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“Rockabye, baby,” Gilbert sang for the umpteenth time that morning, his tune muttered and half-hearted as he swayed his body back and forth with a crying Delphine in his arms. He insisted to Bash and Mary that he would be alright with Delly while they went out for the first time since she was born, but now he was doubting his Uncle Gil abilities.
Delly was in a fussy mood; she wouldn’t calm herself and neither could Gilbert. He tried feeding her more, but the bottle somehow ended up on the floor. He checked the nappy three times, and there was nothing. He had hummed almost every song he knew by now, but Delly wouldn’t cease her cries whether in Gilbert’s arms or her bassinet.
To sum it up, Gilbert was at his wit’s end.
He ran his free hand down his face, shame washing over him. He had begged Mary and Bash to leave the house and get some fresh air, that they could trust him with Delly, and that nothing would go wrong. A particularly strong scream pierced his ears, causing him to flinch. So why was everything going wrong?!
Gilbert felt like freaking out himself, increasingly overwhelmed by Delly’s wailing. He took steady breaths, covering one ear with his open hand, and when that did nothing to help him, he threw it down at his side in frustration.
“Del, please,” he pleaded, bouncing her lightly, still being careful of her head. Mary would kill him if anything happened to Delly under his care. The thought of Bash and Mary learning of his incompetence only made Gilbert more anxious. He didn’t want them to think he was irresponsible or incapable. He promised he would be fine.
With that motivation in mind, Gilbert took another breath, humming another lullaby to Delly, wandering around the house in circles. The movement was good for him, and he hoped Delly, too. It seemed to work for a moment, Delly’s cries quieting as she watched him curiously. Gilbert sighed in relief.
A knock at the door startled him, and Delly descended into wails again when she was jostled. “No, no, please, Delly!” he begged. Remembering the knock, he walked to the door and opened it.
“Mr. Cuthbert,” he greeted him with as much cordiality as he could. “What a pleasant surprise.” He swallowed when Matthew looked directly at the screaming baby, Gilbert turning away and shushing her. “Please, come in,” he said, unable to hide the tiredness in his tone.
Matthew followed him, closing the door behind him hesitantly. “Well,” he stuttered after a moment, “Marilla asked me to bring these plum puffs over as a gift for you all.” He coughed awkwardly. “Are they out at the moment?”
Gilbert simply nodded, plopping in a chair.
“Would you like some help with Delphine there?” Matthew asked after a beat of silence. When Gilbert looked up, he continued, “Marilla is on her way to Charlottetown, but Anne is home if you would like… assistance.”
Gilbert chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, deliberating. He wasn’t getting anywhere by himself, and Anne had a knack for this sort of thing. He didn’t want her to think he was unqualified (even though he was in many ways), but on the other hand, he was too overwhelmed to calm himself, let alone Delly.
“If it isn’t too much trouble,” he answered, “I would really appreciate her help.”
Matthew nodded. “I’ll uh– set these here,” he said, setting the basket on the table. “Anne will be over shortly, don’t you worry.” He offered Gilbert a small smile, which he tried to reciprocate, hoping it looked genuine.
Matthew tipped his hat and said goodbye, leaving Gilbert alone with the child. How she hadn’t exhausted herself into slumber was a mystery to him, something that he would have hoped to happen two hours ago. Delly was a persistent girl, just like her father. The thought was fond, but Gilbert wished she wasn’t so stubborn.
Maybe this fussiness is just because Mary hasn’t let her out of her sight before, he reasoned with himself, laughing softly at his stupidity. Why the hell would he volunteer for this? He wasn’t Mary, not as smart or adept. He was doomed from the start.
All he could do was wallow and rock Delly while he waited for Anne, so wallow and rock he did.
Finally, Anne arrived.
“Thank the Lord,” Gilbert mumbled at the sight of her, standing to greet his saviour. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Anne, but I could really use your help.”
Anne smiled first at him and then Delphine. “It’s no trouble at all, Gilbert,” she said cheerily, hanging her coat and hat on the hook by the door. “If I was vexed, I’m sure you would know.”
Gilbert laughed, remembering the slate incident with a fondness only reserved for Anne. He would dwell on that later; right now Delphine needed his attention.
“So, what seems to be the issue?” Anne asked politely, folding her hands in front of her.
“Delly won’t stop crying no matter what I do,” Gilbert answered helplessly. “I made sure she was fed, and her nappy was fine, I’ve been rocking her and singing, but nothing is working.”
Anne made a noise of affirmation, her eyebrows drawing together in thought. “It could be that she is too hot or cold, she could have a stomach ache or a fever…” Anne murmured, stepping forward to feel Delly’s forehead and the back of her neck. “Well, she doesn’t have a fever.”
She held out her arms, and Gilbert passed Delphine over to her, being careful of her little head. He breathed a sigh of relief when the weight was lifted off him, sitting himself in a chair beside Anne.
Anne smiled sympathetically. “First things first, you need to get some air. You’ve been subject to poor Delly’s incessant crying for too long, and you’re overstimulated.”
“I won’t leave you in the lurches like that,” Gilbert protested, shaking his head.
Anne put a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m here to assist, Gilbert. I’m used to babies much worse than Delphine. I’ll be fine.”
Gilbert wanted to protest again, but nothing came to mind as to why he should worsen his headache. He quietly nodded instead, walking outside and around the house to the side, sitting against the house with his head in between his knees.
He spent the next ten minutes breathing and savouring the peace, shame still eating away at him that he left Anne with his responsibility. The skin of his lips was peeling from how much he had worried them between his teeth today, and a prick of pain went through him as he repeated the action, ignoring it in favour of thinking.
Thinking of who and why, he didn’t let his mind decipher, but in his heart he knew.
Speaking of, he decided he’d had enough of a break. Gilbert was quick to enter the house again, nodding to Anne when she looked up from Delly. She was rubbing Delly’s back soothingly, hushing the babe when she wailed.
Gilbert sat by her, ready to assist if needed. But sure enough, Anne managed to get Delly’s eyes to slip closed. He watched in astonishment as Anne slowly moved Delphine to the bassinet, gently laying her down without waking her.
“Poor Delly,” Anne sympathized. “She must have exhausted herself.”
“How…?” he started, so many questions and praises and compliments on the tip of his tongue, but Anne rendered him speechless.
Anne blushed and replied, “Oh, I am quite learned when it comes to crying infants. Before I came to Green Gables I was in service to a woman named Mrs. Hammond, who had three sets of twins.”
Gilbert’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You had to care for six?” he asked, mind boggled.
“Well, eight actually,” Anne corrected.
“I didn’t think you could have exceeded expectations any more than you have,” Gilbert said honestly. “You’re incredible, Anne.”
Her blush deepened and she became bashful. “I suppose adversity can be a blessing,” she said, smiling at her shoes. “Thank you.”
“Thank you, I would have been in shambles without you here.”
Anne cleared her throat, and Gilbert realized that she must have been tired of the flattery, and he averted his eyes in embarrassment. “When are Mary and Bash due back?” she changed the subject.
“Any time now.”
Anne sighed. “Well then, I should return to Green Gables. Matthew promised to help me with dinner tonight since Marilla is away.”
Gilbert nodded seriously. “Of course. Do you need an escort?” At Anne’s less-than-pleased expression, Gilbert quickly amended, “Not that you need one, obviously, I only wonder if you wish for company?”
“I would accept if you hadn’t a baby to look after,” Anne reminded him. Gilbert’s face coloured in embarrassment. Why was he such a disaster? “I’m not sure Mary would be too thrilled if you did so.”
Gilbert nodded, and Anne did the same.
“If there’s nothing else, I really should begin my journey back to Green Gables,” Anne said. When Gilbert simply nodded again, his tongue suddenly turning to lead in his mouth, she opened the door to leave.
Gilbert impulsively grabbed her hand. “Wait,” he said softly. She turned to look at him, curiosity dancing in her ocean-blue eyes. Beautiful, he thought, releasing her hand. “I um… thank you, from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “I didn’t mean to sound patronizing earlier.”
Anne grinned. “I’ve learned not to take it as such, and I appreciate your thanks, Gilbert Blythe,” she beamed. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
And with that, she was gone, and Gilbert’s heart was pounding. He put a hand over it, concerned with its pace. He missed Anne already, but he knew he had already taken up a sizeable amount of Anne’s afternoon.
A quick glance at the clock told him to expect Mary and Bash back soon, which was a relief. Gilbert sat back down in a chair, enjoying the silence in his home. Thank God for Anne…
As he rested his head on his arms, he distantly pictured Anne with a child that had her fiery red hair, her lovely blue eyes, and his nose, but he dismissed the thought as a product of his exhaustion.
When he stirred next, he heard the door creak open and Mary squeal quietly. He didn’t register a reason to fully awaken, so he allowed himself to slip into peaceful bliss. No babies, no crying, no pressure. Just him and his dreams.
Mary shared a loving smile with Bash as she gazed at the scene in front of her. Delly was curled up in her bassinet, sleeping soundly, and so was Gilbert, who was passed out at the table. “Oh my babies,” she whispered, kissing Gilbert’s head and then Delphine’s.
“Looks like Delly gave Blythe a run for his money,” Bash quipped in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake either kid. Mary rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
Noticing the basket, Bash gave sleeping Gilbert a knowing look. “This has Anne written all over it,” he murmured. Seeing how deeply Gilbert was sleeping, Bash gently picked him up without waking him, his head slumping against his shoulder. Even though Bash and Gilbert were about the same height, he still weighed nothing to the older man.
He liked to joke about how the slightest wind could carry Gilbert away, but he took note of Gil’s lightness. He knew how the boy could get, too wrapped up in his studies to remember to eat something.
Getting Gilbert from the table to his room had been easy, but getting him comfortably situated on his bed without waking him was the real challenge. Mary watched from the doorway, amused by Bash’s determinedness to not wake Gilbert.
Eventually, Gilbert was in bed, and Bash pulled the covers up to his chin. Mary smiled at the two, leaving the room once Bash had followed, and closed the door quietly with a click. She may have only given birth to Delly, but she cared for Gilbert just the same.
Watching Bash dig into one of Marilla’s plum puffs, Mary smiled at the thought of Anne and Gilbert taking care of little Delly in her stead. Parenthood would suit them well.