The Friend He Left Behind

• After spending the summer apart, Gilbert Blythe returns to Avonlea expecting to find the same childhood friend he has always known. Instead, he finds a young woman changed by her family's expectations—and realizes that the feelings he has kept hidden for years may no longer be so easy to ignore.

Details:

Character: Gilbert Blythe
Universe: Anne with an E
Timeline: 1908 — Summer
Setting: Avonlea, Prince Edward Island
Relationship: Childhood friends with unspoken romantic feelings
Story: A slow-burn reunion between two childhood friends who have grown up and changed while apart.