Let Me In ( Anne with an E fanfic)

Chapter 10

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Aezv6I8SIVTx3DtrwgoWi?si=p48sTZO7Qb6UqQI7Y04XJQ

They arrived at Service Ontario early and there wasn't any wait line. Gilbert got out of the car with her, after giving her a facemask. He had ordered some reusable ones and they had been in his mailbox when he had retrieved Anne's statement the day before. They put them on (he had found some pretty ones with flowers for her, and she seemed happy and grateful in the morning) and went to the door. The officer at the door looked at them.

"Hello dears!" the office in the door greeted them. It was a plump woman in her forties, all smiles and kindness. "Are you both coming for something?"

"I'm sorting out my OHIP? I just moved..." the woman nodded, still smiling.

"And you?" she asked Gilbert.

"Oh, I'm just with her, I drove here," Gilbert explained.

"I'm sorry, dear, but only you can go inside. Your husband will have to wait for you outside," the woman said. Both flushed violently.

"He's not..." Anne tried to say. Gilbert lost his words.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. You just both look so good together, I'm sorry to have assumed that. You are together though? You're not supposed to drive if it's not with people from your same household... I mean, I understand if you're not married, but you are together, right?"

"We live together," Gilbert answered confidently. They weren't together, but they weren't breaking any rules either. The woman nodded, unperturbed. For her, they were together. "I'll wait for you in the car, Anne."

"Come along, then, I'll show where to take your turn. Take some sanitizer first...," the woman said, a sweet voice, guiding Anne inside and stopping at the sanitizer station. Anne dutifully received the pump of disinfectant and rubbed her hands, willing the sticky liquid to go away quickly. "So, you live with him? So lucky of you. Both of you, I must say. A feast for the eyes. Seriously not together? You would look good. Imagine the babies!" she continued, not allowing Anne to say a word. "Have you seen his buttocks? Oh, dear, how do you live with him?"

"What?" she was confused by then. She never thought she would get dizzy at any amount of talking, but this was too much for her. She was not talking about Gilbert's buttocks with anyone.

"Your man, dear. The one you say you're not with. You should be. Take my advice, dear, grasp him while you can. Perfect timing for you now, with lock down and everything... OHIP, you said?" Anne nodded, mortified. She could see Gilbert from the window, who was making faces at her, trying to check if everything was ok. She tried to convey how desperate she was and he just started laughing. The woman pushed the screen quickly and waited while it printed the number. "Here you have, they'll call you soon enough. Take my advice, dear. He is a catch. Make babies with him. They'll have the cutest eyes and red hair. Just cut his hair. He'll be even more handsome. Or is he trying to emulate our Prime Minister?"

"Everything sorted out?" Gilbert asked when she came back to his car. He was in the parking lot, a book on his lap.

"Yes. I have a paper that says I'm covered as of now, and then the card should be coming in the mail in a couple of weeks" she answered, showing him the paper. He scanned it quickly and nodded.

"Perfect. What was the officer talking about? You looked positively uncomfortable," he said, out of curiosity. From his vantage point it had seemed like the most entertaining mute movie.

"Babies? And you? I don't even know. Can we go, please? I want my surprise," she said, trying to forget the whole episode and excited about where Gilbert was taking her.