A Family of Their Own

Images from Happy Christmas, Miss King

Felicity tells her sister Cecily of her pregancy in December 1914.

Felix King had been standing at the foot of the King Farm staircase for nearly ten minutes. It had always taken his sister Felicity forever to get ready to go anywhere, but now, with only a few weeks left before the birth of her and Gus' first child, she might as well be crawling.

"Felic. . .", he began again.

"I'm coming!," Felicity Pike called from the top of the staircase as she began her slow descent down the stairs.

"Hurry, Felicity, or we'll miss Gus' train."

Driving his sister to the train station to pick-up her husband was not what Felix had planned for the first day of June 1915. Izzy Pettibone was in Charlottetown visiting her brother Arthur and Felix had planned on going to see her today. But, Gus had managed to get the entire month of June off at the Navel Telegraphic Office in Halifax so he could be with Felicity for the baby's birth. And, after much nagging from Felicity and his mother and a lecture from his Aunt Hetty about his duty as a King, Felix had agreed to drive Felicity.

"Felix King, leave your sister alone." Janet King came in from the kitchen.

Felix looked from his mother back toward the stairs. Felicity stepped down holding the hem of her skirt up a few inches in a vain attempt to look at her feet.

"Hey, Felicity, did you know your boot laces are untied."

Felicity answered her brother with more than a hint of frustration in her voice as she glared at him. Felix had heard this tone and seen this glare many, many times.

"Yes, Felix, I know. I was unable to reach down to tie them and hoped you would be kind enough to help me."

"For the last two months that's all I've been hearing." As he continued, Felix raised the pitch of his voice to imitate his sister's. " 'Felix, tie my boots', 'Felix, climb in the barn rafters and get the baby cradle', 'Felix, my spool of thread rolled under the dresser, could you get it for me.' I am so glad Gus is coming home today. He owes me."

"Felix King!!" Janet tired not to smile as she scolded her son.

Felicity stopped several steps from the bottom. As Felix bent down to tie his sister's boots, their mother looked at Felicity's face. It was paler than usual.

"Felicity, dear, are you feeling all right?"

With a sigh, Felicity answered. "I haven't slept well the last few nights. I can't seem to get comfortable."

"Well, then, are you sure you want to go to the station? I'm sure Felix can pick Gus up alone," a concerned Janet asked her first born.

"No, no, I'll be fine. I'm just a little tired. Besides, it's been almost a month since I've seen Gus."

"There," Felix said as he finished tying the boots. "Are you ready to go now?"

"Yes, just let me get my hat."