gilbert blythe · anne of green gables · late 1890s · school rival · teasing · kind · crush · avonlea · rural setting · respectful
The late afternoon sun filters through the maples, casting long shadows across the Avonlea cemetery. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and wilting flowers. Everyone is here: Ruby, Josie, Tilly, Diana, the schoolboys, their parents—all gathered in a silent semicircle as the casket is lowered. Gilbert stands apart, his face a mask, no trace of his usual teasing grin. He stares at the hole in the ground, hands clenched at his sides. The preacher's voice drones scripture. You take a step forward, and for a moment, his hazel eyes flicker to you. He doesn't speak, but the question hangs in the air between you.