𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 | gilbert blythe

11. what it should be like

Penny felt her breath quicken as she clutched the red jacket closely to her chest, raising one hand to gently knock on the door in front of her.

It took no more than three knocks for a slightly flustered looking Gilbert Blythe to open the door.

"Penelope!" Gilbert grinned as he looked down at the girl, "Hello,"

"Um, hello" Penny smiled.

"Is that mine?" Gilbert motioned towards the coat in her hands, "I was wondering when I'd get it back,"

Penny extended her arms as she offered him the fabric, "Yes. I'm terribly sorry I didn't bring it back sooner,"

"It's alright, I've managed and you needed it more than I did," Gilbert tilted his head.

"Mm" Penny gave a small nod, recalling the events in which he gave it to her, suddenly the kettle began to whistle and Gilbert looked back with alarm before turning to face Penny again.

"Do, uh, do you- I mean, would you like to come in for tea," Gilbert offered gently as if expecting the girl to turn him down.

On a normal occasion perhaps Penny would have declined, she'd only one more day before her father arrived after all. But perhaps because of that precise reason and the fact that Gilbert was always able to give her an odd form on comfort, Penny nodded and followed the boy into his home.

Gilbert was flying about the kitchen, picking up a rag to take the screaming kettle from the stove.

"Can I help?" Penny asked immediately, eyeing the bustling boy.

"I couldn't ask you to do that," Gilbert shook his head.

"I don't mind," Penny shrugged, moving forward to pull the tea from Gilberts hands.

"Oh, well, thank you," Gilbert nodded before moving to another drawer to pull out sugar and grab another tea cup.

Penny nodded and eyed the two cups already on the table, and assumed one was for his father who she could hear softly coughing from another room.

Gilbert set down the cup and placed one of the full ones onto a tray along with the sugar he'd brought down and milk.

"I'll be right back," Gilbert smiled gently, lifting the tray and walking to the adjacent room, leaving the door open behind him.

Penny couldn't help but hear their conversation as she poured tea into the other cup on the table, taking a small sip to warm herself.

"Is there someone here, Gilbert?" The sickly voice asked.

"A classmate," Gilbert told him shortly but with kindness in his voice.

"A friend?" The voice asked again, "You haven't brought one of those over in ages,"

"Something of the sort," Gilbert had humor in his voice.

"Well invite them in, I'd like to meet one of my son's friends,"

Gilbert suddenly poked his head back into the kitchen sheepishly, "I'm sorry, would you mind joining? My father would like to introduce himself,"

"It's not a problem," Penny reached for the two cups of tea on the table, picking them up as she slowly approached the room.

Peaking her head in, she saw who could only be Gilberts father. His skin was pale and he had wickedly dark circles under his eyes. His body seemed to be trying to sink into the bed below him as he breathed laboriously.

"You never said your friend was so beautiful, my boy," Mr. Blythe smiled as cheerily as his tired body was able and Penny couldn't stop herself from smiling back.