Meggie kept her guilt over Johnny's disappearance to herself for several days. Her father recognized her unusual strain, but attributed it to worry over her cousin. Meggie wanted to confess, but was too ashamed. Oh, if only she had realized the seriousness of his threats! She should have said something, told somebody … she could have prevented him from leaving, if she had only believed him.

Auntie Nan was beside herself with worry. Uncle Jerry, between grief over his father and fear for his son, could barely function. Dee spent most of her time in tears, and Blythe was furious at his brother for putting them all through this.

Grandmother and Granddad went back to Ottawa to do what they could to support and comfort the family. Meanwhile, Auntie Di and Uncle Patrick came over to Green Gables nearly every day to discuss new developments.

"Still no sign of him," Uncle Patrick reported heavily a week after they first heard the news. "He seems to have simply vanished."

Shirley's brown face was drawn with concern. "He's only fourteen, Patrick, and he's lived a sheltered life. How could he possibly know enough to lose himself so thoroughly?"

Uncle Patrick shrugged. "Your father suggests that Johnny has been planning this for some time. We've seen how methodical and intelligent he is. He likely had it all planned out, every detail, for months, just waiting for the final push to work up his nerve to actually leave. I wonder what set him off."

Meggie bit her lip in silent distress. She knew that Johnny had been planning this, not for months, but for years, and that his grandfather's death was the final blow. Oh, why hadn't she told Papa?

Now Auntie Di spoke up. "Nan keeps asking me if I think he'll be all right. I don't dare tell her what I remember about the street children in Toronto."

Bran patted her hand. "Don't fret, Mum. God will take care of Johnny."

She smiled gratefully at him.

"Well said, Bran," Shirley agreed. "Worrying and fretting won't do anybody any good right now. The best thing we can do for Johnny is to pray."

Meggie couldn't stand any more. She stumbled to her feet and raced blindly past her startled relations, out the door and into the fields. Flinging herself down into the softly warm grass, she sobbed brokenly into her curved arms.

"Oh God—forgive me, forgive me!" she gasped out between tears.

So lost was she to her grief that she didn't even hear the approaching footsteps. It wasn't until a gentle hand passed over her tumbled hair that she realized she was no longer alone.

"Meggie—little fawn, what's the trouble?"

Only one person called her fawn. Meggie sat up, pushing her hair out of her red-rimmed eyes.

"Peter!"

Her cousin grinned. "I have two weeks leave, so I decided to surprise you all with a visit. Nobody was at Tanglewood, and as I came near Green Gables, who did I see but my little chum racing away, her tears flying faster than her feet? Meggie, what's troubling you? Is it still school?"

Meggie told him about Johnny. Peter pursed his lips into a whistle.

"Whew! So the scamp's run off, has he? I can't say I'm terribly surprised. No wonder you're upset."

"Oh Peter, you don't know the worst of it." Meggie twisted her hands together. She couldn't confess to Papa or Matty, but Peter—she could tell Peter anything. "It's my fault."

"Your fault? Nonsense!"

"Oh, but it is. You see, Johnny's been telling me for years now how much he wanted to leave home. And just before he left, at Rev. Meredith's funeral, he told me he was going to do it. But Peter, I didn't believe him! I thought he was just saying it … but don't you see, if I'd paid closer attention, if I'd believed him, I could have told Papa and he could have convinced Johnny not to go. I should have said something."

Peter sat down, coiling his long legs underneath him, and took her hands in his. "Meggie, the only person who is responsible for Johnny's actions is Johnny himself. Not you. Not Uncle Shirley, not even Uncle Jerry and Auntie Nan. Just Johnny."

"But"—

"No buts." He regarded her gravely. "Yes, you made a mistake by not realizing the seriousness of his words. But that doesn't make this your fault. Don't you think everyone's blaming themselves right now? Matty's probably beating himself up for not seeing how badly Johnny was hurting. Auntie Nan and Uncle Jerry are surely taking all the responsibility on themselves. And yes, we all bear a share in the cause. None of us saw quite how badly he was hurting, or did enough to help him. But in the end, it was still his choice to leave, his decision to run away from his difficulties instead of asking for help or facing them head-on."

Meggie felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she acknowledged the truth of his words. "Oh Peter, I am glad you're home."

He smiled again. "So am I."

"Auntie Di will be so happy to see you," Meggie continued. "Everyone will."

"So will I be to see them. It seems an age since I've been home." He stood up and held out his hand to help her to her feet.

As she rose, Meggie marveled at how much older he seemed. It wasn't anything in particular, but just an overall air about him. His shyness, his old diffidence was completely gone. He stood, poised and glad against the backdrop of green trees and blue sky, a strong, confident young man.

"What?" he asked, noticing her scrutiny.

"You've changed," she said simply.

"So've you. The last time I saw you, you were still a little girl. But now, despite the traces of tears and mussed hair, I see a lovely young woman with serious eyes and a sweet spirit standing before me."

Meggie acknowledged the difference with a half smile as they headed back to the house. "I used to think I wanted to be a little girl forever, but now … I don't know. I think I'm ready to start growing up."

"Good," Peter laughed. "Because it's going to happen whether you are ready for it or not!"

That night, after the Samuels went back to Tanglewood and they had all recovered from their surprise at Peter's re-appearance, Meggie finally confessed to her Papa the guilt she'd been feeling over Johnny. He was horrified that she'd suffered in silence for so long.

"I thought we'd agreed," he said with mock severity, "after you and Matty thought I was going to marry Aunt Una, that you'd come to me with all your fears."

Meggie smiled at the memory. How long ago that seemed! "I know," she said. "I justcouldn't."

He hugged her. "I'm glad Peter was able to help you."

"Me, too. Oh Papa, isn't it wonderful that he's home? We're going to walk out to Echo Lodge tomorrow afternoon. I haven't been there at all this spring. I'm sure it misses us."

Accordingly, the following day saw the chestnut and the golden head strolling down the old fir lane once more. Peter smiled reminiscently.

"What?" Meggie queried.

"Just remembering the first time we made this trip," he said. "Was it really four years ago?"

"It was a June morning just like this," Meggie recalled softly. "And we thought we'd never seen anything lovelier than the little stone house and its garden."

"And then we discovered the echoes …"

"And afterward Papa told us it was Great-Grandmother Lavender's, and where he and Mama met."

"You were just a curly-haired little girl, and I an insufferable freshman. Look at us now—you getting ready to go off to music school, and I preparing to fight a war."

Meggie's clear brow shadowed. "War really is coming, then?"

Peter jerked his head. "I'm afraid so. Let's not talk about it—I don't want to spoil this lovely day."

Meggie could have pointed out that he was the one to bring it up, but instead smiled sympathetically and changed the subject. "Let's see, since that day, Uncle Bruce and Aunt Betsy got married and Little Gabe was born …"

"Bran graduated Queen's and Polly and Lily started …"

"Aunt Una adopted Baby Katy …"

"Rev. Meredith passed on …"

"Matty hurt his leg …"

"We met Jane Stuart …"

"You went off to Cambridge …"

"And now Johnny's run away from home. Things certainly have changed!"

They stopped as the lane ended and Echo Lodge in all its old-fashioned sweetness stood before them.

"I wonder what the next four years will bring?" Meggie voiced.

"Many more changes, I'm sure," Peter decided. "War, school, and much growing up." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "But whatever tomorrow brings, we still have today."

Meggie smiled up at him. "So we do."

They stood, hand-in-hand, at the threshold of yesterday's joys and tomorrow's fears. In that one golden moment between, they were content.

The End