For personal use and select distribution only; ©1999 by Michelle (Shelly) Taylor
(New Year's Eve, 11:50 pm)
Izzy was struck speechless. She was now crying wasn't about to stop. Meanwhile, Felix was beginning to lose his self-confidence. He let go of her hand, stood up, and slowly walked away, saying, "I knew this was a stupid idea! I shouldn't have asked you, Izzy. I'm sorry."
As he started to walk back to the hotel, Izzy's words finally came back to her, and she exclaimed, "Yes!"
He quickly turned around and ran back to her, not believing what he had just heard. He stopped, facing her, and asked, "What did you say?"
She took his hands into her own and replied, "I said yes. You didn't do anything wrong. Your asking me to marry you was a good idea. In any case, I would be honored to be your wife."
This time, Felix was the one who was speechless. Did she just say she'd marry me? he thought. Suddenly, he realized that she did accept his proposal and was now joyful. He took her in his arms and swung her around several times. Tears turned into laughter, and Felix's self-confidence was restored. After he stopped swinging her, he put her back down on the ground gently, took the ring back out, and placed it on her left ring finger. Izzy was stunned that it actually fit her finger. "How did you know what size to get?" she wanted to know.
"I asked Cecily before I went to Carmody. That's what I was doing there this afternoon."
Felix looked at his pocket-watch. "Only eight minutes till the beginning of 1915," he said. "Why don't we go back now. They're probably passing out the drinks."
"Yeah. Good idea."
Hand in hand, they walked back to the hotel. On the way, Felix asked his new fiancée, "What do you think 1915 will bring?"
"You mean other than our wedding?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know. I hope it brings the end of the war, that's for sure. Yet, we do know we'll have a niece or nephew in 1915. When are we getting married? Before Felicity gives birth, I hope."
"We'll discuss that at a later date. How about right now, we enjoy the end of 1914."
They continued to walk to the White Sands. When they finally entered, there were only five minutes left until midnight. Cecily was waiting for them in the lobby with two goblets of champagne. "Where have you two been?" she asked. "I was beginning to worry about you. I thought you might have ditched the party and gone somewhere to be alone."
"We went outside for some air," Izzy explained. "Oh, and tell your parents to wait for us after they get home. We have an announcement to make."
"I'll do that. Come on; I think they're about to make a toast."
Cecily, Felix, and Izzy walked into the dining room. Simon Tremayne was ending his speech about his regrets and resolutions. Afterwards, he said, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose a toast." Everyone raised their glasses. Then Simon continued, "This is a toast to 1915. May it be as prosperous and exciting as ever. May romance, enlightenment, and creativity bloom, and may this distant war end soon. To 1915!"
"To 1915!" the crowd echoed. Everyone took a sip of champagne and cheered. It was now four minutes till midnight. As the seconds ticked away, everyone waited in anticipation for 1915 to arrive. It was at this time that Hetty emerged from the crowd to make a speech of her own. Everyone became deadly quiet. They knew if Hetty King had something to say, they better listen.
"I know Simon Tremayne has made several speeches tonight, but now it's my turn," she began. "I realize many people are absent from this gathering. However, they remain in our hearts always. When we welcome the New Year in a few minutes, I want you to think about those who aren't with us now. I know I will.
"Now, I would like to propose my own toast. To family, friends, loved ones, and our young men overseas. May they remember us as we remember them now."
"Here, here!" the crowd exclaimed. Then they had another sip of champagne. Hetty continued, "At this time I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year. Happy 1915, everyone!"
Everyone cheered and wished each other the same. Then Simon took a glance at the clock on the wall and announced, "Three minutes left till midnight!"
Several people in the crowd gasped. Nobody could believe 1914 was approaching its end. Cecily, who was still with Felix and Izzy, told them, "I should go find Arthur."
"Yeah. Happy New Year," Izzy said.
"Same to you two."
Cecily gave her brother and unrealized future sister-in-law a hug and went to find Arthur. Meanwhile, Gus and Felicity approached the other young couple. "Well, I suppose I should wish you two Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year, you two," Izzy told her future sister-in-law and husband, giving each of them a hug.
Afterward, Felicity pulled Felix aside and asked her usual question, "Have you asked her yet?"
He took a deep breath and replied, "Yes, I did."
"What did she say?" Felicity was getting more and more excited by the moment.
"You'll find out when we get home."
"You don't want to tell me now?"
"You'll find out along with the rest of the family."
"Two minutes until midnight!" Simon exclaimed.
"Happy New Year, Felix," Felicity told her brother. They exchanged hugs, and Felicity went to find her parents, followed by Gus, after wishing Felix the same. Meanwhile, Izzy reunited with Felix in the lobby.
"It's almost time, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah. Any resolutions?"
"Other than marry you? I quit making resolutions a few years ago. I mean, I never kept them, so what was the point of making them?"
"Good point. I resolve to be nicer to my little brother, and, of course, I resolve to marry you."
"Good ones. Are you nervous?"
"Some. What about you?"
"I'm a little nervous, yes. It's just that it's a new year, you know. We don't know what will happen. I guess that's what makes New Year's Eve the most exciting day of the year. What I do know is that we have each other, Felix. That's not going to change."
"One minute!" Simon Tremayne exclaimed from the dining room.
Felix and Izzy rushed back to the dining room, where they could sense the anticipation build up. Couples latched onto each other's arms; single people held their hands together in the prayer position. While the clock on the wall ticked down the seconds, the newly-engaged couple thought of each other and of their future together. Not only that, but they thought of Morgan, Peter, and Andrew.
"Thirty seconds!"
"Felix, I can't wait!" Izzy whispered.
"Me either."
Everyone became more and more excited for the new year. Izzy looked around and saw everyone else in the room smiling and whispering to each other. There was even a smile on her own face. She turned to look at her fiancé; he was smiling too.
"Fifteen seconds!"
"This is it!" Felix told his fiancée.
Soon everybody began to count. "Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!" Then the kissing spree commenced while others clapped and cheered. Arthur and Cecily kissed; Gus and Felicity exchanged a passionate one; Felix cupped his hands around Izzy's small, delicate face and gave her a long, loving smooch.
"Happy New Year," he whispered.
"Same to you, my love," Izzy replied.
"Do you want to leave now?"
"Not yet. Let's stay for a little while longer."
A few minutes later, Cecily and Arthur found Felix and Izzy. "Cess, did you tell Mother and Father we have an announcement?" Felix asked his sister.
"Yeah. Mother said you'll have to wait until the afternoon to do it. They're going home now."
"What about you?"
"Arthur offered to take me home."
"Yeah," Arthur added. "I'll see you back at home, Iz. Happy New Year."
"Same to you," she said. "See you at home."
Cecily and Arthur left after that. Soon after, Alec, Janet, Hetty, Eliza, and an almost asleep Daniel followed. Slowly others decided to return to their homes. By twelve-thirty, after a few slow songs and a version of Auld Lang Syne, everyone else had gone home, so Felix and Izzy decided to do the same. After letting her out at her house, Felix drove home and didn't get to sleep until a few minutes after one that morning.
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That afternoon, after Felix came home from the hotel, the King family gathered in the parlor at the house to hear the big announcement. Izzy was also there; where else would she be at such a time? She and Felix stood in front of them, hand in hand, and extremely nervous. Finally, Felix inhaled deeply and announced, "Izzy and I are getting married."
"That's great!" Felicity cried.
"Yes, it is!" added Cecily.
"It's about time!" Gus remarked.
The other men, along with Hetty and Eliza agreed. However, Janet stood up and exclaimed, "NO! You and Izzy are too young to get married!"
"Too young? Mother, I'm twenty years old, and Izzy's nineteen," Felix told her. "Come on, you and Father were much younger than us when you got married."
"That was different. We were much more mature for our age. Nineteen and twenty aren't what they once were."
"So? We love each other, and we want to be together forever. Isn't that what really matters?"
"Please, Felix dear. Think this through first."
"I did, Mother. It just feels right. Will you please try to be happy for us?"
With a sigh and a hint of frustration in her voice, Janet said, "I'll try."
While she remained on the couch, worried, the rest of the family got up from their positions to hug and congratulate the happy couple. Afterward, Felix asked the others to leave so he could talk to his mother alone. The older adults went into the kitchen, while Cecily, Gus, Felicity, Daniel, and Izzy went to sit near the top of the stairs. Felix began, "Now, Mother, will you please tell me what you have against Izzy and me getting married, other than our age?"
"I don't think you two are ready for the responsibilities of married life," she replied.
"Mother, we're not children anymore; we're young adults. Someday you're going to have to let us go so we can live our own lives."
"I know. I just wish it was later."
"I'm sure you do. Unfortunately, it's sooner than you think. Do you think you can manage?"
"I'll try. It'll be hard, though."
Felix sat down next to his mother and put his arm around her. "I'm sure it will be," he said in a soft voice, "but you'll make it, Mother. I'm sure you will. Besides, you still have Cecily and Daniel, and he's not going to be getting married any time soon."
They hugged, and Janet told him, "I'll do my best. I am happy for you and Izzy; don't get me wrong. I'm just acting like a mother who is shocked to find out her eldest son is getting married."
"Well, stop worrying. Izzy and I love each other; we're going to be fine."
Janet let out a deep sigh. "You're right, Felix dear. I do worry about you older ones too much, especially you and Felicity. I mean, you two are the oldest, and you're both off on your own. I suppose I'm not ready to accept the fact that you're both grown up. I still see you two running around outside with Sara acting like children do. Now Sara's away at school and on her way back, Felicity's married and expecting her first child, and now you're getting married. It's all so hard to believe, you know. I know I still have Cecily and Daniel here, but it won't be long before they're out of the house too. Then I'll worry about them as I have about you and Felicity."
"I know, but you're going to be fine, too, Mother. Trust me."
She nodded, smiled, and went to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Felicity, Gus, Cecily, Daniel, and Izzy returned to the parlor. "Nice speech, Felix," Felicity said.
"Thanks. Come on, Iz. Let's go for a walk. None of the rest of you follow us, please."
Felix and Izzy put on their hats and coats and went outside. They walked toward the lighthouse, hand in hand as always. "I can't believe how much we've changed," Izzy began. "It seems like it was yesterday when we first met. Now we're getting married."
"I know. Iz, do you remember back to Gus and Felicity's wedding, just after I joined the Navy?"
"Too well."
"Remember what happened after the reception?"
"Yes. It was our 'fight to end all fights.'"
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(Flashback: About an hour after Gus and Felicity's reception)
Izzy was in Cecily's room, changing into her other dress, thinking about seeing Felix in a Naval uniform. She was very bitter toward him, because he never told her about enlisting. After she finished changing, she went downstairs to look for him. Janet told her he was on his way to the lighthouse. Before anything else was said, Izzy bolted out the door and ran as fast as she could to the lighthouse. She arrived a few minutes later, and she saw him sitting in the fields looking out towards the vast ocean (this is the same field where they would sit two years later). She exclaimed, "We need to talk, Felix King!"
He nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned around and saw Izzy standing there in her lavender blouse and light blue skirt. "I don't think so, Izzy."
"Yes, we do. You didn't tell me you had enlisted."
"I didn't think we had to."
"We're supposed to be a couple now, in case you forgot. We should be able to tell each other anything, especially you leaving."
"No. We don't have anything to discuss."
"Yes, we do, Felix. I don't want you to go!"
"Well, I'm going, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Felix began to walk away, but Izzy grabbed his arm as he began to walk past her. "I'm not done yet, Felix King," she said in an angry tone.
"Why did you come here?" he wanted to know.
"I think you know why!"
"What's the real reason?"
"Why would you care? You didn't care enough to talk to me before. Why should you care now?"
"I do care!"
"It doesn't seem like it!"
"Izzy, I asked you a question."
"Why did I come to try to stop you."
"Yes. What could possess you to do this? Why?"
"Because I love you!"
Felix was stunned; Izzy began to sob. "What did you say?" he asked.
"I said I love you, Felix," she replied in a soft voice.
"Oh, Iz, I'm so sorry." He hugged her tightly as her tears continued to flow.
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(Back to present moment)
"I never understood why you enlisted, you know," Izzy said. "I knew you wanted to get out of Avonlea and see the world, but I didn't think you'd join the Navy to do that."
"I got bored with working at the hotel, so that's what led me to enlist. You weren't the only one who was surprised to see me in uniform; before the wedding, Mother and Father were shocked as well."
"It was shocking. So shocking that I bawled my eyes out the night before you left. I knew you were leaving, and I couldn't do anything about it, but I still didn't want you to go. You stopped me once from leaving you, and I sure wasn't going to let you get away from me."
"I understand that. Do you remember what happened when I walked you home after our fight?"
"How could I forget?"
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(Second flashback: In front of Izzy's house, half an hour after the fight ended)
"Will you come see me off tomorrow?" Felix asked.
"Yes. I'll see you then." Izzy went inside, and Felix began to walk away. A few seconds later, the fact that Izzy said she loved him finally sank in to his heart, and he began to choke up. He stopped, turned around, and went into her house. He found her in the parlor, sitting on the sofa. She looked up when he came in, thrilled to see him again so soon.
Broken, and almost in a whisper, he said, "I love you too, Izzy Pettibone."
She rushed over to him and threw herself into his arms. After they let go a minute later, she asked him, "You love me; I love you, but you're still going, aren't you?"
Felix took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and replied, "Yeah, I am. But I'm going to come home. You've got to understand that, Iz."
"Promise me you'll come back."
"I promise. I'll visit and write frequently, believe me."
"I believe you. I'm just..." Izzy's voice became softer and softer with each word until she finally broke down and cried.
"What?" Felix took her hands into his own and stroked them with his thumbs.
"I'm afraid that I'll never see you again."
"Oh, Iz." He took her into his loving arms and, almost broken himself, added, "You'll see me again. I know it. I will come home. You always come home to those you love."
Felix stood there heartbroken with Izzy sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. He could understand her sorrow, though. He was leaving her behind, and there was nothing any of them could do about it. Both of them felt the pain--Izzy because Felix was leaving, and Felix because he didn't want Izzy to be left behind.
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(Present moment)
"You know how I said last night that our temporary separation was worth it?" Felix asked.
"Yeah."
"I still think it was. We both discovered so much about ourselves in our time apart. I found out that I don't understand the meaning of the war. I'm sure others know what they're fighting for over in Europe, but I don't. Not anymore. I also discovered how much I really loved you. I didn't go over there just for anyone. I did it for you, Izzy. For us."
"Yes. I discovered that no matter where I went, it didn't really seem like home to me. Avonlea is my home; it's where I belong. I can't deny that anymore. I also realized how inseparable we were when we were younger. When I went somewhere alone, it seemed like half of me was missing at times. I went almost everywhere with you--school, our old fox farm, everywhere. After you left each time--for training and to go fight--I had this sense of longing. I waited each day with anticipation for the day you would come home.
"I have a question. Before you left for war, were you nervous about telling the rest of us?"
By now they were sitting on the steps in front of the lighthouse. Izzy sat on a low step, while Felix was higher up, and he massaged her shoulders. "I was scared to death," he began. "When I entered my house in uniform to tell them, the fear got worse. I mean, there I was, standing in front of almost my entire family dressed in an officer's uniform, about to tell them I was going to Europe to fight in this distant war. Somehow, I did manage to tell them. I'm not going to lie to you, Iz. It was hard for me to tell everyone, even you."
"I'm sure it was."
Just then, a man in his mid-to-late-thirties approached the young couple. Upon further observation, they discovered it was Cecily's boss from the telegraph office. "Hello, Felix. Hello, Izzy," he said.
"Hello. What is it?" Felix wondered.
"I got a telegram from the War Office several minutes ago." Then he turned to face Izzy and added, with a look of sorrow in his eyes, "Izzy, it's your brother Morgan."
"What happened?" Izzy wanted to know.
"The boat he was on exploded and sank off the coast of England. He survived, and he's fine, but the Germans have taken him prisoner."
"Oh no."
"I'm so sorry, Izzy. I'll keep him in my prayers. I hope he comes home soon."
"Thank you."
The older man patted her and Felix on the arm, and he left. Izzy began to cry, and Felix took her inside the lighthouse to comfort her. "I don't believe it, Felix. Morgan's a prisoner of war."
"I know. The best part is he's not dead. He's going to come home, Iz. I'm sure of it."
"How can you be so sure?"
"You have to keep hope, like you did after you found out I was missing. Plus, you can pray for his safety. That's about all any of us can do; it's all in the hands of Providence now."
"I suppose I owe him that much, huh?"
Suddenly, a young man in his late twenties with blonde hair barged into the lighthouse and startled the young couple. He pointed to Felix and asked, "Are you Felix King?"
"Yeah. What do you want?"
Without warning, the other man walked over to Felix, grabbed him by the arm, and nearly dragged him out of the lighthouse. Felix attempted to break free but had no success. Izzy's sadness over Morgan's imprisonment turned into anger as she watched her one true love and fiancé be taken hostage. She ran outside after the two men.
"Let him go!" she exclaimed at the top of her lungs. "That is my finacé you've got there!"
The blonde-haired man ignored the frantic young brunette and kept walking until he reached his horse. He got a rope out of his saddle bag and tied Felix's hands together. "You can't do this, you brute!" Izzy added, still chasing after the other man.
"You stay out of this! I'll deal with you later!" he told her. He and Felix mounted the horse and rode away. Izzy continued to follow them.
"Felix!!!"
"Izzy, I love you!" he called out.
"I love you too! And I swear I'll find you!"
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