HOME | Gilbert Blythe

| 01. WELCOME TO AVONLEA

IF there was one place that Jax expected to find herself, it was not the train terminal of Prince Edward Island, a Canadian province, awaiting her ride. The air was sticky from the morning rain, but Jax felt comfortable as she breathed in the fresh air coming through the open door. What a time it was on the island, though. People bustled around the withdrawn girl, men raising their hats to others that approached. Jax watched, observing their actions carefully, sitting peacefully with a large suitcase at her feet and a slightly smaller one on her lap. She just sat there, wondering why of all places she ended up there, waiting to be picked up and brought to some random small town in the middle of nowhere.

"Jacquelyn Birch?" A feminine voice called out. She turned her head to see a couple standing a few feet away from her. They were middle-aged, the man's dusty brown hair was hidden by an expensive-looking hat, and the woman had a few tired lines around her face.

"Are you Mr. and Mrs. Desjardins?" Jax asked, standing. She could already tell. The woman smiled with eagerness, her eyes shining, and Jax couldn't help but give her a small grin in return.

"Yes," The man responded a little less excited than the woman, uncomfortably brushing his coat down and leaning down to take Jax's larger suitcase from the ground. "but you can just call us Isaac and Elle."

"Great! Now which one is Elle?" The young girl broke out into a smile as the couple looked at her in surprise. It took them a moment to realize her joke, and soon the two began to chuckle. Jax felt relieved. Some people didn't recognize her humor the way she hoped. She would just hate being stuck with boring foreign exchange parents.

"Our carriage is just outside. Bright River is a bit of a ride from Avonlea. It will take a few hours to arrive there." Isaac informed the girl, who was standing right behind him with an upturned lip.

He simply turned and led her out of the station, which was bustling with people reuniting with loved ones after a long spring.

The Canadian weather was certainly not hiding. Jax felt cool air find its way to her skin, causing goosebumps to erupt over her arms and legs. It wasn't like she wasn't properly dressed for the weather, she wore a long-sleeved dress with stockings covering her legs, which she hated. She supposed she could've worn a jacket, but as she looked around, she observed that almost no one was wearing one. In fact, some people seemed to be sweating. If this was the warm weather here on Prince Edward Island, she would have a very difficult time adjusting.

She was soon distracted as they exited the loudness of the station to the quietness of a trail, surrounded by green bushes dotted with flowers of all different colors. She reached out and let her fingers brush them as she passed. The air blew by in a shivering haze, signifying that it was pushing nighttime. The girl inhaled a deep breath of cool air, then released it slowly.

"Avonlea really is a beautiful place," Jax heard from beside her, and she looked over to see Elle observing her. "I think you'll really like it. We have a quaint house towards the woods, and it's very—" She paused as they approached their carriage, and Jax admired the sight. A white horse stood strongly at the front, adorned with silver, and the carriage itself was black but carved neatly. "it's very peaceful."

Jax allowed Isaac to help her into the carriage, chuckling in gratitude. Isaac and Elle climbed into the front row of the carriage, checking Jax in the back before flicking the reigns of the horse. Maybe peaceful wouldn't be so bad. She tried to think positively.

"I've never been to Canada before," Jax remarked as the carriage lurched and she fell forward slightly. This was certainly something she had to get used to again. "I just heard that you all are super nice. And that it's super cold."