Avonlea High

Chapter 24

Anne
My dear ocean. The sand beneath my feet, your waves rushing over my ankles. You are my safety. My Hail Mary, my Heaven. I entrust in you my pain, my fears, and my joy. My joy. What even was that abstract word. In the eyes of mine, my world is ending. Matthew is sicker than ever. I'm more afraid than I'd ever been. And I'm more alone than I wanted to be. But this is what Matthew was talking about. I didn't need to be alone. And to my surprise I wasn't.
I didn't see him here at first. It wasn't until I began to dip my toes in the water and dance along its edge when I saw him. I stopped and saw the sincerity of his eyes. He was here for me. He started to walk closer. And despite the pain I was feeling I decided to mess around. Lose my feelings for a bit.
I kicked the water skimming it with the bottom of my foot. It cast a splash headed right towards Gilbert. The ocean was in my favor. She, the sea and I were one. Partners in crime. I skipped and ran from Gilbert receiving splashing from him and returning the favor.
Continuing to laugh he put on his shoes and coat he had taken off. I kept my shoes off. I felt closer and more at home without my shoes. The sand between my toes made me feel safe. Like I would always be grounded here. Even with the waves sucking the sand over my feet as it pulls back into itself. It buried my feet under the sand holding me still.
"Anne," Gilbert began.
"I don't wanna talk about it. Can't we just laugh and smile and run for a bit?"
"Not until we talk about it..."

Safety. That's all I wanted. Now the talking is inevitable.

Gilbert
The air danced with her. The sand providing a tribal ground for her to bound upon. Small feet printing patterns in the sand. Indents as she spun creating little divots on the surface. She laughed. Out of anything she could have felt and done she laughed. And she smiled. She was in the moment. Not thinking of what was waiting for her back in reality. The pain, the darkness, the death. Literally.
"Matthew isn't going to get better anne. And you can't pretend like the problem doesn't exist."
"I'm not pretending that Matthew isn't- I know he is Gil-It is inevitable I get it but you-I just wanted a minute," she sputtered our changing her sentence every five words.
"You can't run from this. The sea can't take your pain away."
"Why not?"
"What?"
"Why can't I just let her suck me into the dark abyss of the ocean. It'd be a quite wonderful way to go."
"Anne-"
"Just imagine it. Feeling the waves around you, the fish whispering their secrets as the air leaves you and you become the sea."
"You don't become the sea Anne you become a corpse."
"You don't have to ruin the imagination."
"This is a reality check Anne. And I don't mean to be harsh but he is dying and you ran away."
She scoffed and began to walk towards the waves. I ran up and grabbed her arm yanking her sideways. She fought her arm from my grip and walked parallel to them. My shoes were soaked but this wasn't over. This was far from it. I had to convince her to go back. Sit by Matthews side while she has the time. I wish I had done it for my father. She will regret it if she doesn't

Matthew
My sister sat by my side. We knew it wasn't going to ever be good news every time the doctors walked in. Marilla kept on wondering where Anne had gone, she was worried.
"Don't you fret Rilla, Gilbert will find our girl."
She held my hand nodding. But that's when the doctors came in again. It was worse than they thought. Worse than I thought.
"What do you mean you can't fix it?" Marilla grilled.
"Miss Cuthbert at this point and time his heart is so deteriorated and damaged that he would need a transplant which I don't think you have time to wait for."
"What do you mean wait Doctor?"
"The average time it will take to get you a heart Mr.Cuthbert is upwards of 150 days. As of now, we can say you will be lucky to have this next month."
"A month," I said nodding.
Marilla was about to ask a question again and possibly an argument.
"Thank you Doctor," I finished halting Marilla's possible advance.
Marilla looked at me. She wasn't happy with me. But this what's the most I could do. The most painless way. It was natures calling. There was nothing left to fight. I was too far gone.
"Matthew Cuthbert-"
"Rilla, it's time. We had a wonderful seven years with our Anne, seven years we never knew existed with that girl. You have more time, time you deserve, time she deserves. I don't want to die here Rilla, I don't want to die in an unfamiliar room. My soul shall never rest here. Let's go home."
"And Anne?"
"Gilbert will bring her home. He will. But let's go dear sister."