Anne with an E The Next Chapter

Ruby

Ruby looked out the window to the lake. The edges slowly warming and melting away and the firm crust of ice still holding firm in the center. It seemed as though it was a mirror image of her heart since Dr. Ward had told her about the pregnancy. She had frozen in an instant when the words "Ruby I believe you're with child"  had come out of his mouth. She had done what she always did, panicked, cried, melted... She never, ever felt like she knew what to do in those moments. She  wasn't like Anne or Diana in that way, so sure of themselves and determined. Ruby was indecisive, terrified most times about making the wrong decision, or any decisions at all for that matter.  She looked to others for their advice, their ideas about things and usually they told her what she needed to do. Her heart had frozen and her friends had slowly, slowly started to melt the edges on the way home from Charlottetown. They held her hand and rubbed her back. Talking to her softly and reassuring her, letting her know they would figure things out. The lake twinkled back at her and for a moment she forgot.

"Ruby...?"

She unlocked her gaze on the lake and turned to face Diana, who was handing her a cup of tea

"Oh thank you"  she said as she took the cup and sat down at Gilbert's kitchen table. She took the first sip and swallowed down the hot fluid and then looked up to see all of them, Diana, Jerry, Anne and Gilbert looking at her ...waiting. For what? For her to withdraw, fall apart, to completely combust.

"What?" she asked, looking at Anne.

"Ruby did you have any idea ? I mean, did you know you might be pregnant? "

"No" she said quietly and evenly "I didn't have the first clue. I wasn't even sure this could happen. I thought you couldn't be pregnant unless you were blessed in the house of God. James told me that" she looked up at them embarrassed "and...honestly I didn't have any idea how any of this happened anyway."

"Ruby, maybe you want to talk to the girls alone" Gilbert said.

"No that's fine Gilbert - I think we all could use a lesson in the marvels of making babies" she said abruptly. Jerry blushed and looked out to the lake to hide his discomfort.

"I know you all think I am a silly stupid girl...but honestly it all makes sense, if you just give me a moment to process this".

Anne reached over and took her hand. "Take your time Ruby. You don't need to tell us anything at all, but your life appears to have been a giant secret and you've been carrying a lot of stress. Maybe talking about it will help clear your mind. We just want to help". 

"I know..." she said "We started to see each other after the dinner at your house Diana. He walked me home that night, remember, he offered because you were unwell."

"I remember" Diana said sternly, thinking back to that retched night, the last time she saw her parents.

"We had so much fun together, it seemed like the most natural thing you've ever felt, like finding your other half. Do you know what I mean?" Anne looked at Gilbert and he caught her glance.

"Yes, I know what you mean" Gilbert said. 

"James was staying at this amazing house, his Aunt's home down the road from Diana's. No one was ever there and we spent a lot of time there together. At first I would sneak over there right after work for a quick visit and would rush home in time for dinner. Then he started popping by the post office during the day and on my lunches and I was afraid to get caught with him, but he begged me to see him more".

She looked over to Diana "He was promised to you, but I knew you had no intentions of marrying him and he kept telling me he would tell your parents it was not going to happen.  So I started to lie to my family. I would tell them I had to work late, or was volunteering or visiting friends, but instead I would go over to James' place. I know it's wrong and I should be ashamed, but everything happened so quickly". She took a breath and tried to calm her nerves.