GOOD MORNING!" AMYBELLA
greeted her two favorite men in the whole wide world and saw Gilbert holding Delphine in his arms.

"Hi sweetie!" The little girl grabbed Bells's finger and wouldn't let go of it. You'd have thought she looked exactly like Mary.
Amybella looked at Bash, who was just staring ahead. She stood behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. It was a few weeks after Mary's funeral and Bash had fallen into a numb state. He barely ate, barely talked. All he did was caring for Delphine or working.

"Bash.. cry! Scream! Shout! But don't let this awful situation turn you cold." The girl said and Bash looked up at her.

Bella was about to regret her words, when he stood up and looked down at her for a while. Without any words he then walked past her and out the door. Bella swallowed hard because his look really intimidated her.

Everyone was trying to get over Mary's death and move on with their lives but Bash didn't. It seemed like he didn't even try.
She was the love of his life. You'd think she was his sunshine and the might was now taken from him.

"Time for a little nap." Gilbert said, laying Delphine down in her crib. He grinned and played with her little hands.

"Look at that." he smiled towards Bella, who had been looking out the window after Bash until just now. She came over to him and smiled.

"Yeah." She grinned at the baby and her smile was just so heart-melting. Then she looked to Gilbert but he was already staring at her.

"Do you ever want to have children?" Bella asked him. Gilbert slightly furrowed a brow.

"I don't know.." he answered, looking back at Delphine.

"Maybe." He smiled and turned back to Bella.

This little family she built made her happy. Gilbert, Bash, Delphine and Anne had truly become the world to her. They made her feel loved in a way that she had only experienced from her father and mother before he died.

Amybella then told Gilbert about her visit to the Mi'kmaq tribe.

"It's not fair," she concluded and Gilbert nodded in thought, but she knew the brown curly-haired boy was listening to her anyway. There was a knock at the door as Bella recognized Anne.

"Oh so late already? I'll see you in school!" She said when she had grabbed her hairband and walked out to Anne. They rode off to the train station.

"Anne! Bella!" Ka'kwet smiled as they tied up their horses.

"Hello Ka'kwet. Oqwatnuk. Nice to see you again!" Bella smiled. Oquatnuk, the mother of ka'kwet smiled back at them.
They gave Ka'kwet Anne's old dress and Bella gave her the hairband, which she hadn't worn for a long time. Gilbert probably stole it.

Ka'kwet then got onto the train and had to leave them already. She was going to attend a school and learn to read and write.
The indigenous girl was looking forward to it and wouldn't stop talking to Bella abt how excited she was. Amybella was incredibly happy and proud of her and hoped that she would like it there.
Amybella and Anne looked after the train and waved the girl.

Never could they have imagined the horror, Ka'kwet would be exposed to in this „school".

•

Amybella was kneading the dough for the bread in the bakery when the doorbell rang and someone entered.

"Mrs. McCurthy! What.. eh.." The girl looked up and saw the Minister standing by the door.

"Good afternoon, Minister. What can I do for you?" he looked down at her flour-stained apron.

"Eh.. Bread! I need bread," he said, running his finger along his hat. Astonished at his behavior, Bella packed him one of the loaves. Meanwhile, she noticed how he seemed to be searching for words.

"Eh.. tell me.. is the man sick?" he then asked. Amybella raised an eyebrow.

"The baker? No he's not sick." she said.

"You.. work here?" he said it like it was a disease, that Bella worked at a bakery.

"I live alone. The money has to come from somewhere, doesn't it?" She said.

"Well.. it's nothing against you my child!" Bella didn't like him calling her 'child' and she realized how the voice inside her head was already demonstrating.

"I would only advise you.. well eh.. a girl who works.. works like that! It's not really good looking.." He looked at her and slowly seemed to become more sure of himself.

"Oh yeah? And what do you think I should do?" She put both of her hands on the counter and looked at the Minister through gritted teeth. She already knew where this conversation would lead.

"You're a young woman Miss. McCurthy." He started and took off his hat.

"If you were an old maid, it would be a different case, but.. maybe you should think about.. marriage!" Amybella's gaze turned stubborn, as it always did when she got angry.

"A woman, whether you want to believe it or not, can earn her money and become successful without a relationship with a man." She said, trying to keep herself in line.

"A woman who doesn't get married. Miss Amybella you surely don't wanna end up a spinster." Amybella was shocked that this man even dared to use that word.

"Take your bread.. and leave.. good day, Minister." Her voice was a threatening whisper.
The old pastor paid quickly and left the bakery in a hurry. Of course, not without turning around and looking at the girl almost in panic.

"I can't believe it." She muttered angrily and started punched into the dough.

"Da, da! Not like that child." Mr Beauxbo, the baker came from the storeroom. He stood next to the girl and lifted her hands so I could stop beating up the dough.

"I- I'm sorry I.." The girl felt her voice break and started to sob. She rubbed my eyes with her wrists as her fingers were full of flour. She got pulled into an embrace and put her arms around the baker's fat belly.

"There, There child, I heard it." He whispered and tapped her on the back.

"Why don't you go home first today? Get some rest or you're gonna catch sickness."

Amybella finished her shift and went to see Gilbert.
When she found him not at work, but in a tea shop, her breath caught in her throat.

Through the window of the coffee shop she saw the boy sitting with a woman.
Blonde, blue dress, around 20 maybe. They laughed and Gilbert stood up.

He went behind her, pulled her chair back and helped her stand up. She stumbled, which was definitely not accidental, Bella could tell and put her hand on his arm. She said something towards him as her hand went down to his. Then she took it away and walked ahead. Gilbert followed her.

Amybella sat down on the train and wanted nothing more than to shout and cry with rage.

Who was this girl? What were they doing there? And why was she so damn outrageously beautiful?

•

"As promised, we are rehearsing the dance for the fair today. Mr. and Mrs. Lindt are kind enough to help us."

Mrs. Stacy and the other adults showed the students how to do the fair dance they would soon be doing. Amybella held a grudge against Gilbert for meeting that woman and stood as far away from him as possible.
They hadn't talked in days and Bella wanted to tell the boy so bad how she felt about him.
Sadly, the boy across from her didn't feel the same. He was anyway too distracted by this other woman.

"And 1 2 3 4!" They turned in a circle, to the right, then to the left. Bella looked at the floor, not wanting to look into Gilbert's eyes.
It was more of a mess than a dance. Jane hopped around like a forest fairy, Ruby didn't want to touch anyone for whatever reason and the rest of the girls were busy giggling as they were allowed to hold the boys' hands.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! That was.. a start. We'll take a break!" Racel said and Ruby quickly ran to the dressing room. The girls quickly followed her.

"What's wrong Ruby?"
"Are you feeling weak again?"
"She's shaking!"
"You can tell us Ruby."
Ruby kneaded her hands nervously.

"I.. what if I'm pregnant?!" Amybella looked at her confused, as did the others.

"What?" asked Anne.

"My mother said that if I get anywhere near a boy I might get pregnant. And if a boy touches me, then I certainly get pregnant. So I MUST be! You all could be." Bella looked at her in shock.
Panic overcame her, like the other girls.

"That's not possible."
"That can't be!"
"But who's the father?!"
They turned to Mrs. Stacy.

"How could you let this happen?!" Josie hissed dat the woman.

"Children. Please calm down. I can assure you no one gets pregnant from dancing."

"But there was so much touching." said Ruby still panicked.

"It doesn't work.. like that. It's not eh.." she looked at them all and seemed uncomfortable.

"There are.. many steps to conception. When you and your.. husband are ready then.. ehm.. if you agree, of course, then you'll move towards parenthood. Together." The girls were relieved.
They went back to the dance floor, only Ruby sat with Moody and watched him play. Bella grinned.

"5 6 7 8!" clapped Rachel and they spun in circles. To the right, then to the left. Then they stood in two lines.

"And step. Step." First the right foot with the right shoulder, then the left and the left shoulder." Amybella looked at Gilbert, who grinned at her. Then she took Charlie's hands as they turned in a circle.

"Step to the dancer. Right. Turn!" Bella stopped listening to Racel because her eyes met Gilbert's. Everything seemed to blur around her.
I hopped past him with her left shoulder, turned to Diana and they were in two lines again. They walked towards each other and Bella stood right in front of Gilbert. He grinned down at the blonde, then walked back outside.
The sunlight that was shining from the window made his eyes look green. The crooked smile on his face made Bella's knees go weak.
Suddenly he grabbed her hand, spun her around and pulled her towards him.
Bella looked down at their hands with a grin. Then they turned in a circle again. Butterflies fluttered through the girl's stomach as she couldn't stop grinning.

Again with the right shoulder, then the left. Bella jutted her chin out and grinned at the boy. Then she took his hands as they spun around. His eyes mesmerized her so much that she forgot about the mysterious woman from the café.

Amybella turned to Charlie.
She took his hand again and they moved towards the other row. Bella stopped listening to the music a long time ago and just let her feelings guide her steps. At the end, they bowed and Gilbert stood in front of her, grinning.

"You're not totally bad at dancing." He said and she rolled her eyes. They smiled at each other as the others were already leaving the room.

Later on, Gilbert walked Amybella home.

"I really enjoyed dancing today." said the girl,

"Me too." Gilbert responded, smiling. They walked in silence for a while.
When the way parted towards Gilbert's house, the boy didn't turn off to his path as usual. He continued to walk relaxed beside Bella.

"What, don't you want to go home?" Bella asked, confused.
She looked at him skeptically.

"What? Is it not allowed to be a gentleman and walk a lady home, Miss Amy?" he grinned. Bella smiled.

"Only if you're delusional enough." she then said. Gilbert chuckled before they fell back into silence. Amybella couldn't help but wonder, when they will talk about their relationship. It was obvious that they weren't just friends. At least for her it wasn't

When they arrived at her house, Amybella decided that her life was too short and the world too wide to ignore one's feelings. Like Anne had told her a million times.
So she turned towards Gilbert.
The boy looked at her curious and stopped in his tracks.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Bella nodded.

"Gilbert, do you know that walking someone home means to look forward to a development in their relationship?" Bella asked.
Gilbert raised his chin and drew his eyebrows together.

"Yeah." Gilbert said, with his voice a bit more high pitched then normal.

"So.. is this your motive, why you walk me home?" she asked, feeling her hands getting sweaty.

"Wow you really are direct." He said, scratching his head.
Amybella chewed on her lip, nervously. She now felt embarrassed forsaking this sudden step, but she also couldn't help her curiosity about Gilbert's motives.

She made a step forwards to the boy, so she could stand right in front of him. She put her hair behind her ear and then looked up into his face. The sun was going down and diving them into a golden light, that sparkled in the brown color of his brown eyes.
She then stood on her tiptoes slightly and leaned it to put her lips softly onto his cheek. Gilbert was startled by the kiss and stared at her, as she moved back.

"You don't like me because i'm waffling
around." she said shrugging her shoulders.

„You're right." Gilbert said, in thought.
Bella bit her lower lip.

"I like you Gilbert. A lot!" she then admitted. Gilbert stared at the girl in shock, which made her regret her words.

„I- I'm sorry!" Bella said in a rush and wanted to get as fast into her house as possible when a feeling of shame started to spread in her stomach.

She grabbed the door knob, when she felt a hand on the wrist of her other hand.
Gilbert turned her around, laying a hand softly onto her cheek.
Then he kissed the girl, his hand wandering from her cheek towards the back of her head.

Amybella's stomach was filled with butterflies at his touch.
She felt Gilbert's arm around er waist, as he pulled her closer to him.

Author's Note:
I've been waiting for this for so long!

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