(ʟᴏᴠᴇʀʙᴏʏ!)//sʜɪʀʙᴇʀᴛ

xxii.

the plane ride was two hours.

but anne felt like it was a decade.

gilbert watched as anne's knees bobbed up and down. it hurt him to see her so upset and nervous. "hey, it's okay. we are almost there." he put his hand on her knee, giving her a reassuring smile. the plane soon landed and anne ran to the nearest car.

"marilla cuthbert? i need to see marilla cuthbert right now!" she practically yelled at the lady sitting at the front desk. she was handed her visitor pass and room number. anne held back tears as the elevator slowly went up. "room three hundred twenty!" the couple walked in to see two middle aged women, one laying in the bed and one holding her hand. "rachel! thank god!" she hugged the woman. "marilla!" tears were leaving as she saw the lifeless woman. "w-what happened?"

"car flipped over on the intersection. luckily, they saved her in time. thankfully you're here!" her eyes slowly met with gilbert's as he leaned against the door. "who is this?"

"gilbert. gilbert blythe. nice to meet you ma'am." he took off his baseball cap he wore for protection. "anne, i am going to call diana and tell her we are here, okay?" both him and rachel left anne alone in the room.

"i'm so sorry i wasn't here. i truly am! but i am here now and i will not leave your side." she held her cold hand. tears streamed down her cheeks. "please come back to me, you're all i have." she pleaded. after a few hours, visiting hours were over. though she didn't want to, her and gilbert left. the ride to anne's house was quiet. they sat in rachel's car while anne just stared out the window. the house was old and rustic, painted white. a big yard with even bigger fences surrounding it. "thanks rachel. appreciate it."

pictures of a baby anne were hung all over the house, causing gilbert to chuckle. they stayed in her old bedroom. posters of musicians and famous women covered her white walls. "i'll let you rest." but before he could leave, anne grabbed his wrist. her eyes sorrowful and lonely. "love, i am so sorry." he brought her into his arms and she automatically broke down sobbing. "i'm here, i'll always be here. it's us against the world. c'mon let's lay down."

darkness soon engulfed the whole house as they laid in each other's arms. "she adopted me when i was an infant. my parents didn't want me but she did. she was always there when no one wanted me. her and matthew raised me but he died when i was thirteen, leaving just us two. i miss him everyday." gilbert played with her hair and ran circles in her back. "avonlea will forever be my home. i hope to raise a family here someday." she chuckled.

"count me in." he whispered with a raspy voice. "i want to be a director, i've never told anyone that but i trust you so much. i want to write and direct my own movies. my dad always wanted to do it but he died before he could. so i intend to do it. for him." she placed her lips on his cheek and cupped his face. "let's go to bed, you want to visit her early tomorrow. i love you, anne."

"i love you."

✵

throughout the pass five days, anne visited the hospital with gilbert by her side. sometimes, bringing her ukulele to sing. it wasn't until day seven when she woke up. that's the day a little light came into her eyes.

"who is this, anne?" marilla smiled at the two. gilbert squeezed anne's shoulder as he blushed. "gilbert blythe! the boy you would never stop talking about!" all three laughed. they spent about three hours with marilla everyday. gilbert learning more and more about anne. like how she used to sleep in the shower when it rained. or how she sang 'somewhere over the rainbow' for her fifth grade talent show. "listen, you two can go. i am tired and rachel will be here soon." the two left hand in hand.

"my fans are getting worried, i should say something." she pulled out her phone but before she filmed, she made gilbert move. "hey all, i am currently in my hometown dealing with some family issues. everything will be okay and i'll come back very soon! all i ask for is some peace at this time! love you!" he kissed her head and she sighed. "ice cream?"

it was a beautiful day in avonlea. the sun was out with the birds chirping. gilbert picked up a pair of yellow flowers, putting it in anne's hair. she copied him and kissed him. "smile for me, loverboy!" he rolled his eyes and covered the camera. "c'mon! pretty please!" he looked away and smirked. "my handsome boy! come on, i want to cook dinner."

anne sang "moon river" as she stirred the mac n'cheese. "this is a beautiful sight." he snaked his arms around her waist. "this and that picture of you in third grade where you had no front teeth." she smacked his shoulder. "is that song from breakfast at tiffany's? because you are so a holly!"

"then you are my paul, now let's eat." they shared mac n'cheese and cuddled on the couch, watching breakfast at tiffany's. "i think we should tell everyone." gilbert choked. "they deserve to know! please! i want the world to know how much i love and adore you, my loverboy." she placed a few sweet kisses on his neck and jaw.

gilbert blythe never thought he would feel this feeling of admiration towards one person, until he met anne. she came along and changed his whole life, for the better. he gave into her kiss immediately. "f-fine but only so i could finish this movie and my mac n'cheese." he put his arm around her small frame as she opened her phone. after a minute, she threw it onto the couch.

"i really do love you, gilbert blythe. with my whole heart." she got up and ran upstairs. she came down with a ukulele painted with the great wave off kanagawa. "that letter i wrote wasn't just a letter. it was a song i wrote for you the night before you left. you will forever be my greatest supporter, my love." he teared up as she began to sing.

anne shirley-cuthbert was going to be his wife someday.

anne shirley-cuthbert blythe. his wife and best friend.