Close Proximity -Anne With An E-

Chapter 12| welcome home.

Anne closes the door behind her. The want of sleep weighs on her eyelids. Nimbly, she dances around the room, readying herself for bed.

Setting the candle next to the mirror, she admires how her hair looks. "My, Cordelia, how lovely you look." She whispers, liking how the moonlight shines on her cheeks, giving the illusion her dreaded freckles don't exist.

She opens her mouth to say something else, but the sound of Gilbert calling up the stairs startles her, forcing her to remember she is not at home, and could embarrass herself in front of Gilbert.

"Anne! Bash and Mary are back!"

Anne smiles, running down the stairs to greet her hosts.

Gilbert, who is drinking a glass of milk, chokes when Anne runs into Mary's arms. In her haste to greet Bash and Mary, she must have forgotten she was in her nightgown.

Her hair loose, just reaching past her shoulders, the crimped locks framing her face, beautifully. Due to the cold weather, her long sleeved nightgown reaches down to her wrists, then a cute ruffle drapes down to her fingertips. The white fabric flows over her breasts (of which Gilbert was definitely not paying attention to) the down to her midcalves. And her feet were bare.

Gilbert was still coughing up milk. Bash, Mary, and Anne all look at him in concern. "You ok, Blythe?"

Gilbert, red faced, gives a thumbs up, "Milk," he manages between coughs, "down the wrong tube."

Anne and Mary meet each other's eyes, and burst out laughing. The two begin talking about their time apart, catching each other up on anything they missed.

Bash leans against the counter, next to Gilbert, watching the two girls smile and laugh.

"Oh, god," Bash smiles, "they're gangin' up on us, Blythe."

Gilbert smiles, trying another attempt at drinking his milk, this time, he is successful. "Soon, they'll both forget all about us. Who needs their husband and classmate when you have a new friend."

Bash laughs, "Still just a classmate, eh? I see much didn't change while we were gone."

Gilbert looks at him incredulously, "What did you expect to happen? I'd ask her to marry me, the second I realized how I felt about her?"

"Ah, so you finally put it together."

Gilbert looks away from his friend. He takes another swig of his milk, thus showing Bash he wasn't going to say anything.

Bash smiles, taking a handful of nuts from a bowl and munching them. "It took you long enough, Blythe. That poor girl figured it out a long time ago, she's just been waiting for you to figure it out."

Gilbert's brow draws together, "What makes you think that?"

Bash shrugs, "She's a girl. They always figure these things out first."

Gilbert would have argued, but he was pretty sure Bash was correct. He finished off his milk. Smiling at the animated way Anne moved her arms while talking to Mary. Both girls enjoyed each other's company until Bash decided it was time for them all to go to bed.

Anne and Mary hugged once more. Bash kissed Mary's cheek, "Shall we get to sleep, my love?"

Mary smiles, "Good night, Anne. Good night, Gilbert. See you both tomorrow." The two adults head up to their shared bedroom.

Anne smiles, the firelight from the living room the last thing lighting the darkness.

"Are you going to sleep any time soon, Gilbert?"

He smiles at her, "Not yet. I have some things to think about."

"Oh, do you need someone to talk to?" she asks.

He shakes his head, "No, thank you. You seem tired, you should get some sleep."

She nods, turning to the stairs. Before she ascends, she looks at the curly haired boy, "Gilbert. I just wanted to say. Um, while I adore Mary and Bash, I really enjoyed the past two days with you. And I'm really glad we're friends."

Gilbert smiles widely, a smile almost no one has seen since his father died, "Miss Anne, I've loved spending these past days with you, and I look forward to the rest of the week." He steps to her and takes her hand, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "And I am honoured to be your friend." Instead of kissing her hand, like he'd originally intended, in a burst of confidence, he pulls her to him, and kisses her cheek softly.

"Goodnight, Anne."

She smiles, resting her hand on his cheek, "Goodnight, Gilbert."