"Ugh. I am so fed up!" Rilla Ford grumbled to her mother. "I don't know how you did this six times!"
Anne Blythe laughed, lifting her head from the letter she was reading. "The end result is more than worth it." she said soothingly, remembering what it was like herself. "When does Ken expect to return? You haven't long left."
"I think I know that better than anyone, mother." Being in such an uncomfortable expectant state had made Rilla slightly sarcastic, and Ken's untimely absense had only served to make her quite grumpy and moany too. "He said he'd be back before the weekend, although I can't see what could be quite so urgent he had to go anyway. It's not as if he hasn't had nine month's notice about this!" she complained, pointing at her vast midrift.
"I do empathise, I am married to a doctor. I never knew where he'd be when my time came."
"Hardly the same mother. At least he was on the same Island! If I go now Ken's never going to get back from Toronto in time..I'll be on my own."
"Rilla, don't be silly." Anne was getting rather fed up with the moping. "You're here with us, not on your own. Now try to rest, I'm going to see to Susan and then start the tea. Una said she'd call over later, that'll be nice, won't it?"
"Won't it just!" Rilla closed her eyes, but she knew that trying to sleep was futile.
Anne escaped to the relative quietness of the Ingleside kitchen with a sigh. She occupied herself with putting on the kettle and setting a tray for Susan - she missed her chats with Susan, now she was virtually bed ridden. As she spooned the tea into the tea pot Gilbert came in.
"Ah, that's what a man need's to come home to..." he said grabbing Anne around the waist. "...a good cup of tea."
"Glad someone is in good humour. I've just spent the afternoon listening to Rilla's grumbles." Anne chuckled as she gave him a peck on the cheek.
"She has every right to be annoyed. Ken is being very inconsiderate, gallavanting off to Toronto on a whim."
"Business, Gilbert, not a whim." Anne rebuked.
"Well, whatever you want to call it, I'm sure it wasn't anything that couldn't be delayed."
"Hmmm." Privately Anne felt the same as Gilbert and Rilla, that whatever business Ken had could have waited, but she knew some men found the prospect of fatherhood daunting, she just hoped Ken would get to grips with it soon and come back.
Rilla hadn't much longer to wait, for that very night the pains started. Gilbert left Anne with her as he telephoned Jem and a trained nurse. Faith had the task of trying to find Ken.
"Ken?"
"Yes." a sleepy sounding voice responded.
"Faith here. The baby's on it's way."
"What - now?" Ken woke up.
"Yes, now. Can you get back as soon as?"
"I'll try." He didn't sound very enthusiastic.
"Okay. See you later... Rilla's fine in case you were wondering." Faith slammed down the phone. What was his problem?
Ken replaced the reciever slowly and looked at the other occupant lying in the bed.
"What's wrong Ken?" she asked.
Ken shook his head, and turned to his companion. "Nothing that can't wait until the morning." he said, "I have business here to finish first..."
Rilla's screams and sobs echoed throughout the house. Anne cried for her daughter, covering her ears, and whispering prayers between her lips. Gilbert refused to be in the room, the situation was too reminisant of another night nearly thirty years ago, instead he alternated between pacing outside the bedroom door and joining Anne in her vigil. Jem, Dr Gailbraith and the nurse fought long and hard through the night, and as the first strains of sunlight broke through the darkness, Anne, her head resting on Gilbert's lap, heard another cry. This was a different sound, not the sound of pain, rather the first pityful squeaks of life.
"Gil, wake up!" Anne was already on her way to Rilla's door. Tendatively she knocked on the door. "Jem." she whispered.
Jem opened the door slightly. "Its a boy." he said.
"And is everything okay?" an anxious Anne queried.
"Baby's fine. Rilla's been through the mill. We're just stiching her up now. It'll be a while before you can see her."
"Do you need me?" Gilbert who had come up to stand behind Anne was asking.
"I think we're alright for the moment." Jem replied, an excited grin on his face. "Faith and the nurse are seeing to the baby. I'll call you when we're done." With that he shut the door again and returned to the patient.
"A boy, Gil! Our first grandson! The next generation of Blythes has begun!" Anne looked up at Gilbert, her eyes shining with tears of joy. The legacy she and Gilbert had started was carrying on.
Gilbert who also had suspiciously wet eyes, hugged Anne tightly and thanked the good Lord above for keeping their daughter and grandson safe. He couldn't have gone through another senario like the one that presented itself that June night so long ago.
"Time to check of Susan. She'll want to hear the good news." Anne disentangled herself from Gilberts embrace and headed off to the room that Susan occupied. "You might want to phone..." Her words were interupted by Jem's shouts.
"Dad! Dad are you there?" Jem flung open the door and thrust a small bundle into Anne's arms. "Dad we need your help, she's hemorrhaging badly. Look after the baby." he added to his mother.
As Gilbert rushed in to try and save their daughter, Anne tenderly looked down into the face of her firstborn grandchild. Small and red and wrinkly with soft tufts of brown hair and eyes that were already twinkling.
"Hello my angel." she cooed as the baby looked at her with blinking eyes so like his grandfathers'.
After a fraught half hour, which seemed like an eternity to Anne, Gilbert emerged from the room with the news that the bleeding was under control but the next few hours were critical. After washing up he joined Anne in their bedroom where she was watching over a now sleeping baby Ford.
"Any word from Ken?" he asked.
Anne shook her head. "No, but I suppose we should tell the rest of the family."
Rilla opened her eyes, blinking to adjust them to the stream of sunlight that was beaming into the room. She sighed peacefully and stretched...Ow! That hurt!...remembering the trauma of the night before she tried to sit up...where was her baby...where was Ken...where was everyone.
Faith came into the room too check on her. "Hello sleepyhead." she said cheerfully.
"F - Faith!" Rilla cried. "What happened? W - where's...?"
"Young master Ford is well and kicking, currently being fawned over by various aunts and uncles, not to mention two very proud grandparents." Faith said with a smile. "But I expect he would like to see his mother now and I'm sure his mother would like to see him?"
Rilla nodded in confirmation. "Ken?" she asked hesitantly.
"On his way." Faith replied.
Anne and Gilbert wrenched the newest member of the family away from his aunts and uncles who had wasted no time in coming to visit and took him upstairs to his mother.
"Here we go sweetheart." Anne said, gently laying the baby in Rilla's arms.
"How are you feeling now?" Gilbert asked, kissing his daughters' forehead.
"Sore." Rilla croked. "Was it bad?"
"You could say that!" Gilbert said wryly.
"Have you and Ken thought about any names yet?" Anne asked. "We can't keep calling him baby Ford!"
Rilla pondered this. Ken had wanted to name the child after him if it was a boy, but then Ken wasn't here...
"Yes. I have decided to call him Gilbert, after his grandfather," she said with a smile at her father, "and James, after his uncle who brought him into the world. So Gilbert James Ford it is!"
"Gilbert James Ford." Anne rolled the name on her tongue. It sounded quite right. "How appropriate. He does look a little like his namesake."
A beaming Gilbert leant over and in turn kissed mother and child, then his wife. "Come on Granny," he said. "Let's leave Rilla and little Gilbert to get aquainted. Jem'll be up to check on you soon." he added, but Rilla didn't hear this, she was lost in a little world of her own.
Ken parked his car in behind the others, switching it off and gripping the steering wheel tightly until his knuckles went white. He had spent over an hour at the 'House of Dreams' trying to work up the courage to come over to Ingleside and see Rilla and the child. 'Boy or girl?' he wondered. It was bound to be over now, it had taken him the best part of two days to get here. The whole Blythe clan was in attendance he noted, judging by the amount of cars parked around. He should have been so excited and happy, but instead all he felt was guilt. He didn't know why he should feel so guilty, anything he had done over the past few months he had been driven to by Rilla's behaviour. He hadn't wanted a child so quickly, Rilla desperately wanted one. He begged her to move with him to Toronto, she wanted to stay on the Island. She had grown distant, pushing him away into someone else's arms. He had been bewitched by her at the start, her beauty, her charm, her sweetness, but all those things he had been so enchanted by lost their appeal as soon as she got the ring on her finger. He should have listened to the old wives tale of a woman turning into her mother! Anne Blythe had often been accused of being stuck up and spoilt by those jealous of her, but when he thought about it Ken agreed with them. Gilbert indulged his wife's every whim, whatever she wanted she got! Now Rilla appeared to be turning out the same! Well he, Ken Ford, was not Gilbert Blythe, and Rilla would just have to accept that the vow she made on her wedding day to love, honour and obey would just have to be adhered to! Taking a deep breath Ken proceeded towards the verenda door. He could hear laughter coming from the living room. Silently he entered, not wanting to see the others he climbed the stairs, presuming that Rilla would be in her room resting. Through the gap in the door he could see Rilla lying in the bed, her face pale, her chest rising and falling regularly as she slept. Hearing a whimper his eyes were drawn to the bassinet beside her. Two small fists protruded into the air. His child. As quietly as he could he made his way over and peered in at the child. Blue, he noted, a boy. The eyes that looked back at him were enough to melt Ken. Gingerly he reached into the bassinet and lifted the baby out.
"Hello son," he whispered, kissing the baby's head, "daddy's here."
Rilla wakened from her rather peaceful sleep and yawned. She looked into the bassinet for baby Gilbert - he would be hungry now.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, noticing the baby gone. "Ken!" she cried as she saw him in the rocking chair in the corner, nursing the baby.
"Rilla-my-Rilla," he said huskily, approaching the bed, "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." He sat on the edge of the bed and handed her the baby. "He's perfect...beautiful...I'm so sorry!" Tears were streaming down his cheeks. Rilla was astonished, she'd never expected a reaction like this.
Gilbert was in his bedroom changing his shirt. He had just recieved a telephone call and was getting ready to visit a patient over at Harbour Head. He whistled a merry tune as he walked out onto the landing, a happy man with a new grandson named after himself - then he noticed his wife crouching on her hands and knees outside Rilla's bedroom.
"Have you lost something Anne?"
"Shhh." Anne motioned towards the door. "Ken's here!" she whispered.
'Oh for goodness sake!' Gilbert thought, exasperated. 'Not again!'
"Anne Blythe!" he admonished in a loud whisper. "Come away from there this instant."
Anne put her finger to her lips to silence him.
"No Anne." He started to pull her away from the door. "For once you will do as I say. You have to stop this eavesdropping, it's becoming a bit of a habit with you."
"Ohh." Anne groaned, getting to her feet, following her husband down the stairs.
At the foot of the stairs Gilbert scolded her lightly. "Really Anne, stop interfering. Give them some privacy."
"But how will I know what's happening?" Anne whined.
"Need to know basis...you'll get told what you need to know!" Gilbert said, his crooked grin indicating that he was not really cross with Anne. "Now I have to see a patient, promise me you'll try and be good until I come back."
"I promise I'll try." Anne said meekly, brushing an imaginary speck of dirt off his shoulder. "Drive carefully." she added kissing him on the cheek.
"Hmmm." Gilbert was not convinced by this display of submissiveness.
As soon as he was out the door Anne bolted for the stairs, she had to know what was going on!
"Ah Ha!" Gilbert exclaimed triumphantly as he flung open the door. "Caught in the act!"
Anne giggled. "Sorry!"
"You're not one bit sorry!" Gilbert said with a chuckle. "Come on, get your coat. The only way I can control you is to keep you with me at all times!"
Rilla was resting again after feeding baby Gilbert who was contentedly sleeping in his bassinet. Ken, having been downstairs to get something to drink, returned to this scene. Sighing, he positioned himself on the edge of the bed. A stray curl had fallen over Rilla's cheek - twice Ken reached out to tuck it away, twice he withdrew his hand afraid of her response.
"Ken?" Rilla murmurred sleepily.
"Hmmm?"
"What was your business in Toronto...or do I really not want to know?"
Ken hesitated, picking his words carefully. He had made a mistake, underestimated his feelings for Rilla, allowed jealousy and bitterness to cloud his judgement...war could do that to a man...but none of that was Rilla's fault, or the innocent newborn lying peacefully next to him. That child hadn't asked to be born and it deserved the very best that a father could give.
"I was tying up some loose ends so I could stay here for a few months." Ken lied.
"Really?" Rilla's face lit up, this had been the last thing she had expected.
"Really!" Ken mocked. "I've been a rotten husband lately, I've got a lot of making up to do - to you and...baby Gilbert." He chewed over the name, really he had wanted a boy to be named after himself but in hindsight he didn't deserve the honour, the two men he was named after did. "Rilla, I hope you know that I do love you." He took her hand. "I just haven't had the benefit of your upbringing. My family isn't as close as yours. Oh we love each other, but we don't express it in the same way as your family do. I hope you understand what I'm saying, I might not always show it but I love you - both."
As they kissed Rilla felt the love flood back to them. She had her suspicions about Toronto but she pushed them to the back of her mind. They were a happy little family - for now.