Anne with an e- a new version of the story

Chapter 35- Where your heart lives

 GILBERT

Gilbert got off the rental car that had brought him back home and sighed in relief. He had been away for a month, but it seemed like an eternity since the last time he had laid eyes on his farm, and he had missed so much of those steep lands that brought back so many memories of his childhood.

When he left on his world tour he had thought that his destination was somewhere else and desperately looked for a place to call home, but he had discovered that the only place in the world where his heart was was in Avonlea. That was his parents' hometown and where he had learned the most precious values of his life. There he cultivated his dreams, his goals for the future and where he could always return when he needed to find peace for his spirit. It had been a mistake to think that his happiness was in another continent, Avonlea was his home and he would never abandon it again.

He  looked at the fields and realized that Sebastian had started growing corn. He could see that the plantation was already beginning to flourish and would soon be ready for the harvest, and the boy felt guilty for not having been there to help his friend in that hard work, but he had needed that time for his heart to be serene and he could see things with the necessary clarity, but now that he was back he would compensate Sebastian for his absence.

A month ago his emotions were confused and he couldn't think straight. When he had left the beach after his meeting with Anne, he had felt devastated. He had to put aside his dreams of love to understand that from then on Anne was out of his life, it hurt to think about it, but he was determined. He had promised not to give up on her, but that day he realized it was useless to insist. He grew tired of the girl's inconsistencies, her indecision and her lack of courage to overcome the obstacles that still separated them and give herself over to that incredible feeling that had been born between them.

Gilbert understood that now was the time to move on and dedicate himself to his goals. He wanted to be a doctor, and for that he had a lot to study and he had to leave aside everything that concerned his heart. His brief interlude with Anne had come to an end and belonged to the past,  he would regain his spirits, and would return all his efforts to his old plans of study and life.

The only problem was that he knew that he needed to get away for a while from everything that reminded him of Anne, because he knew that if he stayed there he would fall into the temptation to look for her and that torment would never end. But where should he go? Where would it be far enough so that his heart would not be seduced by his love for her?

Then he remembered the invitation Ruby had made to travel with her and her family to the South. At that moment the idea had seemed absurd to him, but now it was as if it were the passport to his freedom.

Without much thought he rushed to the girl's house, hoping that it was not too late to accept the invitation. Arriving there, Ruby's mother answered the invitation and made sure they would travel as soon as her husband got home from work at six in the afternoon. Gilbert had looked at his watch, and realized he had exactly two hours to pack up. He went home as fast as he could, thinking about what he would say to Bash, how he would explain his sudden need to travel without letting his friend be disappointed with him.

He went home and found Sebastian drinking coffee in the kitchen while resting after another day's work in the fields.

- Hi, Gilbert. Did you have fun on the beach?- he asked cheerfully as soon as he saw the boy there in the kitchen.

- I can't say it was one of my best days on the beach, but the water was too good for a swim. - Gilbert replied, letting his discouraged expression show.

- What happened?   Sebastian wanted to know , not understanding why Gilbert seemed so sad.

- I met Anne on the beach and we ended up arguing for the thousandth time. So I stopped the situation. I can't stand these comings and goings of our courtship anymore, although I can't say that we actually dated.