In the Woods When First We Met

127. Christmas

Anne didn't have to think about Emily's baby anymore because Marilla said they'd wait until after Christmas to do their visiting. So Anne could forget about babies and just be excited about her first Christmas in Avonlea.

At church on Christmas Eve, Anne leaned in and whispered to Marilla, "When do we get to light our candles?"

"Shhh," Marilla said. "Not till the end."

There wasn't a sermon, exactly. The reverend simply read the Christmas story from the book of Luke, about Mary and Joseph and the baby being born.

When he reached the part about Mary finding out she was having a baby, Anne realized she'd been holding her hand over her stomach.

Mary must have been so scared, Anne thought. What if no one believed her story? At least she had Joseph...he didn't blame her. He said he wanted to marry her, even if she was about to be scorned by society.

She turned her attention back to the reverend, who now said that the shepherds who came to Mary told them that God had said her baby was special.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Anne pondered, too.

After that, more scripture was read, people taking turns reading bits of it, but Anne wasn't listening. She was thinking about the new life inside her-if there was one.

Marilla nudged Anne, and brought Anne's attention back to the service. It was the time Anne had been waiting for.

Anne hadn't known how the candlelight would be done, but now she saw that the flicker of light began at one end of the church and was passed on and on and on until every person had their own.

Marilla's candle was lit first. She touched the wick to Anne's candle, to pass the flame to her.

Anne watched her candle slowly light up, and then she dipped her candle to Matthew, to light his.

And the flame spread through the congregation, and the church became brighter and brighter as dozens of tiny flames glowed in the darkness.

The congregation began singing now, in hushed tones: Silent Night.

Anne joined in and tears came into her eyes. She didn't know if it was the beautiful music- soaring up into the rafters like a prayer to heaven- just as she'd imagined, or if it was just that the story of Christmas had touched her in a deeply personal way.

As Silent Night faded out, voices growing more and more quiet and the strains of the violin coming to a close, all was still and quiet for a long moment.

Anne looked around at the faces of the people she knew, in the shadows and lit only by the flickering candles they held. What was it about candlelight that made everything feel mysterious and magical?

And suddenly, before she knew it, the church organ began with a joyful noise, filling the quiet church, and the congregation burst into a happy rendition of Joy to the World.

Anne felt goosebumps from the powerful feeling of being swept up into something glorious. The song made her heart soar. Soon she opened her mouth again and burst into song, feeling lighter than she'd felt in a long time.

Marilla noticed, as church ended, a tiny teardrop, shining like a pearl, in the corner of Anne's eye.

But coming out of church after the candlelight service didn't seem sad at all. Everyone called and waved to people they knew, and parted with hugs to all their friends and neighbors.