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"right katie, can we take a seat please?" celia fitz asked kindly. the small girl nodded and clambered into celia's lap. the second youngest, patrick, chose to sit to the right of celia on the couch. it had been exactly one week since celia had begun watching the shelby children and she was loving every minute of it. she would come to the home in the morning after john had left and she herself would leave once he got home.
"peter, you did take a bath, correct?" celia asked the second oldest shelby child. he nodded but rolled his eyes. "yes, miss celia."
"good. thank you, peter." the older woman spoke with constant kindness in her voice. "jane, would you care to join us tonight?" she called out. the seven year old girl was extremely independent for her age.
"coming!" the young girl yelled out as she ran into the sitting room. the girl stood in front of celia and smiled. "alright jane, it's your turn to pick tonight's book. i've brought anne of green gables and the story of king arthur and his knights. what would you like to choose?" celia asked, holding the two books out to the girl.
"pick king arthur!" peter called out from his spot on one of the chairs across from the couch. jane turned to him and grinned before speaking, "anne of green gables!" she chose. the girl went to the chair next to peter and crawled into it.
celia wrapped her arms around katie, the three year old shelby and opened up the book that jane had chosen. "alright popkins, shall we begin?"
patrick leaned into celia's arm as she began to read. "chapter one - mrs. rachel lynde is surprised."
*
"marilla looked back once as the buggy bounced along and saw that aggravating matthew leaning over the gate, looking wistfully after them." celia finished. she placed a small mark in the book and closed it shut.
"no! what happens to anne?" patrick cried out. celia grinned.
"well, you'll have to find that out tomorrow, patrick. it's time for bed now, and please don't fuss. katie has just finally fallen to sleep." celia stated as she stood up, holding katie in her arms. patrick groaned quietly but began to walk to his bedroom, peter following behind him.
jane stepped into stride with celia and looked up at the woman. "that was wonderful. anne is my new favorite book character!" she said happily.
"she was mine for a while too, i'm glad i could share her with you." celia said with a grin as she followed jane into her bedroom. the older shelby girl climbed into her bed as celia gently placed the youngest shelby girl into her crib. celia said a quiet prayer that katie would sleep soundly through the night before walking over to jane.
"goodnight jane, get some sleep. who knows what tomorrow will hold." celia spoke softly, tucking in the shelby girl. with the light turned out, the older woman walked out of the room and closed the door.
"when i get to your room, both of you best be in your beds," celia called out as she made her way to the boys room. once inside, she saw the two shelby twins in their respective beds. she took a moment to speak to each of them about their thoughts on the book and then tucked each of them in and stood at the door frame. "get some sleep, boys. who knows what tomorrow will hold."
once the door was closed, celia made her way back down into the sitting room. with a different book in her hand, she sat down and began to read to pass the time. every night she would wait for john to get home before leaving.
an hour later, a loud bang startled celia out of her concentration and had her immediately standing. the sound of dropping metal toward the front door had the girl moving toward it to investigate. glancing out the peep hole, she saw john.
unlocking and yanking open the door, she was met with the body of john shelby falling into her. celia quickly grabbed ahold of him and pulled him inside, closing and locking the door behind him. "good god, john. you're drunk as hell," celia mumbled quietly.
john leaned most of his weight into the petite girl next to him. his glassy eyes stared at her face. "celia?" he slurred in confusion.
"yes john, it's me celia." she said politely.
"i thought you were in the city?" he asked in utter confusion. "no, john. i came back." she replied.
"did you come back for me?" he asked with slurred speech as he furrowed his brow.
celia frowned but nodded. "yes john, i came back. for you." she said before reaching up and taking off his cap. being careful not to cut herself, she threw it onto the kitchen table.
"good, because - because i've missed you." he said, rubbing his eyes like a tired child. celia's breath hitched in her throat.
"you're drunk, you don't know what you're talking about, john. c'mon, let's get to the couch." celia mumbled as she began to guide john to the sitting room.
celia sat john down on the couch and stood before him. "right john, lets take your coat off." she said, reaching down to help him.
john stared at the girl before him with glazed over eyes. "you're so - you're so beautiful," he slurred out. celia closed her eyes tightly and helped him remove his jacket, trying her hardest to ignore his words.
celia pushed johns shoulders so he would lay down and placed a pillow under his head. she yanked off his shoes and threw them on the floor beside him. "john, i have to go now. if you have to throw up, roll over." the fitz girl said quietly as the shelby boy stared up at her.
reaching out, john grabbed ahold of her hand and held tightly, yanking her down toward him slightly. with a sigh, he reached up and clumsily pushed a piece of hair away from the girls face. "i love you celia jane. yous 'spose to be a - a shelby. celia jane shelby, that's who you're 'spose to be, d'ya know that?" he mumbled out.
a single tear slipped out of celia's eye before she even knew she was crying. she squeezed johns hand and pulled away, wiping her eyes. "goodnight john, get some sleep."
