𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 ᵍⁱˡᵇᵉʳᵗ ᵇˡʸᵗʰᵉ

29

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

"You don't understand, do you?"

- Gilbert Blythe

--

Charlotte stepped away from the desk in her bedroom, placing her school books down as she jumped down the stairs towards the front door. A smile brewed on her face as she saw who was standing there. "Hey Bash."

She widened her eyes as she saw what was in his hands. His and Mary's new baby, Delly. Her entire body went warm as Bash held her out, allowing Charlotte to take the small human in her arms. "She's so perfect, Bash."

"Yeah, she is." Bash nodded. "But do you think you and the Cuthbert's could watch her for the afternoon. Mary's fallen ill."

"Is she alright?" Charlotte asked.

Bash only nodded.

—

Charlotte didn't let go of the baby until she had to leave Green Gables to go visit Mary alongside Anne and Marilla. She never knew she could love something so much until she had held Delly in her arms.

"Is it very serious?" Marilla asked Gilbert, referring to Mary's illness.

"Well, the doctor could answer that better than me, but hopefully not," the boy replied.

"It's shameful that the only doctor will see her is all the way in Charlottetown," Anne scoffed.

Gilbert nodded, moving to stand beside Charlotte. "I agree, illness doesn't discriminate. Neither does Dr. Ward. He's a good man."

Charlotte gritted her teeth.

"Off you go Gilbert," Marilla nodded. "Before you miss your train."

Charlotte watched as he walked out the door.

—

"I love babies."

Anne glanced over at Charlotte laughing at the grin on her face as she spun Delly around in the air. "I've never seen you smile like this."

"You're the luckiest little girl in the world, Delly," Charlotte said. "Anne, I know what I want when I grow up."

Anne placed down the baby bottles on the kitchen table. "What?"

"I want a husband. And I want a family and I want so many kids that I can raise with more love than I ever got," Charlotte smiled at Delly. "And I'm going to write in the evenings when I'm not working, and I want to write books."

Anne looked at the girl. "You want that?"

"Yeah," Charlotte nodded, placing Delly down on the table for Anne to change her nappy. "I want to be a mother."

Anne nodded, taking the baby. "You know, you'd make a great mother. Except the nappy changing, you clearly don't like that part. I feel like if I was never brought up the way I was, I wouldn't know how to take care of a child. And sometimes I'm grateful for that."