That particular walk to Ingleside from the train station with Jerry was probably one of the most wonderful strolls Nan had ever taken in her life. Their lack of conversation didn't matter at all, because every glance – every smile told her everything she needed to know just then.

She would never be sure if it was more excitement of being home again, or the thrill of being with Jerry, but Nan's heart beat wildly as they strolled through Rainbow Valley. A peculiar sadness crept within her as they reached the ivy-laden brick wall of Ingleside's garden. She thought she should have been happier to be home. She was glad, but knowing her time alone with Jerry was ending made that gladness less.

"I suppose…" he sighed, "we're at the end of our journey?" he both asked and stated.

"Yes, I guess we are," she demurely agreed, just then realizing that he was still holding onto her hand. She attempted to say something – anything, but words seemed to fall short. She could only shyly gaze into his eyes, but somehow they spoke volumes on their own.

Jerry found himself lost in those eyes; those velvety soft, brown eyes with just a hint of sharpness within their depths. Only the voice of Nan's twin Diana broke the reverie shared between the two.

"Nan! There you are! Walter and I just missed you at the train station!" The excitement in her voice quickly disappeared and was replaced with a peculiar sharpness, "Hello Jerry."

Slowly behind Diana ambled Walter. How pale and thin and frail he looked to both Jerry and Nan. They had seen so little of him when they were both home at Christmas. He had been so weak then that he kept to his room most of the break.

Somehow Jerry finally managed to let go of Nan's hand and offered one to Walter when he bade him hello.

"Hello, Jerry! We didn't expect you to be with this sister of ours. We were under the impression that you would be in Maywater a while longer."

"Well, I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome," Jerry replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Quietly Di said through gritted teeth, "No, no! Of course not!" Walter and Nan both turned their heads to her, perplexed by why she would say that.

Jerry chose to both ignore her and take the hint at the same time. "I guess I should head on to the manse, though Father and Rosemary aren't expecting me tonight."

Di took Nan's arm, and without a goodbye started for the house. "Susan has supper all ready for us, Nan. She made all of your favorite dishes. She wouldn't want us to think so, but I think she's thrilled that all of are at home for the summer."

While they walked toward the garden, Walter remembered seeing the Meredith family driving toward Lowbridge. "That reminds me, Jerry. You might as well join us at Ingleside for supper. Di and I saw the whole manse bunch headed to Lowbridge."

He looked to where Di was still pushing a heavy-footed Nan toward Ingleside with an air of confusion, "I wouldn't want to intrude." He couldn't understand why Diana Blythe was suddenly so hostile toward him.

With a light slap on the shoulder, "Nonsense! You know Susan has made enough to feed an entire army, Jerry. You're always welcome at Ingleside. Why, you're almost like family," Walter assured him.

Ingleside had been home to Dr. Gilbert Blythe and his family for the past twenty years. All of the six living children of the doctor and his wife, Anne, had been born there save their oldest, Jem. It was a merry house, always active, always welcoming from the lower step of the lengthy verandah edged with lush mint leaves, to the garret where hours and hours of play passed many a rainy day. The most welcoming of places in Ingleside was the dining room, where the entire family gathered for their evening meal.

No matter how busy the lives of all the Blythes were, they always tried to spend the evening meal together. It was an unspoken rule, understood by all. The only exception to this rule was when the good doctor was called away to tend a patient. Thankfully on this evening, Dr. Blythe was inside, waiting alongside his wife to welcome his daughter. Finally, the family was back together under one roof.

At the dinner table, talk revolved around the plans everyone had for the summer. Gertrude Oliver, the Glen teacher whom everyone loved and Rilla adored, was to return to her home on Lowbridge in two days.

Miss Oliver was a favorite among the whole family, even if she was just a tad dark and morbid from time to time. Nan liked her all the more for that darkness. To Nan, it made Miss Oliver seem more romantic, like the heroine of some gothic novel. Then, Nan wouldn't have wanted to be dark and morbid herself, despite the romance of it all. Another Glen teacher once described her quite plainly as, "Blythe by name and blithe by nature." Still yet, that seemed just right to fit Nan.

"Nan- girl," her father called her attention, "it is good to have you home again. I hope to goodness that you didn't scandalize the good Blythe family name in my hometown." His hazel eyes twinkled as he addressed her.

"Oh, no more than was expected, I think Dad. Though I think that Mrs. Fletcher was afraid that I would."

Dr. Blythe rolled his eyes. "That is because my cousin Lorne married someone with Sloane antecedents in her lineage." The Blythes and even Jerry had heard enough stories of Avonlea over the years to know that any mention of Sloanishness was enough said.

"Thank goodness their children took after the Blythes and Fletchers," Jem laughed with a bit of his father's clannishness about him.

"Janie is becoming more Sloane all the time, I think," Nan informed him. "Brenden, Thomas, and Judith are all very nice though. Brenden is actually going to Redmond in September. He wants to study to be a minister. Dad. They're all hoping that the pulpit in Avonlea will be empty when he's finished with college and divinity school." She glanced at Jerry, and remembering their earlier conversation decided to change the subject, "I was wandering around the old Blythe homestead one evening and found several apple trees with G.B. and A.S. carved into them. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"You can't fault a boy for dreaming, can you?" the doctor asked in return.

Anne took his hand and looking at him with eyes full of years of love commanded him, "You had better never stop dreaming."

Everyone else at the table chose to look away, though they were quite accustomed to such displays of affection between their parents. Across the table, Rilla asked, "Did you have a string of beaux following you around Avonlea, Nan? I want to have them lined up. Mother says that if there is to be a party or dance after my birthday in late July, I may attend."

Nan looked Rilla over for the first time since she'd been home and realized she was no longer the rolly polly baby sister of yesterdays past and not really even the spider of just a few months ago. Then she looked over to where Jerry was. He seemed to be hanging on her every word, awaiting an answer. "I was too busy teaching school, Rilla. I hadn't time for such things, really. Besides, there's no one in Avonlea that interests me enough."

Jerry sighed a little too audibly, causing Di to ask, "Was it just heaven staying under the same roof as Jack Wright? I find him quite dashing. Also, our mutual cousin we share with Jack, Rory Wright, is fairly handsome, if I recall correctly."

Rory Wright was another Fletcher cousin. All were the grandchildren of Gilbert's father's sister, who once kept Pacifique Buote as a hired boy. In fact there were seven Fletcher cousins living in or near Avonlea. Gilbert's cousin Lorne had Thomas, Brenden, Judith, and Janie. Lorne's elder sister Nell Carroll had a son named Fletcher. Lorne's younger sister, Emily married Ned Wright, Fred Wright's brother. They had two children, Rory and his younger sister Corrine. Most of them were friendly, blithe sorts. Some were of the Race of Joseph, and some most assuredly were not. Despite their being blood-kin though, Nan preferred to spend most of her time in the company of the Wrights. Being near Aunt Diana and Uncle Fred made her feel closer to home somehow.

At Di's question to Nan regarding Jack and Rory Wright, Jem let out a loud, unmistakable groan, garnering him an angry look from her. Nan answered her twin flatly, "Jack Wright is a nice enough young man, but you seem to have forgotten two important things. The first is that Jack and Rory both live in Charlottetown, working for the railroad. The second is that Jack and Judy Fletcher are quite sweet on each other. So no, it wasn't." Nan narrowed her eyes, trying to study why her sister was acting in such a manner toward Jerry still.

Mrs. Blythe, seriously wishing to change the subject from what it was to something else did so, "Jerry, Jem tells me that you're at the top of your class at Redmond, congratulations."

"Thank you, Mrs. Blythe."

"Word has it that you plan to study the law. That's a very noble profession when for the right reasons," the doctor added while noticing the very warm glances that Nan and Jerry seemed to be sharing from across the table. As a father, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. "Children shouldn't be allowed to grow up so quickly," voiced in his mind, though he would never admit such sentimentality to anyone.

"Yes sir," Jerry answered, though not entirely taking his gaze off of Nan. "I want to be able to represent the oppressed people who cannot represent themselves. I should like very much to be in Ottawa some day, I think."

"I'm sure that you will have a tremendous career and succeed in all future ventures," Mrs. Blythe approved. She too noticed the exchange between her namesake daughter and the minister's son and became curious about other ventures of a more personal nature that Jerry sought.

Walter spoke up, "I cannot wait to get back to Redmond after the past couple of years away. Teaching, what little of it I was able to do, was rewarding, but I'm ready to become absorbed in studies again as you, Faith, and Jem have been."

By appearances, Nan didn't think Walter was strong enough yet to return to Redmond. "Are you sure you're up to it, Walter?"

The doctor spoke up for his son, knowing that Walter was tired of such questions, yet also knowing that Nan had no way of being aware of it. "He will be more than strong enough after an idle summer. Besides, with you and Di in Kingsport to watch over him, he'll probably be pampered too much."

Shock and disbelief registered on each twins' face. They couldn't believe what it was that they were hearing. It was an unspoken understanding that they were to teach another year before going to University. "I thought we were to teach another year, Dad?" Di asked.

Dr. Blythe brought his napkin to his pursed lips, thinking of how he wished to phrase his reply. Always the voice of reason and rational thought, how could he explain to his family that something deep down in his gut told him that if the twins didn't go to Redmond this September, then maybe they never would. Yes, he did want his two eldest daughters to fuss over Walter and keep a shrewd eye on him. They had come very close to losing him last November. There was more to his desire for them to continue their educations sooner rather than later though.

"I think you two should go ahead and go this autumn," was all he told them though. "The money is there, and I know you both would probably prefer it, devoted as you may be to your students. Also, you girls can keep an eye on Jem and Walter. "

Jem piped in with his two cents on the matter. "I think it's a great idea having all of us at Redmond at the same time. Maybe the two of you can find a house to share with Faith, so she can get out of that stuffy old boarding house." To himself he added, "Then maybe I can see a little more of her than I did last year."

Walter was unsure of whether or not he liked the idea of the girls watching over him, but realized the benefits of having Di, his closest confidant, near him. Shirley and Rilla were indifferent. Shirley planned on going to Queen's in Charlottetown, and Rilla planned to have a good time – nothing else. Jerry probably was the most pleased by this announcement. Suddenly September couldn't come soon enough. Finally, he might have someone on his arm at social gatherings.

When dinner ended Jerry decided that he really did need to be going home to the manse. He thanked his hosts for dinner, bade everyone goodbye, and headed out the door as Jem instructed him to "Tell Faith 'hello' for me."

Jerry nodded to Jem and left, looking for any sort of acknowledgment from Nan. Di, visibly relaxing with Jerry leaving, had already headed off somewhere with Walter, making plans for the coming school year. Shirley was reading a book, and Rilla was poring over the newest catalog from Eaton's.

Nan suddenly felt very lost. Everyone else returned to their own lives, and she felt just as disconnected as she had been while living in Avonlea. The only tether connecting Nan of Lone Willow Farm to Nan of Ingleside were Jerry's dark eyes, and how their gaze never left her. Even as he slowly exited Ingleside, his eyes remained fixed on her, somehow knowing, understanding how after being away has made home different from how it had been before she left.

Finally Jerry turned his back and started walking toward Rainbow Valley and the manse. With a jolt, Nan realized that she wasn't yet ready to take her leave of him. Without anyone noticing, she slipped outside, and though her legs suddenly felt heavier than anvils, she ran to catch up to Jerry.

"Jerry, wait!" she called out to him.

Upon hearing her voice, he stopped in his tracks, and turned to her just quickly enough to catch her in his arms before she passed him by. "Yes, Anne?" he asked, using her given name rather than the diminutive.

Her words seemed to stumble as the tumbled through her lips, "I-I couldn't let you leave without… without telling you goodbye and thank you for keeping me company on the train today."

"You're welcome, Anne. I must admit that I enjoyed today far more than I expected to. Arguing with you is far more entertaining than reading the newspaper and arguing with it in my head."

"I enjoyed talking with you about well, about everything. I even enjoyed arguing with you, though I think that you should read Angell's The Great Illusion. It very pointedly describes just why there will not be another major and destructive war in Europe because the interconnection between economies of all nations. Even the winner of such a war will be a loser." Nan found her voice. "You've spent far too many evenings with your Aunt and Uncle Douglas, reading Le Queux."

Wishing to debate more with Nan, but noting the ever-aging evening, Jerry has to suppress his more argumentative tendencies. "I would love to continue this conversation, but I really must be heading home. Shall we take up where we left off tomorrow in Rainbow Valley?"

"I will be more than prepared to spar with you." A glimmer of sunset flashed in those marigold eyes as she added, "Debating with you should be infuriating, but instead I find it… exhilarating."

This was the moment where they must part ways, yet Jerry found himself unable to let go as he lightly held on to her arm. Her cheeks were especially pink, her lips radiantly red, her eyes were alluring and alive. Rather than release her arm, he gently pulled it closer to him, bent his head down to hers, and kissed her soft lips.

Nan had never really been kissed before then, not like that. Other boys over the years, even Jerry, had given her sweet, friendly pecks, but never before had she experienced something so warm, so electrifying. She knew then that she never wished to kiss another. Her lips, her heart, her soul, her mind belong to Jerry Meredith.

They eventually parted, "I must go inside now," she informed him in a voice so hushed it was barely above a whisper.

"As should I. Goodnight my Anne, until the morrow," he whispered into her ear, then ran off before they were delayed any longer.

A different Nan returned to Ingleside. Nan the girl exited, but Anne the women returned. Susan took a look at her and worried that the Typhoid would affect yet another child of Ingleside.

"Nan dear, you look a mite flushed. I think you should go wash up and get a good night's rest." She patted the girl's arm as she passed, checking for any sign of a fever and found her to be a little warm.

Nan silently did as Susan instructed, still feeling Jerry's arms around her waist and his kiss burning her lips.

"Mrs. Dr. dear, I'm afraid our Nan looks a bit ill. I pray that she isn't coming down with that dreadful fever now."

Mrs. Blythe watched Nan glide up the stairs, her eyes full of stars and butterflies. Knowingly she told Susan, "No Susan, I don't think that she has a fever. Let's just let her be for now."