#jem blythe

[ynhart]

A wip

-So many children to draw!!!

-added Anne + Rilla in this 2024 version

[phantomstatistician]

Fandom: Anne of Green Gables

Sample Size: 488 stories

Source: AO3

NOTE: This chart excludes stories from "Anne With An E", as requested.

[gogandmagog]

The Blythes are Quoted by L.M. Montgomery

[anneofgreengablesthings]

so @shirleyjblythe posted a super fun poll to guess Shirley's middle name so of course I decided to research all the Blythe children's names bc apparently I don't know what to do with myself until school starts again!! give them a follow bc I am HERE for the Shirley appreciation

Joyce Blythe (deceased) is the only Blythe child not named for someone else. Anne wanted to call her Joy bc she was overjoyed at having a baby.

ok so Jem is actually James Matthew Blythe but they call him Jem (after Captain Jim and Matthew, in House of Dreams Anne says they were the two best men she knew outside of Gil)

Walter is apparently the next oldest, which I never put together - he is older than the twins. He is Walter Cuthbert Blythe in honor of Matthew and Marilla, and the Walter is in honor of Anne's father, Walter Shirley, who died shortly after her birth.

The twins are Anne and Diana (Nan and Di for short) after Anne and Diana of course. We don't learn their middle names.

Shirley is named after Anne's parents (Walter and Bertha Shirley) but we don't learn his middle name. Maybe something for Gil's side of the family?

Rilla is Betha Marilla Blythe, after Anne's birth mother (Bertha Shirley) and adoptive mother (Marilla Cuthbert)

[lifeofmarvvel]

Some Facts and Headcanons about the Blythe kids' appearances

Including how tall I think they are in relation to each other and who they look the most like

Jem

We know that Jem has Anne's red hair but Gilbert's curls as well as his eye color (hazel). He's said to be tall, have Anne's nose, Gilbert's mouth (and probably smile), and "the only one of the family who had ears nice enough to please Susan" (RV)

Pretty much, he's a good mix of Anne and Gilbert

The AoGG wikia also kinda roasts him by adding "Although not as handsome as his brother, Walter, or his best friend, Jerry, Jem grew up to be a good-looking young man" (rip lol, why'd they go with 2 comparisons on his looks in one sentence)

He's also decently tall, though it doesn't specify any comparisons in how tall. I'd say probably a solid 5'10 or 11.

Walter

He's considered the "handsomest of the Ingleside children" with straight black hair, and dark grey eyes.

Given that Anne also has grey eyes (though more green-gray, iirc), and the fact that he doesn't look like any known relative, I feel like there's a chance he looks like either one of Walter or Bertha's siblings (if they had any at any point) or one of their parents, his great-grandparents

As for height, I feel like he was always close in height to Jem growing up, only an inch or two shorter. They end up being roughly the same height by the time they stop growing

Nan

We find out exactly who Nan looks like in the series! During Anne of Ingleside, we find out she looks just like her Grandma Blythe. Consequently, she looks a lot like Gilbert, too -- the most of the daughters to look like him, in fact

She has straight brown hair and brown eyes. Her hair is considered silky, too. Anne appreciates the fact that at least Nan can wear pink out of her daughters

As for height, she's taller than Rilla, but still pretty short. Like, Rilla is barely shorter than her. It's a tough victory but she's not the shortest so  ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

Di

Anne's mini-me! Di has her red hair and green eyes. Her hair is said to have a "swirl to it" so I'm assuming that means she got Gil's curls as well (or at least some waves).

Since she looks so much like Anne, we can likely assume she's also pretty freckled

I like to think she's the tallest of the daughters. Like 5'8 or so, not too much shorter than Jem. While growing up, she was always taller than Nan but not too much -- Nan just stopped growing first

Shirley

Ah, Susan's "little brown boy" aka brown hair, brown eyes, and a darker skin tone than the Blythe kids who got Anne's Very White skin tone. He looks the most like Nan out of his siblings, and is the son that looks the most like Gilbert (just a slight difference in eye color)

We got nothing on his hair texture but I tend to picture him with curly hair too, probably just because of that "pretty close to Gilbert's mini-me" thing I've concluded

Little siblings have a bad habit of being rude and ending up taller than their older siblings. (I say this as an oldest child who has a younger sister that's a good few inches taller than me.) Because of that, I like to think that Shirley ends up the tallest of the Blythe kids. Idk how much taller than Gilbert that would make him, if at all, but he'd be pretty tall, definitely at least 6'2

Rilla

Rilla is a good mix between Gilbert and Anne, just in a different combo than Jem. She has Gilbert's hazel eyes, Anne's freckles, and "ripely, ruddily brown" which is probably exactly what Anne wanted her hair to be when she was younger. So, pretty much, she started auburn/red-haired and turned more brunette as she got older. The red is probably most visible in the summer sun

There also isn't anything about her hair texture, either. I'd say it's either wavy or the type of straight hair that actually does hold heated curls and hairdos better than others

Rilla is the baby and, unfortunately for her, I picture her as the shortest of the family. She's like an inch shorter than Nan. All growing up she probably said stuff like "I'll be taller than both of you!" to the twins and then. it just never happened. Sorry, girl

Fun Facts (aka all this but reworded exclusively)

Jem is the only son with Anne's hair color; he's the only son with Gilbert's eye color

Walter is the only kid with the grey-side of Anne's eyes. He has the darkest hair in the entire family

Nan is the only daughter with brown eyes

Di is the only one with the green-side of Anne's eyes, making her the one with the lightest eyes

Shirley is the only son with brown eyes

Rilla is the only daughter with Gilbert's eyes

None of the children inherited Walter Shirley's blue eyes (probably since the dark-eyed gene is so strong)

None of the children inherited Bertha's blonde hair

And Grandparent Look-Alikes

Jem and Di, because of their red hair, look most like Walter Shirley out of all of their grandparents. Di probably moreso than Jem

We only know John Blythe has brown hair, so it's also possible Nan looks like Grandma Blythe and Shirley looks like John with Gilbert either looking like John or a mix of his parents

Nan is the only grandkid confirmed to look exactly like a grandparent

Walter is an anomaly so who actually knows lol

--

Anyway, I don't really have a reason for posting this other than, hopefully, as a helpful guide to others and as a way for me to make sure my hcs for their appearances are written out so I don't mix up my thoughts in the future. Feel free to add any hc's you might have involving the Blythe kids and their appearances!

[the-moral-of-the-rose]

I am quite certain that Little Jem's gift of pearl beads reminded Anne of Matthew! How came I haven't noticed it before? And Jem's middle name was Matthew, too! :

“I’m quite content to be Anne of Green Gables, with my string of pearl beads. I know Matthew gave me as much love with them as ever went with Madame the Pink Lady’s jewels.”

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

"Jem, I never thought you supposed they were real pearls. I knew they weren't...at least in one sense of real. In another, they are the most real things I've ever had given me. Because there was love and work and self-sacrifice in them...and that makes them more precious to me than all the gems that divers have fished up from the sea for queens to wear. Darling, I wouldn't exchange my pretty beads for the necklace I read of last night which some millionaire gave his bride and which cost half a million. So that shows you what your gift is worth to me, dearest of dear little sons. Do you feel better now?"

Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery

[jomiddlemarch]

“Did your French girls do this for you, Jem?” Mary asked, her moonstone eyes holding his gaze with the impossible frankness only she was capable of. He’d never thought to see her on her knees before him, would never have asked, but was now compelled by the most consuming lust he’d ever felt. 

Or so he’d thought before he’d glanced down and seen the curve of her full breast, her dressing gown loosely belted, her hands resting on his spread thighs. He felt tense, flushed, and Mary gave him a wonderfully filthy smile.

“They didn’t talk so much,” he said.

[rmblythe7]

Does anybody have a good fancast for Jem Blythe? I’ve been thinking about it for a fic and I just can’t find anyone that really fits. If you’re an obsessed fan like me and have any ideas, please share!

[choujinx]

NIJI NO TANI NO ANNE (2003) by lucy maud montgomery & hara chieko

[acrookedbookshelf]

I just finished Rilla of Ingleside. And I can't say that it is my favourite in the whole serie with the second and third book ! Omg the ending, Jem, Walter... everything 😭

[alwayschasingrainbows]

LITTLE JEM BLYTHE'S MOODBOARD

"Jem imagines he is going to be a sailor...like Captain Jim..."

(Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery).

"He was and always had been a sturdy, reliable little chap. He never broke a promise. He was not a great talker. His teachers did not think him brilliant, but he was a good, all-round student. He never took things on faith; he always liked to investigate the truth of a statement for himself. Once Susan had told him that if he touched his tongue to a frosty latch all the skin would tear off it. Jem had promptly done it, “just to see if it was so.” He found it was “so,” at the cost of a very sore tongue for several days. But Jem did not grudge suffering in the interests of science." 

(Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery).

[shannyh25]

Summary: Going to medical school is hard. But Jem figured if his father went to medical school and graduated, Jem can to. All Jem and Faith wants to do is help people. But what happens while Jem and Faith go to medical school and then Faith gets pregnant during their first year?

This is my first time writing a Jem and Faith fan fiction. Please tell me your thoughts. I know the basics did them, but that’s about it. I would love any tips and advice on making my story stronger. Thank you!

Title: Faith, Hope, and Happiness

Chapter 1

"Are you sure you have everything you need? All your medical textbooks, paper tablets, pencils, notebooks?" Anne asked anxiously to her oldest son.

Jem grinned at his mother. "Yes Ma, I promise. Dad and I went over everything just this morning, making sure I had everything I needed. He tripled checked. I have my medical bag that you and dad bought me with everything in it. I promise, I'll be just fine."

Anne turned to Gilbert. "Maybe Jem can just stay here and you can teach him everything he needs to know? You're the greatest surgeon in all of Glen St Mary. Jem doesn't need to go to school, does he? He can learn from hands on experience that you can teach him?"

Gilbert gently placed a kiss on his wife's forehead, "Trust me Anne-girl, if I could keep Jem at home and teach him everything, even surgery, I would do that in a heartbeat. It would save us a ton of money. But Jem has always done good in school so it's okay. He will be the next famous Doctor Blythe."

Anne sighed knowing she couldn't win this battle. Anne kissed Jen's head and then told the boys she needed to check on Susan. Susan has been in the kitchen all morning baking Rilla's favorite dinner and dessert. It was Rilla's 13th birthday. But instead of Susan being in a good celebratory mood, she has been in a bad mood because Jem was leaving in a month for medical school. Jem winced as he heard the cupboard door slam and then the sound of pots and pans being laid down harshly on the stove.

"I didn't mean to upset Mother about going to school. I just want you to help people and so does Faith. We plan on studying a lot together". Jem said.

"Don't worry about your mother. She'll be fine. She knew this day was coming, but I think you should go and speak to Rilla. She has been rather upset about you leaving for school." Gilbert said.

"It's her 13th birthday Dad. She should be excited about today of all days. Do we really need to give her a check up on her birthday?" Jem asked.

"I rather get it over with now. That way she doesn't have to dwell on it and you two can have a good rest of the time while you're still here. Rilla is the closest to you aside from Walter. In just a few short weeks, it will just be me, your mother, Susan and Rilla. You all will be off at school. It may be her birthday but she needs a checkup. She was rather anxious this morning and I pulled her into my office to discuss what was going on. She told me she was scared of being a teenager, the body changes around this time and she doesn't want you to go to medical school. She is terrified of starting school and you have always helped her with her homework. I reminded her I was a teacher once and so was your mother. She can always ask us for help but maybe it would be better if you spoke to her." Gilbert said.

Jem let it all sink in. Then looked up the stairs where his sister's room was then looked back at Gilbert.

"I don't have to go to school. I can stay here and tutor Rilla and earn money for boarding fees for when I do go to school. Faith and I did talk about that some and she said if worse comes to worse, she'll be alright with me staying home and helping Rilla."

"No, no Jem. I wouldn't expect you to sacrifice your medial schooling for Rilla. You have always wanted to be a doctor and now is your chance. Rilla will be just fine. Go up and speak to her but when you guys are done, I expect you in my office for her checkup. Remember, you're doing all the work. I'll be there to help guide you if you need help. I'll go and get the injection ready and the instruments ready for her blood draw. Take your time." Dad said.

Jem nodded his head. "I noticed she has been rather quiet and keeping to herself. She is more than welcome to come and stay with Faith and I. We would love to have her. Faith thinks of Rilla as a sister."

"Let's give it time after you leave for school. I need to keep an eye on her anxiety because she has been rather anxious about you leaving. Change is hard for her. Go speak to her Jem. Tell her once you get settled, perhaps she can stay with you guys for a visit." Gilbert said.

"Okay dad. I'll go up now." Jem said.

Gilbert patted his son on the head and watch his son go upstairs to comfort his sister.

Walking quietly up the stairs, Jem looked at all the pictures on the walls from over the years. Pictures of the children of different stages in life hung up on the walls. He stopped walking and looked at one picture. It was his favorite. The picture was taken a when Rilla was about 5 years old and he was grinning at the camera as he held Rilla upside down and she was squealing with laughter. Her hair was wild and all over the place. Jem was talking enough at that age that when he held Rilla by the ankles, the tips of her hair was hardly touching the ground. He chuckled at the memories.

He walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. The door was open ajar and he saw Rilla curled up on the bed and knees tucked into her chest. Her hair was coming out of her braid.

Jem didn't bother for an answer. He walked right into her room and sat down on the bed. Out of habit, Jem brushed her hair back to check her pulse. If he knew anything about doctoring, his father taught him the basics. Whenever Rilla was stressed out and Jem was around, he would always check her pulse first.

Rilla didn't even flinch or groan when she felt Jem check her pulse. She let him because she knew she was going to miss that whether she wanted to admit it or not. She sniffed and buried her face on her pillow.

"Hey Munchkin. Do you think we can talk for a little while? I want to make sure you'll be okay while I'm away at school." Jem said.

Sniffing, Rilla got up from laying down with Jem's. He wiped her eyes with his thumb. "Your pulse is much too fast. I rather it be slower by the time we go down stairs."

Rilla made an attempt to say something but Jem stopped her. "If I know anything dad taught me, it's basic doctoring. I still plan on giving you one last medical checkup tonight after supper when we all settle down. I expect your pulse to be back to normal. I expect you to eat your supper too."

"I don't want you to go to school Jem. Can't you stay here? Dad can teach you everything you need to know. He is the best doctor and surgeon here." Rilla said.

"That's basically what mom said just before I came up here. I have to go to school Rilla. I want to help people and children especially. I want to make people feel better and so does Faith. When the time comes Faith and I plan on taking over dad's medical office. You'll be my first patient." Jem said.

Rilla's lips trembled. "Who will help me with my homework? You have always helped me with that."

"Mom and dad used to be teachers, remember? I'm sure they will help you. I want you to talk to them. Once Faith and I get settled into our dorms, I want you to come stay with us. It can be for a week or a weekend. Whatever you feel comfortable with. I know you easily get homesick, but I think you should practice being away from home. I'll have everything you need medical-wise to help you." Jem said.

Rilla looked at him hesitantly. "I don't want you and Faith to get mad when I get anxious. You got mad at me that one time I went with you and Faith on a trip to one of Faith's family members houses."

Jem grimaced at the memory. "Faith wasn't mad at you, munchkin. She was mad at me because I force fed you when you didn't eat your breakfast. You know perfectly well that dad and I don't put up with that. You need to eat food and that will help with the nausea when you get homesick. I'll do it again if I have too. But Faith was mad at me for force feeding you and I got a big lecture from her after you ran off. She wants you to come and stay with us Munchkin. She thinks of you as a sister. She's protective of you to just like I am. That's why I got the lecture from her about what a bad brother I was."

"You're not a bad brother Jem. You're my favorite brother aside from Walter and he is going off to school soon as well this year. Then it will just be me at home with mom, dad and Susan. I would like to come and visit you and Faith if you and dad will let me." Rilla said.

Jem grinned. "I would love that Munchkin. You can be my guinea pig when it's time for me to practice my blood drawing skills, and giving you injections and practice my sewing skills. We'll have fun!"

Rilla wrinkles her nose. "Can't Faith do that? I'm terrified of needles and blood."

Jem patted Rilla's arm and grinned, "Please Rilla? You'll be my first ever patient. I'll be as gentle as I can. I already do the basic doctoring on you with dad watching. What's the difference?"

"You don't have to stitch me up and give me injections or draw my blood. Dad does all that." Rilla said.

Jem scoffed. "I helped stitch up your cut you had on your hand just a few months ago. I didn't do so bad, see?"

Jem took Rilla's hand and turned it over so he could see her palm. "See, hardly a scar. With dad's help, you were basically my first patient and I hardly left a scar. My stitches are tiny just like dad's!"

Rilla looked at her hand that Jem basically stitched back up. He really did do a good job and she supposed that she could be his and Faith's guinea pig.

"Well, alright. I suppose I can be your guinea pig. As long as you don't push the needle in my arm to hard." Rilla said.

"Thanks Munchkin. I'll practice my needle skills on Faith first." Jem said.

"I'm going to regret this." Rilla muttered.

"Now, another thing I want to discuss. I expect you to eat all your meals. Especially after I leave for school. I don't want any excuses on why you didn't eat them. Having an empty stomach will just make your nausea worse. I'll be getting updates from mom and dad on the matter. You know perfectly well I won't let you get away with not eating. Dad won't let you get away with that either. You're skinny enough and you need weight on you. I don't want to force feed you tonight of all nights. I'll be watching you and making sure you eat. I want to do a check up on you with dad present just to make sure I'm using the medical instruments right. I'm 99.9999% sure I am, but dad wanted me to tell you that you need an injection for school and he wanted me to practice drawing blood. So, I get a head start on the subject which why I partly came up here. He is waiting for us in his office."

"N,n,N, Now?" Rilla asked.

Jem nodded his head. "It's better we do this now and get over with early so we can enjoy the rest of our evening Munchkin. I promise I'll be as gentle as I can. I have done this before with some of dad's patients and they said I did good. Please trust me. If I hurt you, just tell me and dad can take over."

"Why hasn't the other kids gotten checkups from you?" Rilla asked.

"Because they aren't scared of doctors, needles and blood. They also don't have anxiety problems like you. So, you my dear Rilla, get to be my patient. I'm going to worry about you the most while I'm at school and so will Faith." Jem said.

"You don't need to. I'll be busy struggling in school while you're doing medical school. I wish you can stay home and tutor me. I'll be good and do what you tell me to do. I promise." Rilla said.

Rilla's lips started to tremble and a fresh set of tears started to fall from her eyes. Jem wiped her tears again with his thumb and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I would if I could Munchkin. But I need to concentrate on my own schooling. Trust me, my homework will be much harder than yours. Mom and dad will help you with your school work. I promise. When you come see me on the weekends, I'll help you too. School will be starting soon for both us. You can do this. I don't leave for another few weeks so we still have time to spend together. I need you to promise me something." Jem said.

Rilla looked at her brother curious.

"While I'm at school, I want you to promise me you'll keep up on your studies. If you need help, ask mom or dad. Don't forget they both used to be teachers. Secondly, I want you to promise me that you'll eat breakfast. Especially if you feel nauseous and anxious or at least half of it. I'll get reports from mom and dad. I expect you to eat the rest of your meals too. You know I won't put up with that when you visit Faith and I." Jem said.

Rilla bit her lip and looked at Jem. She knew he was being serious. Going all Doctor mode and teacher mode on her.

"Come on Munchkin. Dad's waiting for us in his office. I'll make you a deal. If you don't fight me when I give you an injection, I'll play a few rounds of checkers with you." Jem said.

"Let's make the best of the last few weeks, okay? I plan on being home every evening. You and I will have plenty of time together, okay?"

Sniffing Rilla nodded her head yes and she allowed Jem to take her hand to head downstairs to their dad's office.

[gogandmagog]

JEM: “Do you mean to say, mums, that you and dad were on bad terms when you went to school?”  DOCTOR BLTYHE: “Your mother thought she had a grudge against me, but I always wanted to be friends. However, that is all ancient history now. When did death come and look at you?”  ANNE: “Not my death. It was the shadow of your death I was thinking of... when everybody thought you were dying of typhoid. I thought I would die, too. And the night after I had heard you had taken a turn for the better... ah, that was the ‘wakefulness of joy’!”  DOCTOR BLYTHE: “It couldn’t have been anything to mine the night after I found you loved me!”  JEM, aside to Nan: “When dad and mums get to talking like that we find out a lot about their early days we never knew.”  SUSAN, who is making pies in the kitchen: “Isn’t it beautiful to see how they love each other? I can understand a good deal of that poem, old maid as I am!”

— ‘The Sixth Evening,’ The Blythes are Quoted, Lucy Maud Montgomery  

I was just revisiting this book, as I was getting ready for bed... and I remembered the first time that I read this chapter, how I had a good laugh over the notion that Jem and the Blythe kids didn’t know very much about their parents ‘early days,’ especially since their ‘early days’ stories are overall charming and amusing if nothing else... but it just now occurred to me, that there would be simply no way to tell this story to their kids without betraying two things. First, that Gilbert went and called Anne “carrots,” for all intents and purposes making proper fun of her hair, and second, that Anne was fragile and sensitive about her red hair and wished it were any different color.     These guys have 2.5 (.5 for Rilla, whose hair does change later) children with red hair. Of course it can’t be mentioned! The idea of sharing the same hair as your mother, only to come to understand that she hated her own hair? Or that your father was once known to tease her for that hair. Big oof! Which had me then realise as well, that Anne leaves off lamenting her hair to anyone expect Susan and Gilbert (always privately, too), in any book past Anne of the Island. I’m convinced it’s for these reasons.

[anneofgreengablesthings]

The L.M. Montgomery Literary Society posted this lovely photo of the three boys LMM dedicated Rainbow Valley to. It caused me to wonder who they were and what connection they had to Maud. I wrote a little bit of what I discovered below in honor of Veteran's Day/Rememberance Day. It seems they were members of the church her husband Ewan pastored in Zephyr. Maud and Ewan gave a going away dinner for the young men of their congregation and she wrote that her heart ached as she looked around the table at the young men they had come to know well.

Robert Brookes was the oldest of the three, at 32. Before leaving Canada, he left his farm to the care of his sister and her husband, and left documentation willing most of the land to them, as if he knew he would not return. Maud was close with him and his sister as they were close in age to her in a congregation of mostly young people or elderly. He took furlough to England, like Jims' father did. His sister wrote him there that she had a new baby daughter and he was thrilled to hear about his niece, writing "I want you to take good care of that little girl. I’m willing to go back and do my duty to the end, then when I come back she’ll be great company for me.” He returned to the front and was killed in the Third Battle of Ypres, reportedly while helping a wounded man to safety. He was quoted in local newspapers for his brave words, (link)and for how cheerfully he had given up his successful farm and went to defend his country. He was very close to his sister and wrote her many letters, similar to Walter and Rilla's relationship. His sister was understandably devastated. Maud remained close friends with her and supported her through this.

Maud ran an aid society and sent care packages to each soldier from Ewan's church. She was greatly incensed to receive a letter from a friend calling the war a "commercial" one. As a result of this she doubled down on her efforts to check on "the boys" and their families, becoming closest to these three.

Goldwin Lapp was just 22 when he was killed, and his parents bought a plaque at church "sacred to his memory" which Maud would later take inspiration from for Walter's plaque in Rilla.

Morley was a teacher who trained as a pilot, perhaps the inspiration for Shirley's flying. He was 23 when killed. His death was noted by LMM in her diary. Here is an article about that.

Most interesting of all, a member of the 116th battalion, mostly made up of Zephyr men, reported hearing a "bugler calling him" for years before the war and even wrote a poem about it. Perhaps this was inspiration for Walter's poem and premonition.

Sorry for the long post! I just found the tie-ins to Rilla and Rainbow Valley fascinating and wanted to share for anyone else interested. This website was a great source.

[boookfreeak]

fictional characters named jem>>>

[vexysmexy]

The Life You Should’ve Known

I originally posted this on ao3 so if you want to go look at it there here’s the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57799846

Thought I’d post it here for anyone who wants to read it but doesn’t have ao3

~~~~~~~~~

Summary: After Walter’s untimely death he meets Joyce in the after life and introduces her to the life she never got to live

Genre: Angst?/comfort

Word count: 1,881

Fandom: Anne of green gables - L.M Montgomery series

~~~~~~

The idea of death used to terrify Walter Blythe, all the pain it caused for both parties seemed horrific. Which is why he tried his best not to think about it.

There was one time when Walter did take the time to think about death, albeit not for long but he thought about it nonetheless and that time was the fateful day years ago in Rainbow Valley when he saw The Pied Piper over the horizon, soldiers following behind him as though it was their duty.

From that day on Walter tried not to give a second thought to death, the prospect of it sounding far too agonising. That was what he used to think anyway.

But now here he was, a gun in his hand and bullets flying around him, the thought of death sounded numb. War had desensitised him to pain and now when he thought of his brothers in arms being shot down by enemy lines, all the sympathy and empathy he could muster up was for the grieving families that lost their sons and brothers. Walter’s thoughts drifted from how his family must be at home to his brothers who were on the front lines with him, he prayed they would be okay, for his mothers sake, he wasn’t sure she would be able to recover if Jem didn’t return from the war, or if Shirley never stepped foot on the ground again.

As he was mulling over the grief his people back on PEI would feel, he was taken back to that day in Rainbow Valley when he saw The Pied Piper, because there he played in no man’s land, a long line of young men from different sides were following behind The Piper and Walter knew.

Within a few seconds there was a bullet in Walter’s side, and he was on his knees as he clutches his wound. In a way Walter was glad, because it was over. On the other hand, he was sorrowful for leaving his life behind and all the people he loved. As he lay on his back exhumed, staring at the sky and resting his hand to slow the blood flow, he tried to imagine his family and friends in the living room, laughing and smiling as he watched from afar, he hoped they took his death in a bittersweet view, though deep down he knew they wouldn’t. At least not for a long while.

The pain never really registered in Walter’s mind, and so as his breath began to labour and his eyelids began to falter, he was content. The cries of war fading away as he lost the last of his senses.

——————————

For a moment everything is quiet, as though he was asleep, but then faint cries from another room are heard and Walter’s eyes open. He looks around, his brows furrowed as he finds himself back in the familiarity of his childhood bedroom. The shuffling and buzzing chatter of his family could be heard downstairs.

For a fleeting moment Walter thinks the war was a nightmarish dream he had, but the tattered and stained greenish cloth that clung to his body reminded him otherwise and he found himself even more confused as to what was happening.

The cries from down the hall seemed to echo louder and Walter decided to himself he’d find out what it was. Standing from his bed, he left his old room and followed the noises till he reached his parent’s room. Gently he pushed the ajar door open, letting it creak as it slowly stopped. There in the corner of his parent’s room stood a crib that he was positive had not been there since Rilla was a baby.

The crying echos brought his attention to what was in that crib, drawing him in to get a closer look. There in the crib lay a small baby with pale skin and light almost unnoticeable rosy cheeks. She was wailing as though she had lost something very dear to her and Walter’s heart twinged. He knew this girl. At least it felt like he did, like he knew her all his life. This was Joyce, his older sister.

His mother nor father ever spoke of little Joy, but some nights they would take a ferry across the harbour and visit her grave, leaving flowers there for her and telling her all the stories she had missed out on.

The cries got softer and suddenly Walter found two beautiful wide greyish-green eyes that reminded him of his mothers staring right at him with all the curiosity in the world. He smiled and reached down, picking her up with ease and hugging her close so she knew she wasn’t alone. They stood there for awhile, enjoying the other’s company that they wretchedly never got to experience. Before long soft snores were heard from Walter’s shoulder and little Joy had fallen asleep. Placing her back down in her crib, he slowly crept out of the room, heading downstairs to the noisy chatter in the living room.

There sat Anne, knitting away, listening intently as Susan chattered on during her cleaning. Walter tried to grab their attention, waiting for them to realise he was standing there, but they never did and when Susan walked right through him it finally dawned on him that they couldn’t see him, because he was a ghost. He was finally so close to his family again and yet they felt so far away being divided by this invisible barrier that wouldn’t let them see him. There wasn’t anything he could do, so he decided to sit down at the table with his mother and listen intently to Susan’s rants, just enjoying the moment that he missed so dearly. Merely a few minutes later cries were heard again, though seemingly only to Walter and he decided that must be Joyce waking up again.

Taking to his feet he started for the stairs, on instinct giving his mother a kiss on her head as he walked by. If he had paused for a second longer he would’ve seen Anne look up incredulously as if something had just stroked her hair, she had looked around unable to find the source before hesitantly returning back to her knitting. Unfortunately Walter had not seen this, and instead continued his trek up the stairs to little Joy’s room. There she lay, crying for her mother, instead being greeted by her younger brother who would have to do.

Walter picked Joyce up, cradling her to slow her crying and as quickly as it had started, it ended. Feet were heard on the stairs and suddenly the door to Anne and Gilbert’s room was being opened, then walked in Nan, walking right past Walter and Joyce, begging to file through the bedside draws as though she were looking for something. Little Joy’s eyes had gone wide, she was holding closer to Walter and she slowly began to cry. It didn’t take much thought for Walter to realise that Joyce didn’t know who Nan was, or anyone aside from his parents for that matter. Soothing her whines he took it upon himself to show little Joy the life she should’ve had, starting with introducing her to Nan, following the girl down the stairs, showing her around the house and introducing her to Susan, their cat Jack Frost, Di who came into the kitchen to grab a glass of water whilst she waited for Nan to finish talking to their mother. He took her outside, showing her the garden and the flowers Anne plants for Joyce, he took her through the town, showing her where he went to school, the church they went to, the supermarket. He showed her the Meredith’s house, introducing her to Rosemary, Reverend, Aunt Martha, Faith, and his wonderful Una. He told her stories about Jerry and Carl, and he told her about her younger siblings Jem and Shirley. He took her to Rainbow Valley, telling her all the stories and games they used to play there, how she would’ve had such fun playing with all of them and how they all would’ve loved and adored her.

Before leaving Rainbow Valley they were interrupted by sweet Rilla, going down to the valley herself. Walter introduced Joy to her as well. If Walter was still alive he would find it rather odd to be calling all his siblings the younger siblings to little Joy, but here it made sense, and he didn’t question it, because it was purely the sad truth.

The sun began to set and they trekked back up to Ingleside, going up the stairs and placing Joyce back in her crib, soon letting herself succumbing to sleep. The sound of the front door opening and voices could be heard in a cheerful melody, luring Walter down to the living room. There sat at the table was his whole family, minus Jem and Shirley, plus the Meredith family except Carl and Jerry. Walter scanned the room, a smile on his face as laughter scattered through the room, everyone talking happily, eating and enjoying each others presence. Whilst looking over the familiar faces sat around his old dining table, his eyes landed three spots in particular. There, sat three empty chairs, plates, placemats and cutlery all resting empty in the spots as though the occupants were merely late to the function. Smiling, Walter took his usual seat in his empty chair, and sat there, looking around the table as though he were really there in the moment. Everyone seemed so happy, and for a moment Walter forgot he was dead, he forgot he wasn’t really there, and he felt content. Until there was a knock on the door and Gilbert excused himself from the table, and smile on his face and an echo of a laugh in his voice. The front door was visible from where Walter sat, so he could see the way his fathers face faltered slightly when he opened the door to a Soldier. They were too far away to be audible but from the solemn look on the soldiers face, the way he took his hat off and held it to his chest, and the way his father broke down into tears, he knew exactly what was being said.

Gilbert closed the door and Walter looked around, trying his best to savour the last few seconds of happiness on his family’s faces before they were told. He watched as his father came back into the room, an empty look on his face as he came to a stop, standing there aimlessly seeming to be doing the same thing as Walter. Soon the laughter and chatter quieted and all attention was turned to Gilbert.

”what’s the matter honey? Who was at the door?” Anne had queried sweetly, an oblivious smile on her face and Walter wished she hadn’t asked that. Gilbert had dropped his head, taking a breath before bearing the bad news. “Walter’s- he’s gone.”

Sobs broke out, disbelieving cries, gasps, cutlery clattered, all of it. Walter wished he could hug them all, or tell them that was okay, he was happy and that he was looking after little Joy for them, but there was nothing he could do aside from watch from afar.