"There was apparently a warrant out on Mr Gardner," Officer Barton says when we open the door to him later that week. Anne shifts away and looks towards Susan, the older woman's arms coming to loop around her waist as I show Barton into the parlour. Nobody sits as he explains what happened after he bound Gardner's hands and pulled him out of the street.
"You mean he'll be facing a trial on the mainland?" Anne asks when he finishes, looking between Susan and I with wide eyes.
"Yes. It seems he had a heavy hand with more than just you, Mrs Blythe," he admits evenly, resting his hands on his hips. "They think he could have been responsible for a few assaults these last few months with, um… Ladies of the night."
I look to Anne who closes her eyes, shaking with the breath that she exhales with that news. Both Susan and I share a look then, knowing, relieved, and we look back towards Barton with our shoulders squared.
"And what of Hughes?"
Barton shakes his head, looking around at us. "Disappeared into thin air, from what I can tell. Nobody has seen or heard from him since that day. Probably went running scared when his boss was arrested."
"So what do we do now?" I question as he pauses, rocking back and forth on his feet.
"I'd say that's up to you. You can proceed with charges or you can let the other charges Gardner faces be enough. Either way I'd say it's unlikely he ever comes after you again."
"Unlikely or certain?" I press, stepping forward with my arms crossed over my chest. I needed to be sure that Anne would no longer be under the threat of Gardner just showing up, that she could live her life without thinking he would ever come back.
"Nothing in this world is certain, Doc. But there's a good chance he won't see the light of day again, let alone the Glen."
I look to Anne as he says it, reaching my hand out towards her. She grabs it without hesitation, tugging me towards her as she ducks her head under my chin. "He's gone, Gil."
"He is," I reply lowly, holding her to me.
"Thank you Officer. I think we'll be okay for this evening," Susan says to Barton, breaking through my daze as she shows him back to the door.
I pull back as he steps onto the porch, pressing a kiss to Anne's brow as I look down at her. "I need to talk to him before he leaves. Give me a second." She nods and watches as I step onto the porch and close the door, her face puzzled as I turn away. "Any word on Marcus Murphy?" I ask Barton as he faces me, my posture neutral but my insides churning.
"Doc," he sighs, watching as I rub my forehead and give him a pleading look. "Alright - fine. Yes. We talked with him yesterday. It doesn't look good. That's all I can say right now."
With a heavy sigh I push the air from my lungs and look back towards the house, Anne's face peeking through the curtains. "What about Harris?" It hangs between us as the man's brow furrows, confusion rippling through him. "The baby - what's happening with the baby?"
"Oh! Him. There's a place in Charlottetown that is willing to take him - "
"What if a family here wanted to take him in?" It slips out of me before I realize and I see Anne in my periphery leave the window as she hears me ask. In another second she's opening the door behind me, her eyes wide as she looks at us both.
"Marilla would be so pleased," she whispers to me, gripping my hand in hers. Could she tell that I needed to do this? Did it matter to her why? Barton rubs his chin and looks out towards the setting sun, leaving me to hold Anne against my side.
"Let me see what I can do." I feel her fingers dig into my sides as Barton smiles at us, the first smile I've ever really seen out of the man since coming here to the Glen. "You sure you got time for this, Doc? A kid, it's a lot."
"I got time. I've got all the time in the world," I reply and hold Anne in my arms as Barton nods, looking at us both. I realize in that moment that I wanted this for more reasons than guilt. The boy deserved a home, one where he would be loved unconditionally and we could do that. We could be that home for him.
"I'll let you know," he says and steps out into the yard, heading towards his horse. We watch him go, arms wrapped around each other and holding us together tightly. As the man crests the small dip in the road and disappears from sight I pull Anne against me, her lips crashing into mine.
"Are you sure about this?" I ask seriously, rocking us slowly to a beat that didn't exist. She sighs and nuzzles my neck, moving with me in the breeze.
"More than sure. Just because I can't have my own… That doesn't mean I don't want one. It would be wonderful to give him a home." Her voice wavers as she admits it aloud, her face hidden in my chest. I think back to the stories she'd told me, the way her body had fought against her every time, and I draw her closer, holding her firmer.
"Whatever happens, Anne," I murmur into her ear to her resulting hum, her breath hot on my neck.
"Whatever happens, Gil," she repeats with a smile, one that runs through her and into me.
The next day comes bright and early with a knock on the door, one that has us all looking up from our breakfast and towards the sound with trepidation in our eyes. I stand first to answer it, my heart thudding in my chest as Officer Barton stands on the porch with Harris Murphy in his arms.
"Are you still sure, Doc?" He asks as Harris looks towards us, his small body wrapped in a shall and his ginger hair poking up in every direction. I'd forgotten the boy had red hair, his mother's strawberry blonde almost deceptive in its colouring. With a glance towards Anne and Susan, a hesitant smile on my lips, I give them the chance to speak up. Anne only grins, getting to her feet and brushing her hands against her skirts as she steps towards us.
"May I?" She asks carefully, reaching out to take Harris from Barton's arms. It's a sight that makes me swallow thickly, my throat tightening as I watch her coo at the small child. She lights up as he smiles up at her, her eyes watering with the weight of it settling around us. "Gil," she whispers, glancing towards me and smiling so brightly I'm almost blinded.
"I know, Anne," I respond, wrapping my arms around them and pulling them close. I hold them as tight as I can, knowing that they were both born and abandoned, that they'd both been chosen after everything they'd been through. Harris would not want for a home as Anne had growing up. He would know our love, know his mother's story and hear of her bravery. I would keep them both safe, as much as I could in this world.
"Isn't he a darling?" Susan says as she comes to join us, her eyes sparkling as she looks between the three of us. "Has he come to stay then?" She asks Barton, hesitant to grow too involved without being sure.
"His father has been charged and processed in Charlottetown," Barton replies and then looks to me, his eyes knowing. "He won't be coming back anytime soon."
With school out and the practice slow, our small family of four spends most of the month at home, adjusting into our new reality as though it was always meant to be this way. Anne moves permanently into my room, turning the spare room she'd occupied into a nursery with Sarah's help. The hand-me-downs from the boys come in handy as we find ourselves at a loss for clothing Harris, our home not quite ready to have welcomed an infant so quickly.
The Turners are lifesavers when it comes to helping us adjust, offering us invitations to dinners and tips on how to help Harris sleep through the night. Though Anne has had plenty of experience with children over the years through her teaching, she quickly realizes that the childhood memories of dealing with babies are foggy at best.
"I forgot how horrible dirty diapers were," she laments one sunny afternoon, collapsing onto our bed as I stir from an afternoon nap. A call the night before for a case of pneumonia had kept me away for most of the morning and I could have kissed Susan when she directed me silently to my room with a chunk of freshly baked warm bread.
"I will admit, that's not the thought that crossed my mind when you walked into this room," I mumble and roll onto my side to run my hand across her stomach. She groans and turns towards me, her eyes sparking playfully.
"Mmm, what exactly crossed your mind, Doctor Blythe?" She replies before lifting my hand to her lips. "Nothing improper, I hope."
"You're poking a dangerous beast," I grin. In the next moment I've pinned her beneath me, her breath hot on my neck as she watches me with wide eyes. Where once this move would have made her recoil she now leans into it, licking her lips in anticipation.
"I didn't think diapers - "
"Stop," I groan, trailing my lips along her throat as she laughs. The sound dances along my spine, curling in my belly and setting my skin on fire. She tastes sweet and I want for more, my teeth nibbling at her ear.
"It's the middle of the afternoon, Gil," she breathes as my hand slips to her chest, grasping her through her clothes. There's too many layers of them, I'm quite sure.
"That's just my schedule. You didn't seem to mind it before," I reply and return my attention to the hollow of her neck. "If you want me to stop though, just tell me and I will."
"I don't want you to, that's the problem. What if Susan comes home from the store and we're - " I silence her with a kiss, one that steals her breath and has her following me upwards, her hands gripping tightly to my shoulders.
"Then we need to be quick, wouldn't you say?" I counter before pushing my fingers below the edge of her blouse. She keens and lifts her chest into my palm, the smooth skin enticing me as I cup her and steal her breath. "Did I mention I'm so happy that you don't wear one of those hellish devices around the house?"
"A corset?" She laughs as her hands lift the edges of my shirt. With decisive movements she pulls it over my head, her eyes drawn to my exposed skin for a brief moment.
"Yes. You don't need it. Never. Always be like this. Always," I repeat and drop my lips to her chest. Her chuckle turns into a hiss as my mouth finds her nipple through the thin fabric.
"Oh thank god! I was always wearing it to impress you," she bites back sarcastically as she regains her composure. Her hands tangle in my hair and she gives a light pull, urging me back up to her mouth.
"I'm just saying that I far prefer being able to do this to you than for you to try to win any fashion contests." That earns a light slap from her and she returns the feeling by slipping her hands down the back of my trousers. "See, now you understand," I groan and shift until my trousers have slipped down my hips.
"Gil, you're talking too much," she says as her hands move to grasp me. I hiss and drag my lips along her neck, my fingers pulling up her skirts until I can press my hand between her thighs.
Bare below the layers of cotton I lift my eyes to hers, surprise evident. "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" I chide and run a finger between her folds. She rises into my touch, clenching her legs together and trapping me to her.
"I concede, Doctor." Her words crack as I roll towards her, my gaze searching. She nods once and pulls me over her, helping me slide home into her warm embrace.
There's no more talking as we move together fitfully, our bodies pushing as we seek our release. With every thrust and every half breath we climb higher, sweat lining our brows as we cling to one another. No space builds between us as my chest rubs against hers and our skin creates a bewitching friction that has me groaning, her lips close enough to my ear to share her quiet pants and soft moans.
"Gil," she breathes against me, her fingers bruising along the nape of my neck as she drags my lips to hers. I can sense her coming apart and urge her upward with my hand, slipping between us and rubbing until she tenses, her body lifting and pulling me deeper. It's the feel of her tightening around me that drags me with her, a soft grunt escaping me as I drive into her one last time.
When eventually we settle, our breaths returning to normal, I chance a look towards her and find her grinning brightly, her hand clasped over her eyes. "What is it?" I ask throatily, matching her grin with mine.
"It's just - I didn't realize it could feel like this," she responds and laughs giddily, glancing down at me. I lurch towards her and capture her lips with mine, holding her face in my palms as I kiss her senseless.
"So I'm okay?" I ask sheepishly when I pull away, nipping at her jaw as my hand works to carefully return her clothes to something a bit more presentable.
"Okay?" She laughs, sitting up abruptly. "Gil! Have you no sense of how I feel right now? It's like flying. Like I'll never come down from this cloud that I'm floating on. It's like seeing the White Way of Delight for the first time - no! It's better because there's you."
I feel my heart skip as she runs her knuckles along my jaw, drawing my eyes to hers once more. It's the most intimate gaze I've ever shared and I'm at a loss for words, my stomach in my throat as I see the shine of tears in her eyes.
"I was foolish to push you away all those years ago but I didn't realize it would be like this. Or maybe I did and it scared me away. I don't know. All I know is that now that I have you the thought of losing you, losing this - "
"You won't lose me. You chose me just as I did you. Bash always told me I was good at picking my family and I think you're my best choice yet. Don't think I don't feel it, Anne," I pause, hearing the baby's cry sound out from down the hall. "You've just always been better at putting things into words than I have."
With a wide smile and one last kiss I crawl to the edge of the bed and settle my clothes, disappearing down the hallway to soothe Harris before I can say anything more.