Long Distance Love Letters

Distant Relatives

It ended up being about two months before the Blythes stepped on the steamer to head to Trinidad. Of course they had wanted to go as soon as Anne suggested the idea, but there were quite a few things to work out first.

First and foremost, they had to finalize Tommy's adoption, which wasn't difficult considered Jeremy was fully compliant. They decided to have an open adoption so he could see Thomas once he got help. After the trial, Thomas was officially Thomas Walton-Blythe. He and Anne reveled in their shared hyphenated names.

After that, Anne had to arrange a substitute teacher for the week they were going to be gone and Gilbert had to get Dr. Ward down to Avonlea to take over the practice for a bit. Dr. Ward had one of his nurses take care of the office in Charlottetown.

Gilbert then had to give Joyce her yearly exam. He decided to give Thomas one, too. He was a little worried about going to such a far-flung corner of the world during Anne's 37th week of pregnancy, especially since she had Joyce a month early, but during her last exam with a professional midwife, they were able to determine that the baby was still head-up. Anne hadn't been experiencing any Braxton Hicks, she was only dilated to two centimeters, and she wasn't feeling any nesting instincts like she had with Joyce. That combined with Anne's overwhelming excitement to see Bash, Muriel, and the kids, Gilbert decided to keep an incredibly close eye on her and bring some supplies just in case.

Finally, they had to write to Bash and Muriel to see if it was alright to visit. Gilbert remembered from sending his letter to Anne that it took about a month for the recipient to get the letter. They eventually heard back from Bash, letting them know that they were more than welcome to come. They couldn't wait to meet Thomas and see how much Joyce had grown.

So finally, after two months of preparation the family stepped on the steamship and was Trinidad-bound.

•••

Anne sat at a small table on the public deck of the ship, reveling in the warm sun and the sea salty breeze. She had become really fatigued the past two months with all the preparations and her approaching due date, so it felt heavenly to be able to sit in the sun and relax.

She opened her eyes as she heard the chair next to her be pulled out. She smiled as Gilbert sat down next to her.

"Hi," she greeted with a big smile on her face. "Where are the kids?"

"They're in the cabin," he responded, clearly also enjoying the sun as he closed his eyes. "I just put Joyce down for her nap and Thomas said he would read and keep an eye on her. How are you feeling?"

"Good," she sighed. "Just tired. Is it odd for you to be back on a steamer?"

He shrugged, opening his eyes to look at her. "Not as odd as I thought. It almost feels like another life."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not sure." He reached over and took her hand. "Maybe because you are my life now."

Anne's big smile grew even more and she leaned over, pressing her lips against his.

She loved this man so much.

•••

As the Blythes took their first steps on Trinidadian ground, they looked around in wonder. Even Gilbert had forgotten how beautiful and flourishing it was.

The market bustled around them, causing Gilbert to pick Joyce up and hold her close to him despite her protests. Thomas looped his arm through Anne's.

"This place is wonderful," Anne breathed, feeling akin to the way she did seeing the White Way of Delight for the first time.

"It sure is," Gilbert agreed.