Chapter 13

Early in the afternoon of their second day at home, Gilbert looked out of the kitchen window to see a couple pausing at the Green Gables gate. Even from a distance, he could tell who they were, and he got up with a grim look. He'd been expecting them to come- only he'd hoped for a little more time. Personally, he hoped they would arrive at Green Gables to find them elsewhere. Anne had been distraught by the events of the disastrous visit, and he was loathe to allow anything to make it worse. He'd managed to convince her to rest, heaven only knew how; and last he'd checked she was sound asleep, the evidence of tears still on her face.

When the old door knocker sounded, Gilbert opened the door to greet Diana Barry and Fred Wright. Gilbert nodded at his friend before addressing Diana.

"Diana, Fred; Merry Christmas to you both."

Diana's cheeks were a rosy red, and she drew in an anxious breath as she took in his protective stance. "I don't suppose you are very pleased to see me."

"I'm not particularly inclined to be gracious right now, no," Gilbert commented mildly.

Diana paused, then. "May I speak with Anne?"

"She's asleep."

Diana blinked in surprise. "Anne never sleeps during the day."

Gilbert closed the door behind the couple, nodding at Fred's greeting. "Well, she did today," he said tersely.

Diana slipped off her gloves, her black eyes showing her hurt. "Gilbert, you gave us all no warning."

"Well, we didn't have any either," Gilbert snapped, keeping his voice low. "I understand that this throws your wedding plans out, and I'm sorry, but as Anne tried to explain to you, we had very little time to get used to this new state of affairs. And frankly, it is taking an enormous toll on her."

"Then why do it?" Diana asked angrily. "If this isn't what either of you wanted-"

"Because this was the only choice! It was the only way to both remain at college!"

Diana would later recall with shame the way that she stomped her foot in frustration, but for the moment she was oblivious. "I don't know what that means," she said furiously. "What made the two of you decide to keep whatever is between you a secret?"

Gilbert looked across at Fred then, his jaw unmistakably stern, and Fred put up his hands. "I told Di that she needed to talk to Anne- to you both, really," he said, his voice calm. "Gil, you don't answer to us. But I'd like to think that we've been friends for long enough that you can tell us what actually happened."

"Anne already tried to do that."

Diana closed her eyes, and she tried to control her shaking voice. "And this time I will hear you both out."

Gilbert hesitated. "You'll need to wait until Anne is up to it. I won't rush her. It does affect your wedding, so I suppose we do owe you an explanation- but if you are going to accuse or make her feel worse about this-"

Diana choked back her disappointment at his words. "Why would you think I would ever want to hurt her?"

There was a step on the old staircase then, and Diana halted to turn and greet a very pale Anne in the doorway. She couldn't help but flinch at the way Anne moved to Gilbert's side, seemingly away from her. She tried to smile at her friend.

"I'm sorry, Anne- I reacted poorly this morning. I wondered if we would be able to talk about everything now."

Gilbert's hand was being squeezed rather uncomfortably in Anne's anxiety, and yet he made no outward sign of discomfort. when the silence grew long, he spoke. "Suppose we sit down and have tea," he commented briskly. "Fred, you'll help me make it, right?"

Fred gave his old friend a queer look. Since when did the men do that? But- "Uh- sure. You ladies carry on."

Once seated in the parlour, Diana clenched her hands together as Anne silently stoked the fire. She didn't appear angry- only tired. This pierced Diana more than anything else, and her voice was gentle. "Anne, I'm sorry for what I said."

"It's alright, Diana."

This in no way eased her friend's mind, and the conversation was stilted until Gilbert came in with a reasonably stocked tea tray. Fred sat down beside Diana with a sigh of relief, and she watched Gilbert and Anne curiously. Diana was flummoxed about how comfortable Anne was with Gilbert now- something she had not seen between the pair in some time. And yet what did she expect? Gilbert was her husband, now.

Diana barely processed the way that Gilbert took her hand in his tightly, as for the second time in as many days, an exhausted Anne began to relate the story. She frowned, concentrating hard as the couple talked. The debacle in the medical tent, the dean's office. The culture of Redmond, and the professors who played a role in this drama- and she caught Fred's eye in surprise at the evident synchronicity between the pair.

Fred saw more humour than she did in the situation- and yet she couldn't honestly say that she was surprised at their impulsive behaviour. It was imprudent, unwise- and yet so like the two of them, and the way they had once roamed field and shore without any care for propriety. Diana looked at Anne now, puzzled. She'd sworn over and over that she didn't have feelings for Gilbert- and yet she had certainly agreed to this marriage. Could this really just be about Gilbert's ambitions?

Gilbert, she noticed walked a fine line between explaining the events of the past month- admitting their foolishness- and yet with no apology whatsoever in his manner. He was very protective, she noticed- and she cringed at the thought that Gilbert meant to protect Anne from her. Almost she was angry at him for setting himself between Anne and she- until her own words the previous day echoed uncomfortably in her mind.

"And you plan to continue your studies as normal?" she asked, subdued.

"Yes." Gilbert looked at Anne then, and Diana blinked in shock at the understanding between them. "And we have to live somewhere, eat and work- we're just doing it together now."

Fred sat back with a big sigh. "You know what they're all going to say," he said quietly.

Gilbert's hand clenched, but Diana watched in fascination as Anne placed her hand on Gilbert's arm quietly while her eyes turned toward Fred. "Yes. We do know. We face that at college as well as here. However, if we hadn't married, the same would also be said."

The look of concern on Diana's face grew. "Anne, surely an elopement will be more difficult to explain than you simply leaving college."

Gilbert saw the frustration in Anne at her friend's words, and gave her hand a squeeze. "Not really, Diana. I would need to find work- I wouldn't be able to go back to Redmond again. I wouldn't be able to get into another college, if I left under such an accusation. I would find it difficult to find a well-paying school that would hire me if word got out- and I would most likely need to go a long way from Redmond to work- even from the island."

"And that wasn't acceptable," Gilbert added flatly. "Anne would be academically, financially penalized for a mistake that belonged to both of us- the college would take away my scholarships, but they wouldn't actually make me leave."

Diana frowned. "Why not you as well?"

Anne fielded this question. "Because men are allowed minor indiscretions," she said calmly. "Women are treated with suspicion from the outset- there can't even be the hint of a scandal. The girls and I are in the minority at Redmond- and there are still men who believe that women have no place in the academic world, even when our marks surpass their own."

"And Anne's always have," Gilbert added, composed.

Diana's look was horrified. "But that's so unfair."

Anne gave a dry smile. "Quite." She sat back on the sofa carefully. "If I left, I would prove them right. We didn't decide this lightly. Gilbert and I weighed up every possibility- we spoke with people we trusted, which admittedly is few at the moment- and believe it or not, this is the most logical choice. The news will get out if it's going to get out- at least together, we can navigate it. Some people will always believe that we were compromised. Professor Daniels told Professor Hallett that we were engaged- it saved us from immediate expulsion. Our marriage was the condition that we weren't penalized in any other way- and it had to be completed in a week. We don't want to give up our ambitions- not when we worked so hard to get to this point."

Fred looked at the pair of them speculatively. "And you didn't let anyone here know?"

Gilbert sat back beside his wife, his voice even. "Mail from Kingsport takes just over a week to reach Avonlea- providing there are no delays with the crossing. If we'd written when we made our decision, you would have received it after the wedding- and there would only have been one letter you could send us in reply before we were here, leaving no time for us to respond to any concerns. Now, suppose we did write- everyone would have panicked and assumed that Anne was most likely pregnant, wouldn't they?"

Anne's cheeks were hot, and there was a mutinous look in her grey eyes that alarmed Diana. "Would they really have assumed that if you explained it?"

"What did you assume, Di?" Anne asked dully. "We thought we stood a better chance if we told the people who mattered in person. We didn't think a letter would suffice- perhaps we were wrong in that regard. But- it doesn't matter now. People are going to think what they will think- and it will simply take time to prove that they are wrong."

Diana looked at the young couple, her mind in a whirl. Oh, Gilbert Blythe was clearly in love with Anne- and she must have felt something for him to accept. She looked more natural with Gilbert than she had seen in some time- and yet there wasn't the glow of the happy bride about her. Diana looked at the way Anne clung to Gilbert's hand, instinctively knowing that they were pulling away from those around them- perhaps that was natural, in view of the world they were facing. She suppressed the lump in her throat as she looked across at Fred. For the first time, their own wait didn't hurt- they would be ready for their marriage when it came. Anne and Gilbert couldn't possibly be ready now- and she wondered if they would miss out on something precious.

To her surprise, Anne turned to Gilbert then, quietly asking him if he would mind leaving Diana and her alone to talk. Diana could see the hesitation on his face to leave her, but he accepted- and he was the one to suggest that Fred and he go and check on the horse in the barn.

When they had left, Diana crossed the room to sit beside Anne, asking the question that she should have asked earlier.

"Anne, are you alright?"

There was an odd spark in Anne's grey eyes then. "Define 'alright'."

"No, don't do that with me." Diana saw her pale, and gave her a piercing look. "I'm sorry. I said things I never should have- and you have every right to be angry at me. I want to understand. Please don't shut me out now because of my foolish words."

Anne's lips trembled, and she was silent for a time. Then- "No. I'm not alright. I hate the gossip- the insinuations- and- Di, if you could respond that way, won't everyone else be the same? I trapped us both- and I can't do anything to change it."

Diana drew in a deep breath. "Do you wish you said no?"

Anne was silent for a time. "I keep asking myself that."

"And?"

"No. I don't." She looked back to see Diana's confused look, and she shrugged, her eyes glistening. "I couldn't leave Gilbert. He doesn't deserve to lose his chance- he deserves everything good in the world."

Diana saw more in her words than Anne would admit, and swallowed with unexpected emotion. "And so- how are you with having to live with him?"

Anne's lashes lowered, a look that made her friend's eyebrows rise in surprise. "He's honestly the bright spot of all of this," she admitted. "I would never have guessed that we would begin to adapt so quickly. He is gentlemanly and kind, and he- he's the very best of men."

A small smile began to creep over Diana's face. "You really do like him."

Anne chuckled, sheepishly. "I always liked him- after I stopped not liking him, in any case."

"Do- do you love him?"

Anne's movements stilled. "Perhaps one day, Di. Jo- the minister- he suggested that I embrace the possibility of choosing it- instead of expecting it to drop from the sky."

Diana couldn't stop the tears from forming, and she reached over to pull her friend into her arms. "I'm sorry, Anne, I'm so very sorry," she said shakily. "I wanted you to marry Gilbert, but you deserved to meet your brooding, melancholy hero too-"

Anne pulled away from her after a minute, and blinked rapidly. "When I became an adult, I put away childish things," she quoted softly. "It may be paraphrasing, somewhat, but it's true. Oh- and ironically, Gilbert and I did meet him last week."

Diana froze. "Who?"

"The imaginary suitor. He's new to our class at Redmond- his name is Royal Gardner. He's everything we used to imagine he would be. Rich, melancholy, handsome and even broods over poetry." To Diana's surprise, she saw Anne's smile twist painfully, and she shrugged before drawing in a deep breath. "And yet, somehow, despite everything, I believe I did the right thing."

Diana's jaw was open. "Really?"

Anne's smile was real, this time. "Would a melancholy hero manage to make me laugh about this situation? Would he accept being poor for the moment, being gossiped about, and still manage to smile in the ugliest home imaginable in the mornings?" Her look was thoughtful, and Diana watched her, fascinated. "Would he tease me like Gilbert does when I'm worried, and then hold me when anything- including him- makes me cry?" Diana's hands went to her heart, and her mouth was unashamedly trembling. "I mean- it would have been- nice," Anne faltered then, "in another life, to fall in love and be carried away on a cloud of romance- and it hurts to give up my dreams, it hurts to have people think less of us- but I don't think the heroes of our fantasies would be the support that Gilbert is. I don't know if he would have the stamina for better or for worse- but I already know that Gilbert does."

Diana swallowed, cautiously approaching the barrier that Anne had erected years ago, in talking about her relationship with Avonlea's finest son. "Anne- you do know why he's like that, don't you?"

Her friend shrugged. "Because he is a good man," she said decidedly. "The very best."

Diana nodded doubtfully. "Ye-ees, I suppose so-"

Anne chuckled. "Excepting your Fred, of course." She sighed, absently playing with the stitching on the antimacassar. "We're not really ready for anything else right now, Di," Anne admitted. "We had to rush into this so quickly- we need time. We need to focus on our studies. I- I suppose the next eighteen months will give us a good foundation to begin with, when we graduate. We- can begin properly then. Right now, I suppose we are friends who share a house- later, perhaps there will be more."

Diana sat back with a frown. "Anne, are you telling me that I won't be able to go to my married best friend for advice in a few months time?"

Anne gave a dry laugh, sitting back as well. "You and Fred are the experienced couple, Di. Gilbert and I aren't particularly sure of anything, right now."

Diana smiled. "You're both fast learners. I've no doubt that you will catch up quickly." She looked at Anne with a twinkle in her dark eyes. "Your children will be exceptional, you know."

Anne covered her face with her hands. "Di, we aren't talking about anything of the kind, yet."

Diana raised her head to make sure that the men were nowhere nearby, and turned back to Anne with an intense look. "But how will you avoid-"

Anne's flushed face was expressive, and Diana gasped. "Oh! So you haven't-"

Anne shook her head, her look pleading.

"Oh." Diana's lip was tucked between her teeth as she glanced at her friend. "I- I wondered how you planned to finish college, with being married, and all."

"It's a good decision, Di. I told you, we need time." She was annoyed to find her face growing hotter, and she saw that Diana was almost bursting with curiosity. "We do share a room- but we have different beds," Anne muttered, and the girl beside her began to giggle.

"Won't that be fun later on!"

"It's terribly awkward," Anne said blushingly. "We barely slept for the first few days- and it still only takes a cough or a snore to wake me instantly."

"So now you need to work on falling in love with someone you already share a bedroom with."

"That's the general idea, yes," Anne said feebly, and as she met Diana's sparkling eyes, the two girls began to laugh.

When the couple left later that afternoon, it was with a promise that Anne and Gilbert would come for supper at the Barry's house sometime after Christmas. When they had gone, Gilbert was there beside Anne, and she turned to him with a sigh. He enfolded her in his arms and kissed the top of her red head.

"Are you alright?"

Anne scowled from her place against his shoulder. "Why is that the first thing everyone asks me?"

She felt him chuckle. "Because it's been a rough couple of days- weeks, really."

Anne pulled away from him then to don an apron, before gathering up the tea things. "Not only for me. Does anyone ask if you are alright?"

"Are you asking?" Gilbert asked, leaning against the kitchen counter as she worked.

"Yes."

"Then I'm fine." At her look of disbelief, he shrugged. "I'm right where I want to be- with you. We're facing it together just like we planned." He stopped, then, his eyes shadowed. "Anne, do you know what would have happened if you'd left college?" Anne's looked at him, puzzled, and he took up a dish towel to help. "You're not the only one with an imagination. I know where we'd be. You would have come back here for Christmas, and not had a way to explain why you weren't going back. You wouldn't want to see me. It would kill me to watch you hurting from a distance, and I doubt you'd be able to see me go back to Redmond afterwards without being upset with me. We'd grow apart, and I'd be forever associated with your hurt-"

"Gilbert, stop that!" He blinked at her faintly hysterical tone, and then she was in his arms, her red head on his chest again. He couldn't help but smile at the way she hid her face. "We don't need to go there now," she said, her voice muffled. "We chose this way."

He chuckled as he held her. "Well, I know that. It's just interesting, I suppose. When you said no, in the orchard-"

"You didn't actually ask me then."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. When you said that you couldn't do it, that's exactly what I saw happening to us."

"And yet you let me go." She stepped back to see the pain dart through his hazel eyes, and she swallowed. "I had to do that, you know," she admitted. "I would always have wondered if I'd done the right thing- if I'd only said yes because I was afraid." Gilbert only nodded, the words sticking in his throat. "And- I suppose I needed to know that you could let me go." At his understandable confusion, Anne placed the teacups in the water with a little sigh. "You allowed me my choice. You didn't manipulate- or get angry- or tell me that I was foolish for saying no. "

Gilbert's brow lowered. "I wouldn't do that-"

She chuckled, then. "Of course not. That's why I told you I would marry you."

For just a moment he folded his arms, one brown eyebrow raised. "So I had to let you go to marry you."

She paused nervously, and her grey eyes turned to meet his. "Yes."

To her relief, a little smile was on his face, and he took the plate from her hand, unconsciously dripping greasy water over the wooden floor. "I suppose I had to walk away too. I would have spent our life wondering if you were with me because you chose me, or because we were forced to."

Anne turned away to mop up the mess he had made on the floor, her eyes falling before his. "So it's important to us that we both chose this."

He bent down so that Anne was looking at him, and gave her the twisted smile that made her remember with a jolt just how handsome Gilbert Blythe was. She swallowed, suddenly very aware of his proximity.

"Just so you know, Anne- I'd always have chosen you."

Christmas dawned with a powdering of light snow that had fallen through the night, and Anne awoke early to a sound of light pattering against her window. She smiled at the thought of a white Christmas- until the pattering became a harder thud, and a bewildered Anne moved back the curtains to see a pebble strike her window- and Gilbert standing in a pile of snow, waving merrily in the early morning light. She rolled her eyes at his cheek, even now unable to hold back a smile.

Outside, Gilbert grinned, seeing the curtains close. He shivered in the cool breeze, stomping his boots, and hoping that Anne would be quick to come down. Sure enough, within minutes the kitchen door opened, and he strode up the path with a smile to greet her, freshly dressed and wrapped in a thick shawl. As he passed her in the doorway he smiled at the two braids that had not yet been taken out, and gave one of them a gentle tug. Anne was adding some wood to the stove while he removed his coat, placing the kettle on before sitting down on the settee.

"Gil, you are twenty-three! Throwing rocks and pulling hair should be beneath you."

He grinned. "I wouldn't want you to lose who I used to be- that's who you married, after all. No, I wanted to see you first thing- I don't like this being away from each other."

Anne feigned a yawn. "Well, I have been sleeping blissfully without you, Gil; no odd thumps through the night, no snoring-"

"I do not snore!"

"How would you know if you did?" she asked unanswerably, and Gilbert laughed, taking her hand in his.

"The point is, I thought that since it was our first Christmas as husband and wife, that I should try and get a little time alone with you first."

Anne chuckled. "You're right. We came here to tell everyone- and after spending so much time apart, it seems we are only playing- rather scandalously- at marriage."

Gilbert leant over to tug Anne's hands until she faced him, and he smiled at the look of bright curiosity on her face. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

She smiled at him. "Could you ever have imagined this happening last year?"

He chuckled, his cheeks flushing. He had imagined something similar then, actually. He'd woken in his room at the farm on Christmas morning, fresh from a dream of waking to find the girl now beside him in his bed. He'd gone for a brisk run around the barn then.

Not that Anne in any way needed to know that.

"I wouldn't have dared dream this," he said lightly. "Certainly not our manner of getting here."

Anne tucked a long red braid behind her, her eyes regretful. "How is your shoulder now?"

He shrugged, with a smile. "It's a bit stiff in the cold."

Gilbert caught his breath when she leant closer to push the brown curls off his forehead gently. "You did end up with a scar, there," she mused. He raised his hand to touch it self-consciously, and she smiled. "I suppose we all have our scars."

"You have scars?" To this, she suddenly stiffened, something he did not miss- and he watched as she tried to dismiss the uncomfortable moment.

"None worth speaking of."

"But-"

"Please- don't." There was a pause, and her gaze softened. "It doesn't matter. We're here now- and - I've been looking forward to this."

"Having two family Christmases?"

Anne smiled. "They all know now," she said softly. "They aren't necessarily thrilled at the timing, but they know." She tried to speak several times and eventually swallowed. "Diana's reaction made me so aware just how badly it could have gone- and somehow, I don't think things will ever be the same between us again. But Marilla, your parents- they didn't do that to us. They just loved us anyway."

Gilbert's look was affectionate. "You and Di will be fine, sweetheart. It may not be quite the same- but it was going to change when she married anyway. And you know that Marilla and Mother and Dad would still love us even if we had done something bad- but they would have been hopping mad about it. I think it helps that we were relatively innocent. And that we acted quickly for a reason."

Anne began to pull her hair out of the braids with a sigh, her look wistful. "Should we have waited until we came home? Perhaps we should have had the wedding here-"

Gilbert took her hand, admiring the fall of silky red curls over her shoulder. "I don't think Hallett would have waited for us," he said slowly. "He was determined to force our hands. Besides; can you imagine the furore of a speedy family wedding? And at least, this way, we've nearly got three weeks of married experience under our belts."

Anne's eyes twinkled. "Exactly. I already know that you leave piles of books on the floor- and coffee cups in the bowl."

"And I know that it takes you twice as long to wash the hundreds of layers of clothes that you wear, as it takes me to get mine done."

She smiled sweetly. "You occasionally talk in your sleep, Gilbert."

"So do you."

Anne blinked in embarrassment. "Oh- I-" she gave a slight smile, then. "I dare say I haven't said anything terribly interesting."

His smile was wicked, then. "I'd never tell you if you did."

Gilbert spent the morning at Green Gables, breakfasting and opening presents in the parlour. He found himself watching the family interact with a smile, still somewhat gob-smacked to find himself admitted to the easy intimacy of the home. He smiled to see his wife back in the heart of her family once more. There was a lightness to her that had been missing- and he almost sighed in relief to see her laugh again at Marilla's dry comments, and the colourful Avonlea gossip that flowed freely from Mrs Lynde. Davy was almost sitting on top of Anne in his eagerness to show her the new paints for his wooden ships, and Dora's blushing thanks were evident at the pretty collar and hair ribbons Anne had given her. Gilbert had been very surprised to receive small tokens from the family as well- handkerchiefs, a pocketknife and a scarf, and a deep green tie from Anne.

He'd had Anne's gift ready for months. He'd been walking by a jewellery store over the summer and seen a brooch- a cluster of white violets with purple centres, with jade leaves surrounding it. He'd pulled it out of his trunk just the week before and chuckled wryly, thinking of the proposal he'd chosen not to make back when the violets were blooming around Patty's Place. And where had this path taken him? To being married to her by Christmas, of course. He was fairly sure his younger self would have thought him mad- and envied him fiercely.

"Well, now, that is very pretty," Mrs Lynde said judiciously, watching Anne thank Gilbert with a smile that made his heart beat wildly. "I do hope you are not being foolish with your money though, Gilbert; you still have quite a time to go until you can finish college. You have the responsibility of a wife now."

"Rachel, do leave Anne and Gilbert to work out their own finances," Marilla said in exasperation. "They were smart enough together to beat the whole island for the Entrance exam years ago, they are well able to handle this."

Rachel sniffed, and proceeded to talk about the exorbitant cost of living in the cities, while Anne turned to Gilbert, her eyes twinkling in mischief. Her voice was low. "I wonder if that will always be our finest accomplishment to the island? Tying for first for the Entrance?"

He grinned, proudly watching her pin the brooch to the lace collar of her ivory blouse, the leaves complementing her rich, green skirts. "Certainly not. I'm the winner of the Medal- and you won the Avery. Is that enough for us to pin our hats on?"

She sat back against the old sofa, watching the twins show their books to the older ladies, and he smiled at the contented look on her face. "We're chasing bigger things now, I suppose." He sat back beside her, her arm brushing against the sleeve of his brown jacket. "Anne, I want to- make sure that we will be alright," he said slowly, and her grey eyes found him in bewilderment.

"Why wouldn't we be?"

He was relieved to see Mrs Lynde follow the twins back to the kitchen, and Marilla folded up her knitting, saying composedly that she supposed she shouldn't leave Rachel to do the dinner on her own. The young couple were left alone, and Anne studied Gilbert's face. He turned to her then, his jaw set stubbornly.

"Anne, you know how hard the next eighteen months will be. We have scholarships to live up to, and I start preparations for the Cooper Prize in March."

"So soon?"

Gilbert slid his hand into hers, and shrugged, looking tired. "Professor Daniels wants to start working with me by then. He doesn't want to chance me not being prepared."

Anne bit her lip, suddenly nervous. "He warned me that I couldn't let you get too distracted by our home life," she admitted, not needing to look at him to know the anger that coursed through him at her words. "He wants me to keep you on track. To not let you get distracted- by us."

If anything, Gilbert's face grew harder. His voice was gentle, though. "Well, I'm afraid that's none of his business."

Anne sighed. "He wants you to win, Gil. I may not like his methods, but he is looking out for you."

"No, you are the one doing that," he said bluntly. "And I'm looking out for you- that's what marriage is, isn't it? Your work is every bit as important as mine- and this-" here, he gestured between them, "This is more important than anything else."

Anne paused. "Gil, we did this for our education."

"No, we did this for each other too," he said quietly. "Yes, it's important- but we can't do it unless we do it together. We have to be a priority." He seemed to struggle for words then and his fingers stroked the soft skin of her wrist. "My mother said that to Dad a long time ago. When the doctor said he needed to go away for a time."

Anne shifted closer to him, her hand moving to squeeze his. "And they made it through, Gil. We will, too."

"I know." His head came up, and he shrugged. "So we need to be alright."

"I think we are."

Gilbert's eyes flicked downward for just a moment, and he saw the smile on her lovely face. "Merry Christmas, Gil."

He hesitated for a brief moment, before bending his curly head closer. Hazel eyes met grey in question, and she tipped her head up slightly, her lips a mere breath away. "Merry Christmas, Anne," he whispered, and he smiled as her lips shyly met his.