February 2013

"So, what did you want to talk to us about?" Jack said moving over so Elizabeth could also be on the camera. They were video-conferencing with Abby. She mentioned that she wanted to talk to them privately without the ears of her siblings.

"I talked to my advisor the other day and she said that between the summer correspondence classes I took last summer and the dual-enrollment classes I took in high school, I could graduate a year early," Abby said.

"That's wonderful!" Elizabeth said. "Oh, Abby, that is awesome!"

"Well, there is one catch. I have two classes and my internship that I need to take in order to graduate next May, but they would have to be here on campus. This summer. Which means that I won't be going home."

Jack and Elizabeth were silent for a moment.

"Well, if that's what you have to do, then, go for it!" Elizabeth said cheerfully.

"What about your internship?" Jack asked.

"So, I talked to Grandpa about it and he said that he could pull a few strings and get me a six-week internship in his company. He said I could stay with him and Mimi. And it would be a phenomenal opportunity to work with their marketing team."

"You don't get to come home at all?" Jack asked. Abby twirled her hair nervously.

"Well, we do get two weeks off, but that's really what I wanted to talk to you about. Justin's invited me to visit him and his family. I'd stay with his sister, of course..." her voice trailed off. "I just want to spend time with Justin away from here. The Pastor at the church we've been going to has encouraged young couples to get to know their significant others outside of their "natural" habitats. And I'd really like to get to know his family too," Abby said nervously.

Jack and Elizabeth looked at each other again.

"Well," Jack cleared his throat. He didn't know what to say. Elizabeth nudged him.

"Honey," Elizabeth said gently. "Where is this relationship heading?"

"What do you mean?"

"It just seems a little fast," Elizabeth said carefully. Abby sighed.

"I know it's been a year, but that's why I really want to go and meet his family," Abby said. She looked at Jack. "If it's about the money, I've saved up my work money and I can pay for a ticket—"

"Abby, it's fine." Jack said. Elizabeth looked at him in surprise. Even Jack was surprised with himself. "Go."

"You mean it?!" Abby's eyes lit up.

"Yes. It'll be good for you to meet Justin's family." Jack squeezed Elizabeth's hand under the table. "But, we'll plan to meet you at Grandpa and Mimi's for a week. It's been a while since we've been out that way, and your siblings would hate it if they didn't get to spend any time with you at all."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

They talked for a little longer before Abby had to jump off to study. Elizabeth turned to Jack.

"What?" Jack asked.

"You're letting her go?" Elizabeth asked.

"In more ways than one," Jack said. He squeezed her hand again. "We've gotta trust her."

The summer of 2013 was another unusual summer for the Thorntons. In May, they did take a trip out to Connecticut to visit the Thatchers. William and Grace spoiled all of them rotten with trips to New York City, shopping splurges for the girls, and Yankees games for the boys. When Jack and Elizabeth tried to refuse, William and Grace only shooed them away and accused them of trying to "rob them of being a blessing," then sent them off on their own little dates to the City.

"Got everything packed, Son?" William said as he watched Jack roll another suitcase into the hallway.

"Well, mine was pretty easy. It's Elizabeth's suitcase I'm worried about." Jack replied with a smile. William chuckled. They walked to the den.

"I must say, it has been really nice having everyone here for the last two weeks. It sometimes gets a little lonely in this big house." William mused. Upon seeing Jack's face of regret, he held up his hand. "No, Jack, don't even apologize. Life happens. And with four kids, it's amazing you are able to get away at all. Sometimes, it's just easier for us to come to you."

"Thanks." Jack smiled. He gazed at the mantle. His eyes landed on a particular picture frame.

"She looks a lot like Elizabeth, huh?" William said, walking over and picking up the photo.

"I actually thought that was Abby for a moment," Jack said. "No dimples, though. That was the giveaway."

"She really is a splitting image of Beth," William said. "She is as smart as a whip. I've heard so many compliments about her work from my colleagues. She's catching on very quickly."

"That's wonderful to hear. I expect no less," Jack said, proud of his daughter.

"So, I hear she's dating a young man from Baylor," William said ever so slyly.

"Justin Hamilton. He's from Alabama." Jack sighed. William gave Jack the side-eye. "He's a nice guy. Really."

"Are you trying to convince yourself?" William asked almost humorously.

"Is this how you felt when I started dating Elizabeth?" Jack countered hiding behind a laugh.

"I can neither confirm nor deny your suspicions, Jack," William said with a twinkle in his eye. "But, I will say, you are my favorite son-in-law." He winked. "In all seriousness though, you were an answer to prayer. The time you came into Elizabeth's life was around the same time that our family was going through a rough patch."

Jack nodded remembering the drama Elizabeth went through that year. First, Elizabeth found out that her sister Viola ran off and married a British guy from school and moved to the UK without so much of a goodbye. Julie was too busy having a good time in high school to care about grades when all she really wanted was attention from any guy who would give it. Grace started having health problems and was hospitalized for several weeks. William's competitor was causing problems and was threatening to sue him. Everything worked out eventually, but for a while, Elizabeth's home life was in turmoil and she couldn't do a thing by over 2000 miles away.

"Did you know she almost quit and came home? She called me in tears one day and said that she was looking into transferring to a school closer to us. We almost fought on this one. I wanted her to stay at school. She did." William looked up at Jack. "And you were the reason. You provided her the stability we couldn't give at the time. You loved her when she felt like the world was coming to an end. You encouraged her and pushed her further than she thought she could go. You were her rock. A few days later as we talked on the phone, I asked her if she was crying because of what was going on at home or if it was the fact that she couldn't make a decision on whether to go home or not. She couldn't answer me. And it was then I knew. She couldn't bring it upon herself to leave you."

Jack didn't know that part of the story. Elizabeth never mentioned her almost transferring out of Baylor after their sophomore year. William and Jack continued to talk for the next hour talking. His heart ached wishing that he could do this with his own father, but was thankful for a wonderful father-in-law who was his second dad.

"Wow, it's late." Jack glanced at the clock on the wall. "I better get to bed so we can catch that flight tomorrow." William nodded. Jack patted him on the back before heading towards the stairs.

"Hey, Jack," William said. Jack turned. "Thank you. For everything."

October 2013

Jack looked down at his phone again. The Colorado Springs school district decided to give extend the Columbus Day break an extra day, so Elizabeth and Jack jumped at the opportunity to head down to Texas for the weekend. This year, Ethan joined Abby at Baylor, so they were extra excited to see both children. Abby and Elizabeth went shopping and Justin was meeting Jack at Mac's Pizza for lunch. He thought again to what Abby told him about her trip to Alabama. She had been over-the-moon excited to meet Justin's family. The Hamilton's embraced her immediately. Abby said life was lively at the Hamilton's. Rachel Hamilton, Justin's mother, was fun and spunky. Abby said she imagined her Gram, Jack's mom, to have had that much sass at that age. Billy never mentioned Elizabeth or Jack. Either he didn't make the connection, or he was too embarrassed to say anything. Justin's older sister and her husband even came down from Atlanta to meet Abby. But that was it. Abby didn't go into any more details except that she thought Justin's family was so much fun.

Jack glanced again at the door. For some reason, he was nervous, and he didn't know why. He watched customer after customer walk in and finally Justin arrived. Jack stood to greet him.

"Hey, Sargeant Thornton," Justin said, shaking his hand. "Thanks for agreeing to have lunch."

"No problem, Justin," Jack said. They sat across from each other in the booth and made small chat. They decided to order individual pan pizzas. Justin cleared his throat.

"So, you must be wondering why I asked if we could have lunch without the ladies," Justin said. Jack nodded. Justin started to open his mouth, but shut it. "Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be." He swallowed, then continued. "Sargeant Thornton, Abby and I are set to graduate this coming May. In saying that, we have really been talking about our future and the next steps." He took a deep breath. "I love, Abby."

What is he saying? Jack had a feeling he knew where this was leading, but he was too shocked to even process the thought.

"I know it's soon, but we have known each other and have been together for nearly two years. But, I have few leads on jobs back in Texas, in the Austin area, and I know Abby could get something too. I know I can provide for her," Justin said.

Jack was silent.

"I know this is sudden," Justin said again breaking the silence.

"Is this what you both want?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Yes, it is. I can't imagine my life without her."

"Justin asked you what?" Elizabeth nearly shrieked. They were on their way to Benihana's to meet the Hogans and Coulters for dinner. "They've only dated for like a year!"

"I know," Jack said.

"I can't believe it! What did you say?" Elizabeth asked. "Oh my word. This is so soon."

"I told him that I thought it was a little fast and that I was a little shocked. He didn't seem to take that well, at least inwardly. But, I was able to divert the conversation for a while and we both came to the conclusion that we both needed to pray about this."

"So, he hadn't prayed about marrying Abby?"

"Not in so many words," Jack said carefully. "Oh." Elizabeth's mouth was in a perfect "o" shape. "What do you think Abby would say if he..." her voice trailed off. "proposes?"

"Oh." Elizabeth's mouth was in a perfect "o" shape. "What do you think Abby would say if he..." her voice trailed off. "proposes?"

"I don't know," Jack said. They were silent. "Between us, it seems to be based on a lot of emotion. But that may be because I'm biased. And it's not that Justin is a bad guy. He's actually a great person from what I can tell, and from what Abby's told us about him."

"I can't get anything out of Abby about their relationship." Elizabeth lamented. "It's not like she's hiding anything, but when as a parent, you're not there-" Elizabeth said, her thoughts jumbled. "It just doesn't seem-" Elizabeth started to say again and her thought trailed off again. She put her head back.

"I know," Jack said. They didn't have to say anything else.

"No wonder our parents went overboard crazy when we started dating. Pretty sure your mom didn't like me at first."

"She gave you a nickname, Lizzie." Jack teased. "She only does that for people she likes."

"Whatever, Jack," Elizabeth said rolling her eyes. "I think my saving grace was the fact that Tom was such a renegade at the time and kept her mind off of us." She blew out a breath. "Geez, parenting is hard. It's a wonder any of us have survived this thus far."

Jack had to agree.

May 2014 flew into the Thornton's lives. Once again, yet another graduation commencement was upon them.

"The days are long but the years are short," Jack said to Elizabeth as they made their way out of the Ferrell Center. "Isn't that the truth?" There had been a limited number of seats, so Ethan, Daniel, Madison, Abigail, Tom and Julie, the Thatchers, and Charlotte watched it via webcam in other facilities. The Coulters and Pastor Frank did not travel down for Abby's graduation this time, so the group was smaller. To Jack and Elizabeth, it didn't feel the same not having the Coulters and Frank join them as they usually always celebrated milestones together.

Jack and Elizabeth met the rest of the family out on the field and waited for Abby to arrive.

"Beth!" Julie grabbed Elizabeth's arm. "Is that Billy Hamilton?" She whispered. And sure enough, Billy and his wife were heading towards them. Jack had to remind himself that it had been over twenty-five years since their last interaction with each other. Jack's last memory of Billy Hamilton was not a positive one. As Jack watched Billy walk over, he noticed he had gained at least thirty pounds since college. His hair was much shorter and was starting to recede. His wife Rachel reminded him of an older version of Rachel McAdams. Her hot pink dress was almost obnoxiously blinding.

"Yup. Did we mention that Justin is Billy's son?" Elizabeth whispered back.

"WHAT?!"

"Sh!" Elizabeth hushed her.

"Thorntons!" Billy's deep voice boomed. "We meet again!"

Elizabeth forced a grin and Jack immediately stuck his hand out. "Billy, good to see you." Billy ignored the attempted handshake.

"Who would have thought. Your kid and my kid. Small world." Billy laughed. Jack cringed inwardly and hoped it didn't show.

"And getting smaller," Elizabeth managed to say, then remembering her manners, "Hi, Rachel. Elizabeth Thornton."

Rachel shook Elizabeth's hand and gave her a hug. "Oh, it is so nice to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you from Abby. She is just a darling." Rachel smiled, showing her pearly white teeth. "Oh, here come Justin and Abby! Yoo hoo!"

Abby grinned and let go of Justin's hand and waved as she spotted her family. She and Justin were back to being hand-in-hand and Abby carried a large spray of roses and daisies, presumably from Justin. Everyone crowded around the college graduates exchanging hugs. Abby's eyes shone brightly.

"Mom, Dad, have you met the Hamiltons yet? Well, I guess you just did because you were standing here together." Abby rambled.

"Oh, yes, we-" Jack started to say, but Billy cut him off.

"Wasn't our first time meeting either. We actually met here when we were in college," Billy said.

"Wait you did?" Justin asked in confusion. He looked to Jack then back to his dad.

"That's right! Elizabeth here, and I were an item for a while," Billy seemed to boast. Jack noticed William giving him the side-eye. Fathers never forget apparently. Don't mess with their baby girls.

Rachel laughed. "Oh, Billy, you were such a wild child back in the day. I don't know how you ever managed, Elizabeth."

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but thankfully Abigail jumped in rescuing them all from further awkward conversation of "back-in-the-day."

"Hi, Abigail Hogan. I'm Abby's godmother." She jumped in and shook both Billy and Rachel's hands. "Can we get pictures of you two with the happy graduates?"

Elizabeth gave Abigail a look of relief. Thank goodness is right! Jack thought. As Abigail continued to take pictures of Justin, Abby, and the family, Jack noticed Ben standing in the distance watching them. He had a small box in his hand. He seemed unsure if he should approach them. Jack and Ben made eye contact and Jack cocked his head and motioned for him to come over.

"Oh, Ben!" Abigail said noticing him immediately. Without thinking and out of habit, she said, "Let me get your picture with Abby." Justin stepped aside and let Ben and Abby take a picture. Jack noticed that Ben seemed to look uncomfortable, but he knew no one else would have known that unless they knew him well. But then, he noticed that Abby put his arm around his waist. "Thanks, Ben, I'll have to give your mom a copy. You know how she is about documenting every event."

Ben smiled. "Thanks, Aunt Abigail."

"Ben, this is Billy and Rachel Hamilton, Justin's parents," Elizabeth said. Ben politely introduced himself and shook their hands. He patted Justin on the back and gave his congratulations. Ben cleared his throat.

"Would you mind if I stole Abby for a couple of minutes?" Ben asked. Jack noticed Justin tense up. He seemed threatened.

"No, not at all," Jack said almost too quickly.

"Take a little walk?" Ben asked Abby. "It won't take long."

Elizabeth and Jack noticed a cloud come over Abby's eyes. It was the same look she had at Becky's wedding the previous summer.

"Sure, Ben," she said. No one else paid attention to them. The Hamiltons and Grace and William were engaging in a conversation about business. Justin turned his attention to Ethan and Daniel. Abigail and Madison were looking at the pictures she had just taken. Jack watched Ben and Abby who were out of earshot. He immediately caught himself invading on their privacy. While he couldn't hear a thing they said, Jack did notice one thing before he turned his attention back to Elizabeth. Abby's eyes sparkled.

Author's Note: Bonus Scene below! This just came to me and I just HAD to add it in!

"You did it, Abby! All that hard work paid off. I told you it would." Ben said as they walked away from the crowd.

"Oh, I guess you were right." Abby bantered back. "But, hey, just one year for you til you get into the 'real world.'" Abby said. It felt good to actually talk to Ben again. It was like they were kids again. Ben laughed.

"OCS here I come!" Ben said. "You'll have to give me tips on how to live as a 'real' adult." He joked.

They were silent for a moment. Abby's heart did a flip flop and she didn't know why. She was dating Justin. They had a plan. William had already offered Abby a position in the marketing department in his company. Justin had done several internships at a national bank and had an "in" at the corporate office in New York. They'd work for a year or two, maybe get engaged, then eventually get married. They could settle into the suburbs if they had to. She could stay at home once they started having babies. Life with Justin was secure. Life would be steady. There would be no surprises that come with military life.

Abby gazed into Ben's hazel eyes. Oh, those hazel eyes. They were so kind. Caring. Compassionate. Then there were his dimples. For a moment, her gaze flickered to his lips and back up to his eyes.

What is going on? I love Justin. I could never do the whole military life. I can't. I just can't. And Justin is safe and secure. Accounting firm. Bank. Nothing could go wrong there. Abby hated having this inward battle. She constantly struggled with what to say next.

"Just be safe, okay?" Was the only thing Abby could muster. He reached over and grazed her arm reassuringly.

"Always. You know me," Ben said. Abby's heart beat faster. They were silent again and Ben realized he had Abby's gift. "Oh! This is for you. You don't have to open it now. It's nothing special. Just- congratulations." Ben handed her the box.

"Thank you," Abby said softly. She looked at him shyly. Ben took a deep breath. Abby felt herself reaching for him. As they embraced, she heard herself say, "Goodbye, Ben."

"Bye, Abby. I-" Ben stopped himself. He released her, but his hands found hers and lingered. "I'm so proud of you." His voice grew low and husky. "Don't forget me." He slowly released his hands and turned to go.

Abby was trembling. Her heart was beating furiously. Her mind was racing. She watched him walk back to the building. She was left alone in the middle of the field, at least in her mind anyways, and looked down at the small purple box. Abby glanced over to her family and Justin's family who were wrapped up in their own conversation. She spotted an empty bench away from the crowds and headed towards it. She sat down, opened the box and chuckled. Cookies and Cream mini chocolate bars, a smaller box, and an envelope. She opened the smaller box and gasped as she pulled out a rose gold bar necklace. She lifted it up to read the inscription. Zephaniah 3:17

Abby's eyes started to water. That was the verse. The verse Ben always encouraged her with. Whenever she was anxious. Whenever she felt alone. Whenever she was discouraged. That was the verse Ben encouraged her with. "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." She whispered. Her fingers trembled as she unfolded the note. It didn't say a lot. But it said everything.

Abby,

Time to conquer the world! We both know life isn't all roses and daisies, so remember that God is with you wherever you go. Just cling to Him and His promises. Congratulations. I'm so proud of you.

Yours,

Ben