Friday passed without incident, so Gilbert hoped Anne would feel better, but she didn't seem to. And when it was time for them say goodbye on Friday afternoon, Anne looked so downtrodden at having to separate that Gilbert was worried about her.
He wished she'd tell her family about how she was feeling...even if she didn't tell them about Billy's attack, she could at least let them know she was struggling with feeling sad and anxious. Maybe over time they'd pick up on why. If they figured it out on their own, she'd never even have to tell them.
It worried him how forcefully she could push away the realities of life...her ability to imagine was a beautiful thing and it seemed to have been the tool she needed to get through her darkest days as an orphan...but it had a dark side of its own: She had learned to hide. She had become so proficient at masking depression, and, Gilbert thought, how could anyone ever help her if they couldn't see that anything was wrong?
He bit his lip, watching her.
One thing was for sure: she had a mind of her own, and while he wanted to keep pressing her forward, he knew there was no point- if she was determined not to, no one would be able to make her.
Seeing her eyes- that precious glimpse into her soul- begin to cloud over with darkness, Gilbert felt a desperate desire to bring light to them. So he suddenly spoke up: "Hey, tell you what. Come out to this spot tomorrow- Saturday- about mid-afternoon. I've got something I want to leave here for you."
Gilbert had absolutely no plan for what he was going to leave there, but he'd figure something out.
"Then I want to leave something here for you, too," she said, her face lighting up.
"No, you don't have to-"
"I want to," she said. "Don't spoil my fun."
He laughed. "All right," he said. "Tell you what. I'll come here and leave something for you about mid-day, and then I'll come back in the evening to see what you've left for me. All right?"
"All right," Anne said, smiling.
Gilbert could leave her more easily now, because he was leaving her with a smile and light in her eyes.
Now what, he thought, to bring her?
YOU ARE READING
In the Woods When First We Met
FanfictionGilbert is there for Anne when she needs someone the most. Billy did far more damage than seen in the episode. Anne goes through my own journey of healing after a trauma. Serious issues. (Skip chapters 3-4 to make it less scary to read; if you skip...
