Heart Attack • Shirbert

• 58 • questions, quotes, and queens

Anne thought for a moment to just a few days ago, "But if the ring isn't for Winifred, why were you asking Mr. Barry if it was good enough for her?"

Gilbert thought Anne had been listening on that day, but he wasn't sure.

Giving Anne the answer to this question, though, would be interesting.

"I wasn't asking about Winifred."

"Then who were you..." Anne trailed off as she realized the answer she wasn't sure she wanted to hear, "Gilbert."

Gilbert didn't say a word back. Anne knew exactly what he meant.

That was when Anne went into panic mode, "You ca- I mean we never ev- and you have to court fir- and Marilla would have a connipt- and- just imagine what people would-"

Gilbert squeezed her hand, causing Anne to stare at it and stop talking.

"I found a note my father wrote for someone he admired. It didn't have her name on it, so I assume it was my mother, though I know he had another true love earlier in his life."

Marilla.

Anne knew, apparently Gilbert didn't.

"That doesn't matter. But something he wrote stuck out to me."

Anne felt herself calm at his words. His motivations came from a romantical letter? Potentially one written to her own adoptive mother? It couldn't be misguided if it came from the words of his father.

Gilbert beamed proudly as he quoted his father.

''When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.''

Anne marveled at Mr. Blythe's words. They were wise and fair.

Yet they still terrified her.

Gilbert noticed Anne's expression, but knew continuing would help, "And that's when I realized I've wanted to spend the rest of my life with you since you whacked me with your slate."

Anne picked her head back up. It was increasingly almost comical both of them brought up the slate incident as a landmark in their relationship.

Gilbert squeezed her hand again, "I've always known that, in one way or another, so I wanted to be ready. Because the moment you come to this same realization, be it in minutes, weeks, months, years, decades, I'm ready to start the rest of our lives."

It was Anne's turn to stare in stunned silence.

"I didn't want you to know because I didn't want you to feel the pressure of an expectation." Gilbert tried to assure her.

Anne shook her head, trying to understand, "What do you mean by all of this?"

"I'm not about to get down on one knee, Anne." Gilbert placed his palm on her cheek gently, "But I'm ready when the time comes."

Gilbert was honest, in not proposing then and there.

Then and there, however, he took the opportunity to kiss Anne again.

Anne, who was relishing the moment and every single word he had just said.

I might one day be a bride.

And maybe I'm not so scared of being a wife.

When they broke apart, Gilbert grinned, "My turn."

"I'm not done!" Anne whined, grabbing and tugging on his arm.

"Patience Carrots," Gilbert tapped her nose with his finger, "Sharing is caring."