Remains to be Seen

Chapter Fifteen: Anne's Quiescency

Hi y'all! ♡

wowowowow so this like took me FOREVER to write, edit, and publish...so sorry about that! ♡

also, incase you didn't know:
quiescency—a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction

Thank y'all sooooo much for 2.5K reads!! ILYASM ♡

note:
grab tissues (really you should just have a box on hand by now) But don't worry it's just the first half (;

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Anne had sat up suddenly, her body rigid and face blank. Seeing this, Gilbert realized whatever she'd experienced that evening was eating away at her thoughts and her heart. It made him want to scream; she was hurting and he was helpless. He wanted to help Anne in any way he could; however, he couldn't until he knew what had happened, but he didn't want to push Anne to tell him anything before she was ready.

He gently touched her right shoulder, his thumb rubbing up and down the side of it, in a manner to just let her know he was there.

Anne had never experienced this kind of devastation before. Sure, her parents had died and she became an orphan, but she had been too young to even know what was happening. This—this was a whole different spectrum.

Minutes passed as Anne was lost in empty thoughts drifting in the realm she usually imagined in, but that realm now empty, dark, and lacking all the scope she once saw in it. She became aware of a weight on her shoulder and it pulled her back to reality, where she felt a hand on her shoulder and little circular movements on the edge of it.

Gilbert sucked in a sharp breath as Anne turned her head to look at him behind her, her chin brushing and resting on his hand.

"Anne?"

"I can't talk about it right now," Anne bit her cheek fighting tears, "I just need. Oh I don't even know!"

"Hey," Gilbert whispered and pulled her shoulder back, her body crumbled, bonelessly and allowed him to pull her into his arms.

That's all she needed, to be held; the pieces of her shattered heart put back together and told all was going to be okay. Anne normally hated lying to herself, but she needed someone to create a utopia for her since her imagination had quit on her.

"Shh, you don't have to talk about it yet if you don't want to," Gilbert placed his hand on Anne's head, "I'm right here; try to sleep, Anne."

"I can't!" Anne exclaimed exasperated, "Everytime I close my eyes I see--it."

What was "it"?! Gilbert yearned to know, but knew she didn't want to talk.

Gilbert started stroking her hair, "Then think about school, and about how I am going to beat you in the next spelling bee, Anne Shirley."

A bubbling laugh escaped from Anne's mouth, "You are not, Gilbert Blythe."

"Shall we practice a few words, just for old times sake?"

"Okay."

Her mind finally finding escape in spelling the words Gilbert would throw at her, Anne quickly relaxed and drifted off to sleep. Gilbert simply sat, holding her in his arms savoring the moments and not daring to move lest he wake her up, but eventually he too drifted off to sleep.