I must admit this has been my favourite on to write to date!
Gilbert grinned trying not to let his pride show too much as they entered the hall. He did manage to look up "Wow!" he exclaimed looking at the decorations "Josie really out did herself!" he said with a smile to Anne.
It wasn't unlike the reaction he had just given when he first saw Anne.
From top her hair was in a half up half down twisted crown with tiny crystals in it the rest of her hair left loose down her back with a combination of her own natural waves and tiny plaits throughout with tiny aqua crystal beads in her hair. The Aqua crystal beads matched the dress she wore. Just above her knee with a sweetheart neckline (Gilbert couldn't help but notice she looked really good in sweetheart necklines even if it did have the sheer over it covering her shoulders) the dress was an aqua green blue with crystals emphasising her chest and waist and the back the rest of the dress had scattered crystals across it.
Anne had looked up and laughed "Close your mouth you're leaking air from your brain." Anne said to him.
"S-sorry." Gilbert said looking at her shutting his mouth. "You look- Wow! Just wow!" he finished.
Anne smiled "Thanks."
"You really really suit your hair like that." He managed. "It looks beautiful natural."
Anne blushed slightly.
He cleared his throat and held up the flower corsage "I'm even more glad I got this then." He said with smile to her.
"Oh Gil!" She exclaimed looking at it "You didn't have to!" She told him.
"Course I did!" he objected back. "You take a girl to a dance you get her a corsage, Josie taught me that."
Anne brow furrowed "I can't remember Josie wearing…"
"She wouldn't wear it." Gilbert said with a grin "It was bright yellow it clashed with her dress." He said with a slight grin.
Anne looked at him squinting at his face "You did that deliberately!" Anne exclaimed.
Gilbert burst into laughter with her.
"Does that mean you not matching with her was deliberate too…"
"It may have been the case of accidently on purpose." He said with a smile to her.
She smiled. "Hmm." She said then opened the corsage and looked at the flower inside "Oh Gil!" she exclaimed looking at the corsage. It had Ivory roses with mint rose buds and lavender sprays with foliage and freeze-dried gypsophila finished with ivory organza & satin corsage bow - set on a 3-row pearl wristlet.
"The bracket can be worn without the flowers so you could wear it as just a pearl bracelet." He said with a nervous look to her, which he didn't need because seconds later she threw her arms around his neck. He smiled smelling into her hair, she smelt of t-tree and mint.
"I love pearls." She said to him pulling back. "How could you have known that?" she asked him with a grin.
He shrugged before he said "Kindred spirits I suppose." He said sliding the corsage onto her arm.
"Gil this must have cost a small fortune." She whispered.
"Well what's the point in earning money if I can't spend it on someone pretty every once in a while." He said.
"Some-one?" she said.
"I-I…" he blushed "I meant something, something pretty." He said and she turned away for a moment where his eyes rolled and close, he couldn't believe how careless he was being.
At this Marilla came in the kitchen and looked at the pair she looked shocked for a moment before she shook her head and said to Gilbert "why Gilbert, you look just like your father in that grey suit." She told him He looked down at his own suit with a grin.
"Oh thanks." He said with a shrug "I think."
"Believe me it's a compliment." Anne said with a smile to Gilbert. "The grey really suits you." Anne said of her own free will, "And the mint in the tie really brings out your eyes."
"Ah Anne!" Davy said coming through the door. "You look nice." He said to her. "Can I take a picture?" he said pulling out his phone and snapping the pair with grinning faces. "Awesome!" Davy bounced "I'm putting it on Facebook." He said and as quickly as he said it he bounced out the room.
"You better get a move on, the dance will be over before you get there." Marilla said. "Take the 4 by 4 its due to snow."
Anne grabbed the keys. "Thanks Marilla."
"I'll leave my car out in the courtyard if that's okay Marilla?" Gilbert asked.
"Of course just bring her back safely." She said to him.
"Can I drive?" Gilbert asked her. "I'd like to be able to say I drove you to the dance at least." He said with a smile. Anne chuckled and handed him the keys. "Come on. My knight in a four by four."
Back to the present and looked up at the decorations and said "well if anyone can throw a party it's Josie." Gilbert told her.
"I'll choose to take that as a compliment." Josie said to the pair then she looked at Gilbert as he turned around "Say cheese!" she said holding out her phone and snapped a picture o the two. "See," she told him straight, "You do know how to coordinate with a girl." She said slightly huffed.
"We chose the colours which were the theme for the party Josie." Anne said to her and she looked at Gilbert "and we went clothes shopping together."
Josie's jaw dropped "You got Gilbert to go shopping!" She exclaimed.
"Don't worry it was under protest, the only reason he came was I promised him a lightsabre if he behaved himself." Anne said with a laugh.
"A what?" Josie said confused.
Anne rolled her eyes "From Star Wars."
Josie tutted "You're such a geek Gilbert."
"Every little boy wants a lightsabre!" He exclaimed.
"You paid for it?" Josie asked Anne.
"It made his iddy preddy face light up like a Christmas tree!" Anne said with a cooing baby voice holding his cheeks for a moment.
"You two are weird!" She exclaimed. "So, what do you think?" she asked referring to her own dark blue glittering dress. It was a long dress which had a split up to her mid-thigh and a deep v plunged neck at her cleavage. The gap however was covered in a sheer material and covered in crystals.
"It's very Hollywood Josie." Anne said with a smile.
"I know right!" she said with a smile. "I have to go and check those balloons are going to come down at the right time." She said looking above them for a moment. "Excuse me."
Anne and Gilbert smiled at each other for a moment before they both looked around " Best go get the picture out the way." Gilbert suggested and they went over to join the line. "Ah!" Gilbert exclaimed "Some good teachers chaperoning tonight." Gilbert said looking around. "Coach Rennie, Miss Lewis, Miss Stacy…" he said.
"Mr Irving!" Anne exclaimed seeing him. He brow wrinkled for a moment "I wonder who is looking after Paul?" She asked Gilbert.
"None of our business." Gilbert said to her again shaking his head.
They posed for the picture and even snapped a picture of them together near the photobooth, before they danced happily for the first part of the night both with each other and with other friends they watched as Josie got ever more anxious about the balloons by the time they got to the half way point Josie was checking over the rope every two minutes leaving a rather flustered Charlie behind her, both Anne and Gilbert watching bemused as Anne started to wave her hand in front of her face. Upon proclaiming it was too hot Gilbert escorted Anne out to the side of the building to a seat which overlooked the parking lot. Gentlemen he was he took off his Jacket and put it around her.
"Won't you get cold?" she asked him.
"I still have this." He said to her pointing to the waist jacket. "And it was stifling hot in there." He said with a grin as he sat beside her. As he did tiny flutters of snow started to fall.
"Ever watched the Gilmore Girls?" Anne asked him.
"Can't say I have." He admitted.
"The main character, says she always knows when it'll snow, that its magical." She said looking up at the snow holding one hand out letting the flakes melt on her hand.
He looked up "I can't say I disagree." He replied.
"Gil?" she said.
"Yeah?"
She paused unexpectedly although Gilbert had no idea what it was she was about to say. "No-it's nothing." She said shaking her head.
He looked at her with a half-smile half confused look "are you sure?" he asked her.
"I'm just-" she seemed to struggle before she said "I'm glad we became friends."
He grinned and put his arm around her "Me too Shirley." He said sentimentally. They looked at each other in the moment and the moment froze.
"Anne! Gilbert!" they heard a familiar voice shout from the other side of the parking lot. The pair had been so wrapped up in their moment they failed to notice the car which had come into the parking lot.
"Paul!" Anne said standing up, Gilbert not far behind her. He came sprinting down the pair cuddling into Anne tightly.
"Paul!" The women called after him, coming down the lot herself. "Do you know these people?"
"This is Anne and Gilbert Grandma." Paul said to the women.
She smiled and looked at them both "So, you two are the students my son raves about and my grandson worships." She smiled "its nice to meet you both."
"Pleasure to meet you." Gilbert said to them both. "Your son is an excellent teacher." He said.
"Yes he has a real way of making the stories about us." Anne agreed.
"He works hard." She admitted.
"I'll go in and get him for you." Gilbert said.
"Thank you dear." As Gilbert was going into the house Miss Lewis was coming out of it, she looked over clearly confused and walked down to meet Anne..
"I was just making sure there was no hanky panky happening out here." She said with Anne for a smile. "You know how strict Miss Stacy is about this sort of thing."
"No, not Gilbert and I." She said "We've said before we're…"
"Just friends." Miss Lewis said with her with a laugh. She looked to the older women "Hello Mrs Irving." She said quietly.
"Hello Lavender." The older women said. "Its been a long time."
"Eleven years," Miss Lewis said quietly "More or less." She admitted. "It must be, I can't remember you being pregnant again." She said looking down at Paul. "He looks just like Stephen." She admitted.
"She's not my mom." Paul told her unbeknownst to him the complication in the matter.
Miss Lewis looked confused and so wrapped up she didn't notice Mr Irving and Gilbert come back out the mansion.
Mrs Irving looked at Miss Lewis "You mean you don't know?" She asked Lavender. "Stephen never told you?"
"Dad!" Paul exclaimed seeing Mr Irving he ran straight to him.
"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked Paul.
"I let him watch Kes." Mrs Irving said to her son.
"Kes?!" Stephen exclaimed. "Oh mom!" he said shaking his head. "He's too sensitive for films like that…"
"I know that now!" she exclaimed.
"No!" Miss Lewis exclaimed. "No, no way." She continued. She looked at Stephen the pools of water gathering in her eyes "Your son?!" she exclaimed.
"Hey Paul?" Gilbert said. "Do you want to pull a prank with Anne and me?" he asked him.
"A prank?" he asked.
"It involves some rope and about a thousand balloons dropping early and seeing how long it takes for a girl to have a complete melt down?!" he exclaimed holding out his hand.
Paul looked to his father who smiled slightly and nodded he took Gilbert's hand before he reached for Anne's too "I wish Davy were here, then he could play the prank too, he'd love it." He said to them as they walked away, as their voices faded Mrs Irving said "I'll wait in the car for Paul."
"No, its alright ma." Stephen said to his mother. "I'll take him, Miss Stacy offered to have him come anyway, I'm sure once he goes in with Anne and Gilbert she'll just accept that I took her up on her offer."
"Are you sure?" she asked Stephen, "these parties can run pretty late?"
"It's not a school night," he admitted "he'll just sleep it off."
His mother nodded and pecked him on the cheek. "Night then." She whispered heading up to the car.
Stephen sighed and looked round to Lavender who was now sitting on the bench. "Angela." She whispered.
"Yeah." He whispered sitting beside her. His head bowing into his knees his hands running through his dark hair. "Did I ever tell you why we broke up?" Stephen asked her. Lavender shook her head still looking at her knees. "We had sex…" he said rolling his own eyes "just once the whole two years we were together. Our relationship was crumbling but um, she didn't want to break up so we had sex." He told her.
"That's stupid." Lavender said to him.
"I know." He shrugged. "I knew then too, just, head cheerleader whose been your girlfriend for near on two years offers…" he trailed.
"So a girl says jump and you say how high?!" Lavender exclaimed.
"You know I did!" Stephen defended. "I was a walk over in that relationship and you know it! You know what Angela was like, she hated us being together, she hated that we had a better relationship."
"That wasn't my fault!" Lavender told him.
"She was grasping at straws!" Stephen said. "Looking for another way to manipulate me!" Stephen continued "and boy did she manage it… I know, I know me agreeing wasn't perfect, I should have waited for.. I don't know something more than that!" He got up and paced in front of the bench. "Once, round the back of the gym building…" he started.
"Oh nice!" Lavender exclaimed.
"How do you think I felt, I lost my virginity to her!" he exclaimed. "Once, that all it took and she said she was on the pill so we didn't need protection. What she didn't say is that she often forgot to take it so she wasn't completely covered." He sighed and sat back down, Lavender unable to speak. "She broke up with me right after we'd…" he trailed closing his eyes in shame. "Told me I was too small for her liking." He sighed "and that's when I found out she had been cheating on me with half my so-called friends on the football team, apparently they were a lot bigger of a man." He swallowed before he continued "I didn't care, I was finally free of her grasp, she didn't care anymore I could be with the girl I wanted to be with at last!" he said with a pitiful look to her. "After I dropped you off home on Prom night at your parents house, I um, got home, to find Angela on the doorstep." He continued. "that's when she told me she was pregnant." He admitted. "Turns out she had a dry spell before and after me which meant only I could have been the father." He continued. "She wanted us to try again for the baby's sake." He said with a sigh. "I had a responsibility to that unborn baby, I'd been so irresponsible in bringing him into the world, I figured I had to be a man." He said with a shrug. "Once Angela went home I came to your house." He said quietly. "I was in my car looking up at what I knew was your bedroom. I was trapped all over again." He said as pools of water came to his eyes. "I sat and I cried. I tried so hard just to come up and tell you, I had to I knew I did." He took some deep breaths. "One two, three o'clock in the morning past I was still sitting there trying to find the courage, four five six…" tears escaped his eyes "and I um… got a text from Angela demanding I go to her." He sighed. "And the coward I am, left without telling you." He took some deep breaths and continued. "Our parents met and decided our futures, when Angela said she wanted to keep the baby I agreed, I had very little idea of what was coming but I stood up, I became a man, you know?" he said then got back up and started pacing "We all moved away, the plan was to settle where we were going to college." He said. "He was unusually shy at the ultrasounds to his manhood." Stephen said with a smile "so we never found out his sex until he was born." Stephen sat beside Lavender again. "Those six months weren't perfect but we tried to make it work. When she gave birth, she didn't want to hold him, so I did. For hours and hours, I held him in my arms, and I was smitten, completely and utterly in love, that's only happened one other time my whole life." He said looking at her again "I thought she might be in shock, I don't know but they asked if we had chosen a name yet and that's when she proclaimed 'it doesn't matter we aren't keeping it anyway'." Lavender looked to him amazed as he let out a huge sob "she rejected my son!" he exclaimed as if it had happened yesterday "She didn't want him, she thought he would be a girl, so she kept the baby in hopes of a… I don't know dress up doll I suppose, but she didn't want him and I did." He sighed. "I was eighteen years old I had no idea what I was doing but I fought for my son." He said. "What else was I supposed to do?" he said. "I fought tooth and nail I was not letting my son go. I loved him, I loved him the moment he was put in my arms. Six months later she sighed the form repealing her parental rights to him, and he became solely my son." He took another deep breath "I've not heard from Angela since." He admitted. "My parents at first had custody, until I was a sensible age but I was the parent it was me raising him, every diaper change every bottle, every childhood sickness, me and him that's all it ever was, we shared my room, I had no college girlfriends, not because they were scared off by Paul but because I wasn't going to let anyone get close to Paul to hurt him, what if we broke up and it confused him as to what a mother should be?" he sighed "That's mean," he said with the shake of the head "Don't get me wrong what Angela did wasn't perfect, what I did wasn't perfect…" he sighed "There are a few moments in your life that define you as a person you know?" he said shrugging his shoulders "On Angela's side, she might not have been perfect but I neither was I. I never should have let her manipulate me the way she did. If I'd stood up and was the man I was meant to be earlier the whole thing could have been avoided. Having said that, I wouldn't change having Paul. On my side what I did to you was cowardly, but I hope what I did for my son made me brave. I wouldn't change keeping him Lavender, I wouldn't change it not one moment. I had to stand up and be a man, take on the responsibility of my actions."
"You did it alone." Lavender said softly. "No one should have to do it alone." She smiled at him "I bet you're an amazing dad."
He released a laugh with a shake of the head. He took a breath and said "You know I thought about coming and finding you." He admitted. "I thought maybe we could…" he sighed "but then I didn't know how you'd react to Paul, to Angela, to the whole…"
"I would have stood by you." She whispered.
There was a silence before he said "I didn't know that for sure." He said quietly "I'd bailed on you." He said.
"I wouldn't have bailed on you." She said. "You were my best friend!" she said before she muttered "I loved you to pieces!"
"And the beginning of the year?" he asked her.
"I've had a very long time to get angry Stephen." She said quietly. "At a situation, I didn't fully understand nor grasp." She took a breath "Until now." Stephen physically gasped as her hands slid into his. "You could have told me." She whispered. "immediately, nine months later, it wouldn't matter, I loved you."
He sobbed again "I didn't really have a great impression of 'love' at that stage." He whispered.
"No, I suppose not." She said quietly. "Paul…" she smiled.
"After your brother, yeah." He admitted. "You always said if you had a son you'd name him after him. For the brother, you never knew." He looked at Lavender "I got to choose his name, it was the first name that came to mind, sort of a backhanded way of giving Angela two fingers up for messing it up between us too." He said with a half snort.
"That's really sweet Stephen." She said letting go of his hands and wrapping her arms around him. "Oh Stephen!" she whispered. He broke down into sobs of crying he cuddled into her closely her hands went to his hair gently ruffling through it. "Shh." She soothed.
"I suppose she got the last laugh." He said pulling back. "Making sure I stay a bachelor for life." He said.
Lavender looked at him. "You don't have to be Stephen." She whispered. There was a marked silence before she continued "A lot has happened and a lot has changed." She said to him. "But we were a good match, once upon a time maybe the things which made us so good together are the things that haven't changed." She suggested.
He looked up and into her blue eyes. "What are you saying?" he asked her.
"We could maybe try again?" she questioned. "Maybe?"
"Really?" he asked her.
"You really loved me back then?" she asked him to which he immediately nodded. "I loved you. Somethings never change, not even in eleven years." She said.
Stephen didn't need any more encouragement he leaned into her and kissed her as if they were teenagers again. As they pulled back he looked at her "I'm so sorry Lavender, I was a fool and a coward, I'm so sorry, I'm so so…" this time she reached for him kissing him again as if he were the teenage boy she had fallen in love with all those years ago.
Finally pulling back from the kiss they smiled and laughed in relief. "So Paul…" she said to him.
"He's amazing!" Stephen said proudly.
"Can I meet him properly?" she asked him.
"Sure." He said quickly before he amended. "Can we start it with him with us just being friends? He's really sensitive I don't know…"
"Yes, that's fine," Lavender said to him. "I'd really love to meet him."
Stephen kissed her again before he out his arm around her and took her back inside the mansion. They made it inside the main hall to see Josie face bright red as the early balloon release had a domino effect, most of the burst the glitter all over the floor and the ice sculptor of the swan was smashed across the floor the jocks making the most of it and picked up what they could to put ice in their drinks at last the other cheerleaders with towels found in the mansion and mops on the floor. Gilbert Anne and Paul were sitting in one corner laughing at the chaos, in all truth the party was far from a disaster but Josie's dramatics made the night. It was Anne who first saw Miss Lewis and Mr Irving come back in she smiled as Mr Irving caught her eye, his arm around Miss Lewis and a smile to Anne. Anne nudged Gilbert and nodded over to them. Gilbert's grinned widened as raised his eyebrows to his teacher his bottom lip protruding for a second. His arm went around Anne and they smiled to each other.
It was then that the sweethearts dance was announced. Paul jumped up offering his hand to Anne, she chuckled and looked at Gilbert "The best man won there." He admitted and shrugged in defeat. Anne stood and danced with the little man. She looked up and over at Gilbert whose eyes indicated to their teachers. Anne looked over and saw Mr Irving and Miss Lewis in each other's arms. It was half way through the dance before Paul lead Anne to Gilbert and said "You two had better dance really." He said and he sat on the chair next to Gilbert. Gilbert stood and led Anne to the floor again.
They half passed Josie and Charlie of whom Charlie was heard saying to her "Say Josie I was wondering…" Anne and Gilbert smiled at each other.
"You know I saved you from that fate." Gilbert whispered to Anne.
"Yes you did, didn't you?" she said with a smile to him. "Thanks for that."
They looked over at Miss Lewis and Mr Irving again "it looks like you have a way of bringing people together." He whispered.
"I don't think it was me." Anne admitted.
"By domino effect maybe." He said with a smile to her.
"Its funny," she reflected "the ripple effect we have on other people." She sighed romantically and then cuddled into Gilbert's chest.
It was almost midnight by the time they had got back from the dance. He had walked her to the door and told her what a good time he had. She smiled and had agreed. She admitted school dances weren't normally as fun as when she went with a real kindred spirit. He gave her back the keys to the truck then smiled, taken her hand and kissed the back of her palm playfully, then before she had time to analyse the tingling it had sent up her hand he had bid her goodnight and had retrieved to the safety of his car.
'What on earth was that?' she thought to herself as she walked into the house locking the door behind her. 'that wasn't... romantic was it?' she wondered. 'No!' she reasoned. 'Gilbert isn't interested in you like that.' she told herself. 'remember his choices aren't limited, he could have which ever girl he wanted.' she continued. 'And anyway you don't want him to have those feelings for you.' she reminded herself climbing the stairs. 'that only leads to...' she flinched for a second 'and you don't want that do you?' she said firmly.'anyway,' she thought logically, 'this evening was lovely' she sighed opening her bedroom door she moved across the room swiftly. 'it doesn't come from nights like this.' she told herself. 'Tonight is a sacred night, full of friendships renewed and pasts forgotten.' she smiled down at the corsage she picked some of the mint green roses petals then picked some of the ivory rose petals and did the same with those, she picked out a spray of lavender and smelt the freshness for a moment before she picked out the gypsophila and ivory organza and looked around her room for a good source to press them in. She smiled as she saw the big old family bible and brought it down opening it randomly. She got a sheet of white paper arranged the flowers on it while reading the verses from the bible. Some people might disagree with her but she always found the language in the bible to be so poetic and she thought it was lovely. It had opened in 1 Corinthians 13, she read.
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."**
She finished arranging the flowers as she liked and lay another she of paper over the top tucking it into the spine of the bible and tucking it away on the bookshelf. Those would be ready in a few days to be stuck to a bookmark, she smiled as she removed the flowers from the bracelet and placed the flowers inside her top draw, but she loved the bracelet and put in on her bedside table read to be slipped on in the morning. She readied for bed the words from the bible played her mind as she mulled it over.
Its funny, she often thought of charity as someone giving up something for someone else, usually money or clothes, she supposed now it was because she had been on the receiving end of it so often, but those verses made it sound like so much more. If you had no charity you had nothing. Which was particularly funny considering they were giving up things for someone else, it was almost as if charity was an inner quality.
Fully ready for bed she plugged in her phone and noticed a whatsapp message waiting she unlocked her phone and opened it.
Gil: Thanks for tonight Carrots ;-), You looked stunning and I had a really good time.
Anne smiled and sat on her bed replying.
I should be the one writing that message.
She sent it off seeing he was online and then he typed back fast.
Gil: Well we'll call it even then.
She found herself repressing a smile as she read his words.
Night Gil.
Gil: Night Zzz
Anne laughed then put her phone on her bedside table and snuggled under her duvet. She closed her eyes then thought to herself with admiration for the quality 'You know Gil has charity*'. she sighed happily and fell of to sleep.
AN: *its all to do with the translation, which I'll go into later.
**Emphasis added for Anne's thought emphasis