'I think an old, deserted house is such a sad sight,' said Anne dreamily. 'It always seems to me to be thinking about its past and mourning for its old-time joys. Marilla says that a large family was raised in that house long ago, and that it was a really pretty place, with a lovely garden and roses climbing all over it. It was full of little children and laughter and songs; and now it's empty, and nothing ever wonders through it but the wind. How lonely and sorrowful it must feel! Perhaps they all come back on moonlit nights...the ghosts of the little children of long ago and the roses and the songs... and for a little while the house can dream it is young and joyous again.'
Diana shook her head.
'I never imagine things like that about places now, Anne. Don't you remember how cross Marilla and mother were when we imagined ghosts into the Haunted Wood. To this day, I can't go through that bush comfortably after dark; and if I began imagining such thing about the old Boulter house, I'd be frightened to pass it, too. Besides, those children aren't dead, they're all grown up and doing well...and one of them is a Butcher. And flowers and songs couldn't have ghosts, anyhow.'
Anne smothered a little sigh. She loved Diana dearly and they had always been good comrades but she had long ago learned that when she wandered into the realm of fancy, she must go alone. The way to it was by an enchanted path where not even her dearest might follow her.
Like stolen shot of laughter and smiles, now yellow with age. It will stay just like that. I will go back into it every now and then, reminisce and daydream, with no one else - just me.
I will replace that thick, rotting rope that we are still holding currently, before it becomes too sick to even hold on to, before we pull away for forever, before all things get wasted. Before nine monthsaries get wasted, before one anniversary gets wasted.
I will replace that thick, rotting rope with a new one with the same color and feel. With the same warmness, with the same giggles, with that same old way we agree in almost everything. Without the writing about but not mentioning who. Without the getting annoyed but not showing, not saying so, without faking or lying.
You won't hear anymore about it from me. You forget all about that now.
Let me stay this way; I understand that you want to be you now. But let us not pull away.