AMYBELLA HEARD HER OWN SHOES
drumming against the floor, as she ran along the train station, trying to avoid running into people. A big smile was planted on her face and loose strands of hair laid in her sight from running.
Not too far away she already recognized the curly hair and the figure of her beloved before he finally turned around. His face lit up when he saw the blonde girl running towards him, a smirk growing on his lips. He then opened his arms, for her to run into his embrace.

He let out a happy grunt when he lifted her a bit off of the ground, his face buried in her hair.

"It's been so long!" He then said and Bella laughed.

"Way too long." She murmured when he let her back down. She smiled up to him, being the happiest girl in the world. She looked up to Gilbert, who let his hands go from her waist to her hands to lift them to his lips. He gave her a soft kiss on her knuckles, his eyes capturing hers.
The blonde girl giggled, her eyes sparkling with joy.

God, she looked beautiful. He thought, realizing that he was granted the most breathtaking woman in the world to be his wife.

That is, if she would agree to being his wife..

•

"What do you think Bella?" Diana asked, elegantly stretching out her hand for the blonde to see the ring that Fred had given her.

"It's pretty." The blonde said, nodding politely. She didn't want to ruin her friend's happiness by asking what this man Fred, from their old class had to offer such a talented, beautiful and smart woman like Diana.
Amybella had always thought that the brunette girl would do a career as a pianist and then someday settle for a rich man in England. A smart man that would fit to her intellectual standard. Bella didn't know Fred that much but she knew that he was many things. The one thing she definitely never thought about him was being highly intellectual.

"Don't you think it's a dream?" Diana said, pulling her hand back to look at the ring on her finger.

"As long as this ring ensures your absolute happiness Diana, I shall be fully supportive with your decisions." Anne said, trying not to use that big of words to express her happiness for her best friend.

"Thank you Anne." Diana said nodding.

"So will you give up your piano then?" Bella asked, tilting her head as she deadpanned the moment. Anne gave her an annoyed look.

"Well I don't know. I surely won't stop playing forever. Just in the beginning there will be a lot of things to do, when I have the house and the family to take care of." Diana said, looking into her hands, her voice now lower and more shy.
Bella now caught the looks that Anne was sending her and immediately felt bad for being reckless and rude.

"I'm sure it will all be wonderful Diana." Anne said, nodding.

"I can help you. We'll make you some free time to play." Bella said and Diana's head immediately went up. A smile grew across her face.

"Well I don't think you'll have time for that once you and Gilbert will be married." Diana said, raising her eyebrows and smiling mischievously.
Bella's mouth fell open, her expression shocked.

"Oh uh-.. but we're not even engaged." Amybella said, laughing nervously. She put a strand of hair behind her ear and felt her heart picking up its speed. She never really thought about Gilbert proposing to her. She was too focused on writing him letters and reading his responses after long days of studying.
She didn't know how to feel about the thought of Gilbert proposing to her.

"Silly!" Diana said, laughing and Anne walked over to them.

"Why do you think he's here?" She then said and Bella saw a smile grow on Anne's face.
The blonde girl didn't know how to react. She wasn't prepared for all of that. Was she even ready to be engaged, let alone being a bride?

"D-do you really.. think he's-.." she stuttered, which caused Anne and Diana to smile even more.

"Of course!"

"When is the next time you'll see him?" Anne asked. Bella took a step back, letting her hand run over her skirt in a nervous manner.

"On Saturday. He went to visit Bash and Miss Stacy." She answered, her voice low. Diana squeaked excited and jumped up on the bed, grasping Anne's hands excitedly.

"I'm so happy for you, Bella!" She said.

But Amybella didn't know how to feel at all.

•

"Well if it isn't my long lost brother!" Gilbert heard the accent of Bash, when the man opened the door.

"Bash!" Gilbert smiled excitedly and fell into the man's arms. They both clapped each other on the back, being incredibly happy to see each other again after such a long time. Of course they had exchanged some letters too, but it wasn't the same at all.
Gilbert separated from his best friend and looked around the house.
It didn't change at all, except of a few new pictures and to Gilbert's surprise, printed flowers on the wall.

"I tried to leave everything like your father did, but Muri couldn't stand those old walls anymore." Bash said and just at that moment Gilbert's old teacher, Ms Stacy, walked into the room. Her hair was messily put up into a bun, with a hair tie on the top of her head and a big smile planted on her face. In her arms she held the little Delphine, that wasn't so little anymore.
She let the little girl down, who made small steps towards her father. Bash smiled and lifted her up.

"Deli!" Gilbert said, making a step towards the girl and her father.

"You remember this lad? That's uncle Gilbert." Bash said, to his daughter but Delphine shook her head. The last time she had seen him was when she was still a toddler.

"Of course she doesn't!" Muriel said, stepping beside Bash.

"Alright, you two need to catch up, I'll call you when dinner is ready!" Ms Stacy said, taking their daughter off his arms.
Gilbert waved one last time at the little girl before him and Bash went outside, walking around the farm.

"Deli has grown so much! And she can walk!" Gilbert said excitedly. He remembered when he had said goodbye to the girl one and a half years ago.

"I feel like I missed so much!" He then said and Bash shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah! Not that much honestly. The farm is doing good, our business with the Berys is still going and Delli learned to walk and talk like a world master." Bash replied seeming really content with their life.

"And I see you and Ms Stacy have gotten closer." Gilbert said and nudged Bash in the side, but Bash's smile faded a bit.

"Not really no." He said and Gilbert heard a bit of pain in his voice. The boy felt an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, that something wasn't right.

"Why? You'd be good together, she's great with delli and her-.." Gilbert said but got interrupted when Bash put his hand onto his shoulder to stop him in his tracks.

"Don't." He said, with his French accent. His face was suddenly concerned and serious.
He looked back to the house, they were walking away from before he turned back to the brunette man.

"People talk. Blythe." He said, slowly.

"They talk about her and they talk about me. People like her can't be with people like me. It's not right." He said, shaking his head.
Gilbert looked at him, gulping and looking at the ground. He pulled his eyebrows together and looked up again,

"Since when do you care what other people think?" He then asked and Bash shook his head.

"If people talk about me, I take it. I take their insults and the way they treat me like I'm not a free man myself.." he said, shaking his head.

"But I won't bring her into that." He pointed to the house in which Ms Stacy was preparing dinner.

"She helps me with Delphine and Elijah helps me with the farm. It's a good life and it can stay that way." He said and continued to walk.
Gilbert looked after him and then fell into step beside him.
He chose to change the topic

"Thanks for taking care of everything Bash!" Gilbert said, clapping Bash's shoulder.

"No problem. Now tell me, how's that girl of yours doing?" He raised his brows and Gilbert smiled.

"Amy? She's doing good! Her next semester starts soon and she's really content with her college work." He told his friend.

"And how's it going between you two?" Bash said, slightly nudging him in the side with his shoulder. Gilbert shook his head, laughing.

"Good! It's- It's going good! We haven't seen each other in a while!" He explained, while they walked to the fence of the paddock.

"You know.. cause she has to study and her house mother has strict rules about visitors!" he went on while climbing over the fence, so that he was standing at the inside of the paddock.

"We just live far apart and when I see her, we don't have much time." He said, sighing quietly.

"Wow you made it new!" Gilbert said, looking at the fresh, white painted fence.

"Yeah it was long overdue!" Bash said padding onto it. Gilbert lent down to look at the bottom of the fence, shaking at it to see how steady it was.

"She also helps to write a book with Anne! That's probably keeping her busy too, but I'll see her on Saturday." He said between grunts and was impressed that Bash had done such a great job with the fence. He continued fiddling with the wood.

"This is great!" He said.

"Are you gonna propose?" Bash asked as he leaned over the fence and smiled down at his friend. Gilbert stopped in his actions.

He looked onto his hands before sighing and looking up to Bash.
He sighed again and got back up. He clapped the dirt off his pants, then he looked up at Bash who was still smiling and wiggling his eyebrows.

A grin then spread on Gilbert's face.

"Yeah."

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