Anne's Return
by Erin
*Although I do own all 8 of the
Anne books I don’t own the copyrights to the story or anything like that. This
a story of my own imagination *
Chapter One: A Wish
Prologue
Anne was an old, gray lady. Her children were mostly grown and off to live their own lives. All she had left was her dear imagination. She had lived in St. Glen Mary for many years. She fell in love with the little town. Mrs. Cornelia & Susan were the usual ones to call. And even during the summer Leslie and Owen Ford visited with Persis and Ken. Although Ken more often since marrying Rilla, Anne’s youngest daughter. Nan, Di, Shirley, Jem, they too had all grown up. Each with a wife or husband. Each with their own children. Anne loved her grandchildren. But she wanted to do one thing: she wanted to go home. Now everyone who heard that wish was puzzled. Anne was home. She had lived here for 20 years, this was her home. But Gilbert knew what she meant. And so on a cold October morning, the couple set off on a trip. Back to where Anne called home....
Bright River
Anne stepped off the train. She felt like a little girl again. It had been 40 years since she first stepped off that train, a bright-eyed scrawny orphan whose vivid imagination got the better of her some times. And she remembered Matthew. It had been a good 10 years since she had said his name. Gilbert knew what his wife was going through to an extent. He tried to reach out to her over the years, but she had withdrawn. Into her own little world full of fairies and make believe. Some people said Anne Shirley relapsed into a little girl again. But maybe just maybe she wasn’t relapsing, just remembering.
Anne had an automobile waiting for her and Gilbert when they arrived. Gilbert was very well off. And he didn’t want his wife walking in the cold, cloudy day. But Anne insisted on walking the path she had traveled on that sunny day when she first came to Avonlea.
"Gil, I don’t want to ride. I want to walk the roads I haven’t seen in such a long time,"
"Anne, your no young girl. I don’t want my Anne girl sick,"
"But I have this thick coat on, and a hat and gloves. Please Gil. Let me walk,"
"Okay, but only if I may come with you," Gilbert said trying to compromise the situation.
"Deal," Anne grinned. The two set off on foot to the little town of Avonlea which in 20 years hadn’t changed one bit....