The Three of Us

40. Friends

Marilla was sewing. 

When she'd tried to make a new dress for Anne- one with an empire waist and quite a larger skirt, so her midsection would not feel constricted- Anne had balked at this, and Marilla could not understand why until she realized that Anne did not want a bigger dress because accepting a bigger dress meant accepting the fact that she going to continue to grow larger. But Marilla worked on it anyway, because it was needed.

She also began working on a pretty nightgown for Anne. She made the nightgown with puffed sleeves, for starters, smiling to herself as she worked. She sewed little pearl-like buttons down the front, and made the skirt edged in ruffles of eyelet. The front she decorated with lace.

When the nightgown was finished, she shook her head to herself thinking about the ridiculousness of the whole thing, but knew in her heart that she'd do anything to make this bad situation easier on Anne. The doctor had spoken to Marilla about the recovery time he expected for Anne, telling Marilla to expect the time of convalescence after the baby arrived to be longer than ordinary births, because of Anne being so young. Imagining Anne recuperating for days or even weeks with an unwanted baby by her side, made her want to try to think of things she could do to make those days just a bit easier.

A pretty nightgown would not fix anything- but if Anne had to rest for such a long time in bed, she could at least give her something pretty to wear during her time of lying in.

--

Anne missed Diana terribly, though Gilbert was a good little postman, taking letters back and forth from school to home.

As Anne sat hungrily waiting for dinner to be ready, she held a letter to her cheek, looking most melancholy, and told Marilla, "This is a letter from my beloved Diana, my bosom friend, who is most agonizingly being kept from me."

Marilla sighed. Must Anne make everything dramatic? She could not receive a simple handwritten note without making it into a theatrical production.

Matthew said gently, "I'm sure she'll come round soon and see you."

"No," Anne said sadly. "She will not. Because Mrs. Barry doesn't want her to see- well, to see- this," Anne motioned toward her belly, which had begun to protrude even more.

"She'll let her come after the baby is born," Marilla said briskly, trying to act as if whatever Mrs. Barry thought was of no importance.

"If I send it away," Anne reminded her. "She wants it to be as if it never happened. And maybe I should send it away. Otherwise I'll never be allowed to be friends with her the way we used to be!"

Marilla looked at Matthew, shaking her head a bit. Anne was so...young.

Marilla told her, "This is your baby, Anne. I know you're struggling with that and perhaps it doesn't feel real to you yet. But this is your baby. Your baby must come before your friends. The decision about whether to have it stay with you is a serious one and must be made for the right reasons. And being worried you won't get to have a friend come over, is not a good reason."

"Well, then, what is a good reason?" Anne said desperately. "Because I cannot think of any reason more important than Diana!"

Marilla tried to be patient. "A good reason would be that you think someone else is better suited to bring the baby up," she explained. "You'll never have to worry about money, so you don't have that aspect to consider. But perhaps you feel that the baby would be better off in a family with a mother and father and other children."