Rilla Ford sighed as she listened to the laughter of young Gilbert, Walter, Anne, John, and Cecilia playing together in the garden of Ingleside. Things seemed so... so right with the world. Yes, she had a very happy life. That was a fact that she could not and would not deny. Her greatest dream came true the day Kenneth Ford showed up on the Ingleside doorstep and asked, "Is it Rilla-my-Rilla?" Yet with the loss of her closest brother, there had been a "little patient ache" abiding in her heart for nine years.
Then the night before, that ache went away. Walter did not die. Walter was alive and well and had come home to his family as soon as he was able. She wanted badly to spend some time alone with him – to talk over everything with him. Now, they had a lifetime to talk things over. Though it was difficult, when her father suggested that everyone go home and to bed in order to rest for the next day, she agreed and went home to the House of Dreams with Kenneth, their children, and Kenneth's parents. Her father's decree didn't stop her from returning to Ingleside the next morning with the children after Kenneth left for the newspaper office and his parents left for a day of visiting old friends and acquaintances. By then though, her parents had already left with Walter for Charlottetown. She found that she wasn't the only anxious member of the clan, though. Nan and Jerry had left the manse, where they had been staying this visit, early on that morning to just "be there" when they came back. She knew that it would be late evening before Walter would return with their parents and his children, but she could do nothing but wait at Ingleside with the rest of her siblings in anticipation.
She sat next to Di on the sofa and began passing the time as she often had during the war; knitting. Di was attempting to read the latest Fitzgerald short story in "The Saturday Evening Post," trying to get comfortable despite her present condition and not seem overly anxious. If Jack thought that she was too worked up, he would insist on her taking a nap or even worse, insist that they return home to Orchard Slope that day when his parents left for Avonlea.
Nan was in the kitchen with Faith trying to prepare lunch for the ever- expanding family, and Jem was in the office he shared with his father, poring over medical journal articles concerning head trauma and amnesia. Jerry was in the office as well, searching the Good Book for passages of miracles just as wonderful. Shirley and Rebecca had gone off somewhere alone together in the fashion that newlyweds often did.
Rilla knew that she should have been in the kitchen helping Nan and Faith with the kitchen work, but she also knew that her mind was so far from said kitchen that she would only be in the way. "Aunt" Diana came into the room and sat next to Rilla, putting a loving hand on her shoulder, reassuring the anxious sister.
Diana Wright had come to admire all of Anne's daughters a great deal over time for their own merits and not only because they were the daughters of her "bosom friend." She admired Nan's common sense, her devotion to her husband, child, and family, and the way she instantly fit in as the wife of Avonlea's Presbyterian minister. She admired Di for her sweetness and the ability to get her own youngest son to open up to love and happiness after the horrors of the battlefield. She admired Rilla for raising a "war baby," for being her mother's closest companion through difficult years, and always "keeping faith." These girls had pluck and were made of very fine mettle. They had given a great deal in preceding years. They gave up merry years of youth, brothers, sweethearts, cousins, and friends, and as Anne had put in a letter once, "waited.. waited...waited." They deserved happiness now, and hopefully the return of Walter- dear beautiful Walter- was what she believed to be a sort of reward to them for all they had given. She couldn't help but wonder what Anne was thinking at that moment.
Anne of Ingleside, once of Green Gables sat beside her faithful Gilbert as the train rocked its way down the track, carefully studying the man that was sitting across from her. That was what he was now, a man. He was still young and innocent when he conquered his fears and joined up that spring ten years before. Time had taken the intermediate years away from them. She had grown used to her other children as adults, but in her mind, Walter was always to remain the youthful poet. Yet there he was. No longer was he the poet-boy who had sacrificed his dreams so that others might be allowed to write the poems of all eternity. He had been in love, he had lost a great deal, and he was a father. She was on her way to meet the grandchildren that she believed never were to be.
Walter felt his mother's gaze upon him. He smiled and took a hand of each of his parents' in one of his own and asked, "I have filled you in on the paraphrased version of my own autobiography, please begin to fill me in on what I have missed."
This was a subject that in which both Anne and Gilbert excelled. Anne started it off, "Well, let's see. Jem and Faith live with us at Ingleside. They were married in 1919, and Jem is your father's partner now. They have two sons, Walter, named for you of course. He's five. They also have John who is three. We were just informed yesterday morning that with May's flowers, another child will be joining us."
Walter shook his head with pride. "None of this surprises me much, though I am greatly honored that their oldest is named for me. I realize that John was named for Mr. Meredith, but it is an odd coincidence that both of Jem's boys have shared a name with me."
Gilbert agreed. "That is a rather odd thing. Of course, you know, Jem had the hardest time of your siblings coming to terms with your "death." He felt responsible for your going, as if some of his comments may have pushed you to it. We knew better, but it troubled him a great deal. He had rather wished the typhoid had kept you out of the service for good, so that you could make the world beautiful again with your poems. Being on the front and in a German prison for a while kept him from really knowing that you were gone. When he returned, the wound that had started healing in us, though none of us have been the same, was ripped open fresh for him. He said he knew for real that you were gone, when he looked to your study tree and couldn't even imagine you there. He has stuck close to Rilla since his return because he knew that the two of you shared a special bond. She was furious with him when Faith had Walter two weeks before Gilbert was born. We all knew that she wanted to name him for you. Though I must say I like the name she decided on."
In hearing about his dear baby sister, Walter asked, "And Rilla, what has her life brought her?"
"Through those dark years, your youngest sister was my comfort. Your other sister grew away from me, but she stuck closer than ever. Through adversity, she grew into a very sensible, responsible young woman. Though she did throw me for a loop a few times, such as when I came home from that red cross meeting in Charlottetown to find she had adopted Jims or when she basically asked me if I thought she was engaged to Kenneth. Though it was quite a shock to me at the time, I am glad it happened then, so that when the war was over I had time to prepare for her eventual departure. They were married a month before your brother in 1919. Thankfully, Kenneth managed to buy the newspaper from the Vickers and made quite an establishment out of it. It has kept them close to Ingleside, and for that, I am thankful, because I still don't know what I would do without her. They live at the House of Dreams, and we get to see young Gilbert and Anne quite often," Anne proudly stated.
"What of Nan, Di, and Shirley?" Walter asked.
Anne continues, "Jerry and Nan married in 1920. Of all places, Jerry was called to preach in Avonlea! It is quite remarkable. While helping Nan out during her confinement with Cecilia, Diana fell in love with none other than my dearest friend, Diana's son, Jack! They married in 1922 and now live at the old Barry family home, Orchard Slope. Unfortunately, they had a stillborn daughter about a year and a half ago, but as you can see, God is blessing them as He did us with Jem after we lost Joyce."
Wondering about his younger brother's fate he asked, "What of Shirley, though? I believe I saw him with a beautiful young lady. What has my shy, quiet brother been doing?"
Gilbert cleared his throat and uncomfortably looked at his pocket-watch. "Shirley, well Shirley has just recently found his place in this world. He came home even quieter than before. He went to Redmond for a year, but never really found what he wanted to do. It seems while he was there, he had thought himself in love, yet when he proposed, the girl couldn't say yes. No one really knows why she said no. He had talked this over with you mother, Rilla, Jem, and me before he asked, and we too thought she might say yes. Only Rilla tried to dissuade him. I guess she had an idea that the girl had lost her heart to someone else and couldn't give it to another. There have been many sad stories like that since the war. The girl left to join the mission field right after the proposal, and none of us has seen her since. That was three years ago.
Anyway, he spent some time in Avonlea with your other sisters a while. When Susan died, she left him all of her money. It seems she saved a great deal over the years, and he was able to start a business flying people to the mainland and crop-dusting. Blythe Air is one of the fastest growing companies on PEI. A year ago, he flew your mother and me to Kingsport to visit with the Blakes and soon began flying to Kingsport to see their daughter Rebecca all the time. Davey Keith decided to move to Alberta to be closer to Dora's family, and sold him Green Gables. He and Rebecca married and moved in just three months ago."
Just then, the train stopped, and they were in Charlottetown. Gilbert grasped Anne's hand in excitement over seeing their grandchildren.
As they walked into the hotel lobby, Anne felt nervousness that she hadn't felt since waiting for Marilla to tell her she could stay at Green Gables. She held on tightly to Gilbert's hand as they rode the elevator up to the third floor suite where Walter had boarded his family. Walter showed them the way to the suite and stopped outside the door. He composed himself some because he realized that he too was very nervous – very nervous.
Jane opened the door and greeted the Blythes. "Good morning, J-Walter. How are you today?"
Walter smiled to his wife's cousin, "I'm doing quite well, actually. Jane, I would like for to meet my parents, Gilbert and Anne Blythe." They exchanged pleasantries, then Walter pointed to the next room and said, "And now I would like to invite you to Grandfather Henry and my children."
They walked into the next room where a redheaded girl and a little boy with his father's glossy black hair, both with amazing gray eyes, played in the floor with an elderly gentleman who could only be described as jolly. When they saw their father, they ran into his waiting arms. "Hope, Tenny, I would like you to meet some people." He stood up and took his mother's hand. "This is my mother, Anne, and this gentleman is my father, Gilbert."
Little Hope walked to Anne and held out a hand, "Hello, I'm Hope D - Blythe. "
Anne's heart was in her throat, being choked back down with tears, "Hello, Hope. I'm your Grandmother Blythe. I'm so very happy to meet you."
Hope motioned for Anne to bend to where she could whisper in her ear, "Would you mind terribly if I gave you a hug, because I've never had a Grandmother before and I've always dreamed of having one."
The fountains of Anne's emotions rained forth, and she replied through sobs, "Yes you certainly may," as she gathered the little girl into her arms. She felt a joy as great as the morning that Pacifique told her that Gilbert had "got de turn."
Young Tenny, who had become very skeptical of late, held his ground beside Grandfather Henry until he saw that Hope was certainly not being hurt by these new people. He walked to his Grandfather and frankly told him, "I'm Tenny. It's nice to meet you. You may hug me too if you like."
Gilbert did hug his grandson. He picked up the little boy who looked just like his own little boy once did and held him close, drawing in Walter as well, and thanking God above for this blessing.
A throat cleared across the room, and Walter stepped to where Grandfather Henry was standing. "Mother, Dad, this is Grandfather Henry Darcy. Grandfather Henry, meet my parents, Dr. and Mrs. Gilbert and Anne Blythe."
Gilbert continued to hold on to Tenny, shifting him to his left arm, walked to Grandfather Henry, and extended his right hand to the elderly man. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Darcy. I have to thank you for giving my son a home and family when he couldn't be with us."
The old man smiled, "It was my pleasure Dr. Blythe. You see, I could tell when I first met this mysterious young man that there was something special about him, and I have always thought of him just as one of my own. I am very glad to hear that he and my great-grandchildren come from such a strong and loving family. It makes my departure this evening that much easier."
"Oh no! You must come to Ingleside and stay with us a while," Anne pled.
"I thank you for the offer, Mrs. Blythe. However, there are a great many things that need my tending at home, and I believe that Jane here would like to return to her betrothed. However, you all are invited to Derbyshire for a visit. Just remember J – Walter to bring my great- grandchildren soon," he answered.
"We shall do so very soon." Walter answered as he shook Henry's hand and kissed Jane's cheek.
"Daddy, where are you taking us?" Hope asked.
"We are going to a magical island named Prince Edward, to a beautiful house called Ingleside where you have many aunts, uncles, and cousins who wish to meet you," her father answered.
Impatiently, Tenny said, "Let's get going then!"