The Three of Us

5. Reconciled

"So how are you enjoying school?" Emily asked, setting the heavy iron on her ironing board.

Anne was there for the afternoon, looking after Clara while Emily did her housework. Anne was delighted that instead of taking care of the baby upstairs in the nursery, Emily had asked her to bring Clara down and sit with her while she worked.

"It's gloriously beautiful because I have my very dearest friend in the whole world there by my side all day long. And a lot of the other girls are glad I'm back, too!" Then she said quickly, "Only I'm sorry not to be of much help anymore...I feel bad that I can only come for a couple hours after school, now."

"Well, Anne, I am very happy you could go back. A young girl ought to be in school."

"Emily," she said hesitantly, lifting Clara up and holding her close. "...Do you know why I wasn't going to school?"

Emily wasn't sure how much she should reveal. She said carefully, "Miss Cuthbert mentioned you'd had some trouble with a boy at school."

Anne nodded slowly.

"Is that getting better?"

Anne bit her lip. "He isn't coming to school anymore. So I guess it's all right now."

Emily was relieved. "I'm glad to hear it. So now school can be what it's supposed to be," she said, turning around the pants she was ironing.

Anne didn't answer her.

"Is something wrong?" Emily asked then, noticing Anne seemed melancholy. Anne was making a little tower out of Clara's blocks, but then she pushed it to knock it over. Clara laughed, so Anne did it again.

"Well..." Anne shifted. "There's this boy. At school."

"Another one?" Emily looked concerned. "Oh, Anne, has he done something to hurt you, too?"

"No!" Anne was quick to say. "No, he's been my...friend. A very good friend. In fact, I like him a lot. ...I even love him."

Emily smiled. "That's a nice thing, isn't it?"

She nodded, but then changed to shaking her head.

"Does he not feel the same way?" Emily guessed.

"No, he does! He says he loves me, and...he says that he doesn't even care that I-" she broke off suddenly, her face turning red.

"Doesn't care that you...?"

"Well..."

Emily stopped ironing for a moment. "Anne, I hope you feel you can talk to me- girl to girl, you know. I'm not so very old."

Anne looked surprised. "I know! That's one reason I like coming here so much. You seem almost like a friend."

"Almost!" Emily laughed. "Well I may be all of twenty, but I don't feel quite so old yet that I can't be a real friend to you. In fact, I always wanted a little sister, and you fit the bill quite nicely."

This made Anne deliriously happy.

"So about this boy you like. Or love. What seems to be the trouble?"

"I don't want him to love me."

"You don't?" Emily was surprised, but guessed that Anne's experience with the other boy had turned her away from this new one.

Anne looked uncomfortable again. She picked Clara up and hugged her.

"The thing is," she finally said. "The thing is, I can't let him love me because he wants for us to be together for real."