Unforgettable

Chapter 6

"Amanda? What's wrong?" came Anne's voice from the other side of her bedroom door.

The girl groaned. She should have known that dear sweet Anne would come running at the slightest hint of trouble.

"Just give me one moment, will you please, Anne?" Amanda sniffed. She dabbed frantically at her eyes before opening the door, but it was all for nothing. Anne took one look at her and swept the much shorter Amanda into her arms and hugged her. And this exuberant display of affection only set Amanda to crying all over again. Meekly, she allowed Anne to lead her back to the bed where both girls settled down for a long talk.

"It was as bad as Marilla said?" Anne ventured cautiously as she offered Amanda a handkerchief

'Oh, Anne! Why didn't I listen to Marilla! It was a thousand times worse. Even Matthew was horribly shocked by its sad state. The only thing left was a huge pile of bricks and a piece of the back wall. I might have known I wouldn't find anything significant of my Mother there after all these years, but it's also not even worth attempting to rebuild." Amanda heaved a tremulous sigh. "It's hopeless. Now I'll never get to come back here and live for good."

"You ... You want to stay here for good? In Avonlea?" Anne asked, and Amanda wondered if she were imagining the hopefulness in the girl's tone.

"Yes. I thought I could hire some builders to rebuild the old place, and I could stay there."

"You mean, all alone?" Anne cried. "All the way back there in the woods?"

Amanda gave Anne a wan little smile. "I know. It's not an ideal living situation for anyone, Anne. But it was the best outcome I could think of," Amanda sniffed.

Well, that's just silly, if you don't mind my saying so, Amanda. Why can't you just stay here at Green gables? There's plenty of room," Anne wanted to know.

"Oh, my dear sweet Anne," Amanda murmured as she reached out and lightly ruffled the girl's red hair. "Green Gables is your home, and oh how I wish it could be mine, too. but I'm just an out-of-town guest here. I can't push my problems off on Matthew and Marilla. I absolutely will not do that to them! They've been far too kind to me by half as it is."

"But if you could stay here, at Green Gables, you would stay, wouldn't you?" Anne pressed on relentlessly.

Amanda nodded sadly. "Anne, please don't,". "Please don't let me get my hopes up about staying at Green Gables for good. It's just not going to happen. Anymore than Matthew will ever see me as a grown woman and not the little girl he used to take care of. I'm just going to have to stop living in my dreams and face cold hard reality. Maybe I should just stop fighting Grandmother and go home, get married to whomever she picks out for me, and get the worst of it over and done.

"No! You can't do that!" a horrified Anne cried, startling Amanda a little as the girl seized both her hands in a firm grip. "You can't! It will break Marilla's heart if you leave early." Anne paused, then added softly, "It will break Matthew's heart even more if you go.

If Anne could have said just one thing to stop Amanda in her tracks, that was it. Amanda swallowed hard. The thought of breaking Marilla's heart made her want to weep, but the thought of hurting Matthew was so much worse. But before Amanda could speak, they heard an all-to-familiar voice calling from downstairs.

"Anne? Anne Shirly? Where are you, child?" Marilla voice rang up the stairway.

Oh, God bless you, Marilla! Amanda thought. She knew she would never hold out against Anne's sweet and persuasive charm.

'You'd better get going," Amanda told Anne as she gently disentangled herself from the younger girl's comforting embrace. "Go on with you now, and see what Marilla wants. I'll be alright. Just give me a few moments to cry then I'll pick myself right up, Anne. I promise. I've been doing it all my life. I'm used to it."