Anne with an E The Next Chapter

Epilogue

"Anne? Love, are you almost ready?"

"I'll be down in a minute" she shouted as she put the finishing touches on a long letter she'd written to Gilbert. He was getting ready to head out to the train station. She was finishing up by placing the pressed flowers in the thick stack of pages she'd written in the last few weeks. She folded the pages into three neat folds and pressed. She finally sealed them with the wax press, blowing the hot wax so it would cool and adhere as quickly as possible.

The last few weeks of wedded bliss had flown by in what seemed to be a flash. Gilbert and Anne spent three weeks of utter solitude and what had blossomed between them was beyond anything Anne could have ever imagined. They had spent hours loafing around the house in pajamas, reading and napping like two lazy housecats. They had walked for hours in the forest and had taken quiet canoe trips where Gilbert paddled softly and Anne read stories out loud from her books. They cooked together and baked and sipped cordial and laughed hysterically when they'd had too much. They took nighttime swims in the lake and kissed under a moonlit sky. Gilbert built campfires for them each night and they sat together quietly looking out over the lake. They spent much time talking, but for the most part, their time together had them locked up in each other arms, all twisted in sheets in the warm summer night air.

Anne didn't know you could be completely wrapped up in another person that way and said as much in her letters to Gilbert. The pages were filled with the million little feelings she'd ever had for him since the age of 11 but never dared to say.  It seemed that time had stood still just long enough for them to understand and respond to each other's wants and needs and now they had to be apart for what would feel like a life time.

She ambled down the stairs feeling glum, but still happy to be in the presence of this incredible person she could now call her spouse. He stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked at her with the same air of sadness. How could he pull himself away from her?

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" he asked as she stood on the last step and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed long and slow and she whined knowing this was their last moment alone before they were surrounded by people at the train station.

"I want to come with you...I just can't". School was starting in 1 week and she was needed by the community, something she took very seriously.

His hands pulled her in close and he felt as much of her as he could before leaving. Her long hair was pulled into a neat braid and the end of it tickled his hand.

"Oh, Mrs. Blythe, you've done your hair up".

"I'm sorry Mr. Blythe, but we are going to the train station and I have to look presentable". He loved it when she let her hair down. Ever since their first night together as husband and wife, he preferred when she had her long red locks loose and tousled. He reached for the ribbon to let her hair down and she slapped  his arm..."Do not touch".

He pressed his face into her shoulder and kissed her neck, but she pulled him off of her..."You are going to miss your train...that's enough of that".

She took the envelope and stuffed it into his carry on bag. "Reading material for your trip to Toronto" and she kissed him on the mouth before grabbing her own satchel.

He looked around the little cottage for a last time. He saw the flowers they'd picked which sat in the vase on the table, he could smell the fresh muffins they'd baked together and saw the mess they'd left late last night in the parlor. He was so grateful for the time they'd had but wished they had more. They made their last journey together toward to train station, hand in hand and promised to hold what they'd made together in those last few weeks close to their heart for the next few months, until they were together again. Anne watched as the train left the station with a courageous heart. In years past she'd left Gilbert and worried about the strength of their friendship, worried that he would fall out of love of her, worried that he would finally see her for what she really was. Today she felt peace in knowing that he knew her, really knew her inside and out, and loved her just the same.