Butterflies~~ Shirbert

Chapter three: The prayer

Anne could feel the sparks rise up her arms as her and Gilbert held hands. She couldn't say why she intertwined her and Gilbert's fingers instead of simply holding it like Mathew and Marilla were, it just was simply instinct, it felt right. The warm, fuzzy feeling, that was already consuming her, only intensified by Gilbert's touch.

"Stop," She murmured under her breathe, trying with all her willpower to make the butterflies leave.

"What," asked Gilbert curiously.
Anne rose her head quickly, startled to find out that she had spoken her thought out loud.

"Who were you speaking too Anne," asked a stern Marilla.

"Uhh, sorry I didn't mean to say that," said Anne breathlessly.

Desperate to change the subject, worried for any further integrating she began to pray abruptly.

(Play the song;)
"Gracious Heavenly Father," She said with passion, "I thank you for this glorious day that you have blessed us with, thank you that we are fortunate enough to have food on this lovely morning. We pray for those who are less fortunate on this day, give us the opportunity to help those in need, lord our heart goes out to them. We pray that the lost find them self's in you, we pray for realization's, father.

I pray that I realize how I feel, make sense out of this turmoil in my heart," Anne continued to pray not even stopping to thinkof what came out of her mouth.

Marilla and Mathew had slightly raised their head with open eyes. Gilbert kept his eyes closed and shook his head slightly, resinating with Anne's prayer. He was so enthralled by the girls words he hadn't even realized that he began gripping Anne's hand tighter, she gripped his back.

"We pray for Gilbert's father and that Gilbert knows he is smiling down at him right this moment and for the rest of eternity he will remain a proud father,"

Gilbert's heart felt as if it had stopped when she said those words, but it quickly returned, faster and a wave of emotion full of gratitude, love, and understanding washed over him. He didn't even realize the tears that were running down his cheeks. Anne could feel the emotion in the room, she wasn't even thinking before saying these words, they just came to her, and they were flooding out, over her loved ones.

She was so entranced by the words that the lord was giving her, that she didn't even realize that she was leaning closer to Gilbert and saying the words more surely and with power, reassuring him that they were true. She had never had to deal with grieving a loved one, so she couldn't fully understand what Gilbert went through when his father died, but she had this urge to help him, as if when he was suffering she was too.

"He is proud," she repeated softer, "we pray for healing to take place right now in this room, sadness to be lifted, and to begin to see the bright flourishing future ahead of Gilbert and all of us."

Gilbert's tears continued to flow, he felt understood, loved, and welcomed, in a way he had never felt before and it was from Anne. He silently thanked God in his head, for such an extraordinary girl as Anne to have entered his life, as he did every night.

"We love you god, thank you, and amen."

Anne finished now looking up, immediately moving her eyes to Gilbert, who was crying. Her heart tugged seeing his tears flow so she moved her hand away from Marilla's then reached up and wiped them away.

Her hand rested on his cheek for a second longer than was necessary and stared into his eyes, with a look that said, "I know, I'm here for you."

Gilbert returned with a look that said, first of all, "I love you," which Anne tried to ignore, and second of all, "thank you, I'm here for you as well."

The two teens stayed like that, not needing to say words, just lost in each other's eyes, still holding each other's hands right, neither wanting to let go.

"That was a beautiful prayer Anne," said a proud Mathew.
Everyone turned to look at him somewhat surprised to hear him speak, as he was usually quiet.

"Th-thank you," said Anne now looking at Mathew with a loving smile.

"Yes it was quite lovely," said Marilla, who looked slightly as if she was on the brink of tears herself, which was a very rare occurrence to be seen from her. The woman cleared her throat and in hopes to move the attention away from her she asked, "toast," while using a pair of metal prongs to grasp the bread.

"Yes please," said a very much emotionally moved Gilbert.
He wisely used is other hand to retrieve it, not wanting even in the slightest to move his hand from Anne's.

Anne didn't want to move her hand either, but seeing the way Marilla was glancing down every once in a while at there hands she could almost feel her thinking, "have some propriety at breakfast," which to be frank was very far off Marilla's thought's.

For Marilla was actually thinking about how perfect the two were for each other, she actually thought it to be sweet how they didn't let go.

Sure, still being Marilla, she did think it was improper for two children to be holding hands for so long without a official courtship, but she was getting ahead of herself as the thoughts echoed in her mind. Anne's misinterpretation of Marilla's thoughts caused her to let go of Gilbert's hand.

She looked up at him, her hand immediately felt empty without his. She was suddenly aware of the queer feeling in her stomach once again and averted her gaze to her meal. Gilbert smiled to himself, blushing as he remembered how her soft hand felt on his skin when she brushed the tears off his cheek. He sat up straighter and took in a deep breath as he told himself in his head.

"No, Anne, is just a friend."

Woah, long chapter (this is a note from a month later, another reminder the chapters get much longer in this story) . I applaud you for making it this far. This was intense and I know I said that this chapter would be more eventful but now I really mean it when I say more is going to happen the next chapter when Gilbert and Anne walk to school. Also if you were worried, I am going to really settle into the slow burn love, I reallybwhat to add some rivalry between them and more competition so, you can expect a abundance of chapters before they have there happily ever after. I can see this story going very far, maybe even getting to when they finally are married and have children, but of course I am getting ahead of myself ;) I love you as always and hope you enjoyed this chapter if you did please vote for it and maybe leave a comment saying what you thought. As of right now this story only has 4 reads, but honestly I am still so pumped to continue it. I love the good feedback you guys give me, even though it may not be a lot of feedback it still means the world and pushes me forward. Well now that I basically just wrote a whole essay for a authors note I'm going to stop writing. I will most likely have a new chapter up either later today or Tommorow:) ily❤️❤️
God bless❤️❤️
Published August 5 2019