Epilogue

With the hooting of a night owl, Anne flew up in bed with a start; wide grey eyes darting around the still dark room. She placed a shaking hand on her chest, trying to slow her breathing again. The bed moved beside her, and Gilbert came up on one elbow to pull his wife close, hushing her gently. Anne fell back against her pillow again with a deep sigh. He tucked her in close to his body, his arms surrounding her easily.

"Gil, when did you get home?" she whispered, turning her face to burrow into his shoulder, while he brushed the red hair from her cheek.

"An hour ago. The rain only just started. What are you doing up?"

Anne sighed, her hand coming to rest on his chest. "I- it was a dream, I think. Images, shapes- but nothing I could understand."

"But not good?"

In answer she pulled herself even closer, her red head resting against his heartbeat. There was silence for a time, and Gilbert began to think she had gone back to sleep when she suddenly spoke.

"I can't explain it. But I felt it. I was alone- and you and I were divided. Just like those terrible problems we used to wrestle with in school when one part was taken away, and neither would add up to a whole again."

She felt Gilbert's chest lift with a chuckle. "That may just have been for you, sweetheart. Numbers never did what you wanted them to." He ran his fingers along the braid on his chest. "But I know what you mean. We're not, though- we're here. Where we were always meant to be."

Anne lifted her face to study the one so close to her own, needing reassurance. "Do you really think that? That after all of my mistakes, you were meant to be with me?"

Gilbert smiled. "Yes. And after all of my many mistakes, you were meant to be with me, Anne-girl. There's no other possibility."

His warm hand cupped her cheek, and she closed her eyes in contentment. She didn't have to explain the pain she had felt, the memory of the loneliness that had woken her from sleep. He had felt it as she had- and it was over now. She knew that the memories would come and go, haunted days that only served to make her more thankful for this glorious present.

His fingers were playing with the pink ribbon on her nightgown, and she smiled.

"So, Mrs Blythe. I can't help but notice that we're both awake."

She could see the roguish glint in his eyes and laughed. "So we are, doctor. What do you propose we do about that?"

He bent in to whisper something that made her smile, however at that supremely interesting moment, a soft knock came to their bedroom door. Gilbert sighed, and with a wry look, he climbed out of bed, his bare feet padding across the floorboards. He opened it to a sight that made his heart melt- a tired looking Susan holding his curly headed daughter, who was clearly as awake as both of her parents in the middle of the night. Gilbert took her from the housekeeper's arms, her chubby hands reaching immediately for her father's nose.

"She was chattering away in her crib, doctor, and she just won't go back to sleep."

Anne chuckled. "Bring her here, dearest. She might need a feed to settle her again. Susan dear, you were up so early yesterday, please go and rest now."

The housekeeper gave a sigh of relief and left the family together. Gilbert closed the bedroom door and carried the baby to her mother, her cheeky grin huge on her piquant face. He sat beside the two of them on the bed, content to just watch. Anne spoke to the little one as she always did, and for a moment she snatched her close for a cuddle, reassuring herself, he knew. She lowered the baby to her breast, stroking the silky red curls on her head as the four-month-old began to suckle.

"Is she alright, Gil? Do you think she is gaining weight again?" Anne asked softly. A bad attack of bronchitis had given the family some anxious moments in July, and it had taken many weeks for Anne to lose the worry in her voice. The baby then broke away to coo at her mother, and Gilbert laughed, reaching down to lightly pinch the chubby leg of Rilla Blythe.

"See? She's fine, now, sweetheart. You can see how much she's gained in the last month." He slipped his arm around his wife and kissed her forehead. "So much so, that I was wondering if you would like to go on a trip."

Anne looked up at him, startled. "Where would we go?"

Gilbert chuckled. "Home, if you like."

Anne's look was indulgent. "Dearest, this is home."

"Well, our other home, then. Mother's birthday is in a few weeks, and I thought the three of us could take the train down, and stay for a week or two."

He watched Anne carefully, trying to gauge whether or not she was happy about the idea.

Anne looked down at Rilla's little hand grasping her finger thoughtfully. They hadn't been back since the spring before the wedding- Gilbert's practice had steadily grown, and he had been as concerned as he was elated about the impending birth of their first child. Anne smiled, remembering the way he and Susan had hovered over her anxiously, despite the peace Anne herself had felt.

"It's autumn, love. Lover's lane will be filled with colour- we could visit our old haunts, see the sunshine on the Lake of Shining Waters, and we can introduce Rilla to the Wright children at last. Stephen Montgomery is moving to Springfield to set up his practice next month, he will hold the fort here for a fortnight if I ask him to."

Anne drew in a breath. "It sounds- well, it sounds wonderful, Gil."

He smiled. "To be together as a family without any distractions sounds like heaven, doesn't it?"

Anne's eyes were distant, and Gilbert waited patiently. "We could call on the Williams family," she said softly.

He bent down to look into her eyes, his look loving. "Only when you're ready, sweetheart. Green Gables will always be there."

Anne rested her head against the headboard with a sigh, stroking her daughter's soft cheek. "Is there a way that we could we go to Hester's garden again? I know that it's far- but it's been so long since you and I have been there together."

Her grey eyes looked up at him wistfully, and Gilbert smiled, knowing he would not be able to deny her anything. He pressed a kiss to her red head. "Maybe you and I could ride out there together… and we could even let my mother look after Rilla for a few hours. You know she'll only be too happy to shoo us out of the door- and there's a whole lot of garden to lose ourselves in."

Anne laughed. Sonia had only been to visit them a few weeks ago- greatly vexing Susan whenever she would cart a giggling baby off without any warning. Her mind turned once more to the delights of their hometown- the woods she had revelled in, the schoolhouse the two of them had attended, even the hall they had once painted blue. The ghosts she had been so afraid of were gone now- and she would be able to visit Marilla and Matthew's graves once again- to one day be able to tell her small daughter of the brother and sister who had given her a home and love and a family. She looked up at her husband with a tender smile.

"Alright. Let's go home, Gil."

He bent to look into her starry eyes and smiled. "We will. But you are right- my home is wherever you and Rilla are, sweetheart."

Anne nudged him with a gentle smile only minutes later, to see the contented look on the baby's face. He bent down to lift his now sleeping daughter in his big hands, her hazel eyes shut tightly, and her little mouth open in an impossibly tiny snore. His heart was full as he carefully carried her over his shoulder, through to the crib that his father had made, and placed her in her bed gently. For just a moment he watched her little fingers open and her eyes screw up tightly in shock, however moments later the baby girl relaxed, sound asleep once more. Gilbert carefully closed her door behind him. Ingleside was still, and heedless of the lateness of the hour, once he was safely behind his own bedroom door he leapt on their bed with a mischievous grin.

"Now, where were we, Anne 'o' mine?"

Her laughter was in his ear when she pulled him to her, and as the rain continued to fall outside, he thought back to the length of time he had waited for the two of them to be together. For the boy he had been, and the young man who had ached with a broken heart, he could only look into the grey-green eyes that had captivated him so many years ago and hold her to him with thankfulness.

All was just as it should be.

And this closes out Shore of Dreams. Thank you to everyone who has been so generous with reviews, thank you to all of the readers, and all those who messaged me privately, and honestly become beloved friends. It's an honour that you gave my story your time, and that you kept reading when you weren't sure of where I was going with this- I hope you have enjoyed the journey. It's been the hardest things I've ever written, and the most rewarding as well- and I've loved that I've done it in this especially kind community. Anne girls are a rare breed- you all made it special, so thank you.

Stay tuned, there will be one more chapter that isn't a chapter- it's the answers to some of your questions about things you wanted to know- last chance to get them answered before I put that little 'complete' up! It will contain what I think happened in the future of this Anne and Gil- and I had a lot of fun writing that!

Thank you all, and much love,

Cate.