "How do you know how to do that?" Gilbert kept his eyes on the task in front of him, but replied with a smile. "I used to watch you braid your hair during recess at school. You would sit on the log outside of the schoolhouse, talking with some of the girls, and you would take your hair out of its original braids, so you could redo them. I always had my lunch under the oak tree, where I had a perfect view of you on the log. So I guess, after years of just watching you, I kind of figured out the process. It's just three sections of hair, which you cross over each other one at a time. A pattern really."
Anne chuckled, and shook her head in disbelief. How could she have been so oblivious, all of those years ago? The whole time, she had had this wonderful, adoring boy, gazing at her, watching her, longing to be near her, and she was completely blind to it. "Oh Gil," She whispered. "All those years ago, if only I had known..." Gilbert finished the braid and tied the end of it with a ribbon. He rested his hands at her waist. "Anne-girl, it's all resolved now. Look at us! Why, today is our wedding day!"
Anne turned around, and buried her face into his chest, breathing in his sweet scent. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. "I love you, Gilbert." She murmured. "I love you too, Anne." Gilbert answered, tightening his grip around her. He planted a kiss to the top of her head.
When the two finally made their way downstairs, their breakfast of eggs and flapjacks had indeed gone cold.
After the breakfast dishes had been cleared, Marilla turned to Gilbert. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you on your way now Gilbert," She said. "Diana and Ruby are due to help Anne get ready soon, and you know it as well as I do, if I don't send you on your way now, they most certainly will."
"Don't I know it." Gilbert laughed. "Thank you very much for breakfast, Miss Cuthbert." Marilla nodded, a smile on her lips. Gilbert turned to Anne, who was putting away the clean silverware. "I'll see you later Anne-girl." He whispered. "Bye, Gil," Anne set down the fork was holding, and wrapped her arms around Gilbert's neck, and gently kissed him, despite Marilla's watchful eye.
Gilbert took his leave moments later, Anne watched after him, as his figure grew smaller and smaller down the driveway and out the gate. She sighed happily, thinking of the wonderful thought, that the next time that they would be together, she would be Anne Blythe.
So, later that afternoon, Anne did indeed become Anne Blythe. The whole ceremony seemed to pass by in a blur. One moment she was walking down the aisle, Matthew and Marilla on each arm, (why should she have to follow tradition?) and her long white dress trailing behind her. Then suddenly she was standing next to Gilbert, who gently lifted the veil from her face, and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear. Anne grinned up at him. She was still wearing the braid that he had put in her hair that morning-- she has begged Ruby and Diana not to redo it. So she ended up convincing them to wrap it around her head in a braided crown, adorned with a few wildflowers tucked in it.
Anne took a shaky breath, still somewhat unsure if this was truly happening. Gilbert took her hand, and gave it a gentle, but reassuring squeeze. Anne lifted her eyes to look up at his handsome face, as the minister began to speak. She noticed that Gilbert must have attempted to brush his dark curls, because they looked slightly tidier than usual, but they still were rather tousled.
For several minutes, both Anne and Gilbert were lost in the others eyes, and startled when the minister suddenly said-- "The couple has requested that they read their own wedding vows." Anne blinked, and took a deep breath before beginning.
"Gilbert. My Gil. I take you to be husband. My life mate. You accepted every bit of me as I am, and I will forever be grateful," She took another breath before continuing. "I always said that I wanted to be a bride, dressed in a divine wedding dress with lace and puffed sleeves, but I never wanted to be a wife. But now, I don't want to be just a wife. I want to by your wife. You listen to me, even when I ramble on about all of the nonsense that is going on inside of my mind. You challenge me, goodness, just ask Ms. Stacey, I'm sure we drove her absolutely insane in school, with our debates, and our arguments. All my life, I never thought that I was worthy of anyone's love. But you showed me that wasn't true. I didn't think it were even possible to love someone as much as I love you. I love you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
Anne quickly wiped her eyes, and noticed that Gilbert was doing the same. Gilbert took a breath before beginning his vow. "Anne. There are more than 150,000 words in the dictionary. But even if I used all of them, it still wouldn't convey how I feel for you, or how I feel whenever our eyes meet, or our hands touch. I think it's safe to say that everyone knew how bad I had it for you, Anne. Well, everyone except you. From the day I first met you, that small frightened girl in the woods, I couldn't help but try to talk to you, to get your attention. I tried everything. And we all know how well that went." Anne laughed aloud, and reached up to touch the spot on his face where she had hit him with her slate.
"From that moment on, I couldn't get you out of my mind. You see the world so differently, and you bring so much color and light to mine. Never in my life have I ever met someone, as courageous, smart and beautiful as you. I love you, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, and I can't wait to spend forever with you." Gilbert finished, tears once again filling his eyes. Anne let out a quiet sob, as they both turned back to the minister.
"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, do you take Gilbert John Blythe, to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do." Anne replied, eyes shining with tears.
"And do you, Gilbert John Blythe, take Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
"I do." Gilbert said.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may--" began the minister, but ended with a chuckle when Anne and Gilbert had already pulled each other into a sweet kiss. When the two finally pulled apart, they couldn't help but rest their foreheads together.
"I love you , Gilbert Blythe." Murmured Anne.
"I love you, Anne Blythe."