Lelia Monologue

With Lelia’s constant companion away at school she appreciated the extra hours at work. Not only for the money, but it kept her busy, filling the void of vulnerability and loneliness she suffered without Samuel by her side. Writing the letters to Sam helped, except they didn’t ease the loneliness in Lelia’s heart. To fill the emptiness, she once again began to hang out with her old girlfriends from school, who were also chumming around with Owen.

“Lelia Elizabeth, don’t be too late tonight. Will that Owen-fellow be with you girls this evening?” A commonplace question from her mother.
“Mother!” Using her proven sarcastic tone that stopped her mother from any further questioning, always left Lelia rolling her eyes, wondering why her mother
Horrified, she knew she had to divulge the nightmare to her parents. Her thoughts went to her mother, “My dear God; Mother will be hysterical.” And, true enough, Marion Russell remained devastated. “Oh Lelia, my dear child.” Her mother repeated that same phrase around fifty times, driving Lelia mad, all the while pacing up and down the hallway and around the kitchen, shaking her head and rubbing her hands together, as if in doing so, it might all go away.
Lelia’s dad spoke decisively, more matter of fact. “You and Owen have no choice; you’ll have to marry,” he hesitated only a moment before adding, “and soon.”
The tears were already plopping onto the kitchen floor before the newly pregnant Lelia had an opportunity to escape up the stairs to her bedroom. With one colossal plunge, she flung herself onto her bed as the inconsolable tears went face-first into her pillow. “Samuel, my dear, sweet Sam, how in the world will I ever tell him? What in God’s name have I done? It simply can’t be true.” She sobbed into her pillow the rest of the
There certainly would not be a church wedding. Also, it had been Owen’s idea, not Lelia’s, to stay with her and her parents for a few weeks, while the speedy wedding arrangements were carefully calculated, to coincide with the due date of the baby. For Owen, the security he reaped from staying in the Russell household felt comforting: the exact opposite of the life he’d experienced growing up, and in direct contrast to how his presence in her home had Lelia feeling.

Nivan Burgess, the best and only true friend Owen had, still lived in their hometown of Damariscotta. When Nivan heard that Owen’s father, George Bauer had taken ill, rumors alleged he’d had a heart attack, although no one knew conclusively, Owen’s devoted friend took it upon himself to hitch a ride to Cutler Harbor so he could pass the news on to Owen.
The day Nivan arrived with the news, he assumed Owen would not waste any time hitching back to Damariscotta with him. However, Owen’s reaction was mysterious and didn’t make sense to his friend. Choosing the security of the Russell’s home, over going back to see his father, he didn’t want to leave. Instead, he sent Nivan back to Damariscotta alone. The fact is, Owen hadn’t returned to Damariscotta for several months, not since the day he found out about Lelia’s