The Three of Us

147. Time to Say Goodbye

"May I...may I see him again?" Mrs. Andrews asked in breathless anticipation, once the photographs had been made.

"Well, I don't know," Anne said hesitantly. "I suppose if it's brief..."

Anne was unhappy, and she tried hard not to let her unhappiness spill over onto Mrs. Andrews, because it wasn't Mrs. Andrews' fault.

It had started when Anne had tried to use water to smooth Walter's hair to make it look straight instead of having those waves it had. But it didn't do anything, and the waves were still there. It wasn't that his hair looked bad; on the contrary, it looked absolutely perfect.

And that was what Anne didn't like.

While she thought she wanted a photograph of him- because he was her baby and he wouldn't stay a baby for very much longer- it occurred to her after the photographs were made that this only preserved his image as a tiny little copy of Billy Andrews. It was awful, and she wished she hadn't had the photographs made at all.

She had one to give Gilbert, and one for Jane, and of course Mrs. Andrews had hers.

But for the photographs she would take home with her, she decided she would put them into his baby book, so that she could close the book and put it away. They could not go on the wall.

--

Diana was going to Queens' after all.

Despite bubbling over with excitement, it took her a solid week to tell Anne. She worried Anne would feel even more left behind, but the news actually made Anne feel over the moon happy. Even when things weren't going well for her, she wanted the very best for her bosom friend, and she was delighted Diana wouldn't be left behind from the rest of her class.

Plus, Queens' was not nearly as distant as Paris, and she would be able to see Diana much more often.

--

On the day Gilbert was to leave, he stayed all day at Green Gables- though this wasn't really so very different from any other day- and before he left, Anne gave him the photograph of Walter to take with him. She was surprised to find Gilbert with tears in his eyes. He set the photograph down on the buggy and picked up Walter instead. Anne wondered if he was never going to let go of her baby.

He finally did, only to kiss her.

--

Matthew and Marilla were watching from the window. "Did you know they were kissing now?" Marilla asked Matthew sharply.

Matthew shook his head.

"Well, I sincerely hope this was the first time," Marilla said. "Because I'd hate to think it's been going on right under our noses!"

Matthew didn't say anything.

As Anne and Gilbert broke apart- only to come back together a moment later- Marilla said briskly, "Really, it's a shameful display!"

Matthew responded, "Don't see what's so shameful about it. ...Thought you'd be glad she's got someone, Marilla."

"She does have someone, she has us," Marilla said promptly.

"You know that ain't what I meant," Matthew said quietly.

"Oh, Matthew, I am glad," Marilla finally admitted. "One of my greatest fears was her ending up alone...making mistakes she'd regret for all of time..."

Matthew took his sister's hand in a quiet gesture of support.

"It's only that everything seems to be moving so fast. Their talk of marriage, and Gilbert being ready to go to college, and the baby..." She took a steadying breath. "I'm so full of gratitude to God for her already knowing she has a future of love and happiness, marriage and family. So, so grateful. But..." she broke off helplessly. "It feels as though we're being left behind."

Matthew took a deep breath. "We don't want to hold her back."

"No, we don't," Marilla agreed.

He squeezed her to him. "You know, her and Gilbert getting ready for a life together don't mean her life with us has to come to an end. We'll always be here for her."

Marilla tried to wipe her eyes inconspicuously. "Sometimes I find myself wishing that I could keep her a little girl."

Matthew shook his head. He turned from the window, and reminded her:

"But then we wouldn't get to meet the woman she's become."