Anne with an E The Next Chapter

Coming Home

October rolled in with all it's glory. Bright colors of red and orange, yellows, browns and greens. Anne often took the students out for a walking lesson, making good use of their time outside while they still could. It was the end of a long week before Thanksgiving and she looked forward to seeing Diana and Gilbert. The anticipation of three day weekend was more than she could handle. After the school day on Friday, Anne ran to the house and had Jerry meet her with the buggy at precisely 3:45. They went quickly to the station to pick up Gilbert and as they pulled up, they could see the train had already pulled in and everyone was debarking.

"Darn, we're late... I wanted to be here to greet him!"

Anne  jumped from the buggy to the platform and asked Jerry to wait out front.  As she pushed through the crowd of people on the platform she tried to straighten herself and caught her reflection in the window of the station. She wore her long blue skirt with a crisp navy blouse. Her long hair had been curled to look just right for the weekend but the half updo she's worked so hard on had fallen out with her speedy run home. She tried desperately to get it pinned up and swept her hair up to one side, the other side falling loosely on her shoulder to rest on the gray wool cape she wore. As she prepared to pin the other side up, a vision appeared in the window, a serious, glorious face. As she spun around, she saw him standing there in front of her... looking more refined, more grown up and somehow more breathtaking than ever before.

"You're a sight for sore eyes" he said comically as he swept her up in his strong arms, swinging her around. She squealed with delight at hearing his voice and seeing him up close. He kissed her face, her lips, her forehead and her eyes and she kept her arms locked around his neck. As he put her down, she giggled and squeezed him "let's get you home" she said excitedly.

Jerry greeted Gilbert and helped him with his bags.

"Thank you for the pick up Jerry" he said as they shook hands. "Should we wait for Diana, she should be on the next train in".

"No, her father is picking her up" Anne said and Gilbert thought he caught a strange look on Jerry's face. They took the bags and headed to Gilberts cottage.  He felt so odd passing the house  he'd grown up in on the way home. He was heading "home" to a new place that felt nothing like home. Anne could see there was an odd, far off look on his face and she squeezed his hand. As he looked up at her, he remembered there was a purpose to moving to the cottage. His life was changing and he was growing up. Had they been married, he wouldn't be all alone at the cottage this weekend, but he knew things would change in due time.

As they pulled up the lane, he couldn't believe how beautiful the cottage looked in the fall. Light filtered through the thick colorful foliage and the cottage was surrounded by a beautiful carpet of red, orange and yellow. Gilbert felt instantly warmed seeing the little cottage and the beautiful eccentric wreath on the front door that was now painted a lovely shade of deep yellow.

"Did you do this?"he said to Anne as they approached the door. She smiled and asked him if he liked it.

"It's officially the warmest front door I've ever seen" Gilbert said, trying to avoid being poked in the face by a sprig of evergreen and twigs. They laughed and then Gilbert quickly offered Jerry a tour around the property, feeling a sudden surge of pride.

Gilbert walked the property with Jerry while Anne settled in and put the tea on. They circled the house to the back and walked the length of the small lake together, both marveling at the clear fresh water and the very evident abundance of fish. The trees lined the lake and a small walking path and natural beach formed on one side of the lake about 50 feet from the cottage. They stopped and Jerry looked back at the house.

"Wow, Gilbert, you're so fortunate... everything has really worked out for you. I could never dream about having something this amazing" he said.  His face was smiling but he seemed sad somehow.

Gilbert's curiosity peaked and he asked Jerry how things were going with him and Amélie. Jerry explained that he had called it off with her and that he was still struggling with it.

"I didn't know you had ended your relationship. Are you having second thoughts about your decision?" he said.

"No, I'm not. I know we can't make each other happy. You can't start a life with someone when you love another girl..."

The words trailed off quietly as he said them. He couldn't believed that he was opening himself up this way to Gilbert. Jerry was a warm person but was often guarded around the men in his life. He felt only truly comfortable with Matthew who seemed to never judge anyone or put additional pressure on him. Suddenly he felt himself willing to share these secrets openly with Gilbert who he actually didn't know at all. He suddenly felt afraid to say more in case this man in front of him would judge him.

Gilbert sensed a change in Jerry's demeanor and stopped to sit on an upturned log that he been set up by a fire pit on the beach. Jerry sat on a nearby log and looked out across the lake.

"Well, yes you're right about that. I know A thing or two about that one" said Gilbert with a gentle smile. "So you met someone else - that is indeed complicated... but also intriguing" Gilbert said.

"You mean Anne didn't tell you?" Jerry said looking confused.

"No, Anne only said she was helping you work somethings out" Gilbert said his hand wrapped softly around his other wrist.

"Yes... it's been complicated" Jerry said looking out across the lake.

"You wanna talk about it?" Gilbert said in a brotherly way.

"This girl...she's... well it's been her since I was 11. I can't marry someone else when all I care about or think about is her" Jerry said genuinely.

"That sounds right" said Gilbert "so what's the trouble?" Said Gilbert.

Jerry couldn't explain it but he trusted Gilbert- he felt he could tell him this one huge life altering thing without judgement

"The trouble is...it's Diana".

It hung there for a moment between them- with Jerry ready for anything and Gilbert processing everything. The one thing about Gilbert was that he was kind, inclusive and tolerant but he couldn't hide his emotions worth a darn. His face gave every thought away.

"I know" Jerry said  "I have nothing to offer her... she can't tell her parents or they will disown her and for us to be together we have to either run away or live in a room at Mathew and Marilla's for the next 5 years.  I've been trying to sort out a way but we're never going to get ahead.  I know she'd be better off with James Andrews...her parents want her to see him and he's going to their house this weekend for Thanksgiving. Diana has to pretend and I bet she will fall in love with him. He's better suited to her" he rose and started to walk away "it makes me sick!"

Gilbert jumped up and followed Jerry "woah woah...Jerry" he grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face him  "look it is definitely a complicated scenario but if I know anything, it's that Diana has learned to be true to herself and not be bullied into what she should or should not do or who she should and should not spend time with. Listen, even if you can't  offer her anything but a room for now...  that's a heck of a lot better than living a full life away from each other. Jerry, you're going to have to start digging deep and changing the way you see yourself. She's a smart woman and if she loves you, you must be something ".

They turned and walked back toward the house. Gilbert shoved Jerry jokingly and they laughed "and you're both welcome here anytime" he said.

"Thanks" Jerry said "maybe you can give me some ideas on how to make this work".

"Sure" Gilbert said  "whatever you need".