My Heart's Desire *HIATUS*

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

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Marilla came home later that evening and went upstairs into Anne's room to find her curled up on her bed sleeping, tears still stained her face.

'What could possibly be wrong now?' Marilla thought to herself.

She did not wake her but went downstairs and asked Davy if he knew what was going on.

"Marilla, to be honest, I can't even begin to think of what could be wrong! She just came flying through the front door like a mad man crying. She went straight up to her room and we haven't heard from her since." Davy looked at Dora who nodded in agreement.

Marilla sighed and started getting out the ingredients for the cake she was going to make.

"I think she was out with Gilbert Blythe before she came home." Dora said quietly.

Marilla paused for a few long seconds and then shook her head. Boy troubles, eh? She smirked.

Eggs were cracked, flour was measured, batter was mixed, and not once did she hear a peep from Anne's room.

Anne was up in her room, drowning in silence but told herself to quit being weak and hold herself together. After all, next weekend was Diana's wedding and she was the maid of honour.

She needed to be a best friend, not a silly schoolgirl.

~

That same day, when a crushed Gilbert Blythe got home, he walked straight through the front door, ignored his mother's warm greeting and went right out the back door, to the barn.

His horse, Lincoln, stood in his stall, lifting his strong neck as Gilbert approached him. Gil gave him a pat on the neck and kept moving to the back of the barn where all the tools were.

He had meant to fix the broken stall door a while ago but got off track when he began to chase after... her.

Well, now was a better time as any so he threw his beige overcoat onto a nearby workbench and unbuttoned his waistcoat, leaving it with his coat. Gilbert snatched the hammer and nails, grabbing the other tools that were necessary and knelt down by the broken door.

Soon, beads of sweat were building on his brow as the hammer repeatedly hit a nail that refused to go into the tough wood. He gave up and started on the hinges. Reaching for the pliers, he worked on them for at least ten minutes each before he got them off.

His time had nothing to do with his skill level or the rust on them, he was distracted.

After replacing the hinges, he fixed the broken border and went back to the stubborn nail.

But as he grabbed the hammer, memories he had shared with Anne started flowing through his head. Gilbert stared into space for a few minutes before groaning and gritting his teeth.

"Get a grip, Gil!" He told himself.

Putting the nail in place, he raised his hand and brought the hammer down so forcefully that the nail went in perfectly on the first hit. But he didn't stop. Teeth still clenched, he hit the head of the nail multiple times.

Every bang the hammer made when it hit the wood, changed the memory of Anne. Gilbert cursed, the word foreign on his tongue, and threw the hammer, flinching as it hit the wall.

He fell back against the wall behind him, knees bent as he sat on the floor, and he let out a sob.

"You frustrate me, Anne Shirley!" He shouted.

Gilbert covered his face with his hands and brought his knees closer to his chest as he sobbed into his hands through gritted teeth. Tears streamed down his face and he took short, ragged breaths.

Gilbert might look and feel weak right now, but he's not.

His first love slipped through his fingers.

~