Baker - G. BLYTHE

|07|

-ˋˏ *.·:·. [ TWO DAYS LATER] .·:·.* ˎˊ-

CHARLOTTE HAD A FEELING THAT THE LIFE OF JOHN BLYTHE WAS A FRAYED THREAD. The coughing and wheezing breaths had worsened and the dark patches of tiredness around his eyes had gotten worse. It pained her to look at him for too long, he reminded her too much of her dad's final few days. So, for her own selfish reasons, she found herself not visiting their house as often. She felt terrible about it, considering the whole situation but she and her mother felt it was the best idea to keep her somewhat sane. Seeing someone go through a terrible illness is a horrible thing, but to have a constant reminder of the worst pain she had ever experienced was even worse. Some days she couldn't even bear to look in the direction of the Blythe property on her walk home. She hadn't the courage to voice her pain to anyone other than Tillie so Gilbert had no idea what was going on with her, he just thought she was distracted with the bakery most days after school (which wasn't completely false.)

The weather turned cold and Avonlea became snow-covered. Snowfall came a week early this year bringing great sadness to Charlotte. Her father's death anniversary usual fell a few days before the first snow. The blanket usually brought her out of any father's death related funks, this year she wouldn't have that. The day went how it had for years; the bakery shut for the day, Mother stayed in bed in her room and Charlotte felt a heavy weight on her chest since she awoke. She didn't leave the house the entire day and soon found herself writing a letter to her brother, almost begging him to come back (one which she never sent just like all the others.) After that day had passed, things returned to normal only the Rayhills didn't speak if it wasn't necessary. Gilbert turning up on her doorstep, having read the book they were talking about and telling her that they were both wrong about the murderer, bought her out of the swirling depths of longing for someone she couldn't see. Her mother however hadn't yet returned to her usual self, it worried Charlotte because she had never known her mother to be this upset for so long when it got to this time of year. 

-ˋˏ *.·:·. [ TWO DAYS LATER] .·:·.* ˎˊ-

CHARLOTTE MANAGED TO PULL HERSELF FROM BED TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL. In the cold weather leaving the warm blankets of her bed got harder and harder every morning. She wrapped up warm and made her way downstairs to get breakfast and her lunch from Mother, who had finally managed to get up on time without her daughter's prompt.

Charlotte did a last check of the kitchen, making sure that nothing was out of place, before going to pull on her coat and scarf. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked her mother who looked to be in a daze as she mixed up a batch of biscuits. She was very worried and really didn't want to leave her mother alone in the current state she was in.

"Of course go to school," she feigned a smile that added to Charlotte's apprehension, sometimes sacrifices had to be made and she saw staying home from school with her mother as one of those. A sacrifice for her that would benefit someone else. Her mother noticed this apprehension and stopped stirring to push her daughter out of the kitchen door. "Charlotte I'll be fine, go you'll be late!"

Charlotte struggled for a second to find her footing then quickly walked towards the door, not wanting to vex her mother if she wasn't already. "I'll be back as soon as school finishes."

"You should go to Gilbert's, you haven't been in a while,"  Mother replied as Charlotte crossed the threshold and the two were hit with a gust of freezing air. She wanted what was best for her daughter and going to Gilberts always seemed to cheer her up. Charlotte didn't bother making sure that going was okay, the look on her mother's face told her everything she needed to know. She directed a soft smile towards her mother and then walked out into the snow, sinking down to the frozen grass below.