Wake up and find it is Tomorrow.
"Darling, I love you, and I'll meet you when I can. Say 'hello' to our family for me. I love you so much…" Gilbert's voice ghosted to her, and Anne's brows came together upon hearing the emotion in his voice.
Her eyes were closed but she could sense life and light around her. She was sitting and she could feel the bark of the birch tree supporting her through her dress. Strong hands helped Anne to her feet and the chiming of a young woman's laughter met her ears. Soft light flooded her sight as she opened her eyes and a small breathe left her as she took in what was before her.
Winding fields of lavender and wheat met lush, green forests. Quiet lanes crisscrossed lawn dotted with flowers and strawberry plants and a meadowlark sang somewhere to her left. Anne looked down to find herself young and fresh again, dressed in the muslin dress she had longed for in her youth. The hands that had helped her up still held her and she met the eyes of her son. Walter stood smiling before her and he chuckled low.
"Hello, Mother." He said, lightly squeezing her hand. A laugh escaped her as she threw herself in her son's arms, arms that she had missed these 40 years. He held her tightly as she planted kisses all over his face. When she finally let him free, Walter turned to the young woman that had stood off to the side of the exchange.
"Mother, I'd like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine." He held out his hand and his friend took it. Anne looked at her and tears filled her eyes as she took in the pale skinned woman with dark auburn hair and shining eyes.
"Joyce!" Anne couldn't move, her hand was pressed against her mouth as her daughter shyly stepped forward. Joyce. Her baby daughter, her first born was here, just as beautiful and demure as Anne could have ever imagined. She took her little Joyce in her arms to discover that Joyce was a few inches taller than her. "Darling," Anne whispered before laughter and tears made speech impossible. "Darling, I'm so very glad to see you again." She couldn't say anything else. The thought that her "little lady" who she had known only for a few hours was in her arms and now quite grown up shocked her so much all she could do was hold tightly to her daughter and laugh.
"Hello, Mother! I've waited so long for you to be able to hear that, though I've said it so many times while you were on Earth. Could you ever hear me?" Joyce's voice was so new and yet so familiar, Anne just wanted her to speak again so that she could memorize it. Emotion choked her voice, and new sobs wracked threw her body while Walter laughed on. "Mother, it's okay, it's alright. I understand. I love you and I'm so glad to see you too!" Joyce broke the embrace and linked arms with her sweet, young mother who held out a hand for Walter and wiped tears from her cheeks.
"Mother, there are so many things we want to show you, and so many people who are just waiting to see you. Shall we go find them all?" Walter asked in his quiet, earnest way.
"Yes, please. Show me everything, I want to know all!" Anne finally laughed, the joy of that moment resting easy in her soul. Something caught in her heart and she knew there was something to be done before she could explore this beautiful land "But first, I need to talk to someone important, will you take me?"
Joyce grinned and pulled her down one of the paths and through the fields and into a white marble city. Everything shone and everything was beautiful. People waved and said hello as they walked by, while some sang quiet hymns as they worked on things Anne didn't yet understand. In the center of the square, hundreds of people stood in silence as they listened to the words of two men standing in the middle. As the Blythe group approached, people moved out of the way and whispered words of encouragement. Anne let go of her children as she met the eyes of the men in the middle before kneeling before their feet.
"Welcome, Anne Shirley. Welcome home"