"Cecily, what was up with you and Peter last night?" Felicity wondered.
"Nothing. All I did was hold his hand while Felix was talking. What's wrong with that? I needed emotional support, and Peter gave it to me."
"There's nothing wrong with that, Cecily," Izzy told her. "I think Felicity was thinking that you thought he was more than a friend to you."
"No; he's just a friend, Izzy. Besides, I haven't seen much of him until now. He was always working at Aunt Hetty's or whatnot. He was mischievous, though."
"Yeah," Felicity added. "For a while, I think he had a crush on me. But I pushed him away, and I felt bad because of it. I hope he finds his match someday."
The girls arrived at the lighthouse shortly after. When they entered, they were surprised that they arrived before the men. However, they went up to the balcony and waited. Izzy looked down at the snow-covered fields and pointed to the location where she and Felix sat only six months before. "There," she said, simply.
"What?" Felicity and Cecily asked.
"That's where Felix and I sat six months ago today. I remember him saying he was extremely scared about going to Europe. He knew he was doing his so-called duty as a King and a Canadian, but he was nervous all the same."
"She's right, you know," a male voice said. The girls turned around and saw Felix standing behind them.
"Hello, Felix," they told him.
"Hello, ladies." He went over to Izzy and gave her a passion-filled smooch. Then she turned to face the ocean, and he softly wrapped his arms around her waistline and carefully placed his chin on her head. Felicity looked at them and wished Gus was there with her instead of in Halifax. Cecily watched, wishing she had a beau of her own. She knew it would happen someday, but she didn't know when.
A minute later, Peter and Andrew arrived at the lighthouse. Everyone else was surprised they weren't there earlier. "I know what you all are thinking," Andrew began. "Before you even ask, Aunt Hetty asked us to help her out before we came."
"Oh," was all the remaining four could say.
"I see someone's in a romantic mood," Peter commented, looking at Felix and Izzy, still in their pose.
"Yeah," Felix told him.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Izzy wanted to know.
"No way," Peter replied. "I think it's great."
He and Andrew walked over to Felicity and Cecily, and all six of them watched the sun begin to set. All the yellows, oranges, and pinks reflected on the icy ocean, and the remaining sunlight made it sparkle like a sea full of diamonds. Everyone watched in awe; nobody could speak. It was almost as if the sunset had them in a hypnotic trance.
They stayed for another fifteen minutes before heading back to King Farm, where Janet and Hetty had a huge meal prepared. They didn't send Felix off to war without a home-cooked meal, and they weren't about to do that to Peter and Andrew. When the six entered the house, they smelled the aroma of chicken pot pie, cole slaw, and biscuits. After removing their hats and coats, they sat down at the table. To everyone's surprise, Peter and Cecily sat next to each other. Cecily still insisted there was nothing going on between them, but the others were thinking something different.
During supper, everyone discussed the events of the day. Alec, Andrew, Daniel, and Eliza spent a teriffic day together, talking about how everything's changed in Avonlea over the years and how shocking it was. Janet told everyone about her trip to Carmody with Felicity, Cecily, and Izzy. Cecily cried when she revealed to everyone that Edward Ray was dead, and how Clemmie reacted to the news. Peter put his arm around Cecily to comfort her, and she didn't seem to mind. Then Felix talked about the fight Hetty and Simon had over the decorations for the New Year's Eve party, and he put out a request for help, saying, "I need some help decorating tomorrow. Would any of you be interested?"
"I'll come," Izzy told him.
"I was sure you would."
"Felix!" She gave him a playful slap on the arm.
"Sorry, Iz. Anyone else?"
"I'll come, too. I have tomorrow off," Cecily informed him.
"Me too," Felicity volunteered.
"I guess I'm all set, then," Felix announced. "We'll go up to the hotel after we see Peter and Andrew off."
"Cecily, Felicity, bring your dresses with you. We'll go to my house after we've finished decorating," Izzy said.
"Then I guess we're taking separate sleighs," Felix added. Then with a suggestive tone in his voice, he said, "Unless..."
"Don't you get any ideas, Felix King," Janet interrupted. "I'll decide when you all will learn to drive the car."
"Fine, Mother. Iz, do you want to stay here with us tonight?"
"If it's alright with your folks," Izzy replied. "I don't want to impose on them or anything."
"Sure, Izzy. You may stay if you like," Janet said.
"Thanks. I need to get some things from home first."
"I'll take you," Felix volunteered.
"Thank you."
The couple left after that. On the way to her house, Izzy asked, "Do you think there's something going on between Cecily and Peter?"
"I don't know," Felix replied. "If there was, they would say something."
"Maybe they're keeping it a secret."
"Who knows? All I know is the suspense is driving me insane."
Izzy laughed. "You and me both, Felix. Maybe we should ask her...after he's gone, of course."
"Actually, you ask her. She tells you just about everything anyway."
"Okay; then I will."
Soon after, they arrived at Izzy's house. Felix turned the sleigh around, while Izzy went inside to get her nightgown, her diary, a housecoat, and her other necessities. A couple of minutes later, she came back out, and they returned to King Farm. Janet, Alec, and Hetty were sitting in the parlor when they entered.
"Izzy, I fixed up a cot for you in the girls' room," Janet told her. "Everyone else, except for Daniel, is in there now."
"Thanks." She and Felix went upstairs to join the others. When they walked in, Felicity and Andrew were sitting on her bed, and Cecily and Peter sat on the other one. Izzy noticed a wooden box in Felicity's lap as she and Felix sat on the small cot near the middle of the room.
"What's in the box?" Izzy wondered.
"A little over ten years ago, Felix, Cecily, Andrew, Peter, Sara, and I wrote down what we would be doing in ten years," Felicity explained. "We were about to read all of them out loud when you two returned."
She passed around a piece of paper to each of the respective owners and gave Izzy what Sara wrote. "I'll go first," Felicity said. "I wrote that, 'I would be happily married with lots of kids and would be taken care of very well.' Now, I am happily married, taken care of, and I'm working on the kids. Andrew, will you go next?"
"Sure. I wrote, 'I will be reunited with my father, and we will be together forever.' Of course, we were reunited a year later, and he died about a year and a half ago. Now you, Felix."
"'In ten years, I'll be rich and away from this stupid farm.' Guess what? I'm not rich, and I still live here. I will say that I do make my own living. What did Sara write, Iz?"
"She wrote, 'In 1915 I will be traveling the world, but I'll still return to my dearest Avonlea. I may even be married by then.' She's definitely seen the world, and she's visited Avonlea. All that's left is for her to get married. What about you, Cecily?"
"I wrote, 'I will be living somewhere in Avonlea. Maybe Felicity and Felix will not tease me like they do now.' They don't tease me, and I'm still living in Avonlea. Actually, I think Felicity, Felix, and I have gotten closer to each other than ever. Last, but not least, Peter."
"I thought that I would get a good job and help take care of my ma. She's taken care of; I'll say that much, yet I'm about to leave her and all of you tomorrow. I don't want to..." Peter's voice began to break, and he started crying. Cecily put her arm around him and brought him closer to her.
"It's okay, Peter. I know you don't want to leave her or any of us. Just promise us that you'll come home," she reassured him. "That goes for you too, Andrew."
"We will come home," Andrew told her. "Now, I would like to know what Izzy thought she'd be doing at this moment ten years ago."
"Ten years ago I thought that I would live out West or in the States with my aunt Lillian," Izzy explained. "I even thought that one day I would be the first woman in the British Army. That seems unlikely, though."
"Yeah," added Felicity. Then a new thought entered her mind. "I have an idea. How about we write down what we think we'll be doing ten years from now? When Sara comes home, I'll ask her to do the same, so this time we'll have seven different descriptions."
Everyone agreed with her. Felicity handed out clean sheets of paper and pencils to all present, and everyone wrote down where they'd be (in the means of location, their love life, work, and other things) at the end of 1924. After they finished, they signed and read their descriptions. Felicity went first.
Near the end of 1924 I will still be married to Gus. I will have a nine-and-a-half-year-old child, and maybe a couple more children. Plus, I will continue to run the first ever school for the deaf on Prince Edward Island. --Felicity Pike
They nodded in agreement. They were sure Felicity was going to be very successful. Meanwhile, Andrew volunteered to go next.
In 1924 I will be long home from the war. I will have finished school at Dalhousie in Halifax, with the hopes of becoming a science teacher. Who knows! I might even teach in Avonlea, provided Aunt Hetty has retired by then. If I don't teach right away, I'll do some surveying, like my father used to. I also hope to find the woman of my dreams and get married to her. --Andrew King
Everyone agreed with that, too. Despite the fact he was leaving for war tomorrow, they were optimistic for both him and Peter. Cecily was the next to read.
In 1924, it's very likely that I will still be in Avonlea, getting ready to take over the farm from my father. By then I hope to have met my one true love, who I hope doesn't mind farming, seeing as I'm going to own one. I wish I'm not working at the telegraph office anymore by this time. I do like it, but I don't want to sit in an office sending and receiving telegrams until the day I die. Maybe I'll go to university and get a degree. --Cecily King
Everyone remained hopeful that Cecily would meet her match. Of course they figured she would remain in Avonlea; that was pretty obvious. As for attending university, nobody was very sure about that. Peter's paper followed Cecily's.
1924--it seems a long way off. So did 1914 ten years before that. I believe I'll be long home from the war, and will continue to take care of my mother, but not too much; I have a life too! Maybe I'll have met the woman of my dreams by then. I hope she's as kind and as considerate as I am. I also hope she's real smart; that always helps. --Peter Craig
Cecily smiled at the thought of Peter taking care of his mother. He always loved her, and would continue to do so until the day of her death. Everyone knew that, and they were sure he would do a good job taking care of her.
The only two left to read were the only real couple in the room--Felix and Izzy. "Which one of you is going to read now?" Cecily wanted to know.
"I guess I'll go, since it's been going lady-man all this time," Izzy replied.
1924. It's hard to tell what I'll be doing by then. I do hope to be married by then to a certain someone ("I can't tell you who it is, but I'm sure you all know who I'm referring to."). I'd also like to have children of my own. Plus, since almost all hope of being the first female General of the British Army is gone, I might attend teacher's college (or study here at home by correspondence). In any case, I intend to be happy, no matter what I'm doing. --Izzy Pettibone
"That's probably the best one I've heard tonight," Felicity commented, "unless Felix can top it. Go ahead, Felix," she added, not knowing that his would be the best of the six.
Ten years earlier I said I hoped to be rich and famous. I was almost eleven years old when I said that. I'm twenty now, and as far as I'm concerned, I am rich. I've lived for twenty years so far, and I have friends and a family who care about me. I know that in the next ten years they'll still be there for me.Now I say that when I'm thirty (in 1924), I want to be happily married to the woman of my dreams; she knows who she is. I don't know if I'll continue to work at the White Sands or not. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I definitely know I won't remain in the Navy. I also know I won't be working at my father's farm. Cecily will do a better job with that.
I really can't do the best job predicting my own future. It's all in the hands of Providence. All I can do is make the most of it; that's all any of us can do. --Felix King
Everyone was stunned. They never knew Felix could write as clearly and as eloquently as he just did. "What's wrong?" he questioned. "Can't a man write as eloquently as a woman?"
"Of course, Felix," Felicity replied. "We just never heard you write like that, especially not in school for Aunt Hetty or Mr. Pettibone."
"Maybe I was inspired," he said, looking at Izzy.
"Must've been," Izzy agreed.
Felicity collected all the papers, folded them up, and locked them away in the small wooden box. Then she set it on her dresser. "It's getting late," she told everyone. "We should all think about getting some sleep."
"Yeah," Felix added.
"Guess we should go," Andrew said. "Good night."
"Good night, Andrew, Peter," Izzy told them.
"Why don't you and Felix walk with us?" he suggested.
"You too, Cecily," Peter added.
"What about me?" Felicity wondered.
"You know how you always made me stay here while you and Felix and Sara went out and did stuff? Now it's your turn to stay while I go out for a change," Cecily replied.
"Oh. Okay then; see you later."
Felix, Izzy, Cecily, Peter, and Andrew left to go to Rose Cottage. Andrew was still shocked that Cecily snubbed Felicity like she did. "Cecily King! Why did you do that to Felicity? You know she was more than welcome to come along, right?" he asked.
"Of course I know," she replied. "I just wanted her to know what it was like for me when she, Felix, and Sara went out and had fun and made me stay behind. I know she wanted to protect me, but I was hurt all the same. Besides, Peter invited me, not her. Come to think of it, you didn't really invite her either, Andrew King."
"True."
"Cecily, are you sure there's nothing going on between you and Peter?" Felix wanted to know.
"For the last time, there is nothing going on between us! Why are you assuming that there is just because we held hands at the lighthouse, sat together at supper, and we comforted each other?"
"We're nothing but real close friends," Peter reassured Cecily's older brother. "If it turns into more than that, it's okay. If not, that's okay, too."
Felix nodded in acknowledgement. "I can understand that."
Soon the five of them were at the front gate of Rose Cottage. They all took a deep breath, knowing this would be the next to the last time they would see each other for a while. Finally, Izzy spoke up. "Well, we'll see you two tomorrow morning."
"Good night, all," Andrew told his cousins and Izzy.
Felix and Cecily gave their good night wishes, and Andrew went inside. Soon after, Peter had an idea. "Felix, Izzy, why don't you two go on back to the house. I want to talk to Cecily alone."
"Sure," Izzy replied. "See you tomorrow, then." With that, she and Felix went back to the farm house. Meanwhile, Cecily and Peter leaned on the picket fence in front of Rose Cottage with longing in their eyes. Slowly, they took each other's hands, and Peter looked into her eyes and said:
"I didn't want to say this in front of everyone else, but I need to tell you something before I go. That's why I invited you along."
"What is it?"
"I love you, Cecily King. I always have, ever since I saw you many years ago when I got sick. You looked so cute with your braids and that adorable smile. I'll never forget that, despite the fact you've outgrown the braids. You know, I always thought it was Felicity I was in love with, but it turned out it was you I loved all those years. I didn't have the guts to tell you until now."
Cecily smiled. It didn't seem that long ago since she wore braids in her hair. Of course, she was nine when Peter got sick, but she remembered it like it was yesterday. She leaned closer to him and said, "I love you too, Peter Craig. I think it's great that you care about your mother so much. I know I'd want to be taken care of when I get older. You're a sweetheart--compassionate, caring. I love that about you."
Suddenly, they leaned in even closer to each other and exchanged a long, passionate kiss. After they pulled away, they smiled at each other, and Cecily told him good night. He went into Rose Cottage, and she walked back to King Farm.
* * * * *
Felix and Izzy entered the house quietly so they wouldn't wake anyone else up. They walked into the parlor, took their coats off, went into the kitchen, and Felix asked, "Why do you think Peter asked Cecily to stay behind?"
"I don't know, but I don't think we should interfere," Izzy replied.
"Do you think there's more going on with them than they're saying?"
"I don't know. Well, I'm going up to bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."
"Yeah. I'm going up, too."
They quietly walked up the stairs and gave each other a good night kiss before going to bed. When Izzy entered the girls' bedroom, Felicity was fast asleep. Izzy got dressed for bed quickly, lit a lantern near her cot, took her diary and pen out of her bag, and began to write:
December 30, 1914
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Peter and Andrew are leaving then. I hope they come home in one piece--mind, body, and spirit.Morgan left today. I'm glad he wasn't on the boat that sank off the coast of Newfoundland, but I feel bad for the families of the young men who died--especially for Cecily's old friend Clemmie Ray. Her brother Edward was one of the ones who were killed. Clemmie took the news hard.
Cecily, Felicity, their mother, and I went to Carmody this afternoon to look for dresses for the party at the White Sands. I haven't seen Janet's dress yet, but I saw Felicity's and Cecily's. Cecily's is light blue with white sequins. The sleeves extend to her elbows; it looks great on her. Felicity's dress is basic black and off the shoulders. Neither Cecily nor myself liked it, so she and I are going to use the skirt of her wedding dress and the top of the one she bought to make a new dress. I'm also going to have one of them see if there's some black mesh at the store.
My dress is very dramatic; Cecily and Felicity were stunned. It's dark purple with black sequins and black mesh attached to the skirt. There are extremely short sleeves on it; I love it!
I also went to the lighthouse with Cecily, Felicity, Felix, Peter, and Andrew to watch the sunset. It was so beautiful--nothing like it. I know Peter and Andrew will come to appreciate it.
Not long ago, Felix, Cecily, and I walked Peter and Andrew to Rose Cottage. After Andrew went in for the night, Peter asked Felix and me to leave so he could talk to Cecily alone. I don't know what was said, but I do know she and Peter have denied that they are more than friends, and I think it's becoming something more. I can tell by how they act when they're around each other.
Gotta go. Happy New Year to me.
--Izzy Pettibone, Age 19
* * * * *
The morning came faster than anyone anticipated. Everyone arrived at the train station at seven forty-five--Alec, Janet, Eliza, and Daniel in the car; Hetty, Peter, Andrew, and Maude Craig in Hetty's sleigh (which Peter drove); and Felix, Izzy, Cecily, and Felicity in the other sleigh. After the bags were loaded onto the train, and Peter and Andrew had their tickets, the remaining ten lined up to say their goodbyes. Alec, Janet, and Daniel were first. After Janet gave her "motherly advice," Alec told them to come home safe, and Daniel said the same thing, the three of them huddled together for a group hug. Next was Eliza, who told them to be careful and to come home soon. Then she joined Alec, Janet, and Daniel.
Hetty followed Eliza. She reminded her nephew and former hired help, "Remember, you're doing this for the Empire, the Island, and us."
"Yes, Aunt Hetty," Andrew replied.
After giving them a hug and kiss goodbye, she joined Eliza and the others. Meanwhile, Felicity and Felix were debating who should go next. Finally, Felicity decided she would say goodbye first.
"I want you to know that I'll miss you both," she told her cousin and his friend. "Just make sure you write often, okay?" She was almost on the verge of tears.
Andrew gave her a reassuring hug and said, "We will write. Stop your worrying now; it's not good for you or your baby."
She hugged Peter, then wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and took a couple of steps back. Izzy was the next to say goodbye.
"You two be careful, okay?" she said. "My brother, Morgan, is on his way over there. Maybe you'll get to meet him while you're there. In any case, make sure you come home in one piece--mind, body, and spirit."
She and Peter and Andrew shared a hug together. As Maude Craig came to say goodbye to the young men, Izzy went to join Felicity. Maude hugged Andrew, and then walked over to her son and said, "Make sure you two come home safe and sound."
After kissing his mother's cheek, he told her, "I will."
"You go ahead, Felix," Cecily told her brother.
He walked over to the other two young men and said, "You know it's dangerous over there. The fighting has become more intense. I hope you two can handle it. I'll miss you both."
After sharing a manly hug with Andrew and Peter, he went to comfort his older sister. Finally, it was Cecily's turn to say farewell.
"I am definitely going to miss you two," she remarked, "especially you, Peter. I'm afraid I'll never see you again."
Peter took Cecily's hands and reassured her, "We've only begun, you know. I will come home to you. I swear to God I will."
Everyone else watched as they leaned in for a passion-filled kiss. Neither Cecily nor Peter cared, though. It was very evident that they had found love with each other, and nobody could do a thing about it. They couldn't even believe it. "I love you," Peter told his new-found love.
"I love you, too," Cecily returned.
She joined her older brother and sister and Izzy after that. Peter and Andrew boarded the train and waved goodbye to everyone as it pulled out of the station. After it was gone, Alec, Janet, Daniel, Eliza, Hetty, and Maude went to King Farm, while Felicity, Felix, Izzy, and Cecily drove to the White Sands. The remaining hours of 1914 would be long and tedious for the young adults.
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