The Last Hour
Title: The Last Hour
Fandom: Anne of Green Gables
Characters: Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley Blythe. Mentions Mr. Phillips.
Prompt: Hours
Word Count: 1,298
Rating: G
Summary: Gilbert's thoughts after Anne has died.
Author's Notes: Characters belong to L.M. Montgomery
Sixty minutes. Three thousand-six hundred seconds. That's how long an hour is. One hundred-twenty minutes. Seven thousand-two hundred seconds. That's how long two hours is. But to anyone who is losing a loved one that time passes ever so quickly.
We could fight with the best of them. She accused me of paying more attention to my work than her. I accused her of not paying enough attention to her writing. She yelled that I was coming in late again. I yelled that dinner was never ready for me. We weren't perfect, no matter how others may have perceived us. She had a temper to match that beautiful red hair of hers. I had a little temper, but she was the one person who could get me riled. Her stubbornness often would bring out my stubbornness. But, we did love each other. As Anne would say, we were "scandalously in love". We always made up. No matter what it was that had earlier made us so upset, we would laugh about it, and regret what we had said and done.
But that no longer matters. What does matter is that I would have laid my own life down for her. That's why I felt so helpless in her last couple hours of life. My Anne-girl was such a strong person, and to see her so weak absolutely broke my heart. She was a dear, sweet, beautiful girl. Even as her red hair which she despised and I loved, turned gray and then white with age, she was never anything less than beautiful, gorgeous, and exquisite to me. And she had such a way of effortlessly dressing herself in flattering ways. Every single day she stole my heart, and every single night I was thankful that she was the one I was going to bed with.
I remember one day, I came home and Anne was nowhere to be found. She once told me she could not sleep without me, and likewise, after we were engaged (I would have felt the same if we had courted), I could not sleep without knowing she was safe. I happened to look out the window and saw her dancing in the grove in our backyard. I couldn't help but smile. No matter how old she got, there was always something girlish about her, one of her many charms that had drawn me to her, and kept me attached to her.
I knew one day she would be my girl, and that's why even when I thought she was engaged to Roy, I would not move one. She filled my night and waking dreams. The way I felt for her can not be put in black and white, and even if I could come up with a couple of words, it would never do it justice, and my description could do nothing but fall flat. She was the love of my life, and I knew that from the moment I saw this scrawny, talkative redhead, who was an instant annoyance to Mr. Phillips with her vibrancy and passion. She broke many hearts, including mine, and even one slate. But in the end, I prevailed for I won her heart.
But all of us must end our Earthly travels at some point. And unfortunately, it means being separated from those we love. Anne did not experience a lot of love in her childhood, but that did not prevent her from giving all of our children unconditional love. She had a motherly instinct that I loved to watch (though I'm sure it aggravated her when she was trying to clean a wriggling Jem off who preferred to go back to that mud puddle and couldn't understand why Mommy wouldn't allow him and I would just sit and watch her until she would glare at me and say, "Gilbert Blythe, he's your child too, and don't forget it.")
She had aged well, and then the last couple of days of her life she suddenly started fading. There's was nothing anyone could do, and as a doctor, I felt absolutely helpless. I wanted so much to have a medical cure for her. She truly had become my world, my main reason for waking each morning. Those last two hours of her life here, I know brought her much pain. She was having trouble keeping food down, and she had a hard time moving. She could no longer hug anyone without wincing in pain. I had to be gentle as I held her hand, and kissed her cheek. I could no longer kiss her lips, for they had become too sensitive for touch. Her memory was failing her, and she would often forget who I was. Somehow though, those last two hours seemed worse than the past few months. I don't know if it was because she had developed this peace, and I knew she had accepted the fact that she was going to die, or if it is just looking back on those past two hours that makes them the most difficult because I know my last memories of my girl are of her falling apart in every way possible. But I wouldn't allow them to take her to a hospital. I couldn't let them take my Anne away from me. She began our life together by breaking my heart, and she ended our life together by breaking my heart. Her last minute on this Earth, she looked at me, and spoke clearer than she had in years:
"Gilbert, I love you more than you will ever know. I'm sorry we ever fought, and I'm so glad you were always there for me. I will always love you. Please kiss me one last time." I couldn't deny a dying woman her last request, especially the love of my life. "I love you too," I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks as she took her last breath and closed her eyes, giving her soul away from its human shell. As hard as it is to full comprehend that she is dead, I am glad that we could have that one last moment together. One last moment so much like those we had in our younger years. How I wish though that we could have gone outside one last time. I know she missed the wind, the sky, the sun, the ocean. She was not the type who liked to be boxed in a room all day. She had long since stopped being able to read and write, and I know that day she lost a big part of who she was. I think she held on for our children, but mainly me. I know she held on for me, because she knew it would be difficult for me to get on without her in my life. She is my sunshine.
I could never have loved another woman how I had loved her, and I'll never love anyone how I loved her. She was the queen of my castle, and I held true to our wedding vows. I don't have Anne's gift for words, but I do hope I have done her justice.
Sweet Anne o' mine, I know you're not reading this, but I hope you know I still love and think about you often. You are still the love of my life.
Sixty minutes. Three thousand-six hundred seconds. That's how long an hour is. One hundred-twenty minutes. Seven thousand-two hundred seconds. That's how long two hours is. But to anyone who is losing a loved one that time passes ever so quickly.
Dr. Gilbert Blythe
P.S. You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. So please don't take my sunshine away.
Fandom: Anne of Green Gables
Characters: Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley Blythe. Mentions Mr. Phillips.
Prompt: Hours
Word Count: 1,298
Rating: G
Summary: Gilbert's thoughts after Anne has died.
Author's Notes: Characters belong to L.M. Montgomery
Sixty minutes. Three thousand-six hundred seconds. That's how long an hour is. One hundred-twenty minutes. Seven thousand-two hundred seconds. That's how long two hours is. But to anyone who is losing a loved one that time passes ever so quickly.
We could fight with the best of them. She accused me of paying more attention to my work than her. I accused her of not paying enough attention to her writing. She yelled that I was coming in late again. I yelled that dinner was never ready for me. We weren't perfect, no matter how others may have perceived us. She had a temper to match that beautiful red hair of hers. I had a little temper, but she was the one person who could get me riled. Her stubbornness often would bring out my stubbornness. But, we did love each other. As Anne would say, we were "scandalously in love". We always made up. No matter what it was that had earlier made us so upset, we would laugh about it, and regret what we had said and done.
But that no longer matters. What does matter is that I would have laid my own life down for her. That's why I felt so helpless in her last couple hours of life. My Anne-girl was such a strong person, and to see her so weak absolutely broke my heart. She was a dear, sweet, beautiful girl. Even as her red hair which she despised and I loved, turned gray and then white with age, she was never anything less than beautiful, gorgeous, and exquisite to me. And she had such a way of effortlessly dressing herself in flattering ways. Every single day she stole my heart, and every single night I was thankful that she was the one I was going to bed with.
I remember one day, I came home and Anne was nowhere to be found. She once told me she could not sleep without me, and likewise, after we were engaged (I would have felt the same if we had courted), I could not sleep without knowing she was safe. I happened to look out the window and saw her dancing in the grove in our backyard. I couldn't help but smile. No matter how old she got, there was always something girlish about her, one of her many charms that had drawn me to her, and kept me attached to her.
I knew one day she would be my girl, and that's why even when I thought she was engaged to Roy, I would not move one. She filled my night and waking dreams. The way I felt for her can not be put in black and white, and even if I could come up with a couple of words, it would never do it justice, and my description could do nothing but fall flat. She was the love of my life, and I knew that from the moment I saw this scrawny, talkative redhead, who was an instant annoyance to Mr. Phillips with her vibrancy and passion. She broke many hearts, including mine, and even one slate. But in the end, I prevailed for I won her heart.
But all of us must end our Earthly travels at some point. And unfortunately, it means being separated from those we love. Anne did not experience a lot of love in her childhood, but that did not prevent her from giving all of our children unconditional love. She had a motherly instinct that I loved to watch (though I'm sure it aggravated her when she was trying to clean a wriggling Jem off who preferred to go back to that mud puddle and couldn't understand why Mommy wouldn't allow him and I would just sit and watch her until she would glare at me and say, "Gilbert Blythe, he's your child too, and don't forget it.")
She had aged well, and then the last couple of days of her life she suddenly started fading. There's was nothing anyone could do, and as a doctor, I felt absolutely helpless. I wanted so much to have a medical cure for her. She truly had become my world, my main reason for waking each morning. Those last two hours of her life here, I know brought her much pain. She was having trouble keeping food down, and she had a hard time moving. She could no longer hug anyone without wincing in pain. I had to be gentle as I held her hand, and kissed her cheek. I could no longer kiss her lips, for they had become too sensitive for touch. Her memory was failing her, and she would often forget who I was. Somehow though, those last two hours seemed worse than the past few months. I don't know if it was because she had developed this peace, and I knew she had accepted the fact that she was going to die, or if it is just looking back on those past two hours that makes them the most difficult because I know my last memories of my girl are of her falling apart in every way possible. But I wouldn't allow them to take her to a hospital. I couldn't let them take my Anne away from me. She began our life together by breaking my heart, and she ended our life together by breaking my heart. Her last minute on this Earth, she looked at me, and spoke clearer than she had in years:
"Gilbert, I love you more than you will ever know. I'm sorry we ever fought, and I'm so glad you were always there for me. I will always love you. Please kiss me one last time." I couldn't deny a dying woman her last request, especially the love of my life. "I love you too," I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks as she took her last breath and closed her eyes, giving her soul away from its human shell. As hard as it is to full comprehend that she is dead, I am glad that we could have that one last moment together. One last moment so much like those we had in our younger years. How I wish though that we could have gone outside one last time. I know she missed the wind, the sky, the sun, the ocean. She was not the type who liked to be boxed in a room all day. She had long since stopped being able to read and write, and I know that day she lost a big part of who she was. I think she held on for our children, but mainly me. I know she held on for me, because she knew it would be difficult for me to get on without her in my life. She is my sunshine.
I could never have loved another woman how I had loved her, and I'll never love anyone how I loved her. She was the queen of my castle, and I held true to our wedding vows. I don't have Anne's gift for words, but I do hope I have done her justice.
Sweet Anne o' mine, I know you're not reading this, but I hope you know I still love and think about you often. You are still the love of my life.
Sixty minutes. Three thousand-six hundred seconds. That's how long an hour is. One hundred-twenty minutes. Seven thousand-two hundred seconds. That's how long two hours is. But to anyone who is losing a loved one that time passes ever so quickly.
Dr. Gilbert Blythe
P.S. You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. So please don't take my sunshine away.