CORTARO | Shirbert

Eleven ~ Epilogue

Four years later...

(1905)

Wedding preparations were stressful, Diana had a lot to do, it was "Her duty as the maid of honor" as Ruby said. They had decided for a simple wedding at Green Gables, Anne and Gilbert both agreed they wanted only their friends and family to be there; Diana accepted her best friend's wishes, but she still added her very own touch of glamour and elegance to the -well awaited- event.

Anne sat in her little room next to the window while Ruby was helping her with her hair, and Diana was looking around her room, Anne looked down at the beautiful ring on her left hand, smiling.

"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, also known as carrots, Anne with an E, Anne-girl," Gilbert said, grabbing both of her hands, "Queen Anne, fire-haired goddess, my daisy, the prettiest girl I've ever seen, the love of my life..." he started to kneel on one knee.

"Gilbert, what are you doing?" Anne gasped, he hushed her.

"My Anne," he took his mother's ring from his front pocket.

"Gilb-"

"Hush, I'm in the middle of something here" Anne laughed, as he finally was completely kneeled before her "Would you do me the honor of... letting me love you every day for the rest of our lives and call you my wife?"

"Gil, you already asked me to marry you" Anne chuckled.

"Oh, my love. That was hardly an acceptable proposal, I didn't even give you a ring" He said, finally showing her his mother's ring. Anne gasped, "I know it's not much, but it belonged to my mother and I-"

"It's perfect, I love it" Anne breathed.

"So... what do you say?" Gilbert smiled, "Will you marry me, my... Anne with an E?"

Anne chuckled again, "YES!" she exclaimed in the most dramatic way she could. Gilbert let out a breathy laugh as he put the wring in her heart-finger.

She let out a soft chuckle at the memory. Only Gilbert Blythe would propose twice because the first time was not good enough -that is what he thought at least, for Anne it was perfect, both times were-.

"What's this?" Diana asked, showing her a folded piece of paper.

"It's the last letter Gilbert wrote to me in Toronto after he came back" Anne responded. Gilbert went to Toronto to get his medical degree. He and Anne had been writing letters back and forth for the last four years.

"I bet you know it by memory" Ruby teased, and Anne just giggled, confirming her friend's supposition.

My prettiest daisy,

These past few months have been absolutely dreadful without you. Knowing we were to get married after my college graduation I felt like time couldn't go slower. The only thing keeping me from thinking about you every minute of every day was the various exams I had. I've never been more excited to go back home, to go back to you. I cannot wait until my exams are over, and I can see you again.

Yesterday I was thinking of how much my father would adore you. I never told you this before, but the day I met you, I spent the entire day talking about you to him, and believe me, I told him everything... the apple, the nickname, the -very hurtful- hit in the head with your slate. He didn't think anything bad about you though; he blamed me for the incident, which is true, it was my fault. He asked me every day about you after that day he met you when you brought me my books. I didn't know my father could be such a joker until he spent every day mocking me about that stupid grin of mine every time I see you, said grin was noticed by Bash as well, and then a whole new period of mocking came to me. Every time you came by and helped me catch up with my studies, I had to talk to my father to convince him not to come out of his room to mock me in front of you. I knew I had a crush on you then, and my father being there to remind me that in your presence would have killed little thirteen-year-old-Gilbert out of embarrassment.