chaithecat
Bert has always loved Mary, he'll always wait for her to come back, when she leaves to help another family. He wants so much to tell her how he feels- but she's too perfect to love him. After being politely rejected - he moves on with his life, although he still remains best friends with Mary.
After realising she had made a mistake and loved him back - she had to try win him over again. Although, what she hadn't realised, is that he'd never stopped.