Cool, spring winds rushed by Anne and Gil as they stood on the front porch of Patty's Place. The brisk air smelled new and washed by last night's rain, and the sun shone with clear, late-April light. For all her imagination, Anne could've hardly thought up a more perfect day. She could feel Gilbert's happiness radiating and mingling with her own unconfined joy. They hadn't even spoken to each other yet, and she already felt as if she could burst. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so wholly content.
Gil reached out and pulled her closer, looping her arm in his. He began walking, and she followed.
"I couldn't think of anything to say," Gil began, smiling down at her. "Especially not with your personal paparazzi watching through the window.'
"Oh, you have no idea what kind of interrogation you spared me from," Anne said, laughing. "I was trapped on the stairs with only two options: tell every tiny detail from last night or throw myself over the railing and bust my head."
"I'm happy to have provided you a third, safer, less embarrassing option," Gil replied. "I would hate for you to bust any part of your body… or to have tell them everything that happened last night."
"Gilbert Blythe!" Anne gasped, her cheeks flushing as she rammed her elbow into Gil's side.
"Ow!" Gil yelled over-dramatically. "You've never really gotten over your aggressive phase, have you? Abuse is always wrong, Anne Shirley, and you know my skin bruises very easily."
"Oh, hush, I'm sure you hardly even felt that," Anne said, matter-of-factly.
She realized she had no idea where they were even headed, though it hardly even seemed to matter. As they walked, they passed several places she and Gil had frequented in their earlier college years. Memories of their times together began flooding back to Anne. Gil smiling at her over binders and textbooks in the coffee shop. Gil's hand on her waist as they danced in the old reception hall. Gil measuring out precise cap-fulls of detergent at the laundromat. Before last night, she would've promptly stifled those memories down. It wouldn't have been wise to remember any trace of Gil while she was with Roy. But now, she could cherish every last moment she shared with Gil.
"Anne," Gil began, his quiet tone changing the mood suddenly. "You know that last night commits you to nothing, right?"
Anne looked up into Gil's hazel eyes. He seemed as if he was doing all he could to remain composed.
"What do you mean?" Anne asked, hesitantly.
"Only that, I know you made quite a big decision last night… with Roy," he said, in measured tones. "And in the aftershocks of that decision, you made another big decision…to come to me. And while last night was the best night of my life, I won't hold you to anything you said or did—if you don't want me to."
They had turned into a little park at this point, and Anne, scarcely believing what she was hearing, stopped in the middle of the pathway. She broke off from Gil and turned to face him.
"I don't regret anything I said or did last night," she said, placing one of her hands on Gil's cheek. "The moment you agreed to take me to Avonlea for Di's wedding… well, it was as if I woke up. Like I suddenly realized every mistake I had made. Roy and I began to be over in that moment, too. I didn't make a huge decision last night. I just closed the cover on a book I'd already finished."
"But still, Anne, you don't have to—" Gil began, bringing his own hand up to cover Anne's.
Anne rolled onto the balls of her feet and quickly kissed him.
"I don't regret anything that happened last night, Gil," she said, staring at him intently. "I can't regret something like that. How could I regret something I always knew would happen? You knew and I knew it, and I'm done running away from it, Gil."
Gil smiled down into her gray eyes and pulled her close under the park's newly-green leaves.