[1] YOU FOUND ME ( gilbert blythe! )

21 | YOU'RE MY FAMILY

⎾21 | YOU'RE MY FAMILY ⏌

BEING WITH THOMAS MADE me feel something different—a good different, though. He made me feel...exotic. Something nobody has ever made me feel. It wasn't love—I knew what love felt like. It was something different, but something real. I didn't know how to explain it. All I knew was that I did love Thomas—but not the way I ever loved Gilbert.

The good thing was, things did not change between the two of us. Well, by that I mean we still remained best friends—more like friends who don't know what they feel yet. Of course, my parents did not let the memory of the kids go away. They continued to nag the two of us about the weirdest of things. My mother even brought up the thought of marriage.

I am almost sixteen years old for Christ's sake!

Anyway, in reality, the three boys and I stayed best friends at that was all that mattered to me. Though, the longer I thought about the kiss, the longer I pondered on the thought: Did kissing Thomas help me forget Gilbert? Or was he just a distraction to help my heart cope with loss?

"Hey, Samantha!" Charlie said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Charlie, you scared me," I said, laughing and setting down the book I was supposed to be reading.

"Romeo and Juliet?" Charlie asked, causing my eyes to shoot up to his.

"What?" I asked, flustered.

"The book," Charlie said, pointing to the book beside me. "Romeo and Juliet, right?"

"Oh, right," I said, giggling out of stupidity. "Yeah, I was supposed to be reading this. But, my mind is always somewhere else."

Charlie was a sweetheart, and I knew I could always trust him with anything. No matter what personal problem I had, he would always make me feel better.

"I know what you mean," Charlie said, looking at me curiously. "But you've been acting a little off since you and Thomas...you know..."

"Kissed," I said simply, causing him to take a deep breath and chuckle. "Yeah, I've noticed that too."

I couldn't help myself anymore. I needed to spill out my feelings to someone. I needed to tell someone how much I miss my old life. On the contrary, I could just forget about it all. I knew I still had an option to turn fully around and completely eliminate my past life from my memory. It was only hanging on by a thin thread—and frankly, I didn't know if I wanted to hold on anymore.

My mind was like a switch. If I chose to leave the switch on, I will continue to feel the pain and heartbreak that I faced back in Avonlea. But, if I turned it off, maybe for once I'll find peace and tranquility in this new life of mine. Maybe all of my pain will disappear.

I keep hanging on to the thought of Gilbert returning to me. That, maybe one day, we will finally have our happy ever after. But, of course, my life was anything but a fairy tale. My life was a complete mess, and when I finally found my light, I let him go. He could be dead for all I know. It hurt so much to think about, but what if it was true? What if the reason he hadn't written was because he was gone? I would never be able to forgive myself.

"I let him go," I whispered, causing Charlie to pull me into a hug.

"Who?" asked Charlie, frantically trying to find out what was causing me this pain. "Who did you let go?"

"Him, Charlie," I said, pulling out of his embrace and looking at him in his warm brown eyes.

"Forgive me, Samantha," Charlie started. "But, I really want to help you. Can you please tell me what is going on?"

I took a deep breath and sighed, knowing that I needed to finally get it off my chest, "Did I ever tell you anything about my past?"

Charlie shook his head, "No."

I took a deep breath in, and exhaled softly, starting from the very beginning. As I began the story, the words started to flow out of me naturally. I included everything—from the day I was born up to the day I arrived here.

By the time I finished I noticed that a few tears had slipped onto my face, causing me to immediately wipe them off. Something changed inside me after I finished telling the story.

"Samantha, I'm so sorry—" Charlie said, but I immediately cut him off.

"It's fine," I said, taking a deep breath in. "I'm done being hurt, and I'm done feeling like a broken girl who needs a boy to be happy. It's time to move on."

"Are you sure?" Charlie said, looking at me with concern due to the sudden drastic change in emotion.

"Positive," I said, flashing a fake smile and sanding up. "Let's go meet the others, shall we?"

"Uh," said Charlie hesitantly. "Sure, ma'am."

As we met the others in the Parlor, I noticed a bouquet of flowers placed on the center of the table. I glanced over at Charlie, who shared the glance right back at me. Andrew and Thomas were standing beside the vase, as they held a single letter in their hands.

"May we meet again," Thomas read, his eyebrows knitting in confusion as he read the letter. "Who sent this?"

I immediately walked towards Thomas and took the letter from his hands. As my eyes scanned the note, I recognized the handwriting almost immediately. My heart sank and my hands started to shake. Every time I try to forget, my heart traces me back to him.

Dear Samantha,
It has been quite a long time since we have last spoken, and everyday I can't stop thinking about you. The only thing that makes me feel safe is knowing that we are both looking up at the same stars. I want to let you know that I am safe, and I hope you are as well. May we meet again.
—G.B.

My eyes switched to Charlie's, and his eyes told me he knew who had sent the letter. I had known as well—at the end of the letter had the initials G.B. Even though my heart was racing, I felt a rush of relief come over me. This letter meant that he was okay. He was alive. I still have hope on meeting him again.

"So," Andrew said. "Who is it from?"

I paused and breathed, letting a smile form on my face, "An old friend of mine."

"That doesn't sound like just an old friend, Samantha," Thomas said, smirking. "It sounds a little more like love, if I knew what it meant."

The boys studied my reaction, then smirked as they saw my cheeks heat up. Nobody had any idea how happy I was knowing that Gilbert Blythe was alright.

"You're right," I admitted, holding the letter close to my heart. "He was more than just my friend. He was my home."

"Home?" Thomas said, looking at me in confusion. "I had no idea that a person could be a home."

"Of course a person can be your home," Charlie said, placing his arm on my shoulder. "Why do you think you like it here so much?"

"You guys, of course," said Thomas.

"Exactly," Charlie said. "In life it's not where you go, but it's who you're with. If none of us were here and you were stuck in this mansion by yourself, would you be happy?"

"Of course not," Thomas said, nodding as he started to follow along with Charlie.

"See, Thomas?" Charlie said. "We are your home. We're family. We got each others back."

I beamed, smiling brightly as I came into a group hug with the three boys. Never had I felt so close with them until now. Never had I felt more like a family then when I was with these boys. It seemed like the moment would last forever, until there was a knock on the door.

—
who do you think it is?