Long Distance Love Letters

Starting Anew

Anne sat on the kitchen floor with Joyce, helping her build a house with her building blocks with her head lost in the clouds.

The two decided to spend the day with Marilla and Jerry at Green Gables while Gilbert worked since it was Victoria Day and school was closed. Anne had been glad for the rare opportunity to sleep in a bit, but if she were honest, she really needed the distraction of her students.

"Mama?" Joyce voiced, pulling Anne out of her daydreams.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. "What is it, honey?"

"When's Tommy coming back?" she asked innocently. "I miss him."

Anne's heart broke all over again. So much for a distraction. As much as her instincts wanted her to, she couldn't lie to her daughter.

"I miss him, too, Joy-Joy," she said softly. "But...I don't think he's coming back."

"Why not?" she asked, her eyes big.

Anne sighed and smoothed out Joyce's bright red hair. "Because he's not ours."

Before Joyce could respond, Gilbert came in after walking a client to the door.

"Hello, my beautiful girls," he greeted, kissing Anne before pulling a chair over to the block setup. "What are you building?"

"Joyce is building a house," Anne replied, trying to lighten her tone back up.

"Wow, it looks great! I have some time before my next appointment, maybe I can help you for a bit."

"I don't wanna play anymore," Joyce mumbled sadly before standing up and stomping upstairs.

Gilbert gave Anne a confused look as she got up from the floor and sat next to him, rubbing her throbbing forehead.

"Is she alright?" he asked worriedly.

She sighed. "I just told her about Thomas. She asked when he was coming back and I couldn't lie to her, Gil."

He nodded and put his arm around her, kissing her temple. "I know. She's only three. She'll bounce back."

Anne chuckled softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm not sure, she is my daughter. She was in the depths of despair over not having strawberries in her oatmeal this morning."

Despite the heavy topic, Gilbert let out a hearty laugh. The two looked at each other with an unfamiliarly happy look.

"We have a wonderful family," he whispered.

Anne nodded. "Yes, we do." She placed her hand on her stomach. "An ever growing one."

Gilbert let out a gasp and knelt down to her stomach. "Right, hello, little one. It seems that mommy and I have been neglecting you lately. Speaking of, it is the 27 week mark. It's time for your checkup."

Anne laughed and followed Gilbert into the exam room, feeling optimistic for the first time is seemingly forever.

•••

A few days later, Anne and Gilbert cuddled in the coziness of their living room as the sun reached its peak in the sky outside.

The family had spent the sunny morning apple picking in the Blythe orchard, but Joyce's and Anne's exhaustion soon brought them back home. Joyce immediately went down for a nap while all Anne wanted to was lay in her husband's arms.

Anne was an affectionate person on her own, but now with the hormones from pregnancy, her need for her "Gilly cuddles," as she called them, were pretty regular.