Resolution: Day 8

Word Count: 48,041

Summary of Events:

Shelton and Wesley met and decided that they'd both join the Army, as opposed to joining the Navy or the Air Force. Georgiana and her mother went to visit Georgiana's friends Ches and Darlene's mother; while there Georgiana got a strange call from Shelton that she and Ches went to investigate, and discovered Shelton had been in an accident. Shelton was hospitalised with minor injuries and he talked with Georgiana about a variety of things, including the feeling he had that his parents didn't love him . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“How can you say that they don’t love you?” Georgiana asked, looking scandalised.

“If they loved me they wouldn’t want me to marry a rich girl,” Shelton replied. “If they loved me they would be happy to see me enlist in the army. If they loved me they’d love you, because they’d see how you’re the perfect match for me.”

Georgiana stared across the bed. Shelton held her hand tightly and looked at her pleadingly. He didn’t want to let go of her hand until he knew she wasn’t going to take the ring off and leave him forever. She dabbed at her eyes with the side of her finger.

“Please don’t leave me,” Shelton begged. “I’ll have no one left without you.”

Startling slightly, Georgiana looked at Shelton.

“Look, they haven’t even come to see if I’m alright,” Shelton said, gesturing to the door. “You were here right away.”

“But do they know?” Georgiana asked.

Shelton bit his lip. That was true. Did they even have any clue what had happened to him?

“Surely they do love you,” Georgiana said.

“No they don’t,” Shelton replied, looking away. “If they loved me they wouldn’t be trying to make me into someone they know I don’t want to be. What’s dishonourable about being in the army? At least I’m not aspiring to become something unsavoury like a criminal or whatever. No, it’s not the lawyer and judge they want me to be, but it’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“It is dangerous,” Georgiana replied.

Shelton sighed. “Father served in the Canadian army in the Great War for a couple of years and I’m pretty sure he even made it to the Front. I mean, yes, he doesn’t talk about it much, but, still, it’s not a bad thing. He hasn’t even given me any reasons why he doesn’t want me to be in the army, he just keeps telling me I’m supposed to follow in his footsteps and be a lawyer.”

“Oh,” Georgiana said.

“So I am still, technically, following in his footsteps,” Shelton said. “I just went to law school first. Why do I have to become a lawyer now? Does it really matter whether I become a lawyer while I’m young or wait until I’m old, if I really want to?”

“I don’t know,” Georgiana replied quietly.

“I also still haven’t figured out why they’re so vehemently opposed to the idea of your being my wife either,” Shelton said. “I don’t see why you need to be rich for them to like you.”

“I don’t either,” Georgiana agreed.

“It’s frustrating,” Shelton said. “If they would just explain why they want me to do what they want I might do it, but so long as they keep just saying that they want me to do what they want me to without giving me a reason I see no need to oblige them.”