Anne With An A

Chapter 1 - Saying Hello

Anne's red hair dances with the wind as she runs to catch the train back to Avonlea. It seems right to go back home for the winter holidays, even if it's not what every other girl wants to do. It's been far too long since she rode Belle through the meadows and sang a lullaby to Delly, she can't stay in Queens forever. Going back was a pragmatic decision, after all how would she be able to focus on her studies when she misses her family this much and certainly not when she had so much to tell them already. As she reaches the train station and stops to look around, someone quickly stands out. Diana is standing by the carts having an active discussion with the man in the blue uniform. It truly amazes Anne how much Diana has grown into her own, her pure white dress seems so peaceful and yet her voice is not one to be ignored, nor can it be ignored as she is so very loud about her opinions.

— Magnificent! - says Anne with a grin as she approaches Diana.

Diana turns her head quickly to Anne promptly, gazing her emerald green dress and small trunk in hand.

— Well you sure took your time, - scolded Diana - glad you've made it, you can thank me in a second for my absolutely fantastical powers of negotiation.
— You're feeling chirpy today!
— Yes, oh ever so chirpy you've delayed the train. And thank you sir, for being so very useful in my endeavors. Come Anne, let us find our seats.
— Good day, sir. - Anne says as she passes by the gentleman with the dark skin and blue uniform.
Little does she know, as we do, that we are already familiar with this gentleman. And little do you know, how fine of a gentleman he will turn out to be.

Arriving back at Green Gables was proven easy enough. Anne sat with Matthew on the carriage as Jerry opened the farm gate to let them in. Since she's been gone, Jerry has been living in her dear home with her dear family. It always amazes Anne how tall he has grown, almost as if he is older than herself - if could you possibly imagine that. When she opens the door, she urges to call for Marilla, but in the same instant realizes she is not yet home. The kitchen is empty and cold, no scones warming the room with their cinnamon scent, no dishes on the table, no glasses out of the cabinet, no silverware for her arrival. "What a dreadful welcome home party!" Anne thought to herself. And what a dreadful welcome home party it was, indeed.

Going up the stars was quite the task for our not so little Anne, the steps are not as she remembers. Her puffy sleeves were quick to get stuck in one of the pictures hanging as she climbed the stairs and the loud crash could be heard even by the stables, had anyone been there. Jerry ran towards the accident site, where the picture of Michael lay on the ground, and caught the big glasses with his bare hand, silently.

— I am absolutely sorry about this, Jerry! This is not how I wanted things to go when I got home! Now I'm positive Marilla will be utterly devastated! - Anne wailed as if the ending of the world of being brought upon Green Gables.
— Oh Anne, don't be like that. It was just a little accident. Everything is fine. Oui? - said the french boy, resting a hand on her arm and offering her a smile.

Anne nodded, as if on a mission, but never smiled back, even though perhaps she should have. She rushed to the kitchen to get the broom and was confused when she simply couldn't find it. Had Marilla gotten rid of the broom? It was such a fine broom. "I should've named her Jaqueline, a fine princess from the north of Europe, living modestly as a helper to find her one true love, the one who'd fall for her not for her money, but for her lovely eyes", you could almost hear Anne's thoughts as she swayed through the kitchen looking for the broom. A lot had changed at Queens, but not her imagination. Finally, she sat in a bench, on the parlor.

— How everything is different, Jerry.
— Oh, Anne. Everything is just the same. - Matthew enters the parlor with the broom and hands it over to Anne, a sign of truce with Green Gables, for now.

After sweeping the floor and going upstairs to her room, Anne sat on the edge of her bed, looking at the Queen of Winter through her window. Contemplating nature was one of Anne's many talents. One she now knew was shared with her mother. She lay down on her bed to rest, for a bit. Everything would be the same when she woke up. Everything would be scrumptiously delicious at Green Gables by the time she got up.

When Anne opened her eyes again, the dawn's light was creeping through her window. She slept a full night and she was ready to face life on the farm again. She walked down the stairs to find the house empty. "How very odd" Anne thought as she exited through the kitchen door. If anything would be the same, it would be Belle. Going to the stables felt like walking home. The home of plans for equality revolutions, the home of alphabet lessons passed, the home of nostalgia where so much had happened since she first got to Green Gables. She saw her mare Belle and a smile lit up her face, it was time for breakfast, absolutely it was, Anne had just decided she would feed breakfast to Belle. She got the hay with a grey old bucket and opened the gate to reach Belle, caressed her snot as she fed her, hay in her hand. Suddenly, she heard voices! The decision to leave Belle and go greet the voices was instantaneous. Anne turned quickly on her brown boots, she slipped, as the voices were becoming louder, in what she could only hope it was mud, and fell flat and on it, face down. In this instant, the voices stopped and Anne looked up.
Marilla stood over her, wearing her winter overcoat, watching Anne as she tried sitting, or turning, or standing up. Anne saw Marilla and grew with happiness, rushing to get up and hug her family, but the in the corner of her eye she could see, Marilla was not alone. Anne turned her head to the side and saw him, with a small but certainly noticeable grin in his face, a chin ever so perfect, his eyes filled with the dreams of what has yet to come, wearing a black coat and perfectly brown hair, Gilbert Blythe.

— Hello, Anne. - said Gilbert Blythe with a smile.

Suddenly, Anne had no words, no stories to tell, no adventures to share, no thoughts in her head. There was only Gilbert Blythe, and for now that was all she needed.