Cecily was sitting, waiting for unwanted news. She was working at the telegraph office in Avonlea. She really didn't want to take the job, but Aunt Hetty told her that she had a duty to her country. Cecily hated the job. All day she sat there, waiting for a telegram. You would assume that she would be glad to get one since she would naturally get bored sitting at the desk all day, but in reality she dreaded hearing the click clacks. It was always news of someone who went MIA or KIA. The better telegrams were ones in which the men were only injured because at least the families knew where they were. She dreaded having to go to the families, and tell them the horrible news. She hated to see the looks on their faces' when she told them that someone that they loved would not come home the same that he left…or come home at all.
One day, she sat at the desk. She was thinking of Izzy. She smiled at the thought of her. Izzy, her best friend, had regained her memory just a little over a week ago. It had been a truly joyous time, but of course nothing endures without change. Mr. Taylor seemed to be heartbroken. He had loved Izzy. Felicity had told her that Mr. Taylor came to talk to her about Felix. It was there that he said his goodbyes. She wondered if they would ever see him again. "Felix," she sighed. He had left about a year ago. She wondered when he would come home.
Just then, she heard what she always dreaded to hear. She quickly got out a piece of paper and a pencil to write the message down, 'Pvt. Felix King: MIA - inform family'. Cecily froze. It couldn't be right. She messaged the operator on the other end to repeat the message, but it was still the same. She looked over at the picture of her brother in her uniform. Tears came to her eyes. She took the picture and held it close to her chest, and she cried. She sat there and cried, and she prayed. She prayed to God that He would bring Felix home. Felix needed to come home, he needed to come home for his mother, father, aunts, uncles, and cousins…He had to come home to his sisters, brothers, and friends…And he had to come home for Izzy.
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Felicity couldn't bring herself to knock on the door. Cecily had just told the family of the terrible news concerning Felix. They all knew that they had to tell Izzy, but none of them particularly wanted to. Many thought that Cecily should do it because she was Izzy's best friend, but Cecily begged Felicity to do it. "Felicity, I can't do it. I can't tell her. I…I…I feel guilty, not wanting to tell her, but I just can't. You have become very good friends with Izzy ever since she lost her memory, you are just as much a friend to her as I am."
Felicity took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Mrs. Pettibone answered, "Felicity! What brings you…my goodness! Are you alright?"
Felicity gulped, "Mrs. Pettibone, I have to talk to Izzy…about Felix."
All of a sudden the two ladies noticed Izzy. She was pale as a ghost, "Felicity…tell me. What is it?"
Felicity looked at Mrs. Pettibone, then back at Izzy, "Cecily got news about him today…at the telegraph office. They said that he is…that he…he has been listed missing in action."
Izzy felt her head spin. She quickly grabbed the back of the banister for support. It couldn't be. She looked up at Felicity, she could see the tears in her eyes. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. She began to whisper to herself, "It…can't be…he has to be…he has to come home." She looked up at Felicity with tears streaming down her face, "What if he doesn't come home? What if…" Felicity put her arms around her. They both knew that they were suffering. They both knew that they had the same fears. No words needed to be said. They both knew what could happen to Felix, and they both knew that there was nothing they could do. Two women who had helped Felix through many things -no matter how trivial or truly significant they were- could do nothing to help him now.
However, as Izzy cried and prayed with Felicity a thought popped into her head, "She could help Felix." There was something that she could do. She could look for him. She could go to Europe and look for him. She knew that he couldn't really be gone. He had too many people who loved him. He just couldn't be gone. She knew that he was out there, and she intended to find him.
She wasn't going to tell anyone, she was just going to go. She knew that if she told anyone ahead of time they wouldn't let her go, so she would just write a letter. Izzy knew that this would be difficult for them, especially since she just came back to them. She had just regained her memory, but now she had to go. She intended to do everything that she could to bring Felix home, even if it killed her.
