Long Distance Love Letters

How Much a Human Heart Can Love

When looking back on her life, Anne Shirley Cuthbert would say with absolute certainty that labor was the biggest adventure she had ever embarked on.

However, in the moment, her feelings on the process weren't quite so fond.

"Where the HELL are they?!" she yelled angrily, tightly squeezing Marilla's hand as Gilbert worked on delivering the baby.

"I'm sure Dr. Ward and Jerry are coming as quickly as humanly possible," her adoptive mother assured.

"Oh, wonderful!" she shouted. "At this rate, they'll be here just in time to see the baby off to college!"

"Come on, honey!" Gilbert yelled. "You're doing so well but I need you to keep pushing!"

"I can't!" she gasped, shaking her head and clamping the bedsheets in her fists. "I can't, I can't!"

"Yes, you can!" he and Marilla encouraged. Marilla clasped Anne's hand in both of hers.

"You can do it, darling," Gilbert promised.

Finally summoning up the will, Anne managed to begin pushing, letting out shouts of pain along with it.

"The head is out!" he shouted after a bit, his voice already beginning to sound choked up. "Keep going, you're doing fantastic!"

Anne's whole world seemed to become a swirling tornado of blinding pain, encasing her to the point where she couldn't hear anything.

However, the whole world went silent the moment she heard a cry that did not belong to her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Gilbert shakily lifting the most beautiful baby she had ever seen up to his chest, the most awestruck look on his face.

"Good Lord," he whispered, staring at the wailing baby. He turned to Anne with tears glistening in his eyes. "It's a girl."

Gasping, a smile bloomed on Anne's face as tears came to her own eyes.

Gilbert set their daughter down on Anne's chest and the new parents shared the most loving kiss.

Anne began crying as she stared down at her daughter while Gilbert cut the umbilical chord.

She let out a laugh. "Looks like she has red hair."

Gilbert smiled, coming back over and resting his forehead against hers. "Good," he whispered.

Anne watched as she cleaned the baby up with the biggest smile on her face. She was in awe that her—Anne Shirley Cuthbert—could possibly have given birth to such a perfect human. Her daughter. Anne was finally a mother.

Later, while Marilla held the baby and Gilbert worked on cleaning Anne up, Marilla looked to the couple.

"Does she have a name?" she asked, her eyes red.

Anne smiled and looked to her husband. "Yes, she does."

Gilbert returned the smile. "We would like to introduce you to Joyce Maria Blythe."

Marilla gasped. "Oh, I love it. Maria?"

"My mother's name," Gilbert explained softly.

She smiled sweetly. "I know Matthew and Mary are smiling from heaven."

Gilbert put his hand on Anne's shoulder and she put her hand on his.

•••

Anne sat in bed with sweet Joyce in her arms as the sun began to shine over beautiful Avonlea. Marilla had long since gone to bed and Gilbert had finally managed to fall into a peaceful slumber beside her. However, Anne knew that slew would never find her when there were other activities of much greater importance, like staring at her daughter's perfect face.

As the sun began to shine through the bedroom window, Anne watched as Joyce tiredly opened her beautiful deep blue eyes given to her by her father.

Anne donned her smile that was reserved specifically for her daughter. "Good morning, Joy Joy," she whispered, slowly rocking her. "It's your first of many sunrises. I'm going to let you in on a secret: this is my favorite part of every day. And now I get to share it with my sweet little kindred spirit."

Joyce stared up at her with her big eyes, her expression conveying that she was somehow understanding everything her mother was saying.

"Oh, sweetheart," she breathed. "I never knew a human could love someone as much as I love you."

She leaned down and kissed her soft cheek, knowing that along with her daughter, Anne had also been born that day.